Don't Box Me In!

So these things happen. You go to a wedding, get asked the regular question of - ' what are you up to these days?' and end up explaining you are in the process of changing jobs. Always a dangerous discussion starter, as people invariably feel the need to offer their take on what you should do, regardless of whether they understand your industry or not. All of course with good intentions, but it gets a bit tiresome after a while. I'm sure you all know what I mean.

In my case things are on the up, just accepted a new job, which will to some seem like a radical departure from what I was doing so far (product development), but to me is simply widening my knowledge, business understanding and strategic thinking. What I'll be doing next is focusing not so much on product development in the traditional sense, but instead developing services, events and experiences in partnership with the fan community. Interestingly, I touched on the topic of community-driven innovation in an earlier post about The Conditions for Thriving Innovation as well as the design maturity of an organisation in Decoding Apple's Success: Why Only Great Leaders Know the True Power of Design - both critical factors in taking a company beyond the commodity trap and into an experience-driven realm. Summarising design maturity of an organisation:

Download design_maturity.pdf

1. No use of design. In these companies, design is a hidden aspect of product development. It is  generally the task of nondesign disciplines to develop the functionality and aesthetics of a product.

2. Design as styling. Design is seen as the final styling of a product. The task may or may not be undertaken by professional designers.

3. Design as process. Design is not an end result, but rather a work method adopted at an early stage of product development and requiring the involvement of several different disciplines, including design.

4. Design as problem-solving. Design finds new opportunities by solving existing problems.

5. Design as strategy. Design has been adopted as a central aspect of the company's business base, used as a means of encouraging innovation, for instance.

Of course it not just about how a company sees the use of design, it is also how designers themselves behave, Lazlo (1992) differentiates among five generations of designers:

1. The first generation designer is considered an expert and specialist in the design process. She studies the situation of the group and decides which is the best solution for them. 


2. The second generation designer is akin to the classical consultant who asks for information from the members of the group, and then analyses it and gives them a solution according to her perception of their needs. These two first generations design for others.  In contrast, the last three generations of designers design with others. 


3. The third generation designer gets the group involved in the creation of alternative solutions, but at the end of the process, she nevertheless selects the best alternative for them. 


4. The fourth generation designer works to create an adequate group environment that facilitates the processes of generating alternatives and selecting solutions. 


5. The newest generation, the fifth generation, not only involves the group in the design process, but also helps the group to learn how to learn to facilitate.  A group that does so can sustain the continued design process by themselves (Banathy, 1996.)

For me, it's about maturing as a designer. Invariably, if you are doing design as a freelancer or consultant, you get stuck on levels 1-2 as companies have a pretty defined idea of what they want you to deliver and don't want you asking the big questions. Often, because there is not a process in place in the company for asking the big questions, without being perceived as challenging management and clients seldom want to be seen to be rocking the boat.

Going full-time invariably means that you may be hovering around Levels 3-4 (if you are lucky), but still seen more as a doer than a thinker and even if you are in-house, your task is invariably to solve problems others have defined. This is not to be discounted as an exercise, but it tends to produce iterative, incremental improvements to product lines rather than cutting-edge innovation. Level 5 innovation can only really happen if the company management is populated by Level 4 leaders i.e Strategists, who generate organisational and personal transformations or even better, Level 5 leaders, commonly referred to as Alchemists, who generate society-wide transformations. Both are rare, and level 5 leaders even rarer (companies who have caused society-wide transformations are Apple, Amazon, EBay to name a few).

Design is about a desire to create meaning
Back to the wedding and the discussion about my next move, I got asked - 'isn't design for you about the passion of form and function of objects?' and I had to reply no. Design is bigger than that. Level 5 design is about framing the challenges that face the organisation, setting an agenda, outlining the boundaries and axes of interest, and moving design from executing strategy to shaping strategy. Or to put it more bluntly, what drives me is a desire to create meaning. Meaning is beyond simply obsessing about the form, finish and function of an object - it is about the meaning we assign an object in our lives. Companies like Harley-Davidson, Ducati, Apple to name but a few have created transformational products, products that have such meaning to their fans that the products have become part of their identity. These products have meaning, which is greater than the sum of the parts. As a designer aspiring to mature to higher levels, it surely must be about understanding ALL the elements that come in to play to create such a transformational product, rather than simply obsessing over one or two parts of it?

Ironically, it is not my design colleagues who have given me a hard time about my decision. Everyone can see the value of it, understanding how designing with users creates better solutions than merely designing for them, instead it is the people outside the design industry who have voiced their concerns. This leads me to thinking that part of the difficulty in creating a culture within a company conducive to successful innovation is the tendency of other disciplines to want to box in designers to having a very narrow role in the wider creation of a product solution. Whether these people idealise designers and envy their skills, or simply see them as yet another discipline that needs to have input on a product, in both cases we are talking about design as part of a process, often devoid of greater meaning. Check the hilarious photos below!

