Design Thinking for Managers

Introduction 9
1 Design and Organisations 19
1.1 Design versus development 20
1.2 Design context, organisational analysis and problem solving 23
1.3 Design applications in organisations 30

2 Design Thinking in Organisations 35
2.1 Views about design thinking in organisations 36
2.2 Aspects of design thinking 38

3 The Design Process in Organisations 55
3.1 Phase 1: Frame and Empathise 58
3.2 Phase 2: Define 75
3.3 Phase 3: Ideate and Synthesise 79
3.4 Phase 4: Validate and Accept 90
3.5 Phase 5: Use 92
3.6 Lessons from three years of Design Thinking for Managers masterclasses 93
3.7 Other aspects of design thinking 95

4 Managing versus Designing 101
4.1 Why managers don’t design 102
4.2 Orientation of managers and designers 102
4.3 Manager as designer: transformational leadership 108
4.4 Your signature as a designer 111
4.5 The manager as stimulator and producer 116
4.6 Managing design processes and design teams 116

5 Embedding Design Thinking in Organisations 119
5.1 Design thinking and employees 125
5.2 Design thinking and culture 127
5.3 Design thinking and leadership 127
5.4 Design thinking and structure 129
5.5 Design thinking and strategy 131
5.6 Design thinking and systems 133
5.7 Organisation configurations and design thinking 134
5.8 Maturation of design thinking 137

6 Working with Designers and Artists 143
6.1 Multidisciplinary collaboration 146
6.2 Research 146
6.3 The intermediary party 151
6.4 Conclusions 151

7 While you’re at it, might as well make it beautiful 155
7.1 Aesthetic value, the 5 Cs 156
7.2 Aesthetic value in the design logic 159
And finally 162

About the author 166

Appendix 1 Design Thinking in organisations assignment 167
Appendix 2 168

Design leadership skills questionnaire 168
Design leadership skills 171
End notes 173