00:15 MONIQUE BLOUGH, HOST:
Hello and welcome to this season wrap-up of Responsible Disruption. I'm Monique, and as always, it's a pleasure to have you joining us. Today's episode is a little different. We're looking back on the incredible conversations and moments we've shared this season, and I'm thrilled to have my co-hosts here with me to reflect on it all. First up, Sydney, whose curiosity and knack for diving deep into the human side of innovation has brought such a unique energy to this podcast. Hey, Sydney!
00:43 SYDNEY JOHNSON, CO-HOST 1:
Hi, Monique.
00:45 MONIQUE: And of course, we have James, who has this incredible way of grounding big ideas in everyday experience, and he keeps our conversations thoughtful and practical. Hi, James.
00:57 JAMES GAMAGE, CO-HOST 2:
Are you talking about me?
58 MONIQUE: I am.
01:00 JAMES: Oh, right. Yeah. Hi.
01:04 MONIQUE: Welcome, both of you. So, over the past year, we've explored some amazing topics, spoken with inspiring guests, and of course, we've shared a lot of laughs along the way. We've already started this episode with a chuckle or two. We've covered a wide range of topics on fostering innovation and positive change. Some of the themes we've covered included building resilience through setbacks, fostering creativity, and applying design thinking in various contexts. Our episodes also highlighted systemic approaches to innovation, community engagement, and practical methods like possibility thinking to encourage leadership and adaptability in complex settings. Each episode offered insights into both individual growth and broader social impact, which is about connecting innovation to real-world change. So, I'm excited about today's episode because, with my wonderful co-hosts, we're going to dive into some of these inspiring moments, some of the lessons we've learned, and some of the themes that have really defined this season. And you're also going to get a sneak peek into what's coming in Season 3. So, let's get started. OK, here's our first question: What was your favorite episode or moment that stands out for you from the season? Syd.
02:34 SYDNEY: Yeah, I… thanks, Monique. There are so many, and I know that's the cliché thing to say, but truly, there are so many. It's been a really wonderful season to expand, you know, our thinking as the people who get to have these conversations, who have the privilege of talking to all these incredible people. I'll start with one, and then I'm sure more will be revealed as we chat, but I think one that's sticking out for me is the episode Learned by Doing that James hosted with Aaron Kapanen, all about really experiential learning and what that looks like in more of an education setting. But as I was reflecting and listening to that episode, it's so clear to me that that is so much about... you know, it's so, so connected to what we do in the Social Impact Lab through our co-design approach. Because what is co-design really, if not learned by doing? For several people who are involved in that process, or who are involved in a co-design process for the first time, they are learning how to think in a certain way or do things in a different way, while they are actively doing it. And so, it made me reflect on how experiential learning, while in academia, is really exciting, and that there's a bigger push for that. I think it's so important for students to have, quote-unquote, “real-world experience.” And I also think that it is something that actually stays with us for the rest of our lives as well. And so, that one was a really nice one for me to listen to with my, you know, my Social Impact Lab hat on, to connect it back to the work we do.
04:20 MONIQUE: Yeah, that's a great episode. Love that you highlighted that. James, did you have one moment?
04:25 JAMES: Well, I… yeah. And that's a good answer, Syd. I really like that because, actually, I think if I look back at the season, all three of those episodes that we did around education— I spoke to Amanda McIntyre, still from the CBA, and Margo Montgomery as well about the Two School Initiative. Why I really liked those episodes was that, you know, it's good to see and hear design principles being used in the education context. I know how powerful it is from my experience; the design process is incredibly powerful. From my experience here at the lab, and in previous roles, but I've never experienced it in a school or education context. And it really made me feel good that there are pioneers out there within the community using design in the education context. It was really good to hear those stories from Erin, Margo, and Amanda.
05:36 SYDNEY: Absolutely. And Monique, what's the question? Back to you. What's sticking out for you? What's your favorite episode?
05:44 MONIQUE: Yeah, I like how you started, Sydney, because there are so many great episodes. But honestly, I think one of my favorite moments from an episode was the conversation you hosted, From Setbacks to Success, with Shahr Savizi-Smed and Amanda Ovaici. I think what I really appreciated from that was their vulnerability in sharing their stories about failure. And I think that, along with the learning aspect, is just very refreshing and real. We often, you know, think what comes out in the market or what we're seeing is perfect, and we actually don’t think about the growth and courage it takes to move through that process. It really reminded me of how much we learn and grow when we’re willing to talk openly about the things that we didn’t achieve—those moments that create pause, that often our ego doesn't want us to acknowledge. But I believe that the conversation you had, and those types of conversations, are really what makes not only the process of innovation, but the work that we choose to do, really personal and powerful. So, thanks for hosting that awesome episode.
07:13 JAMES: Yeah.
07:13 SYDNEY: Well, thanks for the shout-out. I think one of the takeaways that I had from that episode was, you know, that they were setting up this event and they were, you know, really on board with the messaging, but still learning that they had vulnerabilities—still thinking about their own experiences with failure and facing them. What’s really interesting is that, even though they already knew that failure was important, still, yeah, that vulnerability to share their own journey as a part of that too—it’s very, very layered.
