--- title: Embrace Your Belief in the Unknown description: When Peer Insight helped Pfizer consider how 25-35 year-olds might overcome their smoking habit, I was deeply anxious. That’s a chemical addiction, right? Same thing happened when we joined with AARP --- [![Peer Insight](https://blog.peerinsight.com/hubfs/PeerInsight_September2019/Images/peerinsight_logo_white.png)](https://peerinsight.com/) - [ABOUT](https://peerinsight.com/about/) - [SERVICES](https://peerinsight.com/services/) - [TOOLKIT](https://peerinsight.com/toolkit/) - [BLOG](https://peerinsight.com/blog/) - [TEAM](https://peerinsight.com/team/) - [CAREERS](https://peerinsight.com/career/) - [CONTACT](https://peerinsight.com/contact/) [![Peer Insight](https://blog.peerinsight.com/hubfs/PeerInsight_September2019/Images/peerinsight_logo_white.png)](https://peerinsight.com/) - [ABOUT](https://peerinsight.com/about/) - [SERVICES](https://peerinsight.com/services/) - [TOOLKIT](https://peerinsight.com/toolkit/) - [BLOG](https://peerinsight.com/blog/) - [TEAM](https://peerinsight.com/team/) - [CAREERS](https://peerinsight.com/career/) - [CONTACT](https://peerinsight.com/contact/) # Embrace Your Belief in the Unknown by [Tim Ogilvie](https://blog.peerinsight.com/blog/author/tim-ogilvie) | [DIY Templates & Tools](https://blog.peerinsight.com/blog/tag/diy), [innovation strategy](https://blog.peerinsight.com/blog/tag/innovation-strategy), [Product and Service Development](https://blog.peerinsight.com/blog/tag/product-and-service-development) Photo by: [saamiblog](https://www.flickr.com/photos/28772513@N07/) As a service designer and design thinker, I find myself saying this often: *“I don’t know … but I know how to know.”* Tonight I attended a dharma talk by renowned mindfulness teacher Sharon Salzberg. She said something that surprised and delighted me: *“I deeply believe in the unknown – that there is so much we don’t know.”* A big smile spread across my face, because this is my felt sense of the world. We marvel that 90% of the world’s data was created in the last two years, but still … there is so much we don’t know. I can’t defend it, but I know it in my bones. When Peer Insight helped Pfizer consider how 25-35 year-olds might overcome their smoking habit, I was deeply anxious. That’s a chemical addiction, right? Same thing happened when we joined with AARP recently to consider how 50-something African American women make food choices in the face of a Type 2 diabetes epidemic in their community. Can we address these challenges? I don’t know. But I know how to know: *Design Thinking = empathize … visualize … co-create … iterate* Several years ago I interviewed Kipum Lee, a gifted designer, about his craft. Tim:  *What do you do when you face what seems like an impossible challenge?* Kip: *I take a deep breath, and I trust the design process. It has surprised me many times.* Was there a time when you said, “I don’t know, but I know how to try,” and got a surprising (positive) outcome? I’d love to hear about it! Because these journeys into the unknown keep me going forward. Message me: [tim@peerinsight.com](mailto:tim@peerinsight.com) # About Us Peer Insight helps organizations ignite growth by uniting design, business, and entrepreneurship. [info@peerinsight.com](mailto:info@peerinsight.com) ![VOSB](https://blog.peerinsight.com/hubfs/PeerInsight_September2019/Images/vet-owned-300x300.png) # Find Us **Washington, D.C.** 717 D Street NW 2nd Floor Washington, DC 20004 (202) 506-3804 **San Francisco** 595 Pacific Ave 4th floor San Francisco, CA 94133 (336) 430-5403 # Get in Touch For project inquiries, contact [Clay Maxwell](mailto:cmaxwell@peerinsight.com) or [Tim Ogilvie](mailto:togilvie@peerinsight.com) For media inquiries, contact [Natalie Foley](mailto:nfoley@peerinsight.com) We respect your privacy. - [Privacy Policy |](https://peerinsight.com/privacy-policy/) - [ Terms & Conditions](https://peerinsight.com/terms-and-conditions/) - - -