What if we saw everything as design and everyone as a designer, would your organization do things any differently? AKQA London's Paul Ostryzniuk asks the big question.
A vehicle to transmit knowledge across space and time. From one person to another, from one imagination to the masses. It is a universal medium for connection between author and audience. Design is communication that expedites comprehension. Whether it's the phylogenetic tree of a species, the safest route out of a building, or how to build a cabinet without any leftover screws.
Design can communicate multiple messages simultaneously. The iPod's click-wheel made the new feel intuitive by guiding operation through form, while telling the story of Rams' industrial design influence via the fingerprints Fadell and Ive left behind.
EF is a brand entering its 60th year, celebrating its legacy by retaining its original Paul Rand designed logo while stating its values of inclusivity with modern and accessible typography.
Sir Norman Foster's masterstroke of design thinking at Stanstead Airport whispers respect for both the passenger experience and environment by artfully moving heavy equipment usually stored overhead to underfoot. The process creates a canopy of skylights, removing most of the artificial lighting costs and offering a far more ambient and relaxing atmosphere.
Design is a language all can read, yet only a few believe it's a language they can write.
Products, architecture, fashion... these are among the rockstar disciplines of design. Famous designers such as Stella McCartney, Sir Norman Foster and Jonny Ive make creation seem magical, their work sought after around the world. Their talent a gift from another realm. Yet just like these design legends, each of us and our colleagues design and create every single day. And with every action, we either help or hinder forward momentum.
When a spreadsheet is created, is it organized to help the author or the reader? When an email is sent, is information organized for a quick send or a quick read? When planning an office, does the arrangement create traffic hotspots or equality for all?
Whether actively acknowledged or not, every aspect of roles benefit from thoughtful design.
The heroes of the industry may be the figureheads for design, but the peaks are only made visible by the iceberg of tiny acts beneath the surface. Those who consider design everywhere are the catalysts for a brand's success.
When the design of every action is considered, each contributes to forward momentum. Just as those who disregard design act as anchors to progress. Every action builds to compound effect - the iceberg beneath the surface - where thousands of small moments add up to disproportionate impact. The earlier and more widely the design is recognized, embraced, and applied holistically, the greater the benefit.
The intention to design is the first step, but understanding how to design it is another. There are thousands of books on visual design, team management, and business organization, full of frameworks and structures. In truth, all you need is a single theme to guide your actions.
Whenever you or your team are writing, organizing or planning, the first consideration should always be 'who will use this, and will it help them?' Empathy for your audience will help you design your task more successfully.
Am I designing this report for an expert data analyst or a C-Suite summary?
Am I designing this spreadsheet to be readable by color-blind colleagues?
Am I designing this brief so the photographer fully understands the ambition?
Everyone in your organization is a designer. Every task is a product of design. Everyone has the ability to iterate, improve, extend and evolve the work they do, the plans they make, the conversations they have, and the information they share. When design is no longer seen as solely the end-point, it permeates the entire team and improves every aspect.
Team members should be encouraged to see their actions as micro-acts of design to speak to a colleague, client or customer. When they sharpen the design of their task through empathy, they communicate more effectively, and accelerate the brand's momentum. They also communicate respect and an intention to achieve a shared ambition as swiftly and successfully as possible. To reference Sir Dave Brailsford, these marginal gains create significant impact.
It's the responsibility of business leaders and those fluent in the language of design to implement design thinking holistically. Encourage critique, empower iteration, and elevate the value of empathy in even the smallest of tasks. Avoid the traps of micro-management by supporting your team to apply design in the service of those that will use their work. Whatever form our design takes, and to whoever we impact, by designing with empathy we raise the standard for everyone.