This week, we’re introducing a new series: the LUMA Community Roundup. In the spirit of sharing helpful and interesting content, we’ll highlight books, articles, podcasts, etc. created by our very own community of instructors and partners. We’re proud to work with experienced design thinkers from all over the world and we’re excited to showcase their recent work. So, from time to time, we’ll round up stories, publications, and accolades and share them here!

BOOK: “How Might We… Champion Design Thinking In Your Organization?” 
by Dan Buchner

During conversations Dan had with workshop participants, he would share stories of his attempts to champion design thinking in organizations. Participants often found Dan’s stories helpful, and many said he should write a book… so, he did!

“How Might We” is not a book about how to practice design thinking, but rather how to face and overcome the hurdles that design thinkers face within their organizations. It’s full of practical ideas for developing confidence and helping others see the value of human-centered design.

The foreword is written by LUMA CEO Chris Pacione! 

Check out Dan’s book.

BLOG: “How to Conduct Customer Discovery Interviews (The Right Way)” 
by Kash Dhanda

“‘Talk to your customers’ is the single most common piece of advice given to budding entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. Before you build anything, the advice goes, you should talk to a few customers and see what they think of your idea. 

This is dangerous advice when used incorrectly.”

In his article, Kash shares tips for making the most of a customer discovery interview, including which questions to avoid asking.

Read the rest of the article on Kash’s blog.

BOOK: “Groundwork: Get Better at Making Better Products” 
by Vidya Dinamani and Heather Samarin

Product management experts Vidya Dinamani and Heather Samarin developed an easy-to-implement framework to help product teams get better at creating delightful experiences that drive growth.

In their book you’ll learn how to:

  • Hone in on important customer problems to solve using the convergent problem statement.
  • Leverage actionable personas in big and small product decisions.
  • Minimize (and potentially eliminate) costly re-work using individualized needs.
  • Introduce new habits using the three practices that build customer-driven product teams.

Check out Vidya and Heather’s book.


PODCAST: Business Karaoke 
with Brittany Arthur 

The Business Karaoke Podcast is both a podcast and a community of global leaders who exchange stories to modernize the dialogue around business in and with Japan. 

Host Brittany Arthur discusses a wide range of topics with guests: how martial arts principles can inspire business; fostering curiosity; the intersection of e-commerce and psychology, and more. 

The Business Karaoke Podcast is sponsored by Design Thinking Japan.

Listen to Business Karaoke.