A Dockside Conversation on the Spectrum of Imagination
Yesterday, John Alderman and Sam Ward of Alderman+Ward invited me for a serendipitous conversation session and lunch by the dockside at the Farmhouse Thai Kitchen at Jack London Square in Oakland.
Our conversation flowed naturally, like water streaming down a mountainside and meandering through flatlands. As we talked, our discussion gracefully evolved, gaining both depth and breadth.
I inquired, “Sam, what inspired you to invite me to this conversation?” He responded, “Both of us were on a panel discussion at the design agency Btrax a few weeks ago. I found your comments during the session refreshing. Your authentic and open remarks about your journey in the design world, without concealing your vulnerability, made us eager to continue the conversation.”
I offered my own reasons for accepting the invitation, saying, “I’m always eager to engage with individuals who possess genuine curiosity and unique perspectives on life, particularly those whose thoughts and perceptions belong to a separate sphere of perception from my own.”
Coincidentally, John has a background in writing and consulting, specializing in topics such as culture and transformation. On the other hand, Sam’s expertise lies in strategy and program management. Together, they’ve established a strategy firm for service design.
As we discussed the post-COVID and post-generative AI future, we also touched upon the limitations of envisioning the future from within the tech bubble. The conversation gained depth and insight when we shifted our focus to my oral history project, “The Legacy of India’s Imagination.” This project delves into the evolving imagination of individuals in the context of their activism and experiences.
I highlighted that although my project initially began as documentation of “The Legacy of India’s Imagination,” through conversations with individuals who have dedicated more than three decades of their lives to causes with long-term implications for the well-being and justice of specific communities, it has evolved into a more humanitarian and ecological focus, transcending the boundaries of the communities or nations in which they work. Furthermore, I pointed out that as each participant in the oral history dialogues started their journey in activism and creativity within their domains of experience, over time, their focus shifted towards exploring the spiritual foundations of society to foster greater mindfulness and a sense of justice in the world.
Sam and John inquired about the methods I employed to both start the conversation and keep it centered around the participants’ evolving imagination, considering that they likely had numerous experiences and accomplishments related to their activism that they may have wanted to discuss.
“That is a very important question,” I said. “Having spent three decades conducting ethnographies of imagination worldwide, I have learned how to pose simple questions that encourage deep reflection on the participants’ thought processes and help them revisit their envisioned desired futures. This requires patience as we navigate the path of exploring their past experiences, reflecting on the progression of their ideas, beliefs, and idealism. I applied these learnings while conducting my oral history dialogues.”
I explained that out of the 60 dialogues I’ve completed, approximately five participants live and work outside of India. Despite their physical distance, their imagination remains rooted in the struggles and aspirations of the people in India. In their journeys as global citizens, they have expanded their imagination to encompass global, humanitarian, and ecological scales.
Sam and John were intrigued and wanted to know if I observed any distinctions between the imagination of the individuals I interviewed for my oral history project and the imagination of the tech innovators who have been my clients over the past three decades.
Before directly answering their question, I shared a story. A few years ago, a client from Zenuity, a subsidiary of Volvo involved in developing driver assistance features, approached us to conduct ethnographic research on driving behaviors in China. Our task was to propose China-specific Advanced Driver Assistance features that would improve the highway driving experience for Geely drivers, the parent company of Volvo. The software design team from Volvo Sweden had already developed ideas for enhancing the highway driving experience for Geely drivers in China.
When my client at Zenuity asked the Volvo team about the basis for their feature designs for China, they explained that they had developed the driver assistance features based on their knowledge of driving behaviors in Sweden. This response led my client to advocate for an ethnographic research project in China. He argued that without direct experience and observation of the driving culture and behavior in China, the Swedish team could not fully understand the unique needs and cognitive models of Chinese drivers.
Drawing a connection between this story and the differences I noticed between the imaginations of people in my oral history projects and tech innovators, I highlighted that the imagination of the former was grounded in everyday interactions with the beneficiaries of their work. They relied on first-hand experiences rather than hearsay, secondary research, or consultant reports.
Conversely, tech innovators often become consumed by their knowledge of what technology can do, causing their understanding of the real world and the people within it to become outdated or biased by secondary sources or consultants. To make matters worse, tech companies frequently recruit feedback or ideas from within the company, leading to insular thinking.
I stressed that engineers, designers, and business strategists, who often work in insulated environments, cannot truly understand the challenges faced by ordinary people. In contrast, the individuals I interviewed in my oral history dialogues possess a deep understanding of these struggles due to their constant engagement with the communities they serve.
As our conversation came to a close, I shared my thoughts on the role I believe I can play in society, drawing upon my five decades of experience at the intersection of design and social sciences. I told them, “I do not believe that any single expert can change the world until the world itself is ready to change. The motivation for societal change arises from various influences on the collective imagination, including literature, media, art, public discourse, and, most importantly, the conversations people have within their social circles. The real opportunity to have an impact on the future lies in participating in and influencing the exchange of ideas in the public sphere, driven by genuine curiosity, deep compassion, and wild imagination.”
