Zan Chandler

What Program did you graduate from and when?

Strategic Foresight and Innovation (SFI) Master's program

What is your current title or role? (ie. freelance designer, art practitioner, etc.)

Foresight Practitioner and Design Researcher at KerrSmith Design; and Instructor, Strategic Foresight & Innovation Master's program, OCAD University.

Why did you choose to attend OCAD U?

I was thinking about embarking on grad studies and was checking out a number of programs. A friend who was in the Interdisciplinary Art Media and Design program had heard about SFI launching and she thought it might be a good fit for me. In the end, I chose SFI at OCAD U because it’s the only place in the world where I could study foresight and innovation within the context of art and design.
 

Please briefly describe your current job / practice.

I work for KerrSmith Design, a multidisciplinary research and innovation studio that specializes in Foresight and Design. As a Senior Researcher, I work on foresight and design projects that cover a wide range of industries and sectors – public and post-secondary education, transportation, retail, arts and culture, municipal, provincial and federal government. My work includes lots of research and analysis, as well as designing and facilitating workshops. This job keeps me engaged because it enables me to make use of multiple different skills and leverage my experience and knowledge from previous “careers”.

I’m also an instructor in the Strategic Foresight and Innovation Program, where I co-teach the foresight and business and design thinking courses for both part-time and full-time cohorts. Teaching what I practice is a circular experience. I find that teaching greatly informs my practice. And similarly, I can bring what I’ve learned from practicing in the real world into the classroom.
 

How did you get started in your career?

This is my 3rd, possibly 4th career depending on how you slice things. Previously, I had worked in the arts and culture sector, first in content creation, then in funding and policy. I was working on federal cultural policy at the time when digital technologies and the internet were radically changing the landscape for cultural production around the world. Watching how policymakers and industries around the world were struggling with change fed my desire to better understand what the future implications might be for creators in Canada. This led me to the SFI program. As a grad student, I was fortunate to work on a number of OCAD U research projects. This allowed me to practice what I was learning. Graduating with some foresight and innovation experience under my belt made it easier to gain independent consulting gigs and to work eventually start working with KerrSmith.
 

What were your policies regarding internships, volunteering, and paid work?

For those getting started in a new industry or sector, I recognize the desire to gain as much experience as possible in order to find work or gain experience in your field. And under some circumstances, volunteering for a for-profit organization may be a good thing. However, I believe there should be an exchange of value. Even if you are starting out in a career, it doesn’t mean you bring nothing of value. You bring insights and experience from other aspects of your life that have value. If you decide to take on an unpaid internship or volunteer experience make sure you can get something concrete and valuable out of it - clear and relevant learning opportunities, access to networks, etc. Of course, if a company can afford to pay you, they should!

What do you enjoy most about your work? What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

One of the best aspects of my work over the last decade has been working on projects from a wide variety of industries and sectors. It means I’m always in learning mode, which suits my personality, and it allows me to see the similarities and connections between the different projects. Before the pandemic, many projects entailed travel. Nowadays, we are conducting workshops online instead of in person. While it has been challenging to reconfigure workshops for the online world while keeping them engaging and fruitful, that too has been a learning experience.

What skills or relationships developed at OCAD U helped you participate in your field? Is there anything you would have done differently?

Perhaps the single most important skill I honed in the SFI program is collaboration. Successful collaboration requires us all to be aware of how we ourselves learn, process information, do/create, communicate, etc. We have to also be sensitive to the fact that others may do all that differently. This is what makes collaboration challenging but it is also what makes it so rewarding. While I learned how and when to use all sorts of frameworks, I believe learning to become a better collaborator is the most important skill.

What are the key responsibilities you maintain for your practice?

Continual learning is core to being, whether that pertains to my personal or professional life. As a teacher or practitioner, it’s important for me to gain new knowledge and skills. That process only ends when I do.

What are your personal and professional goals for the coming years?

A personal goal is to learn how to maintain a good balance between work and life. That’s a constant struggle. Professionally, my goal is to work in more complex problem spaces that have an impact on human lives.

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