Some of society’s most entrenched problems persist not because people consciously resist change, but because invisible social norms quietly reinforce the durability of the status quo. What if lasting solutions begin with understanding the unspoken rules that shape behavior beneath the surface?
In this interactive 90-minute program on the emerging science of norm design, led by Jeff Leitner, cofounder of UX for Good, you'll learn to identify the rules holding problems stuck in place and how to redesign your approach to work with—not against—these hidden dynamics. Whether you are tackling a persistent social issue or transforming a resistant organization, you'll come away with a practical framework for moving forward.
The program is led by Jeff Leitner, cofounder of UX for Good, who has spent over 15 years helping organizations understand their norms.
You can expect to:
- Understand why most change efforts fail and what to do to overcome embedded resistance.
- Recognize when the problem is norms—and not a strategy, funding, or leadership problem.
- Learn a framework to surface unwritten rules operating in your own organization or field.
This program builds on Jeff's SSIR article, The Science of Norm Design, and will give you the questions and framework to shape behavior in the age of complexity.
Who should attend?
This program is designed for leaders, nonprofit professionals, and changemakers working to address complex social and organizational challenges.
This session is particularly valuable if you are:
- Working on a persistent problem that continues despite repeated interventions
- Leading internal organizational change and facing resistance that is difficult to explain
- Trying to better understand the hidden dynamics shaping a new or complex field
Register now to uncover the invisible social norms shaping behavior and learn how to design solutions that work with the environment instead of against it.
Meet the Speaker
Jeff Leitner is an architect of norm design, the practice of finding the unwritten rules that hold stubborn problems in place and designing change that works with them rather than against them. He developed it in the field, across engagements as different as the U.S. State Department's approach to supporting emerging democracies and the Poetry Foundation's effort to expand poetry's reach. The discipline has its first academic home at the University of Southern California, where Leitner helped develop the nation's first doctorate in social innovation. He also cofounded UX for Good, the first organization to apply experience design to social problems.
Interactive Sessions: Participants will be able to ask questions and engage with the presenters and other participants.
The price for this webinar is $129. This price includes:
- access to join the 90-minute live webinar program
- on-demand webinar recording access for 12 months
- downloadable slides
- recommended resources
If you have any questions about this program, email us at webinars@ssir.org.
