Yah, No Podcast

Hey Yah, No peoples: 2020 called and said it’s time for a revolution. But if you’re like our final guest of the season, you’ve been asking for revolt for quite a while now. And given these changing times, who better to wrap up this amazing season than the visionary, Dr. Victor Montori. Dr. Montori is an endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic, co-founder of @patientrevolution, and author of Why We Revolt: A Patient Revolution for Careful and Kind Care. Industrial healthcare is failing its patients. We know this. So how do we do things differently? Where the heck do we start? Well, M+T had the chance to talk to Dr. Montori about the elements of a healthcare revolution. We’ll give you this first step: it starts with language. But there is so much more to do. EVERYONE needs to be a part of this revolution, regardless of what your role is in healthcare. Because, health is a human right. And we all deserve care – not just a generalized notion of care, but careful and kind care. Episode 40 (!) is our last episode of Season 4. So until next time, Yah, No friends! We hope you are safe and healthy. (FYI, this episode was recorded back in 2019, before the healthcare system was utterly overwhelmed by COVID-19. We are grateful for those who are working on the frontlines. And we know that Dr. Montori’s book Why We Revolt is more relevant than ever.)

Raise your hand if you support things that bring you laughter, happiness and emotional fulfillment. (Us, plz). Now raise your hand if those are feelings you associate with the healthcare system…Yeah...that’s what we thought. Joy, delight, and happiness are emotions. And so are confusion, frustration and anxiety. Which of these sentiments come to mind when you think about your last doctor’s visit (or even making an appointment)? How people feel has a major impact on the patient journey. Healthcare is hard, so why do we really have to make it so much harder on folks. Episode 39 highlights that if this were to happen in any other industry - it would be straight up bad customer experience. We are so excited to invite one of our fave podcasters, Zeev Neuwirth, creator and host of “Creating a New Healthcare” for a rousing discussion to bring back the humanity in healthcare. Oh – and Zeev is also the Senior Medical Director of Population Health at Atrium Health, as well as the author of Reframing Healthcare: A Roadmap For Creating Disruptive Change. So, yes, he knows a thing or two about healthcare experiences. T+M chat with Zeev about balancing health outcomes with quality of life, physician burnout and taking a fresh look at healthcare delivery from a mindset of what will help us to “survive and thrive”. Are you ready to feel some joy?

Design has been welcomed into many disciplines over the past couple decades. While it’s exciting to see the world embracing design and problem-solving skills to help teams make critical decisions and strategies, sometimes it feels like “design” has been distilled down to a one-size-fits-all process. Is it possible that in today’s design practice, we’ve forgotten about the importance of aesthetic, delight, and quality? Have designers lost their unique voice and POV? In Episode 38, as T+M grapple with what’s happening in design, they turn to their longtime friend and colleague Christian Madsbjerg, Human Science guru and Founder of ReD Associates, for a chat. The trio explore the value of the designer’s perspective and discuss questions that matter to design today: What happened when “design thinking” entered the mainstream. Is everyone really a designer? Can design address all of our problems? Fear not, Yah, No listeners, there may be a middle ground. Or as Christian prefers to call it: The third wave of design. Oooh, we like that. Grab your headphones and (for pun’s sake, your surfboard), as we dive into this idea of the third wave of design with the very inspiring Christian Madsbjerg. Don’t miss this one!

Diversity is being invited to the party, and inclusion is being asked to dance. Sometimes it feels like there’s a lot of people at the party, but not everybody can hear the music. In Episode 37, M+T are so excited to dance with the brilliant founder and CEO of Onboard Health: Andre Blackman. Onboard Health is focused on building a platform to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce ecosystem to power the future of health. Um, hi. We have an extra pair of tap shoes. How can we help? It seems like everybody knows diversity is important, but there seems to be a gap when it comes to taking action. How do we get past this?? Luckily, Andre has some motivating thoughts (and tips!) about diverse practices for healthcare companies. If you’re interested in empowering a more inclusive community within your own work, then you do not want to miss out on this episode. Inclusion and equity is critical - especially in healthcare where so many unique needs are simply not being addressed. Tune in!

Innovative healthcare startups - that is, ones that are driven by human needs - are going to require a shift from the traditional startup mindset. Yes, you need to embrace risk. Yes, you need to move quickly. But you also must be willing to bring human centered design into the process. That’s a risk too, right? But so often with risk, comes failure, and M+T couldn’t talk about startups without proper reflection on saying goodbye to their own, Cahoots. Sometimes you pour your whole heart into a company, and then you have to shut the doors, but you never walk away without gathering some invaluable learnings. For extra credit, go ahead and dig way back through our archives to Season 1, Episode 2 to hear about the origins of Cahoots!

