Liminality is that structureless and ambiguous phase that occurs in the middle stage of rites of passage. Just like the phases of design, or indeed any change process, a ritual has three broad phases – Separation from an existing state, structureless liminality and reintegration into a preferred state. The design process shares many similar characteristics with rites of passage, but actually offers an excellent process and mindset, to not only navigate the liminality phase, but actually tame the ambiguity and design the outcome. But do we designers spend enough time in a liminal state to take advantage of what Victor Turner describes as a “realm of pure possibility”?

1. Design as an agent
of liminality
Trevor Vaugh - Maynooth University, Ireland & Actionable
@TrevorVaugh

2. You have a very particular set of
skills; skills you have acquired over a
very long education and career.

3. Crisis

4. InsightsErrors
Performance
improvement

5. Exploiting Exploringover

6. “You never let a serious crisis
go to waste. It's an opportunity
to do things you think you could
not do before”
Rahm Emanuel - mayor of Chicago

7. “A realm of pure possibility
whence novel configurations of
ideas and relations may arise”
(Turner 1967)
Crisis = Transition = ?

8. Explorers of
transitions?

9. Creativity
Curiosity
Perseverance
Preparedness
Conviction
Traits of Designers
Resilience
Focus
Risk taking
Independence
A sense of higher purpose

10. Creativity
Curiosity
Perseverance
Preparedness
Conviction
Traits of Designers Explorers
From “A Profile of Greatness" 100 greatest people
Resilience
Focus
Risk taking
Independence
A sense of higher purpose

11. But

12. Comfort
zone
Where the magic
happens

13. Existing
situation
Preferred Situation
(Beyond horizon 1)
“Everyone designs who devises courses
of action aimed at changing existing
situations into preferred ones”
Herbert Simon

14. Existing
situation

15. Existing
situation
Preferred
Situation
DESIGN IS HARD
CHANGE IS HARD

16. Existing
situation
Preferred
Situation
‘Tacking’

17. Existing
situation
Preferred
Situation
Discover Define Develop Deliver

18. “You are the average
of the 5 people you
spend most time with”

19. SUPEREGO EGO ID

20. Negative capability

21. “designers have both a
moral obligation and a unique
ability to take on the great
challenges of our time”
Steve Vassallo
Foundation capital