Intro to Design Thinking

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Intro to Design Thinking

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"Good design is good business"

Design thinking caught my attention in the last while with all the academic posts and thought leaders weighing in on the subject. One of the first clear thinkers on this subject many years ago was Tom Watson then President of IBM. Some of this banter is somewhat recycled from years past but ideally this wave of new awareness about design will get embedded more widely common place inside organizational frameworks and become main stream. This happy circumstance would be a welcome evolution in the design field especially in some sectors where unfortunately procurement/reliability has stagnated innovation and design thinking.. You’ll recall the president of IBM’s profound statement about the value of design as it related to business. He engaged Paul Rand to design the famous logo that is well known today across the IBM brand landscape. IBM has changed in many ways but the visual logo designed by Rand has been the central focal point throughout IBM’s cycles of transformation. This is a testament to the timeless value of design and how when properly executed design will withstand different market forces and offer stability to organizations in the form of familiarity, repetition, and other thought patterns that align and drive experiences associated with progressive and vital organizations. When I see Apple product placement in a movie I can’t help thinking about my work station and my rituals and procedures which today take place at my area or hub. The apple is a reminder about all the transactions and correspondence around my business activity. An apple with a clear indent or bite drives more meaning, connotation and subjective conclusions the apple assimilates a set of references that extend well beyond the simple iconic shape. We read new meaning into the subjective contours of the apple icon based on whatever value the apple symbol has emanated since the first computer was installed over two decades ago. Little time is spent quantifying or measuring the meaning of symbols and corporate design language. Much of what is designed is simply in the fabric of our lives ubiquitous among our visual experiences. One positive result around all the design thinking conversation is that organizations will increase their awareness of the value of design and bring the design line item higher up from the lower part of the ledger to a much greater level of importance in terms of corporate investment.

Contemplating ideas around design thinking brings to mind the first challenge which is most of the design thinking discourse is about people preaching to the converted. People have had a difficult time describing design. The language around design somehow is not congruent with conversation dynamic we use metaphors, subjectivity and theory. Generally people see things differently. Form in your eyes is likely quite different in mine. Designers have (thanks Paul Rand) to educate others about upholding design standards and adherence to high production values. Design today remains a specialty even with the democratization afforded the masses including established new media such as you tube, facebook and other social media. A general complacency about design is evident for users who resort to the standard defaults and ease of use these systems offer. Design Thinking will bring to the organization rewards when most of the output through these utilities generally fails to do much in the way of differentiation. Organizations will do well who hire capable designers and put them in executive roles close to the CEO.

Since much of the conversation around this subject is from within the expert fold what steps will have to be undertaken to have "Design Thinking" central in the boardrooms of Corporate Canada?

Designers on Fonts

Helvetica

This typography documentary will be of interest to anyone who wants to understand the world of font design. The presentation features notable people who have invented type that is ubiquitous today.

Very good reference available on itunes for download.

Friends and Photographers

Fred Cattroll’s craft is recording great images of great people। His collection of First Peoples images rivals the Smithsonian. Much of his professional focus has been recording Canada’s Aboriginal culture. We’ve had the good fortune working with extremely talented people these relations have opened the door to great adventure and experiences. Fred’s collection of work can be viewed at his online interface.

great photographers great photographers great photographers great photographers great photographers

Ian Diamond

The last year took on new meaning when the leadership of the Cree Nation mandated our organization to record in Documentary Film the History of the James Bay Northern Quebec Cree from the year 1975. We brought together a group of professionals. Ian Diamond was first introduced to me through contacts that knew of his brilliant work and professional photographic abilities.

Dealing in visuals is about striving for the highest possible production values and sourcing content that has timeless quality with strong composition and brilliant lighting. We insist on ensuring the level of work along the value chain phase toward executing designed products for clients is kept at optimum levels.

Ian’s photography easily meets this criteria। His signature is a rich collection of northern images diverse and magical. Ian is partnering with us to bring the documentary to the screen. Through his guidance and counsel we’ve been taken to locations as guests that otherwise wouldn’t be accessible. He has offered insight and helped us to gain a better appreciation of the unique attributes of the northern territories and the people living in the James Bay region. Ian has accomplished this through stories and great photographic images. Click on the images to see more.

Algorithm Design Express

Talking about management and how design is an axiom to achieve competitive advantage harks back to the famous line by Thomas Watson of IBM who famously said, "Good design is good business."

A recent book I read on this subject makes some profound observations about the function of design. The “big idea” within the pages is that design today has emerged as a primary component within organization management and structure.

Case studies are offered including the classic examples of course Apple and the iphone market tsunami, Mcdonalds and Target Shopping Centres. Three major enterprises in the USA that use design as back bone to their corporate ethos. Design is a prime construct of their brand evident in all aspects of product lines and user touch points and experiences.

The essence of the book from my review is the formula offered. Readers get a walk through on how new ideas that constantly emerge in business either get embraced and grow or dismissed and written off. After all business is about making rulings on opportunities and avoiding red herrings. Red herrings can be dressed up to appear like opportunities they may attract precious time and money. They may use energy that is better invested elsewhere. Red herrings that take hold in the organization and channel focus have a downside risk.

The three stations of Organizational Management with an underlying design function.

Ideas

Heuristic

Algorithm

Ideas

Ideas come through the door (often in multiples) daily the larger the organization the greater number of stakeholders and constituents the more ideas, opportunities, red herrings and business concepts show up for rulings. This becomes an issue of governance for the organization about the determination of what gets support and what doesn’t. These ideas are like buses. Some pass some stop some are milk runs others are express lines. This notion of what to choose and what to dismiss applies to individuals and the paths we follow as well as enterprises.

Heuristic

Defined by Wikipedia:”A heuristic method is particularly used to rapidly come to a solution that is hoped to be close to the best possible answer, or 'optimal solution'. ...”

Once a decision is made to proceed with an idea the metaphorical bus proceeds into the heuristic phase of business management. This is likely a cost to the organization in investment dollars, people, capital expenditures or other resources. At this stage of the journey the ruling has been made to proceed so upside gains or downside risks aside the bus has departed the station.

In the innovation business we deal with a broad spectrum of opportunities that each require their own unique heuristic. We need to be agile and avoid rigid systems that don’t align with our clients aspirations. Experience, great people and great design support building the best alternatives to ensure value gets driven to the client. The more transparency on what the unique heuristic is in support of the clients goals or aspirations the greater the partnership with the client. Design is central to effective heuristics. In my experience the best design solutions result from great partnerships with clients.

Algorithm

The heuristic phase of organizational dynamic often presents complexity. For some organizations executing on heuristics in the interests of advancing the corporate goals is a rewarding lifetime focus. The goal working within the design business is to attain an algorithm for growing the business. The algorithm is a specific set of instructions for solving a problem. Organizations that have moved past the heuristic and implemented algorithms to drive forward generally succeed and have enormous growth potential.

Check out the link The Design of Business! The Author also wrote " The Opposable Mind" another great management read.