My whole professional career has been about three things: people, practices, and impact to make the world a better place. These are the themes that inspired me to work with people at IBM for 36 years to develop and use new practices to make the work lives of our users and clients more enjoyable and productive. It's what guided the work I did in collaboration with Srini Srinivasan of the World Design Organization and our 225 global volunteers to drive behavior change in the Covid19 Design Challenge project and the same for working with Don Norman and the volunteers on the Future of Design Education project to improve how designers are taught so that they include the impact of their design on all people and the planet. It also guides my teaching, coaching, mentoring, and board work.
Origins
When I knew that I would be leaving IBM, I got together with someone I had only met a year previous to that who was truly a kindred spirit, someone who held the same worldview as me, and also had a passion to use our skills and practices to make the world a better place. We both had a dream to create the missing documentary, one that would meet people where they are and inspire individual behavior change that when carried out at scale would generate systems change. It was fortunate that our skills complemented each others perfectly for this project with mine in research and design and hers in filmmaking and production. That amazing person is Carly Williams. You know, people often say, “somebody should”. Carly and I say, “why not us!”.
Founding
We founded the Habits for a Better World project just two months ago. I announced it in a post on LinkedIn that received 55K impressions, almost 600 reactions, more than 100 comments, and greater than 50 reposts! It clearly struck a chord. We’re focused on addressing climate change, animal and human suffering, food insecurity, human illness, and biodiversity loss with a foundational focus on adopting more plant-based practices given the predominance of scientific evidence for their outsized efficacy in ameliorating these challenges. We also realize that Generative AI, as a new technology that is rapidly emerging, is drastically compromising most climate goals given its much heavier use of energy so we’re focused on it too. Inspiring people to go more plant-based will offset some of the increased climate risk of Generative AI but we are also examining additional ways of improving various aspects of Generative AI itself for a better world, including promoting behaviors that will reduce its energy consumption, make it more inclusive, mitigate bias, increase transparency, and more.
We were absolutely overwhelmed by and so appreciative of the strong response to our request for volunteers to work on the project. We now have some 300 researchers, designers, and filmmakers from all over the world working in multiple teams focused on those challenges. We formed an Enablement Team that has gone well beyond my expectations. They helped in the selection, education, and rollout of tools for teams to use, creating processes and guidelines, and will focus soon on fundraising too.
Execution
We’re now in execution mode with teams familiarizing themselves with the prior scientific research literature and will next be carrying out our own research. That research will lead to ideation on how best to inspire the desired behavior changes and those ideas will then form the content of the documentary film and mini-documentaries in the form of social media reels. We’re also open to whatever other communication deliverable will lead to the desired behavior change.
Experiences
While we’re just getting started, I’ve been absolutely blown away by the passion, enthusiasm, commitment, hard work, and teamwork I’ve seen already from the phenomenal volunteers who are part of this project. And I’d like to acknowledge and celebrate that. When so much of what we see, hear, and read is negative, this project and the amazing people in it are incredibly positive. And I love it.
I asked them what they would like to share about why they joined this project and what their experience on it has been like thus far. As with anything on this project, I received an incredible number of contributions. Here’s a sampling.
“Coming from a small town in Pakistan, problem-solving has always been a passion of mine, but opportunities to work on projects with a significant impact have been hard to come by. When I first heard Don Norman say that designers are here to solve real-world problems, it really resonated with me. So when I discovered UXR for Good, I instantly knew I wanted to be part of this diverse and talented group of people who are going to change the world. I am so happy to be part of it!” — Ahsan Abbas
“I am really excited to be part of this project with the optimism of a designer—by understanding the unique challenges of different communities, we can make a real difference. It's incredibly inspiring to know I'm not alone in this journey.” — Banu Akman
“No way could I let an opportunity pass by to work with an amazing leader in design thinking who shares a passion for improving life for all life on the only planet we have. The caliber of volunteers is inspiring. It has been great navigating initial setup and planning and seeing how well everyone collaborates. The vision is clear, and success appears to be the only possible outcome for this dedicated group of individuals.” — Drew Givens
“Change doesn’t always need to come from big organizations. It starts with us. I see 'Habits for a Better World' as a milestone in my climate journey. I believe that small, intentional habits can significantly reduce the impact. Every individual has the power to make a difference.” — Jay
“Transitioning from Aeronautical Engineering to UX Design self-explains my passion for problem-solving, design and human interaction. Yet, applying UX Research methods to change the world one behavior at a time is just too much, sounds like avarice. I truly believe that those indifferent to our planet are disconnected from their own humanity. Combining UXD/R with a meaningful purpose like this is a dream job for me.” — Marcela
“I volunteered because I’m deeply committed to addressing the environmental challenges our world faces. I believe that by combining our expertise in research, design, and storytelling, we can inspire real, sustainable change. This project is a powerful opportunity to not only raise awareness but to drive action that will protect our planet for future generations.” — Meri Shahzadeyan
