Can design thinking lead a corporation?
A few years ago Richard Florida wrote and publicized a bestseller titled "Rise of the Creative Class" which he then followed with "The Flight of the Creative Class". Both of these books caused quite a splash. His theories including opinions on urban migration and cited areas that had a larger population of designers, hi-tech employees and artists were better positioned to prosper.
This thinking spilled over into the business world with publications such as BusinessWeek and Fast Company posing the question, could designers be the next CEOs? Is design thinking what the post-modern era needs to run its businesses and save sinking ships?
In the past five years, there has been a great fervor over whether designers have what it takes to apply their brand of design thinking to larger business issues including systems design and other applications outside of their core trained disciplines.
Programs such as Business Perspectives for Creative Leaders held at schools like Yale and Harvard bring business leaders and designers together for sessions of exchange and brainstorming on how to develop new ways to approach business problems.
The D-School at Stanfordis another good example of a model that takes non-designers, designers and combines their skills through design thinking to produce what the business world hopes is a model for innovation and success.
Do we have what it takes? Or are designers better at specialized applications of their craft and should we leave the business leadership to the MBAs? Is it a passing trend or a sustainable vision? Is a jack-of-all-trades a dangerous master-of-none?
Read Bruce Nussbaum's, assistant managing editor in charge of the BusinessWeek?s innovation and design coverage's speech delivered at the RCA in London on why he thinks designers make good candidates.
Then, write a short definition of what YOU think "design thinking" is. (We're far enough along in the semester for each of you to have your own take, for better or worse, be candid!)
Lastly, make a case for or against designers as business leaders. Use at least one outside source to support your answer. You may want to include your own design aspirations as well.
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Addtional Resources:
An open letter to the board of Apple Computers: Hire a Designer as CEO
BusinessWeek:
Tomorrow's B-School? It Might Be A D-School
Business schools are hooking up with design institutes ? or starting their own
The New York Times:
Industry Giants Try to Break Computing?s Dead End
"Design Thinking left unchecked can just lead to failure, failure, failure."
Jess McMullin
Post Script: Lastly, if you have not heard of the people that Nussbaum mentions in the article, look them up. Whether you agree or disagree with the message they are putting out there, knowledge is empowerment and it allows you to back up your own arguments and take a professional stance.
This thinking spilled over into the business world with publications such as BusinessWeek and Fast Company posing the question, could designers be the next CEOs? Is design thinking what the post-modern era needs to run its businesses and save sinking ships?
In the past five years, there has been a great fervor over whether designers have what it takes to apply their brand of design thinking to larger business issues including systems design and other applications outside of their core trained disciplines.
Programs such as Business Perspectives for Creative Leaders held at schools like Yale and Harvard bring business leaders and designers together for sessions of exchange and brainstorming on how to develop new ways to approach business problems.
The D-School at Stanfordis another good example of a model that takes non-designers, designers and combines their skills through design thinking to produce what the business world hopes is a model for innovation and success.
Do we have what it takes? Or are designers better at specialized applications of their craft and should we leave the business leadership to the MBAs? Is it a passing trend or a sustainable vision? Is a jack-of-all-trades a dangerous master-of-none?
Read Bruce Nussbaum's, assistant managing editor in charge of the BusinessWeek?s innovation and design coverage's speech delivered at the RCA in London on why he thinks designers make good candidates.
Then, write a short definition of what YOU think "design thinking" is. (We're far enough along in the semester for each of you to have your own take, for better or worse, be candid!)
Lastly, make a case for or against designers as business leaders. Use at least one outside source to support your answer. You may want to include your own design aspirations as well.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Addtional Resources:
An open letter to the board of Apple Computers: Hire a Designer as CEO
BusinessWeek:
Tomorrow's B-School? It Might Be A D-School
Business schools are hooking up with design institutes ? or starting their own
The New York Times:
Industry Giants Try to Break Computing?s Dead End
"Design Thinking left unchecked can just lead to failure, failure, failure."
Jess McMullin
Post Script: Lastly, if you have not heard of the people that Nussbaum mentions in the article, look them up. Whether you agree or disagree with the message they are putting out there, knowledge is empowerment and it allows you to back up your own arguments and take a professional stance.
