Embedding Design Practice

Transformation

Transformation is such an important and provocative new challenge for design. In the last ten years, design firms have increasingly begun to see the organisation itself as a valid venue for design thinking and practice, and more importantly, the key to making design success sustainable at an organisational or systemic level.


But what does transformation actually mean? Broadly, we are attempting to effect a change from one situation to another. Many things can be transformed in a design context, and often designers talk about transformation in terms of the user experience or the kinds of innovative outcomes yielded by the design process. But transformation in a business context tends to adopt the meaning of organisational change.


The transformation we speak of is the change in organisations from science-managed and operationally-centred values to organisations that are design-managed, and where values are customer- or human-centred.


Design transformation seeks to transform organisational culture by introducing design thinking and approaches, and embedding design methods as part of operational practices. Because most organisations, by their very purpose, are engaged in generating value—they exist to create, deliver and sustain products and services—they are a natural venue for design.

 

What kind of companies take on design transformation?

I have worked with both small and large organisations that were interested in changing organisational culture and practices. Certainly, the larger an organisation is, the more challenging transformation becomes, but the shift to design-led values can benefit organisations of any size. Additionally, there is no one type of organisation that benefits from design transformation. Government agencies, service-based commercial organisations, consumer product companies, and nonprofits can all realise value in this kind of people-centred change.

 

Why do organisations seek out design transformation?

Design transformation is gaining traction for a few reasons. One is that more and more companies are beginning to see innovation as a vital component of a healthy business and want to embed innovation values and practices. This happens in young companies who want to continue to capitalise on a great breakout product or concept and build a sustainable set of business practices around it, and in mature companies who want to renew their commitment to generating value and seek out new opportunity spaces. Innovation doesn’t happen spontaneously, and it tends to be choked out by the gradual streamlining effect of management practices. Even if a company started out with an innovative product or business model, it is difficult to maintain ongoing innovation without a culture of innovation.


The second reason has to do with the desire of organisations to become more closely aligned with customers and more responsive to customer experience. Particularly in a competitive marketplace, design can help an organisation find a point of differentiation and develop unique and difficult-to-duplicate value. Close alignment to customers also provides a humanising influence on the organisation, which also has strong ramifications for people inside the organisation.


The third is the desire to change the organisation from within. Over time, some organisations fall prey to unhealthy dynamics, they lose sight of their original mission, and internal structures and relationships break down. Design can offer both a purpose and a methodology for change. Design may not be the only way to bring about organisational transformation, but it does offer a unique set of benefits, in that it allows people to find a new way to work together, a new set of motivations, and a new set of outcomes to work toward. It can offer people within the organisation more meaning in their work, and can improve communication, engagement, and accountability across all levels of work.

 

How is design transformation accomplished?

It’s important to consider the scope and objectives for transformation. Will transformation involve the entire organisation, or just a part of the organisation? Will it include business and management functions as well as product development and customer-facing groups or divisions? How does transformation align with the strategic goals of the organisation? Is the priority to change culture, process and practices, or outcomes?


There is no one single way to design and implement a transformation program, as organisations and their cultures are all very different. In order to plan an effective transformation program, we need to understand how design management will be structured in the organisation as well as how design will impact people throughout the organisation on a day-to-day basis.  It can be centralised or distributed. However, there are some key components that every transformation program must have.

 

Leadership:

Organisational leadership must engage and embrace a vision of the design organisation. This thought leadership is key to sustaining the difficult work of internal change. There also needs to be strong design leadership at the team level. This includes mentoring teams and developing internal practices and methods. I have worked with senior leadership to help develop a transformation strategy and I have worked with management to define goals and plan implementation programmes. I have coached management in how to lead and support design efforts.

 

Learning and Training:

Everyone in the organisation must be introduced to basic concepts and principles of design, and people at all levels engaged in appropriate ways to onboard design thinking and methods. I helped design a 2-day course to introduce business people to design process and methods. I co-taught course to more than 350 people in groups of 25 in corporate setting. I designed a framework for related courses and workshops for people at differing levels of knowledge and expertise.

 

Process:

It's important to install common practices and approaches throughout the organisation. It brings unified habits of mind and hand to a community of people and allows them to be more productive and effective. It is critical that all parts of an organisation share a common discipline for problem solving. I have helped to customise the design process for organisations in a way that is appropriate to the kind of structures and outputs unique to that organisation .

Portfolio > Strategy & Planning > Transformation

Client: Multiple Business and Government Organisations


My Role: Design Consultant