CHAPTER 12 The Design of People
Back on Project Unify, I wondered to myself if I could use the power
of anchoring to shepherd a very large and diverse group of stakeholders
through the design review process without the drama and conflict we’ve
come to expect in such situations. Was there anything I could do or say
that would anchor the individuals in the group to focus on providing
logical feedback rather than reacting from the emotion that they (and all
of us) would naturally feel from looking at new colors, shapes and patterns
that would be part of the new design? I thought it was worth trying and
came up with a simple solution.
Right before my design team started working on the new design, I sent
an email to the entire group of stakeholders. The email was structured as
the customary piece of correspondence that explains the design process,
but within it were hidden several anchors.
Let’s walk through this email together.The eMail: You aRe geTTing SleePY, veRY SleePY
I’ve tried my best to reproduce the email in its original form but, inevitably,
a few names and details need to be changed to protect the privacy of all
involved. That said, none of the changes take away from the discussion at
hand.