Happy New Year, Yah, No peoples! What do we have in store for you in 2020? Well, as usual, we’ve got a lot of questions on our minds for the new decade. So, first off, we want to ask: What makes a question “good”? Asking good questions is a skill. And how do you get good at asking questions? Good question! Luckily, it’s something you can practice, and we’ve got Miya and Tina here to cover the basics as well as share thoughts on how to react answers. Good questions can help us get to the root cause of a problem in healthcare innovation – especially when asking people to open up about emotional or sensitive topics. But being a good question-asker isn’t just for research…if you let it seep into every aspect of your life, you’ll be a lot more fun at dinner parties, too. AND spirit of asking questions, we’ve got a riddle for you in this episode. Listen in and message us the correct answer here or at yahnopodcast@gmail.com. You don’t want to miss out! So, our final question: Are you ready for Episode 35????

Episode 34: Cultural Probes in Healthcare by Tina Park and Miya Osaki

Mild Cognitive Impairment. Frailty. You’ve heard the terms right? But did you know that they’re not ACTUAL diagnoses. Meaning there isn’t really any medication that is prescribed that will make it better. And when there isn’t a diagnoses that means that healthcare as a whole isn’t necessarily addressing the needs of these tens of millions of people who suffer from both. Tina and Miya thought it was time to surface these important issues and consider how to support these issues which are easily overlooked. Feeling vexed? We’d suggest starting by taking another listen to Yah, No Episode 29 with artist/designer/researcher Sara Hendren, as her social model of health is a great primer for this episode's topic: The Undiagnosable.

Hey Yah, No friends, we’re back, and we’re ready to get down to business! Business and healthcare, that is. Miya and Tina are kicking things off this season with a spirited discussion about rising healthcare costs and how employers are starting to get creative in footing the bill. What are the pros and cons of these new models? What’s best for the patients/employees? Who’s going to take care of the population outside of this system? And what about employers having access to your health data? (Miya is creeped out by this, Tina disagrees!) Tina and Miya take a moment to break down what these models look like and who stands to gain from them- or lose out completely.

This marks the third episode in our “Designing for Healthcare” series. You know what that means: we made a trilogy. We’re basically George Lucas. In Season 2, we chatted with an expert designer, and in season 3 we talked to an expert doctor. And now we’re closing it out by speaking with a different kind of expert: a patient advocate. We are so excited to welcome friend of Diagram– Jen Horonjeff, to talk about the absolute necessity of gaining patient perspectives through co-design. But wait there’s more! Jen is also the Founder and CEO of Savvy Cooperative, a patient-owned service that matches companies and researchers directly to patients. Join the conversation about how to work with patients in design and how valuing patients’ insights empowers them to own their stories and their experiences, rather than simply accepting healthcare the way it is. Sit back and tune in for the final episode of our epic healthcare trilogy. And when you’re done, head over to Savvy’s YouTube page to watch Jen’s interview of Miya and Tina in her #SavvyChat series! PS: Oh we almost forgot! Tina has never seen the Godfather movies.

Hey Yah, No friends! Do you miss us yet? It’s been a whole month since we released our last episode of season 3. Lucky for you, we’ve been working hard to bring you our first ever BONUS episode of Yah, No. If you loved Episode 29–Disability and Social-Minded Design, where we had our conversation with extraordinaire Sara Hendren–(stats don’t lie, we know you loved it), then we can’t wait for you to listen to this surprise follow up episode. Be sure to tune in as we round out our conversation about design, disability and accessibility with Sara’s insights on aging, dependence, and adaptation, and how we can start to reframe our assumptions about what makes a good life. It’s just a little something to get you through these last hot summer months while you eagerly await our brand new season.

Health inequity is a real problem. And we’re mad about it. Minorities are underrepresented as changemakers in healthcare and often overlooked as patients. It’s our last episode of Season 3, and if this one feels personal, that’s because it is. Join us for the finale, as Miya and Tina discuss inclusion in healthcare — or lack thereof — and how the danger of biases in systems has affected their own families. But there is hope! M+T also talk about people who bring empathy, understanding and innovative methods of working, and how designers can help affect real change. We believe that healthcare is a human right, and designers should play a role in this conversation. Oh, and Tina may or may not be a woman. So, tune in for that.

