(Disruptive) Design Thinking for Policymakers

Several articles from week two’s readings reference the influx of “disruptive” technologies across many fields and disciplines that not only alter the way in which people live and work, but also have tremendous capacity for social benefit. For example, the McKinsey Global Institute’s report highlights twelve examples of disruptive technologies, from mobile internet to robotics, that are drivers of significant economic transformation. The report estimates the potential economic impact will be between $14 trillion and $33 trillion a year in 2025.  Although the report clarifies that these numbers are neither predictive nor comprehensive, they still shows the massive potential that can be harnessed from technology to reshape the world as we know it.  But from the “relentless parade of new technologies” as the report describes, how does the McKinsey Global Institute only identify these twelve technologies? And although it may provide economic benefit, what if it has a negative environmental impact? Which is more important?

As technology and innovation develop quickly and at a rapid pace, it becomes more difficult to determine with certainty which of these “disruptions” provide opportunity, and which pose risks or threats to society, individuals and certain cultures. This is a problem that many policymakers and governments face as they attempt to develop rules and regulations that both recognize the benefits and mitigate the risks of disruptive technologies.  The McKinsey Global Institute addresses this challenge in their report by suggesting that policymakers think beyond the immediate benefits and toward the future in order to identify which technologies actually matter and prepare accordingly for their impact. The report warns that if policymakers and government leaders wait until these technologies are exerting their full influence, it will be too late to capture the benefits or react to the consequences.

Although the report offers guidelines to help policymakers be more forward-thinking in their approach to disruptive technologies, there still remains a significant amount of ambiguity that leave many governments feeling as if they are entering an unknown territory. How can these policymakers prepare accordingly for the impact of disruptive technologies when the impact of some remain relatively unknown or difficult to measure? Just as these technologies are changing the status quo and the way we think about the world, can shifting the way we think about policy help address these new challenges? 

Another concept introduced in week two is this idea of design thinking for social innovation. Design thinking deviates from conventional problem solving techniques by offering a non-linear, human centered process of continual progress to provide innovative and sustainable solutions to many social problems. Billed as a “new approach to creating solutions," the design thinking process is what has allowed many of these new, innovative technologies to surface. This technique allow us to re-orient the way we participate in the world around us, much like these disruptive technologies. Can design thinking help policymakers face challenges related to rapid technological innovation? Or, alternatively, how can design thinking be applied to government policy-making to keep pace with future innovations and disruptive technologies? Are there governments out there that are already putting these techniques to use?