World of Wisdom 295. Emily Harris and Dr Martin Lorenz - Conversational design, the anti-brief and systemic change
May 10, 2026
Dr Martin Lorenz, designer and educator exploring conversational design and systems change. Emily Harris, designer and systems thinker behind the Anti‑Brief and regenerative economics. They discuss conversational design, the Anti‑Brief method, deep codes shaping systems, transdisciplinary learning, and a new master's that pairs designers with non‑designers for real-world systemic practice.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Deep Codes Explain Shared Professional Dissonance
- Deep Codes are hidden structural norms (legal, material, epistemic) that shape behaviours across professions and create shared dissonance.
- Emily and Martin use Deep Codes to reveal why designers, lawyers, accountants, and others feel stuck under the same systemic constraints.
Strategic Design Was Repurposed Into Efficiency
- Strategic design aimed for holistic problem framing but often got co-opted into productivity tools and rigid briefs.
- Martin traces strategic design's origins at Helsinki Design Lab as moving thinking into doing by convening diverse actors.
How A Paper Became Conversational Design
- Emily recounts converting a dense Life Ennobling Economics paper with Martin into a collaborative, more accessible document.
- Martin restructured references and layout overnight, making multiple voices prominent and enlivening the text.
