Notes On Becoming Design Oriented

Most of the time when people think of “design” they think of the veneer or structure of a something that takes physical form like a web site, clothing or a chair.  I don’t blame people for making this association because we have been taught that design is an event that happens at some point after all the important stuff has happened. Design is an important as anything else because even thought it is most often used to describe a thing or end result, design (when effective) is a process, an action, a verb not a noun. It can help unravel and solve problems that traditional thinking can’t, but where do you start?

Design is changing the way innovative businesses operate. Companies like Apple, Whole Food Stores, GE and BMW have made design a significant part of how their organizations approach innovation and product development. Here are some basic things you can do start becoming more design oriented. I decided to do something a little different and include my initial raw notes.

Audit Yourself

You have to start by looking at where you are starting from. If there isn’t a structure in place that supports design thinking that will be your first step.

Make Sure You Have An All Inclusive Creative Process

Look at whether you are including everything in your evaluation (development, service, fulfillment, design, finance, legal, etc.)

Make Everyone In The Organization A Designer

The best solutions bring a variety of subject areas to the table  (psychology, ergonomics, economics, engineering, architecture, art, etc.),  and can be influenced by  nearly everyone in the organization. You should look for a broad, multi-disciplinaryset of ideas from which to draw inspiration. You also need to get everyone in the organization used to asking themselves “How am I affecting the total experience?” and “How can I make the total experience better?”

Create A “What Next” Board

Innovation requires design thinking and a culture that looks beyond what exists today. Your “What’s Next” board needs to be given immunity from the “devils advocates” who kill promising ideas before they are given time to grow and mature.

Ask Yourself Questions That Matter

Henry Ford once said, “If I’d asked my customers what they wanted, they’d have said a faster horse.”  You won’t get answers from asking customers what they want but you can get a lot of insight from talking to them about underlying desires and translating that information into the right internal questions. It sounds really simply but asking the right questions will make sure you are solving the right problem. Design thinking requires that you constantly question yourself, your product or service and the way it is delivered. (Questions below from Do You Matter: How Great Design Will Make People Love Your Company and ThinkerToys)

• What creative suggestions can I make about new products? Where do these ideas come from? Why do they matter?
• How can we differentiate our products from others?
• What new product is needed? What extensions of a current product or market can be made?
• Do customers care what we do?
• Do customers come back because they want to or because they have to?
• Do everyone in the company understand the extent to which they affect customer experience?
• Does your product or brand add to people’s lives?