To me, design thinking is an unconventional way of looking at somewhat conventional problems. It is a process of thoughts rather than a single decision. This process of thoughts is flexible and open to many new ideas and solutions. For myself, this process can be ?messy? or scattered but, over time, I can refine the process so that the result is well thought out. Design thinking as a problem solving method can be applied to many disciplines other than design because problems exist everywhere, they are all around us.
One field in which problems are ever-present is business. The business world is somewhat broad and diverse, but one thing is true for every business in the world-they encounter problems, big and small, on a daily basis. Many businesses fail because they lack the ability to create innovative solutions to both mundane and complex problems. This is where designers, and the process of design thinking, can become a valuable addition to the somewhat ?straight-laced? business world. Traditional business executives look at conventional problems in conventional ways, but designers look at conventional problems with unconventional viewpoints. The Cox Review of Creativity in Business shares this viewpoint of the designer in a business environment. The writer of this Review, Sir George Cox, states that creativity and design thinking in a business environment ?includes new ways of looking at existing problems.? By addressing old problems in new, innovative ways, designers can utilize design thinking to help businesses become more successful.
What makes designers so special and so important to a thriving business? The answer to this question comes from Bruce Nussbaum?s speech to the RCA in London, where he concludes, ?Designers are the sherpas of culture, the guides to community, the empathizers of the odd and foreign. ? Many times, business leaders distance themselves from their market (consumers) and thus lose touch with what their customers want, but designers are always thinking about who and what they are designing for, and this attention to market will give modern business the ability to thrive. While designers can help businesses succeed in the area of market specificity, market cooperation is required for full business benefit. As best stated by John Thackara on his blog, Doors of Perception, ?The public sector should be an intelligent and demanding buyer of goods and services, not simply looking for long-proven products and yesterday?s solutions at the lowest prices.? In many cases, the general public tends to stay ?comfortable? and use products and strategies that have always solved problems, but in order for a new, more innovative, system of business to thrive, the general public must be willing to accept new solutions to old problems. Therefore, integration of business and design must be a three-way partnership between business, designer, and market. However, if all members of this partnership work together, modern businesses can undergo a transformation that will prepare them to do business in an ever-changing global market.
Posted by Matt Pinyan on April 01, 2008 at 11:12 AM EDT #
The idea of designers as business leaders is not improbable. They are in existence right now; people like Tim Brown at IDEO and Jonathan Ive at Apple are just two of the more well-known business men who just happen to be designers. These guys are examples of how an emersion of design and business can turn out to be something awesome; like the I-pod in Jonathan Ive's case (they are EVERYWHERE!). I am for designers as business leaders. Designers have the ability to see the world in a very different way than many business leaders. They attempt to relate to the "common person" and give them what they desire, but still accomplish this in their own way. If a designer were to become a business leader, then they should remember that it involves knowledge of how to run a business. I don't think that a person who has talents in both design and business would be dangerous because if they truly mastered this concept, then they would have an equal combination of the both. Judging by how the community is reacting to products produced by designer/business leaders then I would have to say that society is willing to accept this change from the ?norm? just as much as I am.
I believe business leaders who apply design to their work are becoming a necessity in today's society. Bruce Nussbaum states in his speech that "every one of us is swept up in this veritable flood of change" and this means that people's views and perspectives are changing. All companies want to survive and in order to overcome this change, and then they have to develop innovated ways to stay ahead of their competition. This is where design thinking comes into play. Design thinking is a process of observing, experimenting, and putting forth unique and innovative ideas to the community. Tim Brown phrased it right when he said, "design thinking is indisputably a catalyst for innovation productivity". A person does not necessarily have to be trained as a designer to use design thinking, but he/she has to be willing to think of their audience and not just on their preferences.
