If you have heard that you can benefit from design thinking, yet you’re worried about failing because you aren’t the size of Apple or Bank of America. Then we are here to help you shift your thinking, starting with what the question for you really is.

Are you ready to lean into a messy process?

“Design thinking is not a linear path. It’s a big mass of looping back to different places in the process.” ~David Kelley, Founder of IDEO

This applies to various parts of your organization, finding and bridging any silos that exist with your teams, along with any engagement gaps for your consumer segments.

Designing and Design Thinking, or DT for short, are ways of thinking and working that help people innovate and lean into the future. And it can help you dramatically improve your internal communications, collaboration, execution, delivery and ultimately sales. If you lean into it as a culture change.

But Design Thinking Failed for …

A frequent reason design thinking, DT for short, is touted as a “failure” is because the organization or team was looking to make DT fit into their existing mold or company structure. Which is the equivalent of blaming the author of a recipe when it didn’t turn out right for you after you changed out most of the ingredients.

It’s ok to start small, with a project for example. Acknowledge that this is an experiment going on and that any connected or supporting team members will help to evaluate or refine this new work model.

After all, there is nothing wrong with learning how to cook something new or in a new way. Just be honest with everyone smelling or seeing your efforts that they may enter the kitchen and join in the fun.

Design Thinking is a Culture Change

“Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer’s toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success.” ~Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO

Design thinking is about Design Doing. It focuses on people and not their roles or team connection. So you are working to incorporate design skills throughout your organization on all levels. Starting from the top with defining and measuring goals. And establishing how you will empower and support your teams to achieve those goals.

Will you support your teams in breaking down department silos, or even foster doing so? Might you provide a bootcamp on design and design thinking to all employees of your company?

Start from the top

This shift in working needs to start from the top as lead executives from companies like GE Healthcare, Starbucks, Apple, Nike, Google, Bank of America, and more have confirmed. They have shared with outlets like Forrester and Adobe how design thinking as a culture shift was foundational to their growth, and has helped them:

  • Improve cross department/team communication
  • Increase solution superiority
  • Lower risks and costs
  • Increase employee buy-in
  • Provide a unique structure
  • Improve customer discovery 

A key shared asset for these companies is a Chief Officer responsible for Design, Creative, Experience, or the like. Someone at the top who is tied into the operations of product, support and HR, along with other departments.