How to use Causal Layered Analysis (CLA) to design the right products for the future
Causal Layered Analysis is a theory and methodology developed by Sohail Inayatullah to create transformative change. When designing a product for the future, you can easily get lost and overwhelmed by how the future will look. CLA provides a four-layered approach to analysis. These four layers (Litany, Systems View, Worldview, and Metaphor or Myth) provides a structured way to think about complex issues. It’s crucial when solving for the future to do exhaustive analysis on each of the four levels. This way we are sure we are designing taking into account multiple perspectives that will shape the success of the product we design.
The way we frame a problem has a deep influence on the final solution. That is why exploring each of the four layers is key in order to design a successful solution. Let’s explore each of the four layers of CLA.
- Litany: The litany level is the most visible and obvious, requiring little analytic capabilities. You can explore this layer by using Human-Centered Design techniques such as ethnographic research, user observation, and interviews. Suppose the solution you design is only based on this level of analysis. In that case, it will probably fail, as it is not taking into account the different perspectives you get from the four-level analysis.
- Systems View and Social Causes: The second level is concerned with social causes, including economic, cultural, political, and historical factors. To see the problems from this perspective you need to have the “expert point of view”. You might have to partner and understand how policy institutes think and make decisions. Interview experts in-depth to uncover what’s behind the surface level.
- Ideology and Worldview: This level studies the norms and unconscious bias society supports. Are you solving for an “individualistic” and “capitalist” society? Developing deep research on the view of the society you are targeting (i.e., feminism, gender theory, political view) is what this level is for.
- Metaphor or Myth: This level provides an emotional view of the problem we are solving. As designers, we must understand the stories people believe in. What stories and archetypes are embedded in our culture that shapes our target users’ decisions and emotions?
The challenge is to conduct research that moves up and down these layers of analysis and thus is inclusive of different ways of knowing.
In summary, CLA is a structured way of thinking that helps us see problems from different perspectives. Seeing the holistic picture helps us design the right products for the future.