Sources:
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/NussbaumOnDesign/archives/2007/06/ceos_must_be_de.html
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/95/design-strategy.html
Posted by Jenny Williams on April 01, 2008 at 11:22 AM EDT #
I believe design thinking is less of a concept and more of an ability. It is the ability to look at an obstacle or a problem and discover a creative solution. The arrival of this creative solution comes out of a process of thoughts and actions that the individual develops. It is also the ability to reject the status quo and come up with an original and possibly revolutionary idea. It is about trying something new, experimenting with ideas or concepts that have never been tested or implemented. Through this experimentation, new ideas or artifacts can be produced that can change the world we live in.
That being said, let's take a look at why design thinking should be implemented in business. The most obvious reason is that American business is anything but creative. When faced with a problem, most
American business leaders simply try the same techniques they have always been trying: restructure, reorganize, refocus, etc. Basically, anything with the prefix "re" and a buzz word attached. The problem with this is that it hardly ever truly solves the problems they are facing. I know this because my mother's company has tried "restructuring" for about the past five years in a row.
So how do we solve these problems? Design thinking.
The achievement of creative solutions through a process. American business leaders cannot continue to accept the status quo if progress and growth are their goals. If they employ the design process to solve a problem, they will find themselves looking at several different ways to solve a problem. They will break out of a long cycle of stagnation and finally discover new and exciting ways to make their businesses flourish.
I argue this idea because i believe that it works. In the New York Times article: "Industry Giants Try to Break Computing's Dead End," I saw how business leaders recognized that the old solutions were not working and decided to come up with something new. They are now financing two groups of researchers to hopefully change the way we perceive computing. That is design thinking in the business world. That is what America needs.
Posted by Christopher Pietsch on April 01, 2008 at 12:13 PM EDT #
"Design Thinking" to me is the process that brings one to a "Desgin conclusion." Just like math or science, design thinking addresses a problem, and the design is the answer. Design Thinking is different from regular thinking though, because it invovles creativity and innovation. It involves inspiration. Designers look at a problem, and instead of saying, "How can we fix it?" they say "Why is this problem always solved this way? How can we solve it differently, in a more aesthetic, effective, and empowering way?" Herbert Simon puts it very well when he says that, "unlike critical thinking, which is a process of analysis and is associated with the 'breaking down' of ideas, design thinking is a creative process based around the 'building up' of ideas. Wild ideas are welcome, since these often lead to the most creative solutions."Design thinking often follows a process, and each individual has their own unique process, which is part of what makes it so special. No two people will even solve the problem in the exact same way.
When I first read the topic of the blog entry, I thought it was kind of ridiculous. Design and business are always associated as two polar opposites. However, after giving the topic some thought and reading Nussbaums's speech, I have come to the conclusion that designers WOULD make the best business leaders. This can be demonstarted in the IDEO video which professor Malecha showed in class. The work atmosphere at IDEO was unlike any other. It was creative, artisitic, even a bit silly. In the end, the team came up with some amazing ideas. When dealing with the problem of how to redesign the shopping cart, they came up with a model which solved all of the common shopping cart dilemas, and looked good too! That's the thing that makes design so different than, say, engineering. Designers have to solve all of the same problems, but they also have to make the object aesthetically pleasing along with it. Due to this, designers learn to think about every aspect of a problem, and they learn how to focus on the more and less important aspects. This is something that is very important in business. Business leaders use critical thinking, and often place all of their focus on only one key issue, rather than looking at the broader spectrum. This causes unanticipated consequences to arise.
My father works at tri-state trading buying and selling groceries. For example, he buys, say, hersheys syrup, and then sells it to Lowes Foods. He is what you would call a "middle man," and he works as a business leader of his company. When trying to find business, his main focus is on how to work hard at making phone calls and traveling to see customers so that the company can get as much business as possible. But why doesn't he look at the problem of finding business from a desing perspective? Why do they deal with customers the way that they do? Have they ever thought about doing things a different way? There was a movie that came out a few years ago called "In Good Company." In the movie, Dan Foreman, an experienced business man, was demoted from head of sales for a major magazine and replaced by a man half his age (played by Topher Grace) fresh out of business school. Topher preached corporate synergy, and wanted to revolutionize the way business was done. While Topher's idea failed in the long run, it demonstrated an important lesson. It showed that it's okay to think different. Topher took the problem of ad sales and said, "why do we have to do it this way?" He did not have the broad spectrum of thought that a designer has, but he still had the innovation.
