#28: Indi Young on Mental Model Skylines, Thinking Styles, And Deep Listening

<p>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.</p><p>Indi has spent decades helping teams move beyond behaviours, opinions, demographics, and assumptions to better understand what is actually going through people&#39;s minds. In our conversation, she shares why listening remains one of the most important skills we have, and why understanding people&#39;s intentions, emotional reactions, and decision-making can reveal opportunities that organisations often leave on the table.</p><p>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 &quot;average user&quot; 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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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&#39;s a conversation about listening, cognition, relationships, and the importance of understanding before deciding what to build.</p><p>Plus:</p><p>☕️ Why spending time with her cat is her favourite fika</p><p>⭐ Why you should always travel with chocolate and almonds</p><p><br></p><p><strong>What we cover:</strong></p><p>02:15 Introduction and Background</p><p>05:19 Understanding Different Perspectives in Design</p><p>08:09 The Evolution of Indi&#39;s Work and Methodology</p><p>11:17 The Importance of Purpose and Intention</p><p>14:03 Designing for Diverse Thinking Styles</p><p>17:04 The Role of AI in Modern Design</p><p>19:56 Building Relationships Through Design</p><p>23:03 The Need for Slowing Down in Design</p><p>25:42 Leveraging Existing Data for Better Insights</p><p>28:44 Future Directions in Design and Research</p><p>35:46 Understanding Decision-Making Layers</p><p>40:00 The Importance of Listening</p><p>52:08 Building Relationships in Organizations</p><p>55:48 The Birth of Adaptive Path</p><p>01:02:51 Navigating the Future of Research</p><p>01:05:57 Creativity and Connectivity in Storytelling</p><p>01:10:50 The Future of Work and Self-Publishing</p><p>01:15:40 Collaboration and Community Building</p><p>01:20:43 Understanding Thinking Styles and Decision Making</p><p>01:24:30 Optimism and Grounding Work for a Better Future</p><p><br></p><p>Where you&#39;ll find Indi:</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/indiyoung/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">LinkedIn</a></li><li>The all-new <a href="https://indiyoung.com/finding-thinking-styles/">Thinking Styles course</a> with a Practice Group starting in August</li><li>The prerequisite <a href="https://indiyoung.com/listening-deeply/">Listening Deeply course</a> or book <a href="https://indiyoung.com/books/#time-to-listen">Time to Listen</a></li><li>The <a href="https://indiyoung.com/live-practice/">Practice Groups</a> that I host a few times a year</li><li><a href="http://indiyoung.com/team-training/">Private Practice Groups</a> that I do for teams</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Fun tidbits:</p><ul><li>The <a href="https://indiyoung.com/method/">I SPY illustration</a>, and Method explanations</li><li><a href="https://indiyoun