How do we take the complex task of creating a service or product, split it up into it's constituent 'boxes' (i.e people who almost like automatons, are expected to perform a very specific part, but are frequently discouraged from thinking about wider aspects of the problem they are trying to solve)  and orchestrate all these to create something greater than the sum of its parts?

Users and fans create meaning, they fall in love with products that have meaning. Surely designers should aspire to working more closely with them and creating frameworks for including them in the design process? That is want I want to do. I believe it is possible to reach level 4 or level 5 of design maturity specifically by creating mechanisms for empowering the fan community to have a greater say in the definition of their products. It won't be easy and I have a lot to learn, but God forbid if I ever end up in a job where I have very little to learn - boredom will not be far behind!

Photos courtesy of Hemmy.net

Comments

[coach online outlet]

And if it so be that these last grafts shall grow, and bring forth the natural fruit, then shall ye prepare the way for them, that they may grow; and as they begin to grow

[Christian Louboutin Outlet]

both old and young, the first and the last, and the last and the first, that all may be nourished once again for the last time.

[beats by dr dre]

I may have joy again in the fruit of my vineyard; and perhaps that I may rejoice exceedingly, that I have preserved the roots and the branches of the first fruit.

[フィンペシア]

フィンペシア通販 http://www.08agency.com
フィンペシア通販 http://fin-pecia.com
フィンペシア通販 http://ikumou.fin-pecia.com

フィンペシア通販　 http://finpecia.finasteride.jp
フィンペシア通販 http://generic.finasteride.jp
フィンペシア通販 http://plusyu.info
フィンペシア口コミ http://www.despinamedia.com

フィンペシア http://funvalue.info

[Moncler outlet]

Thanks for the comments.Now all became clear, I thank for the help and I hope to see more such articles.

[Moncler outlet]

Good point. I hadn't tohugth about it quite that way. :)Your article looks nice!

[juicy couture outlet]

Traf einermoncler jacken einmal eine dirne, welche mit einemmoncler outlet pfahl im brunnen um einandermoncler jackets rührte. Da fragte er sie, was sie denn thue. Die angeredete erwiderte: „thut es meine mutter auch; sie nimmt einen stecken und rührt damit im brunnenmoncler online shop hinum und herum, dann kommt das wetter!" moncler da wurden mutter und kind verbrannt. Ein andermal fuhr ein kaufmann von neustadt mit seinem kinde in die stadt. Da kam plötzlich ein ge') Moncler online shop Gegenüber dem torstein liegtMoncler der osinger, im dialekt: aosinger, sein name erinnert an die äsen. Moncler jacken Im sulzbachischenMoncler jackets gilt die bezeichnung „du strahl-ao?, Moncler outletdu dunnaschlä'chtigs" für einen listigen, gewandten, überlegenen burschen.Witter, und als sich deßhalb der vater sputete, beruhigte ihn die tochter. Denn sie könnejuicy couture handbag sale machen, daß das wetterjuicy couture clearance nicht schade; sie habe das von der frala (großmutter) gelernt, juicy couture outlet welche auch die wetter machen könne. Der vater zeigte es an, um die tochter zu retten. Sie war aber schon here und wardjuicy couture outlet online mit der großmutter verbrannt.')Auffallender weise kennt man in der oberpfalz auch männliche heren, welche das wetter machen um hemau heißen sie dr uderer.

[プロペシア通販]

プロペシア http://ikumou.pro-pecia.com
プロペシア口コミ http://finasteride.jp
プロペシア http://www.nogardgifts.com
カークランド通販 http://ka-ku.plusfor.net
カークランド通販 http://www.tugisad.org

カークランド効果 　　　　 http://tecot.info
ミノキシジルタブレット通販 http://atryks.info
ミノキシジルタブレット通販 http://www.fairmonttriathlon.co
ミノキシジルタブレット効果 http://tretment.info
ミノキシジル価格 http://plusus.info

[トリー バーチ 靴]

tory burch toryburch 激安 toryburch 通販 toryburch トリー バーチ トリー バーチTory Burch 2011春季系列迎合我们的需要，toryburch灵感源自自然的感觉トリー バーチ トート，加入简易的“穿衣之道”和优雅高贵的概念，tory burch令女人变得更美丽动人。Tory Burch崇尚简洁清晰的线条和轮廓，トーリ バーチ塑造出70年代的气质。造型包括宽松剪裁的外套和上衣トリー バーチ サンダル 、修身的吊脚裤、阔身长裤和过膝长裙。色调采用鲜明自然的黄、红、蓝色系トリー バーチ 財布，配衬褐色和粉色色调。今季配饰反映出悠闲的感觉，有黄麻色系的大手提袋トリ バーチ、鲜艳的皮革手袋；鞋履方面，toryburch 激安 则有印度麻制及纺织布料制的船鞋和皮制凉鞋，トリー バーチ 靴再配上金圈耳环以及造型夸张的项链和蛇纹手镯，トリーバーチ 尽显时尚魅力。toryburch 通販