Moving Beyond 'Risk Theater' in Design
Your Quality during Design Digest
Welcome to the November edition of the Quality during Design Digest!
With Phase 2: Investigate It underway, we’re diving deep into the critical stage of design: testing. The focus this month is on moving beyond “risk theater” to design tests that truly move your confidence needle and knowing when to stop. You’ll find updates on the Pierce the Design Fog audiobook, new Builder tier content, and a special book Q&A event.
Dianna
Quality during Design has been brought to you since 2021 from Deeney Enterprises and Dianna Deeney. This is the monthly digest sent on the first Friday of the month: gain insights, podcast highlights, and resources for engineering design professionals.
Conversations
Read & listen to get a different perspective and learn next steps.
“Speaking of Reliability” Podcasts
I had a chance to talk with Fred S. on his SOR Podcast:
SOR1111: Customer Service & AI - We discuss the critical function of customer service, focusing on the impacts and challenges presented by the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
SOR1112: Quality Management Systems - We discuss the implementation and effectiveness of Quality Management Systems (QMS) and how they impact organizational performance.
Teach the Geek Podcast
I also had a chance to join Neil Thompson on his podcast “Teach the Geek”, where we talk about engineering career paths and communication challenges. Video on YouTube | Audio on Spotify
This month’s highlights at a glance:
Ditch the “Risk Theater”: Stop reaching for complex risk analysis tools that just lead to documentation theater. The right tool must be matched to your actual decision stage.
Decisions Before Data: Before you test anything, scope high-stakes design decisions using an Impact vs. Likelihood Matrix to frame the problem and guide action.
The Power of a Review: Reviews can make or break a book launch. If you’ve read Pierce the Design Fog, your review is key to helping the book achieve its “big reach” goal.
Coaching Creativity: Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT) is a transformative system for creativity. But teaching it to others requires coaching it—it’s not as straightforward as you think.
The Future is November: Look for a special Pierce the Design Fog Q&A event coming next month and watch for dates for the AMA and Q&A focused on when to stop testing.
On Substack - October 2025: Making Better Decisions Under Uncertainty
October tackled every engineer’s nightmare: making high-stakes technical decisions with incomplete data. Here’s what you might have missed:
Free Content
🎙️ Podcast Episode: How to Choose Risk Tools that Actually Help Decisions Why reaching for your favorite risk analysis tool can backfire, and how to match the tool to your actual decision stage. Listen → deeneyenterprises.com/qdd/podcast/how-to-choose-risk-tools-that-actually-help-decisions/
🎙️ Podcast Episode: Stop Risk Theatre - Start Real Decisions We break down why risk analyses often become risk theater and replace them with a simple, practical impact vs likelihood matrix that guides action. Listen → deeneyenterprises.com/qdd/podcast/stop-risk-theater-start-real-decisions/
Paid Content (Builder Tier+)
📋 Monthly AMA: Frame It - How to Scope High-Stakes Design Decisions Before You Test Anything Step-by-step guide to using the Impact vs. Likelihood Matrix with your team, including templates, facilitation tips, and multiple worked examples. Comments were open Oct 21-27 for Q&A on your specific situations.
🔍 Strategic Insights: The FMEA Trap - When Risk Analysis Tools Become Risk Theater The deeper story behind tool selection: why teams get stuck in documentation theater, how to recognize it, and a comprehensive reference guide for choosing the right risk tool based on your development stage and decision type. Includes the visual “Common Risk Analysis Tools” chart.
New in the Swipe File Vault:
Impact vs. Likelihood Matrix
Risk Tool Selection Cheat Sheet
Coming in November: Phase 2 - Investigate It
November dives into the critical stage of design testing: moving beyond “risk theater” to tests that truly shift your confidence needle.
🎧 New Podcast Episodes
Two new episodes dropping in November—subscribe wherever you listen to catch them when they go live.
📊 For Paid Subscribers (Builder Tier+)
Monthly Posts:
Tuesday, November 11th: AMA “How to Design Tests That Actually Move Your Confidence Needle, and When to Stop” (preview available for free subscribers)
Q&A is open in comments through November 18th for paid subscribers to get feedback on your specific situations
Tuesday, November 25th: Strategic Insights post is live for November’s theme. (preview available for free subscribers)
New in the Scipe File Vault:
Investigate It Framework
🎯 For Top-Tier Subscribers (Strategist+)
Live Session:
Thursday, November 13th, 11:00 AM EST: “Pierce the Design Fog” live chat with Dianna.
Ask anything about implementing the book’s frameworks
Friday, November 21st, 3:00-4:00 PM EST: Monthly Strategist Chat
Bring your real decision/test challenges for live coaching.
Upgrade before November 11th to join the AMA and get the full Scope File Vault.
Pierce the Design Fog Launched!
“Pierce the Design Fog” officially launched on October 15th: available most places you like to get books. I received photos of people getting their copy, requests for bulk orders, and a few reviews trickling in.
Congratulations to the Goodreads Giveaway winners! Over 503 people requested a Kindle eBook! 100 winners were chosen.
If you haven’t yet ordered your copy, visit PierceTheDesignFog.com for a link where you can choose your retailer and format.
If you have your copy (thank you), please leave a review! I wrote Pierce the Design Fog to be a useful book, and it can only be useful if people know about it! You can help with your reviews, to help others decide if it’s the right book for them. Thanks in advance.
I’m actively recording the audiobook now, to be released before the end of the calendar year. For the book itself, I wrote a post about what it was like to author a book. Read it to learn the biggest surprises:
Quality during Design Subscriptions on Substack
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Why Subscribe? Because design decisions shape everything. With each tier, you gain access to curated insights, practical tools, and strategic mentorship that help you lead with confidence and clarity.
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Every tier is designed to meet you where you are and help you grow. Learn more about subscriptions and choose what’s right for you.
S.I.T. in Cincinnati
Forget Brainstorming. I spent two days learning a proven, practical system for creativity with Drew Boyd. I had the privilege of participating in his Systematic Inventive Thinking (SIT) workshop with a mix of other professionals and students. It was a great workshop with interesting and kind people and a beautiful campus.
The tools of SIT are transformative for creativity. Drew was a master in teaching us the important “Ah-ha” moments and highlighting traps. He also coached us in how to teach it to others, which is not as straightforward as you’d think. The whole class was creating new and innovative product ideas over the two days we were together. So interesting!
I wish I had gotten my camera out to take a picture with Drew and the other workshop participants. I did not. So, here are some pictures of the early morning sun on the University of Cincinnati architecture instead.
If you want to learn more about S.I.T., pick up the book “Inside the Box”.
How to engage with me
JOIN ME ON SUBSTACK Subscribe today.
GET THE BOOK Pierce the Design Fog.