NextWAVE Innovation
Clarity in Complexity
NextWAVE Innovation helps leaders and organizations navigate complexity with clarity.
Through systems innovation, strategic planning, and systemic design, we create fit-to-purpose strategies that move organizations and ecosystems forward.
Our flagship initiative, The Ecosystem Project, brings these ideas to life in our book and practice.
What We Do
The Ecosystem Project
Our flagship consulting practice and book. A practical method for seeing and understanding complex systems and co-creating strategies that lead to real, lasting transformation.
Research & Strategic Planning
We bring a systems lens to research, strategy, and design. Drawing on decades of experience in innovation and UX design, we help leaders uncover insights, frame challenges, and build strategies that are fit-to-purpose in complex, adaptive environments.
Why it Matters
Most leaders face challenges that feel overwhelming. Plans stall, pilots fizzle, and problems keep coming back. That’s because complexity doesn’t yield to simple fixes.
Whether you’re leading a transformation, aligning diverse stakeholders, or designing strategy in a shifting environment, the real work begins with clarity.
At NextWAVE, we bring that clarity through systems innovation, research, and strategic planning. We help leaders see the whole system—so they can act with confidence and create meaningful, lasting change.
About Karyn
Meet Karyn Zuidinga
Founder of NextWAVE Innovation and co-creator of The Ecosystem Project.
Karyn is a seasoned practitioner in systemic innovation, research, and strategic planning. With decades of experience in UX design and organizational strategy, she brings both clarity and collaboration to leaders navigating complex challenges.
She also serves as Vice Chair of the Association for Managers of Innovation (AMI), a pioneering nonprofit dedicated to advancing creativity and innovation in organizations and society.
Thought Leadership
Why Your Change Efforts Keep Stalling (And What to Do About It)
Photo by Phil Hearing on UnsplashWhy Your Change Efforts Keep Stalling (And What to Do About It) Everything is moving, but nothing is changing. You’ve got change initiatives, task forces, and dashboards. Everyone is busy. The pace is fast. Yet the real problems—the...
Fractional Design Leadership: a solution to the vicious cycles of product design.
Most software companies struggle to define a business strategy that matches what their customers are really looking for – but it doesn’t have to be that way.
It’s time to change our thinking, and our approach.
We’re thrilled to announce a new family of services designed to help you break through endless design cycles and shift to a culture of data-driven decision making to design products that keep your customers wanting more:
Fractional Design and Innovation Leadership.
Systems: The Sixth Element of User Experience
In the light of the shift that’s taken place since the beginning of UX from designing software-like interactions on the web to building web-based software and services, and seeing the impact these have on the wider world, it’s time to update the elements of User Experience to include a new element: systems.
A Systems Thinking Approach to Understanding the Value of UX
Recently, I’ve encountered a wave of skepticism from senior leaders in product development circles. They’re posing some tough questions: Why invest more in UX? What’s the value of UX? Can’t product managers handle research? Why can’t product managers do the research? Yet, amidst these “anti-UX” questions I’m seeing and experiencing a completely different on-the-ground reality: product teams champion UX. They see both the tactical and strategic value of a solid UX practice. In this article, I’ll dive into why that gap exists, how to bridge it and how to respond to the “anti-UX” questions in a meaningful way using a systems-based approach. If you’re navigating the challenges of trying to deliver a complex product or argue for the value of UX, let’s connect to explore the power of a systems-based approach in driving product success.