Throughout this series, we’ve explored a simple idea.
Transformation appears to have structure.
There are states.
There are gaps.
There are bridges.
There are different paths through which transformation may occur.
The more I studied transformation, the more a question began to emerge.
If transformation has structure, could it also be studied?
And if it can be studied, could it be mapped?
Looking Beyond The Outcome
Most people notice transformation after it has happened.
A chair becomes a ladder.
A product becomes a platform.
A service becomes a subscription.
The outcome is visible.
The process that produced it is often less obvious.
Yet if transformation follows a process, then perhaps there is value in studying the process itself.
From Observation To Design
One of the challenges when studying transformation is knowing where to look.
If we focus only on the outcome, we miss the journey.
If we focus only on the journey, we may lose sight of the destination.
A more useful approach may be to observe both.
The state that exists today.
The state that may exist tomorrow.
And the movement between them.
A Simple Question
Imagine observing an object, product or system.
How might it transform?
What would need to change?
What would remain the same?
What possibilities already exist?
What possibilities are missing?
What bridges would need to be crossed?
Questions like these formed the basis of a process for studying transformation.
Designing Transformation
Within the Transformative Design research, a six-step process was developed to help observe and map transformations.
Not to predict the future.
Not to force change.
But to better understand how movement between states may occur.
The process provided a way to study transformation with greater consistency and clarity.
Why A Process Matters
Without a process, transformation can appear mysterious.
Something changes.
Something evolves.
Something becomes something else.
Yet the reasons often remain hidden.
A process does not remove complexity.
But it can make complexity easier to observe.
A Personal Observation
One of the most surprising discoveries during the research was that transformation became easier to understand once it was broken into smaller observations.
Not because transformation became simpler.
But because it became easier to see.
The next step was learning how those observations could be organised into a process capable of studying transformation itself.
Explore the Original Research
Transformative Design (2008)
An exploration of transformation, transition states and the processes through which entities move between states.
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