I’m reading a fine line, how design strategies are shaping the future of business, by Hartmut Esslinger. The following quote struck me:
Although few corporations mirror the smooth operations spelled out in their press releases, the internal discord that results from a lack of shared vision at the leadership level can destroy a company’s coordinated pursuit of a design-driven strategy of innovation.
As we begin recognize the increasingly important role design plays in differentiating products, the above statement will (hopefully) drive “the board room” to recognize that a well articulated vision of what an organization’s design philosophy is couldn’t be ore critical to the long-term success of that organization. This extends both outward toward the market and consumers through an organization’s products and offerings, as well as inward to an organization’s employees and internal talent. Take the following blog by Douglas Bowman:
Without a person at (or near) the helm who thoroughly understands the principles and elements of Design, a company eventually runs out of reasons for design decisions. With every new design decision, critics cry foul. Without conviction, doubt creeps in. Instincts fail. “Is this the right move?” When a company is filled with engineers, it turns to engineering to solve problems. Reduce each decision to a simple logic problem. Remove all subjectivity and just look at the data. Data in your favor? Ok, launch it. Data shows negative effects? Back to the drawing board. And that data eventually becomes a crutch for every decision, paralyzing the company and preventing it from making any daring design decisions.
Visionary design leaders don’t grow on trees. And it seems lately that everyone is looking for that one talent that can ignite and focus an organization’s entropy into a laser-beam of innovative creative thought. It would be nice if there were more of a framework for less experienced creatives (bats his eyelashes) to learn how to be the next generation of executive design leaders, but in the end I suppose the best way is to continue to try and fail. Failure, ultimately, is the path to success.