“A small stick cut from its tree to be planted again makes the world greener! This is the time we spend making small changes to build a better world. This is the first habit to adopt work for yourself and for those who come after you.” — Nashwa Nassar
“Looking at the way nature is falling down each and every day in bits, one day when it reaches its saturation it will be really disheartening to see and think of everything we could have done as designers and still decided not to……I just don’t want to feel that way”. — Nidhi Kothari
“I believe we are all here on this Earth for a reason beyond just living. For me, that reason is the opportunity to help, to impact, and to make a difference. Over the years, I’ve volunteered for various smaller initiatives and programs, many of which didn’t require my professional skills, but each one has deepened my desire to contribute in a meaningful way. When this opportunity came my way, the very thought of being part of something on this scale was exhilarating. The chance to apply my research skills, to work alongside and learn from others, and to step out of my daily bubble truly excited me. The journey so far has been incredible. Meeting Karel and Carly, seeing them set up the infrastructure to bring everyone together, and witnessing the ease with which everyone collaborates has been both inspiring and humbling. I’m grateful for this opportunity to be a part of something that aligns so closely with my values and aspirations. It reaffirms my belief that we can all make a difference -'make a dent in the universe' when we come together with a shared purpose.” — Panna
“I believe in the power of collective effort to create meaningful change. This project is a unique opportunity to merge creativity with purpose, and I’m thrilled to be part of a team so dedicated to making a difference. Collaborating with such incredible impact-makers, all driven by a shared vision for global change, is truly inspiring. Together, we’re not just working on a project—we’re building a better future.” — Shakshi Shah
“I am right now in the path of finding better of myself and shift my life and career to what is my calling in the life journey. And I was lucky enough that LinkedIn shared your project and , well, when you ask the universe, the path will be lightened up.Thank you for this great opportunity to learn, do something that means a lot to me and find fantastic people ( including you) that without this project I may never had a chance to meet.” — Shiva Farzanepour
“My dream is using my UX skills for the benefit of humanity, to work on meaningful projects that have a social impact, and that help people. It gives me hope that so many of us designers, researchers, filmmakers have gathered to look into these “wicked problems”, driven by the same goal towards a better world. Looking forward to seeing our end results and learning from everyone involved.” — Simina Harla
“I see problems in the world but don't always feel confident to go on the journey to solve them alone. That's why a collective effort like this motivates and inspires me. By combining our diverse skills and perspectives, we can tackle complex challenges that seem daunting individually."I’m excited about the impact we’re making with this project!” — Swapnil Raj
“To be completely candid, I volunteered because I feel disillusioned about the role of the designer in my recent work experiences and wanted to be a part of something that tackled complex social problems that had meaning and purpose to renew my sense of purpose as a designer. I didn't know when I volunteered that the project would have a focus on plant-based benefits and I'm excited by that. In my own life, I've had to be aggressively plant-based to heal my autoimmune condition, so I know first hand the tradeoffs and issues people need to sort out on a personal level. I also know about the social pressures, challenges brought about by the food industry, lifestyle mindsets, food addiction and how food choices can alienate people or cause people to judge one another. I'm excited to work with people all over the world on this project; it gives me the opportunity to learn on a monumental scale and see what we can do together to create positive change. We have the opportunity to be very creative, empathetic and impactful.” — Tracee Vetting Wolf
“To move on in life, change is obvious. To continue the journey one should focus on changing himself to leave a positive footprint on earth rather than expecting the shift to happen automatically. That's where research plays the pivotal role.” — Susmita Chakrabarty
“Let's design our environment the way we envision and deserve it. United, we can harness our collective power and knowledge to create meaningful change.” — Meri Shahzadeyan
“Together to use their skills and experience in research, design, and filmmaking" with the intention to leverage existing AI opportunities as we think about ways to influence behaviour change.” — Eno Oduor
“We've known for decades about the existential threat from climate change but carried on as usual. We've waited for system change from the top down for long enough. It's time we all take action to push through the changes to create a better world for everyone.” — Chris
“If not now, when? If what we are doing isn't working, we need to try again, not continue to pursue the trodden path.” — Christine Chastain
“When this opportunity arose—to join other like-minded individuals in applying human-centered practices to create a better world, something that aligns with my values and desire to give back—I knew I didn’t want to miss out.” — Dawn Ta
“I joined this project because I believe in the power of passionate people working together to inspire change. As a designer and digital citizen, I know how storytelling through film can touch hearts and inspire minds. Our mission to encourage sustainable habits, as good habits leads to long-term positive impact which resonates with me deeply. It’s a privilege to be part of something that has the potential to create lasting, positive impact.” — Val p
Final Thoughts
I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with Carly and so many passionate, committed, hardworking, and collaborative volunteers. The fact that many of them share their enthusiasm with this project on LinkedIn is also heartwarming. But now it’s time to get doing the hard work. I’ll give periodic updates on the Habits for a Better World website but I wanted in this post to share my deep appreciation for the amazing people I’m working with. Truly a dream team! Thank you!