07:44 MONIQUE: Yeah, it is. And I think it's complicated. You know, the human journey in sharing those failures or experiences and setting up the conditions to be open to doing it, but also ensuring that we can create spaces for our teams and our communities so that they can feel comfortable in having that conversation as well.
08:10 JAMES: I like the sentiment of that episode, but also, I don't know if you felt this, Sid, but actually having two guests and having some fun and chemistry between the two guests also makes for a more interesting episode, in my opinion. If I look back at those that I presented in the last year, the ones where I had a couple of guests talking about a subject or bantering off one another, I enjoyed the most. It just makes for a more fun, deep conversation.
08:47 SYDNEY: Yeah, absolutely. We all expand the conversation, expand the way we're thinking about something when we have an array of voices on the topic, let's say.
08:58 MONIQUE: Agreed. So why don't we then move on to maybe a guest or a topic that either surprised you or maybe impacted you the most in our last season?
09:12 JAMES: Well, I can jump in there. A very early episode that was entitled Designing Grief, I believe, focused on the connection between design and grief that you presented, Syd, with Riley Ohler, who was a former colleague. I mean, talking about an incredibly impactful story about his loss of his son, but also the positivity that came out of it and the role that design played in helping him and his wife grieve. And, you know, I wouldn't have expected design to be used in that context. I would never have even thought about it. But, you know, thanks to you, the way that you presented the episode, Syd, and the vulnerability and openness of Riley to talk about it, it made for an incredibly impactful episode. So, and that was very early on this year, but that one really sticks with me.
10:20 SYDNEY: Yeah, it was. It was the first episode that I recorded as part of this season after our welcome, and it's an example of, you know, there are episodes that make you laugh and there are episodes that make you cry. And that was definitely the latter, walking through that conversation with Riley. But my takeaway is, you know, how much design factors into our everyday lives, even when we don't realize it. And often, when I'm speaking about design, I talk about how the best kind of design is invisible, and Designing Grief—designing these processes around experiences that we all have—are perhaps the most unseen of all.
11:11 MONIQUE: I love that. I'm so glad you raised that, James, because I agree with you. I think it was a wonderful way to start the season, and I think it leads to exactly what you said, Sydney, about how we have so many life stages and experiences. In fact, if we can think about how design supports us and influences how we move through that, I think in some ways it not only internalizes it but might help us reflect on what it means in our lives, instead of just as a process, right? How impactful it truly can be.
11:52 SYDNEY: I have an answer to your question about, you know, a moment that caused me to learn something or changed my behavior. Of course, the episode with Riley is that too, but just what you said there made me think of another thing, which is, you know, the process. And there was something that Claire Reed had said in the episode that you hosted, Monique, Fostering Systemic Innovation, where she talked about systemic innovation being a process, but also an outcome, but also a prompt. And I really liked that framing because often, when I think about design—like Capital D design, as well as systemic innovation, service design, code design, whatever that looks like—I am always talking about how it's a process and it's an outcome. But what I hadn't heard before is the way to talk about it as a prompt—a prompt for us to think of something different, to frame something differently. And that has stuck with me, as well as, you know, it relates to what you said, I think, in what's beyond the process of this as well. So, that's my one learning moment that maybe I'll share. As I was listening back to that, it's kind of influenced some thinking for me around systemic innovation.
13:14 MONIQUE: Yeah, thanks for raising that, Sydney. I also really enjoyed that conversation, and I think there were some really strong takeaways from the conversation with Claire Reed and Heather Senecal. I think one of the episodes that struck me—and there are so many great ones—was The Science of Possibility Thinking and Leadership that I had the pleasure of hosting with Crystal Fernando. The reason I wanted to raise that one is it kind of sat outside of what some of the other podcasts have focused on, and I think her work on thinking about how brain science and how our brains respond to stress is really important in our work and in creating space for the individuals we work with, the communities that we have the pleasure of engaging with and working with. We really need to think about the environments that we're creating so people feel that they can explore, experiment, and handle some of those stressful situations that occur either in the conversations we're having or while we're prototyping and failing. And I think she gave some really interesting tools on how we can process some of that information. So, that was definitely a learning moment for me, and I've started to think about how I use that in my work and with our team, in fact.
14:55 JAMES: Yeah, that's very powerful. And outside of the podcast, we've been working a lot this year around facilitation or facilitating exercises. When you really break it down and think about the important aspects of facilitation, not least is creating the right kind of environment and making sure that people know what they're coming into, are prepared to do the activities, and are in the right frame of mind. Those things are incredibly important in the process. And, you know, what I see internally when things fail—whether innovative things fail or workshops fail—is because we haven't attended to those aspects of thinking about how people are showing up and what they're coming into the room thinking about, and so on. So, yeah, that was a perfect stage for sure.
16:00 MONIQUE: Are there any key lessons that came out? I know we've talked a little about lessons learned, but is there something that's maybe standing out for either of you on any of the episodes that we want to highlight before we wrap things up?
