In this episode of the UX Fika podcast, I sit down with Indi Young, solution strategist, author, teacher, and creator of a method that lets teams clarify, measure, and grow their solutions and audience based on thinking styles.

Indi has spent decades helping teams move beyond behaviours, opinions, demographics, and assumptions to better understand what is actually going through people's minds. In our conversation, she shares why listening remains one of the most important skills we have, and why understanding people's intentions, emotional reactions, and decision-making can reveal opportunities that organisations often leave on the table.

We talk about her journey from software engineer and co-founder of Adaptive Path to developing approaches that help teams understand how people think, rather than simply what they do. Indi explains why designing for an ”average user” has always been limiting, why personas often miss what matters most, and how thinking styles can help us better support different approaches, needs, and goals.

We also dive into AI and what it means for discovery work. While many organisations are focused on speed and efficiency, Indi argues that the real opportunity is to use the time AI creates to better understand people, uncover overlooked relationships, and build things that genuinely matter. We explore why listening still matters, why strategy cannot simply be outsourced to AI, and why the organisations that thrive may be the ones that stop chasing competitors and start forging their own path.

Along the way we talk about Adaptive Path, self-publishing books, building communities, and why so many of the most interesting ideas emerge from small groups of people working together. It's a conversation about listening, cognition, relationships, and the importance of understanding before deciding what to build.

Plus:

☕️ Why spending time with her cat is her favourite fika

⭐ Why you should always travel with chocolate and almonds

What we cover:

02:15 Introduction and Background

05:19 Understanding Different Perspectives in Design

08:09 The Evolution of Indi's Work and Methodology

11:17 The Importance of Purpose and Intention

14:03 Designing for Diverse Thinking Styles

17:04 The Role of AI in Modern Design

19:56 Building Relationships Through Design

23:03 The Need for Slowing Down in Design

25:42 Leveraging Existing Data for Better Insights

28:44 Future Directions in Design and Research

35:46 Understanding Decision-Making Layers

40:00 The Importance of Listening

52:08 Building Relationships in Organizations

55:48 The Birth of Adaptive Path

01:02:51 Navigating the Future of Research

01:05:57 Creativity and Connectivity in Storytelling

01:10:50 The Future of Work and Self-Publishing

01:15:40 Collaboration and Community Building

01:20:43 Understanding Thinking Styles and Decision Making

01:24:30 Optimism and Grounding Work for a Better Future

Where you'll find Indi:

• LinkedIn
• The all-new Thinking Styles course with a Practice Group starting in August
• The prerequisite Listening Deeply course or book Time to Listen
• The Practice Groups that I host a few times a year
• Private Practice Groups that I do for teams

Fun tidbits:

• The I SPY illustration, and Method explanations
• Outcomes, with case studies and videos beneath each subsection
• The Dog mental model Skyline

Where you’ll find Anna & UX Fika:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Anna on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UX Fika website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UX Fika on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠UX Fika on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The UX Fika Digest newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Here's a taster of what UX Fika offer:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Storyboarding Presentations For Presentations, Workshops & Deliverables Course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ – updated course launches 17 June
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Storytelling For Effective Meetings & Presentations Course⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ – new cohort starts 14 September