“Matthew, would you like to build the world’s first carbon-neutral city?”
This was a phone conversation that would change Matthew Chow’s life—he became part of the team designing Masdar City, an eco city in Abu Dhabi built around the idea of sustainability, 99% recycled waste, and a clean tech hub for innovation. Currently the Design Lead for IDEO, a company that wants to create disproportionate impact through design, Matthew came to CreativeMornings to talk about a tough subject for many people: Change.
Rendering of Masdar City
How do you design change? Is that even possible?
When you’re trying to design outcomes and behaviours and your ideas keep hitting a brick wall, what can you do? Creating change is hard but you can design the environment that encourage desired behaviours. For Matthew, that meant showcasing a staircase instead of an elevator when you first arrive in Masdar City. He fought hard to have the staircase be a symbol for Masdar City, a place that is energy-efficient and sustainable.
6 organizational anchors to create an environment for change
For many people, change is the biggest challenge they'll come across—but sometimes all it takes is the smallest gesture or effort to create a ripple of change within your life.
To find out more about how you can create an environment that incites change, check out the rest of his talk below:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABakfWF3tp8&t=2029s[/embed]
Want to participate or learn more about CreativeMornings, a free breakfast series held the first Friday of every month? Head here to sign up for the lottery to attend. Our next talk is with Christine Germano, a photojournalist on the topic of ‘Risk’.
