We live in a time of constant change. As leaders, we can either brace for impact or meet change head on, designing a future we’re excited to be part of.

Led by Michelle Lee of IDEO, this is an intimate, hands-on, conversation-driven session to move from reactive to proactive. We’ll adopt a playful mindset to get curious about the changes we see around us, spot the opportunities they afford, and design the future we want to enable and lead.

Expect tangible examples from IDEO's own work, playful exercises designed to loosen up how you think about the unknown, and rich conversations with fellow design leaders to pressure-test ideas and leave with actionable steps forward.

This workshop is for design leaders who want to steer change, treating it as something they can shape, prototype, and lead.

Key takeaways

A reframed relationship with change - from something we fear to something we actively shape and steer
A working set of play-based tools and prompts for navigating ambiguity with your team, not just yourself
A sharper, more optimistic read on where the real opportunity sits inside the changes we see in tech, workforce, and business evolution
A clearer point of view on the future you want to help enable as a leader and the first moves to get there
A set of new collaborators with whom to continue trailblazing new ideas

Michelle Lee

Partner + Managing Director, San Francisco at IDEO

Michelle leads an integrated research, design, and development team that brings engaging, interactive and playful experiences to market.

Her team leverages the principles of play to connect with people at a deeper emotional level that captivates, delights and empowers.

Beyond toys and kids, Michelle is passionate about using play to address difficult challenges and create meaningful change across industries, including driving responsible digital design, inspiring underrepresented students to pursue careers in STEM, and helping organisations adopt circular economy practices. Before taking on leadership roles, Michelle also spent years working directly in research and design.

Before joining IDEO, Michelle fuelled her passion for play by designing toys at VTech and University Games, while lead product roles at thredUP and ShopWell ignited her spirit of entrepreneurship. She holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MS in the Joint Program for Design atStanford University, where she has also taught design classes. She is a co-instructor for IDEO U’s “Creative Thinking for Complex Problem Solving” course, and also serves as a member of the Design Team for the Aspen Institute’s First Movers Fellowship.

Michelle has presented widely on the topic of play, including keynotes at SXSW, Config, the Delight Conference, CES, and Circularity, and has also appeared on podcasts and been featured in press articles.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellesklee/