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design thinking
Can
save
management education?
Copyright GB Marine Art
My deep dive
Goals
Business education
Design foundations
Design thinking, doing, feeling
Design education
A design practicum
Goals again
Goals
Business education
Design foundations
Design thinking, doing, feeling
Design education
A design practicum
Goals again
My goals
• Distinguish between ‘design’ and ‘design thinking’
• Provide some insights about design thinking
• Show how design thinking may be relevant for business schools
• Provide an example of a design-based business course
Business education
A crisis or same old?
What business schools do well
Analytical toolsEconomic modelsBreadth of exposure to business situations
Develop connectionsPresentation skillsWork under deadlines
Analytical toolsEconomic modelsBreadth of exposure to business situations
Develop connectionsPresentation skillsWork under deadlines
Critiques of business schools
At the same time that management science and technique have grown increasingly in power and prestige, there has been a persistent and growing awareness of the importance of an art of managing which reveals itself both in crucially important situations of uncertainty, instability and uniqueness, and in those dimensions of everyday practice which depend on the spontaneous exercise of intuitive artistry.
At the same time that management science and technique have grown increasingly in power and prestige, there has been a persistent and growing awareness of the importance of an art of managing which reveals itself both in crucially important situations of uncertainty, instability and uniqueness, and in those dimensions of everyday practice which depend on the spontaneous exercise of intuitive artistry.
Critique 1: values
… by propagating ideologically inspired amoral theories, business schools have actively freed their students from any sense of moral responsibility.
… by propagating ideologically inspired amoral theories, business schools have actively freed their students from any sense of moral responsibility.
Business education … is devoted overwhelmingly to technical training. This is ironic, because even before Enron, studies showed that executives who fail … rarely do so from a lack of expertise. Rather, they fail because they lack interpersonal skills and wisdom … Thomas Lindsay, University of Dallas
Business education … is devoted overwhelmingly to technical training. This is ironic, because even before Enron, studies showed that executives who fail … rarely do so from a lack of expertise. Rather, they fail because they lack interpersonal skills and wisdom … Thomas Lindsay, University of Dallas
By the end of the first year of study, students have shifted from “customer mode” to “manager mode.” As a result, shareholder value gains in importance as a measure of a successful business and as the primary responsibility of the company.
• All three waves of MBAs define a well–run business as one that attracts and retains exceptional people and provides excellent customer service.• Comparing Waves I and II, there is an increase in emphasis on offering high shareholder returns anda decrease in emphasis on producing high–quality goods and services.• When asked about the primary responsibilities of the company, students give greatest attention to shareholder return —a reflection of the powerful place shareholders occupy in the first–year curriculum.• Responsibilities to the local community and environment are seen as less critical.
By the end of the first year of study, students have shifted from “customer mode” to “manager mode.” As a result, shareholder value gains in importance as a measure of a successful business and as the primary responsibility of the company.
• All three waves of MBAs define a well–run business as one that attracts and retains exceptional people and provides excellent customer service.• Comparing Waves I and II, there is an increase in emphasis on offering high shareholder returns anda decrease in emphasis on producing high–quality goods and services.• When asked about the primary responsibilities of the company, students give greatest attention to shareholder return —a reflection of the powerful place shareholders occupy in the first–year curriculum.• Responsibilities to the local community and environment are seen as less critical.
The aspen study 1999-2001
Wave 1: entering business schoolWave 2: end of 1st yearWave 3: graduating
Wave 1: entering business schoolWave 2: end of 1st yearWave 3: graduating
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
Is a stable employer
Creates products or servicesthat benefit society
Adheres to progressiveenvironmental policies
Adheres to a strong mission
Offers high financial return toshareholders
Provides competitivecompensation
Operates according to its valuesand a strong code of ethics
Invests in employee training andprofessional development
Has efficient and flexibleoperations
Produces high-quality productsand services
Provides excellent customerservice
Attracts and retains exceptionalpeople
Wave 1
Wave 2
Wave 3
Defining a well-run company
Critique 2: relevance
Some of the research produced (by business schools) is excellent, but because so little of it is grounded in actual business practices, the focus of graduate business education has become increasingly circumscribed – and less and less relevant to practitioners.
Some of the research produced (by business schools) is excellent, but because so little of it is grounded in actual business practices, the focus of graduate business education has become increasingly circumscribed – and less and less relevant to practitioners.
Wicked problems
Difficult to defineNo stopping ruleInvolve tradeoffs between multiple stakeholders Can never really be ‘solved’ Symptoms of other problemsEach essentially unique
Difficult to defineNo stopping ruleInvolve tradeoffs between multiple stakeholders Can never really be ‘solved’ Symptoms of other problemsEach essentially unique
In a clearly defined and stable situation, when the feasible alternatives are well known, a decision attitude may be the most efficient and effective way to approach problems solving. But when these conditions do not hold, a design attitude is required.
In a clearly defined and stable situation, when the feasible alternatives are well known, a decision attitude may be the most efficient and effective way to approach problems solving. But when these conditions do not hold, a design attitude is required.
Critique 3: pedagogy
It is time to recognize conventional MBA programs for what they are – or else to close them down. They are specialized training in the functions of business, not general education in the practice of managing. Using the classroom to help develop people already practicing management is a fine idea, but pretending to create managers out of people who have never managed is a sham.
It is time to recognize conventional MBA programs for what they are – or else to close them down. They are specialized training in the functions of business, not general education in the practice of managing. Using the classroom to help develop people already practicing management is a fine idea, but pretending to create managers out of people who have never managed is a sham.
A famous MBA graduate
My wish list for business students
Spend much more time understanding why we do things as well as how we do them
Focus their energy on deeply understanding and helping customers
Pay more attention to the system-wide implications of decisions
Truly collaborate in diverse groups
Open to alternative perspectives
Spend more time thinking about what might be possible tomorrow, not just what can be done today.
Spend much more time understanding why we do things as well as how we do them
Focus their energy on deeply understanding and helping customers
Pay more attention to the system-wide implications of decisions
Truly collaborate in diverse groups
Open to alternative perspectives
Spend more time thinking about what might be possible tomorrow, not just what can be done today.
??
A thesis
Design thinking has elements and perspectives that are missing from conventional business thinking and can lead to better decisions;
Management students can benefit from design thinking;
Design schools can offer management schools some ideas for curriculum and teaching methods.
The interviews
• Personal interviews with:– Design thinking experts– Designer/managers– Design educators– Business educators
• Conducted in person and by phone, 2006-7
• Data were interpreted by clustering and searching for common themes
DesignDesign
Cognition:•Abductive reasoning•Systems thinking
Attitude:•Failure•Constraints•Empathy
Practices:•Thought tools•Ethnography•Prototyping•Creativity•Reflection•Teams
Organizational Foundations:•Project-based workflow•Intrinsic reward systems•Diversity•Collaboration
A framework
Designthinking
Designfeeling
Designdoing
Designfoundations
Design foundations
Traditional firms and design shops
Feature From Traditional Firm … To “Design Shop”
Flow of Work Life
Ongoing tasksPermanent assignments
ProjectsDefined terms
Source of Status Managing big budgets and large staffs
Solving “wicked problems”
Style of Work Defined rolesWait until it is “right”
CollaborativeIterative
Mode of Thinking DeductiveInductive
DeductiveInductiveAbductive
Dominant Attitude
We can only do what we have budget to doConstraints are the enemy
Nothing can’t be doneConstraints increase the challenge and excitement
Collaboration doesn’t manage itself
If I have a more diverse group, but I don’t also countervail that with a more sophisticated set of integrated methodologies, I’m probably actually increasing my risk of failure even though I might increase the diversity of ideas being generated by the group.
If I have a more diverse group, but I don’t also countervail that with a more sophisticated set of integrated methodologies, I’m probably actually increasing my risk of failure even though I might increase the diversity of ideas being generated by the group.
How many times do you get a blinding insight out of your own head? You get to blinding insight when you listen to somebody and take that little snippet of logic or data or whatever, merge it with something that is in your head and whammo, out comes a new interesting thought. That is where the out of the box ideas come from, and you systematically prevent yourself from getting there by being dismissive of users, dismissive of clients, dismissive of colleagues who don’t agree with you.
How many times do you get a blinding insight out of your own head? You get to blinding insight when you listen to somebody and take that little snippet of logic or data or whatever, merge it with something that is in your head and whammo, out comes a new interesting thought. That is where the out of the box ideas come from, and you systematically prevent yourself from getting there by being dismissive of users, dismissive of clients, dismissive of colleagues who don’t agree with you.
??
Design thinking
Deduction, induction and abduction
Engineering, medicine, business, architecture and painting are concerned not with the necessary but with the contingent - not with how things are but with how they might be - in short, with design.
Engineering, medicine, business, architecture and painting are concerned not with the necessary but with the contingent - not with how things are but with how they might be - in short, with design.
Russell Ackoff and systems thinking
Analysis focuses on structure: it reveals how things work. Synthesis focuses on function; it reveals why things operate as they do. Therefore, analysis yields knowledge; synthesis yields understanding. The former enables us to describe; the latter, to explain.
Analysis focuses on structure: it reveals how things work. Synthesis focuses on function; it reveals why things operate as they do. Therefore, analysis yields knowledge; synthesis yields understanding. The former enables us to describe; the latter, to explain.
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
??
Design doing
A reflective conversation with the situation
• Surface problem frame• Reframe/reshape• Engagement with the problem space• Frame testing experiment• Implications of reframing• New meanings/ideas
• Surface problem frame• Reframe/reshape• Engagement with the problem space• Frame testing experiment• Implications of reframing• New meanings/ideas
Sometimes you have to take this top down approach. Start at the top and then … sometimes you have to go to the bottom and start assessing the pattern and all the details so you get an understanding of the top level; so constantly jumping back and forth is important for looking at complex problems.
Sometimes you have to take this top down approach. Start at the top and then … sometimes you have to go to the bottom and start assessing the pattern and all the details so you get an understanding of the top level; so constantly jumping back and forth is important for looking at complex problems.
What a concept: putting users at the centre
•Make it easy to determine what actions are possible at any moment.
• Make things visible, including the conceptual model of the system, the alternative actions, and the results of actions.
• Make it easy to evaluate the current state of the system.
• Follow natural mappings between intentions and the required actions; between actions and the resulting effect; and between the information that is visible and the interpretation of the system state.
•Make it easy to determine what actions are possible at any moment.
• Make things visible, including the conceptual model of the system, the alternative actions, and the results of actions.
• Make it easy to evaluate the current state of the system.
• Follow natural mappings between intentions and the required actions; between actions and the resulting effect; and between the information that is visible and the interpretation of the system state.
Creativity is enhanced by structure
One common way of thinking of creativity and imagination is that it’s free play and unstructured. I think it can be dramatically enhanced by structuring it … for example consciously looking at things from different points of view.
One common way of thinking of creativity and imagination is that it’s free play and unstructured. I think it can be dramatically enhanced by structuring it … for example consciously looking at things from different points of view.
[Human effectiveness is] getting people to expect exceptional performance from the collective actions of the group. And then you build on it by saying, how do we hold one another accountable for exceptional performance? How do we listen to one another and how do we build on one another’s contributions, but not in the brainstorming way that is rather dangerous and simplistic.
[Human effectiveness is] getting people to expect exceptional performance from the collective actions of the group. And then you build on it by saying, how do we hold one another accountable for exceptional performance? How do we listen to one another and how do we build on one another’s contributions, but not in the brainstorming way that is rather dangerous and simplistic.
Problem framing/reframing is critical
Standard innovation … begins with doing business analytics; our hypothesis and the structure of our program reverses that order.
It starts out with user immersion. What needs do you discover? From those needs…what new needs do you discover? Then the second part of the program deals with the second part of imagination…how do you visualize and prototype those concepts? Then the third part is once you’ve gone through that process and created the activity system, you do a business assessment.
Standard innovation … begins with doing business analytics; our hypothesis and the structure of our program reverses that order.
It starts out with user immersion. What needs do you discover? From those needs…what new needs do you discover? Then the second part of the program deals with the second part of imagination…how do you visualize and prototype those concepts? Then the third part is once you’ve gone through that process and created the activity system, you do a business assessment.Even while they’re doing research, they are doing sketches…first they do research, then analysis, then sketch ideas. It happens all throughout.
Even while they’re doing research, they are doing sketches…first they do research, then analysis, then sketch ideas. It happens all throughout.
Implementation is integral to thinking, not a consequence of it
What we call ‘build to think’ is making stuff in order to reiterate your ideas. When designers are working at the beginning of the process they’re doing that incredibly quickly. Often dozens of ideas. And then as you get further down the process you start doing physical prototypes.
What we call ‘build to think’ is making stuff in order to reiterate your ideas. When designers are working at the beginning of the process they’re doing that incredibly quickly. Often dozens of ideas. And then as you get further down the process you start doing physical prototypes.
Appearance prototypes tend to happen late in the process ... but how do you know you’re working on the right thing in the first place? … As business is paying more and more attention to not just making incremental change but bigger changes, then appearance prototypes are insufficient, and you need conceptual prototypes much earlier in the process.
Appearance prototypes tend to happen late in the process ... but how do you know you’re working on the right thing in the first place? … As business is paying more and more attention to not just making incremental change but bigger changes, then appearance prototypes are insufficient, and you need conceptual prototypes much earlier in the process. ??
Design feeling
Design is about attitude as much as aptitude
[The decision attitude] starts with an assumption that the alternative courses of action are already at hand – that there is a good set of options already available, or at least readily obtainable … the design attitude, in contrast, is concerned with finding the best answer possible, given the skills, time and resources of the team, and takes for granted that it will require the invention of new alternatives.
[The decision attitude] starts with an assumption that the alternative courses of action are already at hand – that there is a good set of options already available, or at least readily obtainable … the design attitude, in contrast, is concerned with finding the best answer possible, given the skills, time and resources of the team, and takes for granted that it will require the invention of new alternatives.
Designers generally take an inherently human view of the world. They’re generally looking at what the people want and need, desire, and so when they’re looking for inspiration, they’re not in the lab tinkering around with electronics, they’re out in the world looking at what people do.
Designers generally take an inherently human view of the world. They’re generally looking at what the people want and need, desire, and so when they’re looking for inspiration, they’re not in the lab tinkering around with electronics, they’re out in the world looking at what people do.
We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win.
We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win. ??
Design education
Design education by Business Week
B-Schools teach people how to take an existing problem and break it down into its parts to solve it. D-Schools teach people how to define a problem, search for possible solutions by integrating information and iterating options.
B-Schools teach people how to take an existing problem and break it down into its parts to solve it. D-Schools teach people how to define a problem, search for possible solutions by integrating information and iterating options.
Business education needs systems thinking, user focus, abductive reasoning
I read once that the chairman of Toyota was trying to characterize why he wasn’t worried about American automotive manufacturers. He said it’ll take them a decade to understand … The American auto manufacturers thought it was just about quality, but we now know that systems thinking was the core nuclear reactor in Toyota’s ascension, and I remember being converted back to design thinking.
I read once that the chairman of Toyota was trying to characterize why he wasn’t worried about American automotive manufacturers. He said it’ll take them a decade to understand … The American auto manufacturers thought it was just about quality, but we now know that systems thinking was the core nuclear reactor in Toyota’s ascension, and I remember being converted back to design thinking.For a long time, I was in the business of trying to show objectively what people were doing and why they were doing it … [but] realized that actually if [teams] can get [user experience] at a visceral level they get completely engaged, their imaginations are fired up about potential solutions. It’s a totally different kind of creative experience that comes from some capacity to connect with other people’s experience
For a long time, I was in the business of trying to show objectively what people were doing and why they were doing it … [but] realized that actually if [teams] can get [user experience] at a visceral level they get completely engaged, their imaginations are fired up about potential solutions. It’s a totally different kind of creative experience that comes from some capacity to connect with other people’s experience
A design-based MBA
CurriculumProblem framingEthnographic researchAbductive reasoningSynthesisCollaboration
CurriculumProblem framingEthnographic researchAbductive reasoningSynthesisCollaboration
TeachingWicked problemsReal-world projectsDiverse teamsPartnerships with other fieldsCollaboration
TeachingWicked problemsReal-world projectsDiverse teamsPartnerships with other fieldsCollaboration
??
Tweaking or revolution?
What the critics are doing is to critique in a business-school way, using business-school logic. … I get that from some faculty: “But you are saying we don’t have to teach them the models and they don’t have to know double entry accounting by the time they get out of here”. But it is not either/or: as students become designers, they will still need to learn the models.
What the critics are doing is to critique in a business-school way, using business-school logic. … I get that from some faculty: “But you are saying we don’t have to teach them the models and they don’t have to know double entry accounting by the time they get out of here”. But it is not either/or: as students become designers, they will still need to learn the models.
Some examples:Stanford’s d.schoolRotman School of Management’s designworksInstitute of Design, Illinois Institute of TechnologyZollverein School of Management and Design
Some examples:Stanford’s d.schoolRotman School of Management’s designworksInstitute of Design, Illinois Institute of TechnologyZollverein School of Management and Design
A design practicum
The course
• Taught to business students at Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria, in May 2007
• Consisted of a ‘design practicum’: design process and tools applied to 3 projects:– Financial service for students– New type of zoo– Art gallery/’supermarket’
• Assessment based on– Final presentation– Personal diary– Personal innovation process
• Taught to business students at Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria, in May 2007
• Consisted of a ‘design practicum’: design process and tools applied to 3 projects:– Financial service for students– New type of zoo– Art gallery/’supermarket’
• Assessment based on– Final presentation– Personal diary– Personal innovation process
Credit: Institute of Design
Our process
Statement of intent 1.0
Statement of intent 1.0
BizMarket
UserContext
DesignTechno
Statement of intent 2.0
Statement of intent 2.0
ResearchResearch
Analysis and synthesisAnalysis and synthesis
Concept development and prototyping
Concept development and prototyping
Business model development
Business model development
Reflection, reframingReflection, reframing
Learning to love mess
The redefinition of our research question helped us to focus the problem. So I learned the right question can help me to [understand] the problem and to focus on the pain points … Each redefinition made us get two steps ahead.
The redefinition of our research question helped us to focus the problem. So I learned the right question can help me to [understand] the problem and to focus on the pain points … Each redefinition made us get two steps ahead.
It is important to be able to express the thoughts and emotions not only with words, but even with pictures and other creative techniques. Only if there is something … your colleagues can touch, can they start to understand the meaning of the idea.
It is important to be able to express the thoughts and emotions not only with words, but even with pictures and other creative techniques. Only if there is something … your colleagues can touch, can they start to understand the meaning of the idea.
Goals again
My goals
• Distinguish between ‘design’ and ‘design thinking’
• Provide some insights about design thinking
• Show how design thinking may be relevant for business schools
• Provide an example of a design-based business course
??