To sum up, I agree with Nussbaum that designers would make the best business leaders. Although I was skeptical at first, I now realize that if designers used their design thought rather than critical thought, the business problems would be solved with much more effective solutions.
Posted by Megan Miller on April 01, 2008 at 03:27 PM EDT #
The clash between Architects and MBAs has raged for years with the argument that they are mutually exclusive with ??the designer being right brain and the MBA being left.?
The only true analysis can be found in the words of Bruce Nussbaum in the article CEOs Must Be Designers, Not Just Hire Them
"There are two great barriers to innovation and design in the world today. Ignorant CEOs and ignorant designers. Both groups are well-intentioned and well-dressed?in their own ways?but both can be pretty dangerous characters."
This observation shows one that has looked at the problem from an experiential point of view and noted what I have seen repeated in the professional realm, namely the arrogance of the ?educated? to think that theirs is the only solution to any problem. I have had Architects that have looked down their noses and stomped on me for offering a solution with the words ??do you have an Architectural license? No? Until you do shut up??
Jess McMullin, in Design Thinking left unchecked can just lead to failure, failure, failure touched upon this by stating :
"So that?s one of the pitfalls of design thinking ? that sense of designer entitlement that "I am an amazing business strategist because I?m automatically a design thinker".
This lack of self awareness and egotism automatically disqualifies them as ?design thinkers?. The truly educated in design thinking see and take from experience on all sides. That is the true nature of design thinking; Understanding problems and solutions from varying points of view.
From my experience most designers can design in a competent fashion but few ever truly master their craft. Without this mastery of self and craft, then truly, they become ??a jack-of-all-trades??and?? a dangerous master-of-none.? There are far too many examples of the ??doing just enough to get by? both in the academic and professional realms. As Louis Kahn wrote ??I don?t wish to be bothered by the details of how something works.? Though a wonderful designer, his is the prevalent attitude amongst many architects. They fit the frame as laid out by Nussbaum;
??well-intentioned and well-dressed ?? but ??pretty dangerous characters.?
Where is the true Master-Builder that the word Architect truly embodies?
A master builder wants to know how everything works and, yes, that means business as well. But if we can?t be bothered by the ?details? then why bother.
Sadly, the trend towards designers attempting the jobs of CEOs will likely increase, due to the lack of interests by designers to truly embrace their respective crafts. The advent of the ?Heroic architects? have only complicated the issue, by raising the public?s awareness of designers and placing them in the position of being celebrities. The public now expects designers to be the ?masters-of- everything? but as stated before the real trend is towards designers turning into politicians and becoming masters-of-nothing.
Brandon Schauer in Design Thinking left unchecked can just lead to failure, failure, states:
"The idea of suggesting multiple alternatives before you know all the facts is valuable, but it?s also an inverse of that sort of critical thinking. Sometimes, at some point in a process, whether you lead to alternatives first, and then do your critical thinking, or do your critical thinking first and then come up with alternatives in a much tighter box, you still have to do your homework and do your critical thinking. Design thinking left unchecked can just lead to failure, failure, failure, just as pure critical thinking (with no pushing the boundaries of what you think might be possible) just gets you to the obvious solution."
As a business owner I saw the absolute need for doing your homework, for the results fell to me if I did not. I had to be responsible for my own livelihood and the welfare of others that worked for me. I had to suffer the decisions of poor design by others and work to overcome the arrogance of those that refused conventions and rules because they were inconvenient or unpopular. Where the education of the two minds meet miracles can occur but until a mastery of one mode of thinking can be achieved the only real outcomes are train wrecks.
