Design Service Group Turning a

into a Strategic Corporate Asset

MariaJose Miselem

Where to begin?

• Analyze the current situation regarding .Design and the Corporate World

• Understand the value Design can bring to a corporation in order to communicate

.it

• Decide to take the first step to make it.work

The Current Situation & Design the Corporate World

“Instinct … isn’t greeted with an open seat at the budget table design is challenged by the immediate, quantitative and comparable data

…afforded by channel and direct marketing programs

The age of accountability requires design to have the courage to …meet the rigor of examination ”

David Miller

What Can We Do?

As designers, we need to learn to backup our work with reliabledata regarding the final user and the marketplace in which the

.corporate product or service will exist

This will help to build a must needed trust, essential in order for the executive level to begin thinking about design as a core corporate asset

.they need to implement throughout the organization

Design Relevant to their Strategies Why Should Corporations Consider

. : - 1 Design Thinking User Context Understanding

As designers we should not

only be familiar with the company’s product or

service, but with the targetusers .of the corporation

“ To broaden the lens of opportunity, it is important to look beyond the

direct use of a company’s product or service, to the context in .which it is used ”

Heather Fraser

This advantage allows us to have a better

understanding of the context in which the corporate

assets interact with people,

providing a better vision for future market

opportunities and business.growth

“ As themarketplace evolves, the needs of the user evolve, and thus the business model .must evolve ”

Heather Fraser

By merging design thinking into the new business models,

corporations gain a better understanding of the user,

adding value . to their products or services This will help deliver

greater satisfaction .in the user experience

. / 2 Systems Integrative Approach

As designers, we look at problems from different perspectives at the :same time

• Product or Service • User • -Market Context

“ There are a number of different angles to solving a problem, and

a number of …different dimensions Systems thinking says that

all these dimensions have to be considered in the ultimate.configuration ”

Jim Hackett

The systems thinking approach mentioned by Jim

Hackett, incorporates the

different areas within a situation and makes them

meet, trying to deliver an

integrated final.result

“ Design is not seen as isolated from other matters of business, and

designers are seen as .integrative thinkers ” Julie Ridl, Herman Miller

Who takes the First Step? & Design Business

“ We have to have the courage to present the data and a logical, rational . reason for what we do We can be advised to move to a different place in

. understanding the problem, and that’s okay But senior management has to convince me, on the other hand, with the same level of detail and disciplined

. study that what they’re proposing is a better direction or solution ” Barb Herman, Herman Miller

There is only so much we can expect on how a . corporation acts towards design I think is better, as

designers, to start changing the ways we act towards a corporation, speaking their language and

.understanding their needs

If we really want to turn design into a strategic asset for a corporation, it’s our responsibility to begin this change by adapting the way we communicate

design initiatives to the executive level in the organization, enabling the

development of .conversations

Educating on design and learning from executives at the same time will create

an interaction that seeks to fulfill our :shared goal provide rewarding .experiences for the final user

“ : Advice for improving relationships is always generic appreciate that there

are legitimate differences, empathize, seek to

communicate …on others’ terms ” Roger Martin