Yes, design takes craft, but it also requires deeply observing and questioning the world around you, engaging communities, and maybe even using guerilla tactics. Enter: Sara Hendren– artist, design researcher, writer, professor at Olin College of Engineering and all-around badass. Much of Sara’s work focuses on assistive and adaptive technologies, as well as disability rights and advocacy. Our penultimate episode of season 3 explores the intersection of design, disability and accessibility. Join Miya and Tina as Sara explains the origins of her Accessibility Icon Project, unpacks considering disability as a social model versus a medical model, and shares her belief that “design has it’s best work when it’s poking on the status quo.”

In Season 2, Episode 12, Katie McCurdy, healthcare designer extraordinaire (and good friend) joined us for an insightful conversation about bringing more designers into healthcare. On the flip side, more and more healthcare providers see the value of design, too. Doctoring, however, is not designing- so what exactly is the role of design from the provider’s point of view? Tina and Miya reached out to Dr. Lalita Abhyankar, Family Physician and friend of the podcast, to share opinions on the benefits of bringing design into the clinic. (Yah, no…The EMR is BROKEN.) Grab your stethoscope and your Post-its and listen in as Dr. Lalita talks about the creative side of medicine and the challenges doctors may face when healthcare doesn’t embrace a designerly mindset.

In healthcare, how can you truly understand how people will use a product or service when humans are unpredictable, health is difficult to manage, and you don’t know always what the end product or service should be? In order to understand human behavior, and all the idiosyncrasies that go along with it (peanut butter and mayo sandwiches, anyone?), you need to find inventive ways to conduct research. Tune in for Episode 27 to learn about the unconventional methods that M+T have developed over the years - such as interactive interviews and experiential prototyping – to uncover more meaningful insights about humans and their health.

We’re halfway through Season 3! Join us for the “check in” episode where Miya and Tina cover three topics they’re interested in right now: inclusivity in clinical trials, women in leadership, and a revisit of the privacy conversation from Episode 23 – this time with a small glimmer of hope. What are you waiting for?! Tap that play button, and tune in for a rousing game of Yah vs. No, a subtle tweak to the show intro, and some important shout outs to leaders who are working hard to make positive change.

Patients are used to the healthcare industry treating the mind and the body as two completely different systems, but Tina and Miya know from their work in chronic disease, that mental and physical health are inextricably linked. Join us for Episode 25, as Miya and Tina meditate, share tips on interview techniques and relay research strategies that break down the stigma around mental health. They discuss how having a sensitivity toward the research engenders trust, allowing patients to open up and explore difficult topics such as depression, anxiety, and stress. Considering patients holistically is complicated, but not impossible. Unlike meditating- which Tina will likely never do.

It’s no secret that AI-powered technology is changing the landscape of healthcare. But how is it being maximized? And is it helping, or hurting? The possibilities are overwhelming, and Tina and Miya want answers! And if we’re talking AI, what better expert than Siri? Nope, not that Siri. Siri Betts-Sonstegard, Design Research Lead at IBM Watson Health. Join our hostesses for a fascinating conversation with Human Siri, as they talk about the future of AI in the healthcare industry, biases in AI, and what it’s like to have a robot as a colleague.

Don’t “keep out” of this debate on privacy! Tina thinks that the evolution of privacy in healthcare will help patients level the playing field, but Miya questions who’s really going to benefit when we allow our data to be accessed. From digital health to social media, new technologies in healthcare are changing the definition of privacy. Patients are more willing to share than ever, but at what cost? Who owns our data? What is it being used for? Who can we trust!? Well, M+T, of course… Join us for Episode 23, as Tina and Miya consider the yahs and nos of sharing your health data.

Designers need to be great observers, especially in the complex world of healthcare. You need to look beyond the obvious, and see below the surface in order to solve problems in a meaningful way. But that’s easier said than done. So Tina and Miya are wondering: What is the difference between seeing and looking? How do you become a great observer? Is it something that can be taught? Tune in to find out if you hate the answer as much as Miya does! (Hint: Practice makes perfect.)

There have been some huge shifts lately in the healthcare industry, but something that will never change, is the power of a good story. Tina and Miya have told a lot of stories throughout the first 20 episodes, which has led us to a new idea: Stories of Health. In this 1st episode of Season 3, we wanted to define what is a Story of Health. Why should we tell stories in healthcare? What is the value for patients and doctors? It’s a lot, but it certainly makes for a compelling and, of course, entertaining discussion. We’re so excited to launch our 21st episode. Sit back, relax, and listen to our stories.

