Feb 01, 2010
Ed Mullen
Communicating a vision of a possible and preferable future provides both a map and destination to people weighing the costs and benefits of change.
It is easier for people to embrace change when the benefits are clear and the unknowns have been worked out. When pushing for something — governmental change, a certain vacation spot or evening plans — it’s important to make the future you are proposing familiar, understandable and desirable.
Traditions are an important method of transmitting cultural wisdom. They contain valuable concepts that have been encoded and passed on through generations, their value often unspoken and unconscious. Traditional meals feature healthful combinations of ingredients without requiring dietary expertise. Moral traditions present structures that have served to preserve and unite communities. Traditions are valuable tools of culture. It is a good thing that we don’t easily shake them off.
Dec 08, 2011
Ed Mullen
As I walk to work, I often have ideas as my mind wanders. (Such as this one.) This is one of those. It was sparks by thinking of the sentencing of Rod Blagojevich, marijuana possessions, and crimes committed by financial institutions during the financial crisis. When you compare sentences, the magnitude of the crime and its impact on society often seem disconnected.
This is also true with government spending and taxes. The actual “settings” often don’t match what we think the should be. We are also usually unclear as to what the settings are at all.
The purpose of this idea would be to A) clarify what we feel is most important B) see how that matches with reality and C) develop a sense of where our priorities should go.
I don’t have the time to take this any further, but here’s what I mocked up as a possible Web tool to accomplish this.
Oct 10, 2011
Ed Mullen
Recently the General Services Administration conducted an open, public dialogue to solicit ideas about how the government could improve Federal .gov websites. The dialogue was conducted online using the IdeaScale platform and will be archived for future review. I’ve compiled my thoughts on the dialogue for the GSA team. It’s long, but I want to give as much feedback as I can.
You can jump to the ideas I found most useful.
Jul 20, 2011
Ed Mullen
Last summer, I was asked to join the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) team that was going to be building out HealthCare.gov—one of the earliest requirements of the Affordable Care Act—as Design Lead. How this came to be is pretty amazing.
In late January of 2010, I was walking to my office, stewing about something I had been listening to on the radio before I left home about the proposed Health Reform bill. At the time, there was still a question over whether or not it would be supported by those on the left advocating for a public option.
Envisioning a Health Insurance Exchange
With the debate raging, it may be helpful to look at one key aspect of health care reform.
Jan 26, 2010
Ed Mullen
The process of reforming health care has been a decades-long undertaking. Recently we’ve come very close to passage of some legislation. The various plans that have been floated contain ideas pulled from years of discussion and thinking from across the political landscape. But still, the conversation at times seems to be more abstract than the reality of the reforms. Without examples that are easy for people to understand, it is difficult for people to see the benefits of the reforms and it introduces an opportunity for manipulation.