Posted by Joshua Stephens on April 01, 2008 at 06:54 PM EDT #
Design thinking is an elaborate process with multiple steps that includes advancements and fallbacks. I have always viewed design thinking, especially my design thinking process, as a course of action similar to the scientific method. As designers, we are given a problem and expected to assess our resources and find the most appropriate answers for the situation in a creative manner. Like scientists, trial and error are key for designers in coming up with the best idea. We must brainstorm and follow through with our ideas to see if they work. If not, it is back to the drawing board. Eventually, all of these ideas build off of one another and the final products begin to take shape. The only difference between the designer and the scientist is that the scientist focuses on one absolute answer whereas the designer creates multiple solutions all fitting the situation.
However it is important to remember that design thinking is an individual process, and this must be taken into account when considering hiring someone that is both a designer and MBA holder. I disagree with Nussbaum?s intense ideology of a complete merger of designer and business man. Along the same lines, I also disagree with Brandon Schauer in his interview with Jess McMullin, ?Design Thinking left unchecked?,? when he makes the assumption that all designers cannot think critically and will produce ideas without ?boundaries.? Designers are capable of thinking critically and reasonably. Yet I agree with him in that the critically thinking business person and the creative designer must remain in a system of checks and balances. It is 2008 and we are no longer in the Renaissance era where one person can hold multiple professions. The beauty of the world today is that everyone, well most people, are specialized. This in turn creates the need for communication, and checks and balances, to accomplish tasks and develop social networking. While designers/MBA holders may have what it takes to run a company, I do not think it is healthy for the company. If one person begins to take on the role of two people, or even three, jobs are lost; not to mention that this takes two or three people out of the communication and social networking chains. Human interaction is vital to our mental health and our success in business.
However, this does not mean that I am against knowledge. As designers, business people, teachers, the President, I believe it is imperative that we inform ourselves about each others? professions. The CEO must understand the designer and their design thinking process, and vice versa. This is helpful so that the designer can communicate the consumer?s ideas to the CEO, and vice versa again, serving almost as a translator. In this system not only is communication upheld, but informed specialized professionals keep their positions and the job at hand is still completed.
Posted by Rebecca Morris on April 01, 2008 at 10:29 PM EDT #
Some great thoughts here - thanks for considering a few of my ideas as you're developing your own design thinking (and design doing) skills and mindsets...
Posted by Jess McMullin on April 01, 2008 at 11:50 PM EDT #
To me design thinking is a certain type of thought process that is unique to each individual. Design thinking establishes a process of thought that helps to ensure at least one effective solution to any given problem. The process used outlines the necessary steps to come to a creative/innovative solution. Design thinking has no boundaries and can be applied to any situation; it is up to the individual to set the boundaries for him/herself. For me, the design thinking process ensures that I don?t just settle with my first idea, it forces me to start with a wide variety of ideas and as I progress in my thoughts I narrow down my ideas until I decide which idea is best suited for the given situation.
I believe that designers, who have some background in business, do have what it takes to run a successful business. Designers can apply their way of thinking to any situation, administrative or product related. Design thinking can be used as a universal tool and would be an advantage to anyone in any field of work, not just to designers. I also believe that it would be sustainable, if it doesn?t work, what do we have to lose, we could just return back to the old way of doing things. Being a ?jack of all trades? would be an advantage to anyone in any field. In today?s society you don?t have to know the answers to everything, you just have to know where to find the answer, and design thinking can point you in the right direction.
Before I read the speech by Bruce Nussbaum, I had not really given any thought on the topic of designers as CEOs. In his speech delivered at the RCA in London on why he thinks designers make good candidates, Nussbaum convinced me that designers would be good CEOs. This is because CEOs usually have to hire designers to come up with solutions to problems, so why not hire a designer who has knowledge on how to run a business, therefore cutting out the middle man. As stated in another article by Nussbaum entitled ?The Empathy Economy,? Nussbaum claims that designers are the answer to having successful companies in the future who are able to handle the consumer?s needs for innovation and creative new ideas for products and brands. Design thinkers will be able to apply their processes of thought to all problems that come about. Designers will certainly be useful as business leaders in today?s society because of the never ending changes that are occurring at an increasing pace. Consumers in today?s society are becoming use to and are expecting more and more from the products they buy and it is up to the businesses and corporations to meet the consumer?s expectations. I believe that true designers are the most qualified when it comes to anticipating what the consumer will want, and to deliver a truly innovative product. Design thinking would not only be beneficial at the marketing end of business, it would also benefit the administrative side of business too, through collaboration and being open-minded.
