In the Loop Workshop: Sari Gluckin

The Side Door: Generative tools to inspire design

Interviews help designers understand what users say and think. Observations reveal what people do. Sometimes, however, designers need lateral, indirect ways to uncover what users know, feel, or dream about. The Side Door will cover a range of generative tools that help access the more intuitive, less edited mind. Participants will try one of these techniques firsthand, using ordinary scrap materials and nonverbal modeling. We will also look at different frameworks that inform “the side door” approach from comedy, design theory, and brain science and share some provocative outcomes from recent generative sessions.

About Sari

Sari is the founder of Wishful Thinking, a consultancy that helps teams discover new ways to grow, collaborate, and create experiences that customers value. Sari leads innovation projects and hands-on workshops for clients across different fields and industries, from small nonprofits  to multinational companies. With masters degrees in art history (NYU), business (Columbia University), and design methods (IIT Institute of Design), Sari integrates themes and approaches from many fields. She is currently an adjunct professor at IIT for STEM education innovation.