Peace is waged with sticky notes: Mapping Real-World Experiences
Summary
Framing a user experience map is tricky, as we have to determine what to show from research, as well as what to leave out. How do we determine the best approach to structure and organize our maps and will design have a greater impact beyond a commercial setting? That’s what Jim Kalbach, author of Mapping Experiences, pondered when an organization dedicated to countering violent extremism approached him to facilitate a journey mapping workshop. In this talk, Jim shares his story of applying design thinking techniques and experience mapping to a very real-world problem: hate. He will explore the parallels between dealing with people caught up in business organizational silos and those emerging from violent extremist factions. Each group, whether in a business setting or not, will have their own language, tools, methods and perspectives. Jim will share his approach to communicating through design with these tricky questions to both C-Level executives to ex-violent extremists.
Key Insights
-
•
Former violent extremists often experience deep guilt and depression after leaving hate groups, making reintegration emotionally challenging.
-
•
No former extremists independently seek involvement in countering violent extremism; they are almost always approached by someone else.
-
•
Empathy and design thinking tools like experience mapping can be effectively applied to complex social issues beyond software design.
-
•
Arno McAlys, a former white supremacist leader, transformed through small moments of human kindness and the birth of his daughter.
-
•
Collaboration between former extremists like Arno and victims’ families like Partip Galaka can foster powerful reconciliation and shared purpose.
-
•
Youth service and mentorship programs, such as those by Serve to Unite, help keep young people out of hate groups by providing purpose.
-
•
Mapping the experience of former extremists reveals a journey from guilt to atonement rather than forgiveness or forgetting.
-
•
Designers’ ability to spot patterns and listen empathetically is critical for understanding complex human behavioral journeys.
-
•
Countering violent extremism focuses on counter-narratives and community engagement rather than armed conflict.
-
•
Including former extremists in CVE organizations leverages unique perspectives that can better explain and prevent hate-driven violence.
Notable Quotes
"That’s not who you are. You’re better than that."
"I feel like I helped to create the environment that that came from, so I certainly have responsibility."
"Forgiveness is not about forgetting or just getting over something, it’s about making a mission out of it."
"Our relationship is like a genuine brotherhood. We hang out almost every day."
"Most former extremists don’t come up with the idea of involvement themselves, somebody always approaches them."
"The journey is from guilt to atonement—not necessarily forgiveness—but being integrated into society."
"Experience mapping brought a new understanding that helped us draw former extremists into peace efforts."
"We as designers are expert pattern finders and observers of human behavior, which is key in this work."
"What we do can potentially be bigger than optimizing conversion rates; it can help build a more peaceful world."
"Waging peace with sticky notes is a metaphor for how small design tools can contribute to huge social change."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Data sovereignty is about who owns your data, which country’s laws apply, and how vulnerable groups are fairly protected."
Xenia Adjoubei Sean BruceEmpowering Communities Through the Researcher in Residence Program
March 29, 2023
"Service design stops being just a support function; it becomes the strategic driver that transforms organizational performance."
Tamara KartoziiaThink global, adapt local: how service design accelerated B2B market entry by 6 months
November 20, 2025
"You can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube once biased AI harms your brand or users."
Jay BustamanteNavigating the Ethical Frontier: DesignOps Strategies for Responsible AI Innovation
October 2, 2023
"Expectation describes how things ought to be and reinforces the distinction between the present and what is not yet here."
Nicole AleongFuture Orientations to Everyday Life: Futures Anthropology as a Methodology
March 26, 2024
"When I started out, I knew nothing about digital sustainability."
Nick LewisDesigning and building low-carbon websites independently
November 18, 2025
"It comes down to confidence and comfort to articulate why something has value and whether it’s working or not."
Vicky Teinaki Michele Marut Tim ParmeeShort Take #3: UX/Product Lessons from Your Industry Peers
December 6, 2022
"The ultimate goal in conflict is to engage with the tension while reducing the friction between humans."
Laura WeissTurn Down the Heat: 3 Ways to Handle Conflict in the Moment
November 20, 2024
"This is pure context information, not requirements yet, but it’s structured and detailed for design."
Joerg Beringer Thomas GeisScaling User Research with AI: Continuous Discovery of User Needs in Minutes
June 10, 2025
"Why be here if you’re not going to be here."
Shelby SwitzerMaking Space for Community Knowledge-sharing in a Distributed World
December 10, 2021