What’s the difference between a mistake and a failure? For a very special Season 2 finale we’re going to end on a high-low note. When you make a mistake, it can be a big, mortifying deal—especially when you’re like our hosts who basically never make mistakes...except for this one (hundred-thousand dollar) mistake. Our confession session is joined by some special guests whose mess-ups didn’t get in their way despite the emotional impact. Patient advocate and Founder of Patient Revolution, Maggie Breslin; Luke Johnson from Riot Games; and UNICEF innovator Mari Nakano dish on their biggest mistakes and what they learned from them. One thing each story has in common is that it’s a safe bet the world didn’t actually end with these goofs.

Are superheros are proactive or reactive? We reckon when they swoop onto the scene in the nick of time to save a bus of children from a collapsing building that’s what is called 'being reactive.' So then what can we learn from the routine behavior of looking out the window to check for rain? A thick skin, flexibility, and improv skills guide us through the myriad decisions we make daily. Our hosts run through personal case studies ranging from a third grade PBJ assembly line to a first-time cashier gig at LA’s original FroYo shop. We connect these learnings to the distinct states of being proactive, reactive, and reflective in today’s healthcare design space where there are always new fires to put out. Being proactive doesn't require experience; but knowing the timing to use these skills is a matter of habitual behavior.

Those "Eureka!" moments come and go and notes-to-self lose their decipherability over time. In this episode Miya and Tina tackle the ins and outs of cultivating inspiration on-demand and as a daily practice. Our hosts reminisce on the mentors whose random connections empower us to make design leaps. We breakdown a range of methods for nudging designers towards an inspired state including goggly eyes, meditative nature films, Dali's 'stache, and making employees take a different route to work...Every. Single. Day. Tune in and get inspired to shake up your daily practice.

As a continuation of last year’s Season 1 Episode 5 Miya and Tina revisit the topic of self-promotion. In this episode we compare the goals we set back then to find out how we lived up to our own expectations (spoiler: we saw a 200% improvement in target behaviors but achieved only 40% performance on goals.) We finally admitted that brainstorming ways to provoke and woo social media audiences is a topic that often leads to crickets and nervous giggles so we hacked it: listen in as Miya and Tina parse the difference between supporting the humblebrag and judging an outright brag. The ends justify the means whenever our sense of achievement increases the impact of good work, whether it’s big or small.

We know goat’s milk is great for cheesemaking, but does that mean it can’t also make spider silk? Sometimes mental boundaries and assumptions about role definition can get in the way of being a good team player and doing whatever it takes for the win. For partners, growing a small company means we have no boundaries and wear many hats: cooking lunches, cleaning toilets, even making business decisions! But what does this mean for the designers we hire? It’s a sticky subject so follow Miya and Tina as try they try to sort out some answers.

What would happen if you just say no to that project instead of saying yes? If she had made a different decision, Tina could’ve been a t-shirt graphics guru instead of a healthcare design researcher.Saying ‘no’ sometimes opens the door to new possibilities. In this episode, Tina and Miya discuss when it’s okay to say no. Turning down opportunities is definitely not something to take lightly when you have a business, but sometimes it’s the best thing to do. Our hosts hash out why is it uncomfortable for us to say no and discuss when it’s time to listen to your gut.

According to a questionable survey Miya found on the internet 70% of people consider themselves to be generalists. In this episode Tina and Miya call Gina Kim, their very first intern, and the millennial that introduced them to the term. In a revealing conversation with Gina our hosts hash out definitions of the word, try to figure out if there’s a difference between generalists or specialists, and get a little too excited about Gina’s boss and the former Chief Technology Officer of the United States Todd Park. Is a generalist someone who’s good at everything, or someone flexible and adaptable enough to wear many hats in an organization, or someone with the ability to step back and see the big picture? Tune in to get our hosts’ take and their not-so-secret-anymore crushes.

What do you think someone who can’t walk really wants to do? Tina and Miya make the point that you don’t really know until you ask someone who can’t walk. This episode of Yah, No is about what human-centered design is and the importance of seeking out the human-ness that comes from truly knowing and designing with your end user. Our hosts discuss the tools and techniques in their own human-centered practice and why it’s so important for solving problems in healthcare design. Also, Miya contemplates a boozy change to her own morning routine, her admiration for disability advocate Liz Jackson, and Tina has a weird story about mice.

