Applies the design principle of removing rather than adding — finding the form that does exactly what is needed, nothing more. Triggers: 'simplify this', 'remove what's unnecessary', 'it's too complicated', 'what can we cut', 'reduce the design', 'it's bloated', 'make it simpler', 'find the essential form', 'what's…
Distinguishes real needs from stated wants — uses jobs-to-be-done and latent need mapping to find what actually matters. Triggers: 'what do users actually need', 'jobs to be done', 'understand the user', 'find the real need', 'stated want versus actual need', 'user research', 'what problem are we solving'.
Entry point for the design thinking toolkit. Routes to the right design skill based on your situation. Use when you say 'design', 'user needs', 'what do people actually want', 'design constraints', 'prototype and iterate', 'simplify this', 'remove what's unnecessary', or want design thinking applied without knowing…
Applies carrying capacity thinking to any system with limits — maps the ceiling, overshoot risk, and what happens when it is crossed. Use when asked about 'capacity limits', 'how much can this system handle', 'are we overloaded', 'growth ceiling', 'when do we hit the wall', or 'sustainable scale'.
Maps dependency webs and the cascading effects of removing or changing a node in the web. Use when asked 'who depends on whom', 'what cascades if we change X', 'downstream effects', 'what holds this together', 'ripple effects', or 'what breaks if we remove this'.
Identifies the entities with disproportionate structural importance — whose removal would collapse the system. Use when asked 'who is critical here', 'what holds this together', 'single points of failure', 'what if we lose X', 'irreplaceable actors', or 'structural dependencies'.
Applies ecological succession to understand how systems evolve through stages — pioneer, consolidation, climax, and disturbance. Use when asked 'what stage are we at', 'where are we in the cycle', 'what comes next', 'the old model isn't working anymore', 'we're in transition', or 'what does disruption mean for us'.
Entry point for the ecology thinking toolkit. Routes to the right ecology skill based on your situation. Use when you say 'ecology', 'carrying capacity', 'keystone', 'interdependence', 'succession', 'what holds this system together', 'who depends on whom', 'what happens if we remove X', or want ecological thinking…
Diagnoses collective action failures, public goods problems, and why individually rational behaviour produces collective irrationality. Triggers: 'collective action problem', 'tragedy of the commons', 'free rider', 'everyone is acting in their own interest but the result is bad for all', 'why won't people contribute'…
Identifies costs and benefits not borne by the decision-maker — and how to internalise them. Triggers: 'externality', 'who else is affected', 'costs falling on others', 'side effects', 'spillover', 'the market isn't accounting for this', 'negative externality', 'positive externality', 'social cost vs. private cost'…
Maps who benefits, who pays, and what behaviours the incentive structure actually produces. Triggers: 'what's the incentive here', 'why do people keep doing this', 'incentives are misaligned', 'who benefits from this', 'why isn't this working despite the policy', 'what does the structure reward', 'people say one thing…
Applies marginal thinking: the relevant decision is the next unit, not the average or the sunk cost. Triggers: 'should we do more of this', 'should we expand', 'should we cut', 'marginal cost', 'sunk cost', 'we've already invested so much', 'average cost', 'is this worth continuing', 'how much should we produce', 'at…