Posted by Jonas Parrish on April 02, 2008 at 12:20 AM EDT #
To me, design thinking is a processing of peeling back the layers of your mind to get a clear and good idea. The layers consist of others' ideas that (ie: things that already have been made and done), and the quick, non-thorough solutions. One must venture deep into her mind and eliminate barriers that keep her from true self expression and design.
I am for designers as business leaders. In fact, I want to be a business leader! To me it symbolizes a degree of accomplishment, and I believe one can achieve this without sacrificing any creative integrity. Business leaders are the ones who make major decisions in society and rather than just being employed by one to help give a design perspective, re can be the ones making the decisions! With the power one would gain by being a CEO or some person of high position while also being a true designer, he or she could have a great opportunity to better the world. Nussbaum says we [designers] are guides to our community. Having designers as business leaders can connect industry to community. We can incorporate life into an industery about stocks and bonds.Having the status as well as financial pull could allow many designers' dreams to become reality. Sometimes all we need is the funds and trust! I believe that as long as one keeps their design aspirations in sync with their rising status in the business world, he or she will strive in all that they want to accomplish. One will have to make sacrifices for the designs' sake as well as for the company's. But in the end having access to both worlds and collaborating them can bring a whole new perspective to the table.
Posted by Devanne Pena on April 02, 2008 at 01:43 AM EDT #
In my opinion, Design thinking is truly innovation in action. In many cases, it is your ability to look at a typical problem or topic and come up with very atypical or unconventional solution. This is usually a result of your ability to recognize the many different solutions that are possible through a series of processes. Design thinking automatically teaches you how to analyze an issue fully and in ways other people might not think of trying. By seeing all of the possibilities, you can come up with the best solutions.
In the business world, this really is the new commodity. I fully agree with Bruce Nussbaum about this. The global economy has become so flat that price and speed are no longer competitive advantages. Your company has to have a new product or a new way of looking at an issue. It needs to have a new way of operating and it needs to reach out to its consumers. So what is the best way to do this? Through design thinking.
There are plenty of people out there that can crunch numbers and tell you the most efficient way to run an existing process. There are not that many people who can totally revamp a process to make it better. This is design thinking. So simply put, I think designers would make better CEO?s than the MBA?s that are coming out of school today.
Designers are taught how to interact with society, how to address society?s issues and how to think about the problems from all view points. We as designers learn about the culture of the past and the present and can relate to how it will change in the future. If you want to run a successful business, these are all important things to consider.
I feel strongly about this because I myself want to start a few businesses. I think designers have the best entrepreneurial spirit and have the best ability to make their ideas a reality. I think it is funny that MBA schools want to teach design classes. This is seen in the article called ?Tomorrow?s B-School? It might be a D-School.? I see it in reverse. Business techniques and practices can be taught, but true design thought is innate. Someone who really understands and practices design thought, and can do so without ever being taught, will be much more effective than an MBA trying to follow a template set out for him/her in their design class.
So in short, YES, we have what it takes, yes designers should consider leadership roles, and most importantly, if businesses want to continue to innovate and prosper, this current trend better become a sustainable practice.
Posted by John Barton Strawn on April 02, 2008 at 01:59 AM EDT #
I think design thinking can mean different things to everybody. To me design thinking comes in a linear process even though there are many options you can pick from. As I go through each step I get closer and closer to the outcome and the end product, even though I feel like the project could go on forever. Design thinking never ends! If you would get paid to keep making a project better your whole life I bet there would be a new idea every day and you would never be satisfied. But, of course, there are limits and with those limits come the restraints of ideas and end to the projects. Design thinking to me is a lifestyle, a culture, a different language, and the best life experience ever.
We usually think of design and business as to polar careers, but I think they correspond to each other. I believe you could combine the two but with two different degrees. If I went into an architecture firm and they decided to make me an architect and a business woman I would have an idea because of common sense but I would have a background in business. There is a difference between having hands on experience and having a degree to do something and being experienced at one thing and helping out with another. There can be successful designer that are business people and vice versa but I do not think that every person has the ability to do it and succeed. I think for right now it can be said that designers as business people is a passing trend but it has the ability to turn into the future with better organization.