Katie McCurdy, user experience designer, researcher of the inner workings of hospitals, and generally awesome human being, joins our hosts to discuss the joys and frustrations of designing for healthcare. The trio tackles why the healthcare world needs more designers, and all of the reasons (both practical and touchy feely) that designers should be flocking to this industry. Our hostesses also reveal how and why they made the decision to work in healthcare. One half of the dynamic duo had real doubts about making the leap - tune in to find out who!

Annnnd they’re back! Tina and Miya kick off the brand spanking new season with some classic tunes and a debate on what it means to really innovate. Everyone wants to be innovative, but maybe we don’t all need to chase that unicorn. Tune in as our hosts discuss the many definitions of innovation, invention and improvement. Change can happen in incremental evolutions and radical revolutions, but what kind of change really has a fighting chance of being effective in the healthcare space with all its many stakeholders, needs and complexities? Tina and Miya discuss, here on YahNo’s Season 2 premiere episode!

What are the forces that guide decisions? Sometimes, you can debate over something forever. Other times, when you know, you just know. In this episode, Tina and Miya turn up the volume on the little voices inside their heads -- the rumble in their guts. So how do you know when your gut is talking to you? Do you physically feel it or is it mental? Listen to stories of trusting your gut from our hosts and special guest Mary Cain -- Senior Director of Clinical Strategy and Behavior Change of Jiff, a health benefits platform.

In today’s world, the discipline of design is changing. The design of yesterday is not quite what it is now. Traditionally known as a skill, design has become a way of thinking. In this episode, Tina and Miya discuss the different definitions, dimensions, and orders of design. Listen in on their conversation. Plus, get the chance to hear what their dads’ have to say about “these fine young ladies” and what the hell their daughters do for work.

What energizes and inspires people to have ownership over their work? Is it given or is it taken? Is there a magic moment when it’s sparked or does it grow over time? Tina and Miya try to define ownership and how to cultivate it in the workplace. Listen to our hosts with episode producer Sean as they share examples of having “skin in the game” (ew!) — including a mouse colony census, a beloved sheep sweater and chicken care-taking.

In this episode, Tina and Miya talks with Emilie Glazer from Ctrl group about collaboration. What makes it successful? It’s not always that romanticized notion through happenstance or serendipity. Most of the times it requires careful curation and a little big of magic. Everyone has a role in a collaboration: the provocateur, the maker, the note taker, the negotiator, the decision maker. Which one are you?

IRA, taxes, profit and loss sheets. Boring, right? Owning your own business is awesome, but it’s not all puppies and hearts. This week, we reveal some embarrassing moments and deep thoughts brought to you by a journal that one of our hosts kept in the early days of starting our business. Tune in and find out which one! Warning: early “business days conversations” may induce drama from one of our queens.

Why does self-promotion feel so uncomfortable? Talking up your accomplishments feels awkward, but it’s important in today’s business world. Listen to Tina and Miya as they discuss the value of self-promotion and their struggles with the vanity that shadows it. Self-promotion is a way to make your work visible. So how do you get away with promoting yourself without sounding boasty or braggy?

The people business, it’s not easy. In this episode, Tina and Miya talks with strategist/business developer/friend Samip Shah about how to scale a services business: the mindset shift in letting go and refocusing energies, hiring for intangibles, and finding the golden ratio of skill sets and passion. Lots of enthusiasm, but also lots of questions!

Are Tina and Miya wearing their startup outfit or business hat today? Listen in and find out as they discuss the similarities and differences between starting a business and beginning a startup. Sometimes it's not so easy to keep them separate! Recording straight from Brooklyn, NY at Figure 8 Recording Studios.

Second episode. Second trip to upstate New York. This time with wine. Being entrepreneurs in healthcare ain't easy but sure is fun! Miya and Tina reflect on their experiences turning an idea into a start-up. Hear them decode the chicken or egg dilemma of building a product, the challenges of working fast and agile in a slow-moving industry, and the state of women entrepreneurs in the start-up world.

And it's about time. In the premiere episode of Yah, No, longtime friends and business partners (the best duo of all time) Tina Park and Miya Osaki discuss their experiences starting a business together and why having a partnership was a non-negotiable. Think: Thelma and Louise, Lucy and Ethel, Abbie and Ilana…all got nothing on Yah, No. Keep in mind: we are just starting out and have made some improvements already. Stay tuned!