16:16 SYDNEY: I have one reflection that, you know, doesn't necessarily come from the content of the episode, but is something I appreciate about recording this episode with both of you. It gives me a chance to, you know, look—sit on the balcony and look down on all our episodes and kind of take a different lens with them. One episode I want to highlight is the Digital Innovation in Government episode, where James spoke with Julie and Sheldon Fault, respectively, Director of Service Design and Director of User Experience in the Government of Alberta. And for those of you who don't know, at J5, we have several designers who work in the Government of Alberta in teams in service design and UX capacities. So, I'm very familiar with the way that work is done, and I have a bit of an insider view into that. But something that I really appreciated about that episode, and I think a lesson that we can take to other contexts, is that by listening to the three of you speak about those processes, it enabled me to not think of the day-to-day of what that work looks like, but actually the bigger picture and what that work is trying to achieve, and how it all fits into the bigger system. That's something we do as designers regardless, but I think sometimes it's a good reminder for all of us that, you know, taking a step back, thinking of something from a bigger point of view or a more holistic lens, can give you new perspectives, new ideas, and make you see something in a way you haven't before. So, I appreciated that episode on a personal level for that reason. But I think the lesson that I'm sharing from that is applicable not only to all the episodes but probably to all the work that everyone is doing who's listening right now. So, you know, just a small lesson.
18:25 MONIQUE: Yeah.
18:26 JAMES: Yeah, and I really enjoyed the episode for one of the reasons being that those two worked very closely together, and there was a really, you know, rich conversation. Also, it was a bit of a surprise to me. I'm sometimes a bit of a cynic about government and the way that they attend to their citizens' requirements and needs, and it was really good to hear about the approach they take from a strategic point of view to understand user requirements properly and understand the experience they're trying to create before actually launching into a digital initiative. So, yeah, I really enjoyed that one. That was one of my standouts as well.
19:12 SYDNEY: Well, and it goes back to the fact that all the work we do is not about big, sweeping, flashy changes. It's about chipping away at things, making small incremental changes to shift the whole system. And so, you know, that's a great example. Government is a great example of, you know, what's an environment where that is the only way to approach it in many ways.
19:43 MONIQUE: Yeah, I think that, I also—I mean, I think we've all said this—I really liked that too. But I think there are a couple of things. Not only, I think that episode, for anybody that takes the time to listen to it, starts to create a bit of hope. Because we see things in a narrative that's shared, right? Either by people we know, or through media and the news. And often, where we have a lot of structures, there is not a view of the positivity that can exist within that. I think that episode gave us an opportunity to have some hope, to know that incremental change exists in places that we don't see. And that, rather than jumping in with the mindset of "it's all negative, all terrible, and why aren't we doing anything?", we need to remember that there are lots of people working together in small ways, and we don't get to see that every day. But if we could pause and appreciate it, we might actually start to see things a little differently.
20:47 SYDNEY: Yeah, beautifully, said Monique.
20:52 MONIQUE: OK. Well, any parting thoughts before we wrap this up?
20:58 SYDNEY: I just want to say it's a wonderful season with both of you. I really appreciate the conversations that you've had and the way you've been able to speak to our guests. It's a pleasure to work alongside you and listen to you. Yeah. And I would add that you can tell when you're enjoying yourself because time flies. And, yeah, I can't believe we've gotten through 20 episodes in the last year—21 in the last year—but it's been a pleasure from start to finish. Yeah, it is unbelievable.
21:29 MONIQUE: Yeah, likewise. I've really enjoyed the opportunity to host episodes with both of you and to co-host throughout this season. So, I think that brings us to a wrap on Season 2 of Responsible Disruption. First, to our incredible guests—thank you for sharing your stories, your insights, and your passion for driving meaningful change. You've inspired us to think bigger and reminded us why innovation is such a powerful tool for transforming lives, organizations, and our communities. To our listeners, thank you for tuning in, engaging with us, and being such an integral part of this journey. Every download, share, and comment makes what we do so rewarding, and your support has made this season truly special. Looking ahead to Season 3, I'm thrilled to share that I'll be hosting the podcast moving forward. We'll continue exploring tools for social innovation, diving deeper into community co-design practices, and amplifying the voices of community champions and change makers. I want to thank my co-hosts, James and Sydney, not just for today's episode, but for their incredible work throughout the last two seasons. Their energy, insights, and perspectives have shaped this podcast in such a meaningful way. Their contributions to Responsible Disruption will always be a part of its foundation. If you have a story you'd like to share or a topic you'd like to explore, reach out. Together, we'll be building this space for curiosity, innovation, and connection. Thank you for being a part of Responsible Disruption. Stay curious, keep innovating, and I'll see you in Season 3.
[Outro music]
That's all for today's episode of Responsible Disruption. Thank you for tuning in and we hope you found the conversation valuable. If you did, don't forget to follow, rate, and share wherever you get your podcasts. To stay up to date on future episodes and show notes, visit our website at thesocialimpactlab.com or follow us on social and until next time, keep on designing a better world.