Posted by Stephanie Mercado on April 02, 2008 at 06:48 PM EDT #
To me design thinking is the contemplation of an idea with the consideration of boundless possibilities. If I breakdown the phrase, design thinking, design to me is an opportunity for endless possibilities of answer and opportunities. Thinking, I believe, in this sense is referring to critical thinking and rigorous contemplation of an idea. Overall design thinking is forward thinking in nature and boundless in theory.
As far as designers as business leaders, I believe this to be a phenomenal idea. The business world is in a new trend of forward thinking and designers are some of the most forward thinking individuals. This progress mind set as well as their design educated background enables them to be great revolutionary business leaders. Going through design school already gives you experience in multiple disciplines and interacting with multiple disciplines. Businesses of today constantly look for those who can think outside the box, who does that better than designer, and if you're already looking for these types of employees why not have the leaders have this outside of the box type mentality.
"Design achieves its power because it can create situations, and a situation is more determining of what people will actually do than is personality, character, habit, genetics, unconscious motives or any other aspect of our individual makeup. Nobody smokes in church, no matter how addicted."
-Richard Farson
Posted by Justin Mckinley Watkins on April 04, 2008 at 09:47 AM EDT #
Personally, I believe that design thinking is simply a way of creating a solution to a problem. Every human being with cognitive and critical thinking skills, designer or not, participates in the process however, many don't think about the process. As people, we're presented with problems everyday and our responses are indicative of the strength of our thinking processes. Instead of thinking of "design thinking" as a separate and special train of thought, I consider it to be a part of everyday life that I couldn't remove any more than I could my own liver.
Furthermore, this same process can be applied in the business world or, for that matter, any other position of leadership or importance one can think of. If we look back at history and all of it's great leaders, from Jefferson and Churchill to Ghandi and Mother Teresa, they've all realized that the way to change the world is as easy as answering a rather simple question: What's best for people? Nussbaum's article strengthens this idea when he mentions such products as the iPhone which, while they can be viewed as gimmicky or overpriced, still answer that one basic question. I believe that designers not only fit into the overall scheme of the business world, but that international business would not be at the level that it is today without designers. In the business world, the key to success is giving people what they want and this perfectly coincides with the purpose of design.
However, the answer to the problem is not always to create an actual object such as the iPod or the backscratcher. It's possible to find success by creating a system or introducing an ideology or style of living that people USE everyday. Companies such as Apple and Microsoft attribute their success to this theory as well as mixing it up with the actual production of a product. When the iPod came out years ago, it changed the way people THINK about their everyday lives. CD players used to be acceptable but why settle for a CD with maybe 21 songs max when you could have something that holds 1,000 times as much in a smaller package. The iPod not only changed the way people think about carrying and listening to music, but the way people THINK about music in general. Now, everyone with an iPod couldn't imagine going more than a few days without it. Similarly, Microsoft's creation and mainstreaming of the Windows operating system has achieved the same level of accomplishment. Fifteen years ago, being able to sit in a coffee shop and get on Facebook while streaming music Imeem while typing your English paper seemed absurd. Now, if you aren't able to do these things, your computer is behind the curve. That's because Windows changed the way people THINK about viewing everyday things such as their bank accounts, communicating with friends and family, or even watching movies. In Western society, the lack of a computer that can access the internet is like sitting in a box with no windows or doors in the middle of Death Valley.
Designers in business are essential for success and a continually growing society and economy. They're the ones that think up and create the products that companies actually sell. The relationship between design and business is symbiotic: business could not survive without products and design is considered much too specific a field to be widely marketable. However, the latter ideology is rapidly changing with our society and designers are now considered pivotal in the business world. Soon enough, the two words "design" and "business" will be almost indistinguishable from one another and eventually, they will indeed be synonymous.
Posted by Jordan Ryland on April 04, 2008 at 05:47 PM EDT #