Overlap Associates

03/09/2024

We feel incredibly honoured to work alongside RCHCentre and their community partners supporting their multi-generational housing solutions!

Huge thanks to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) for making space for us to help move housing solutions forward across the country and in our communities!

Kizito Musabimana, founder of RCHCentre is spearheading a project to create Toronto’s first multi-generational African-Canadian housing village.

Aiming for at least 300 units in the Mini Village and up to 1,000 in the Ultimate Village by 2030, this ambitious initiative is all about fostering healing, inclusion, and belonging. It’s not just about creating homes but building interconnected communities. It’s about writing a new story – one that marks a significant step toward more equitable and inclusive housing solutions for African Canadians across the country: https://ow.ly/e4Oe50QMEJh.

09/18/2023

In problem mapping, it’s important to understand the distinction between symptoms and causes. Symptoms are like signals indicating that something is amiss. They are the visible manifestations of an underlying problem. Causes on the other hand are like the roots of a tree. They’re hidden beneath the surface, but driving the visible symptoms. By understanding both, we end up with a holistic view of the problem.

Read the final chapter in our series on Problem Mapping at the link in our bio!

09/12/2023

Design isn’t just for directors, entrepreneurs, or CEOs – in fact, some of the best designers we know are also some of the youngest.

On Tuesday, September 19th, we’re bringing our networks together to share the innovative ways we’re thinking about child and youth engagement.

Overlap’s Design Director Kyrie Vala-Webb will be joined by Alli Truesdell, Manager of Youth Participation for a virtual keynote and fireside chat to explore how we can better support and amplify the voices and needs of children and young people in our communities.

Our goal? To create a world where every child's voice is heard and valued.

What to expect:

🤝Together, we’ll explore what youth-centred design is, why it’s critical to design in collaboration with young people, and how to be a better adult ally

💙Alli will share insights and experiences from her work engaging youth with UNICEF Canada and shaping their approach to engagement

💬 We'll have plenty of time for discussion, questions, and idea-sharing!

Let’s pave the way for a brighter future where children and youth thrive. We can't wait to see you there.

Mark your calendar and register today: https://overlapassociates.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpde-qpjsrE9djOmifW4lg2E2uJY76dyMf #/registration

09/11/2023

A problem statement is like the North Star, guiding us in the right direction. ⁠
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It defines the core challenge we aim to address, and most importantly, it identifies who experiences that problem most. ⁠
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When we practice problem mapping, we create problem statements that are clear, concise, and focused by asking: what problem we are trying to solve for whom? ⁠
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Seeking this clarity ensures that we don't get lost in our hunt for solutions.⁠
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Read more at the link in our bio.

07/05/2023

Introducing the Overlap Expert Series 💡

Each month, we're bringing our community together to introduce a new expert in our networks for a keynote and interactive workshop where we'll use design to collectively make sense of complex problems, ideas, and technologies.

First up: Using Design to Make Sense of AI

While AI may seem to cut humans out of the equation, we firmly believe that technology can be harnessed to empower people in sectors where human interaction is vital. By leveraging human-centered design, we can unlock new ways of working, enhance creativity, and instill confidence in our next steps.

On July 18th, we'll be joined by AI expert Dr. Trystan Goetze (they/he/she), a professional philosopher, writer, Cornell University educator, and game designer as we explore the ethics and implications of AI, together.

Learn more and register for the first session in our Expert Series here:

You're invited to the first session in our new Expert Series! Each month, we'll bring our community together to introduce a new expert in our networks for a keynote and interactive workshop. We'll use design to collectively make sense of complex problems, ideas, and technologies.First up: Using Des...

04/24/2023

An ideation exercise shouldn’t consist of a group getting together and “talking about ideas”. When we do that, we limit individual group members’ abilities to contribute, we often end up with one or two people dominating conversation, and at the end of the day, we don’t come up with the best ideas.

Read on for a few strategies we use at Overlap to amplify each individual voice to facilitate a process of coming up with our best ideas as a group.

What kinds of strategies have you found benefit your group ideation exercises most? How do you ensure all voices and ideas are heard?

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04/18/2023

NEWS: Kitchener welcomes UW Innovation Arena in Downtown Kitchener. This new site is part of an expanding focus on health innovation in Southwestern Ontario.

Details: https://bit.ly/3mpQkTX

04/17/2023

You can love how you work, find meaningful solutions and deliver better results. It all starts with an introduction.

Over two virtual half days, you'll learn tools, methods and mindsets you can apply right away with our Introduction to Human-Centred Design course. You’ll get a crash course in design thinking and creativity and hands-on practical skill application.

Register for our next monthly cohort (happening April 25th & 27th from 9AM-12PM EST) here: https://overlap.school/products/introduction-to-human-centred-design

04/13/2023

At its core, design is about putting the needs of the people affected by a problem first. Then, using creative techniques to come up with innovative solutions that meet those needs. But the benefits of design thinking go far beyond just problem solving:

💡 Design thinking fosters an innovative culture.

📐Design thinking breaks down silos and helps organizations to be more responsive to problems.

🎉 Design thinking builds team motivation and energy.

🙌 Design thinking increases team alignment and engagement.

🧠 Design thinking encourages a growth mindset.

It can be tricky to know where to start when it comes to design — that's where we come in. Whether you need a free tool to help you ask for better feedback, or a guided approach to making better decisions, we're here to support you on your design journey to better.

Visit https://overlap.school/ to learn more 💭

03/28/2023

Risk taking is fundamental to creativity. Because of this, many organizations do not promote it for fear it might negatively impact the status quo. And as individuals, creativity is something we learn to stifle from a young age in order to fit in and avoid the watchful eyes of strict school administrators and bullies looking for someone to pick on.

So as adults, our own creativity is something we don’t always have an opportunity or the willingness to explore. Luckily, creativity is the lifeblood of design thinking, and something teams and individuals are encouraged to discover with design thinking training.

Creativity is an incredibly important skill for any team, as it’s what will help you solve complex problems, innovate, and accomplish what others think is impossible.

Dig into the value of design thinking and the many critical benefits of pursuing ongoing design thinking training here:

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03/23/2023

Do your meetings have a growing lack of engagement? Are there too many of them? Do they all have a clearly defined purpose, or are people left wondering why they’re there?

Effective meeting strategies leverage people’s strengths and empower attendees to strive for a results-driven approach. Because when you aren’t getting things done or making progress on the meeting’s purpose, what’s everyone there for?

Battling different time zones and multiple deadlines? This approach may be the answer

03/23/2023

As many in begin the month-long observance of , we encourage everyone to celebrate the values of compassion, generosity and self-reflection. To our local Muslim community, we wish you a month filled with joy, blessings and the warmth of community.