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Transcript of Designit- Strategic Design Consultancy
Module: Design Management Assignment 2: Designit - Strategic Design
Consultancy
M.Des 1.1
Name: Harshal Desai
Lecturer: Dr Kelvin Lee
Date of Submission
03/09/2011
Word Count: 3111
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................... 2
ABOUT DESIGNIT ................................................................................................................ 3
DESIGN THINKING .............................................................................................................. 4
DESIGN THINKING WITHIN DESIGNIT ............................................................................. 5
INSIGHT ......................................................................................................................... 6
IDEATION ...................................................................................................................... 7
IMPLEMENTATION ........................................................................................................ 8
DESIRABILITY ................................................................................................................. 9
VIABILITY ..................................................................................................................... 10
FEASIBILITY .................................................................................................................. 11
THE CREATIVE DICE ...................................................................................................... 12
ROLE OF SPACE IN DESIGN THINKING ........................................................................... 14
IMPACT OF DIVERSITY OF CULTURES ............................................................................. 16
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................... 19
Works Cited ...................................................................................................................... 20
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
“Design Thinking” has become the latest buzzwords in the business world as a
means to achieve creativity, innovation and gain a competitive advantage.
Several Design Consultancy firms arose, adopting and delivering solutions to
other companies using this Design Thinking process. With globalization of
companies, several employees from various backgrounds begin to work
together.
One such company, well known for its creative solutions, is Designit, an
international strategic design consultancy.
Through this report, we aim to understand two things.
1. Evaluating how design thinking manifests within the company and
whether it is implemented effectively?
2. Understanding how overall design practices can vary according to
cultures and analyze whether it contributes or detriments design thinking
within the company.
Towards the end of the research, we aim to figure out whether Designit is
applying the Design Thinking mindset correctly and chart out a possible future
for the company.
ABOUT DESIGNIT
Designit is Northern Europe’s largest international strategic design consultancy
that focuses on various disciplines, for example, product design, service design,
interactive design etc. Founded in 1991 by Ander Geertz, Mikal Hallstrup and
the David Fella in Aarhus, Denmark, the company branched out into several
offices across Europe. Having a little fewer than 200 employees, Designit
describes themselves as ‘agents of change’ for the betterment of society and
business. (Designit.com: Mission)
According to Marianne Bertelson, an intern at Designit A/S, the company
organizes itself into multidisciplinary teams, and the contribution of clients and
users is vital throughout the design process. (Bertelsen, 2010)
Designit has worked on several projects in various sectors over the years, and
have particularly focused on the healthcare industry. They developed ‘Helping
Hand’, a tablet dispenser that reminds patients to take their medication.
Designit also worked alongside Novo Nordisk, and helped develop products
such as the insulin delivery device ‘FlexPen’, as well as user manuals and their
latest project, a website and iPhone Application for the company. Other sectors
generally include consumer electronics, food, financial services, telecom etc.
(Designit.com : Cases)
DESIGN THINKING
The modern world changes faces quickly, presenting unique challenges brought
by the digital revolution. Many companies have to evolve their businesses to
keep up with the constant changing environment and therefore, the need for
design and management consultants arise. Consultancies like Designit, IDEO,
CPH Design, help other companies move on, finding innovative ways to
develop and grow by adopting a new method called Design Thinking.
Design Thinking is, in our opinion, a variation to Da Vinci’s ideology of having an
insatiable quest for learning through collaboration, observation and
combination of artistic flair and scientific facts. It is approaching problems in a
non-linear way. A human-centric method involves a collaborative effort that
supports integration of ideas, empathetic observation and rapid prototyping. It
uses the process of design to visualize and create innovative solutions for current
world problems, for example, distributing clean water in poor countries, coming
up with ways to direct traffic in crowded environments etc.
Tim Brown, President of another famous design consultancy IDEO, states in an
interview that Design Thinking is simply applying the process that designers have
been using for generations, just on a more broader level in both business and
society. Design thinking is human centred. IT may integrate technology but its
origins begin with asking what humans need or may need, what could make life
easier and more enjoyable? It is about identifying human behaviour to get
inspired. (Ong)
Mikal Hallstrup, Chief Visionary Officer and Cofounder of Designit states,
“Everybody can adapt design thinking to come up with
better solutions, reframing problems in a different way. Any
change depends on motivation. People like to see
solutions. They don’t need to be complete solutions, but
just maybe indications of a solution.” (Youtube: Can
Designers save the Planet?)
DESIGN THINKING WITHIN DESIGNIT
Designit clearly describes the attributes they seek from their employees and the
methods they incorporate when thinking about innovation. The word
‘multidisciplinary’ is often visible on their website. Designit strongly urges
teamwork, and considers it the primary reason for their innovative success.
(Haglund & Pudas, 2010)
Although the company does not describe their work process in detail, they do
explain different tactics they use to encourage design thinking.
According to their website (Designit.com : Process) the first is a process which
they registered as the Triple I ® Process of design, consisting of Insight, Ideation &
Implementation
Figure 1: Designit's Method 1
These processes are actually common steps towards an effective Design
Thinking mindset. According to the company, these three steps help all
organizations achieve international success.
INSIGHT
Designit follows a user-centric approach, evaluating all the client’s needs and
focusing on the customers and the current market. They study and observe
every detail, creating an extensive database of knowledge by engaging clients
and customers and taking note of their behavior. Figuratively, they are putting
their clients and customers under a microscope. Consider this stage as
gathering data, both visible and hidden. The reason Designit gives on
1 Designit’s Process. Image retrieved on 01 September 2011 from http://designit.com/process
emphasizing this stage is to ensure they are meeting their client’s demands. By
assessing a client’s business problems, developing and evaluating concepts and
deciding on effective solutions, they state it is essential to discover new
opportunities, even if it means having to strip down the company to its
essentials.
IDEATION
The next step is to start generating ideas. With the help of a multidisciplinary
team, they participate in several brainstorming sessions, analyzing and reviewing
their content, upgrading the ideas through feedback from their clients. Based
on the images shown in their blog, it appears they use a Scribble-Say-Slap
method of brainstorming where they get into groups of 10-15 people and
everyone is supposed to write their ideas on sticky notes(scribble), shout them
out (say) and proceed to stick them up on a wall (slap). A facilitator ensures
everyone is participating and encourages people to generate more responses.
Generally, clients are present during this stage to emphasize that Designit comes
up with solutions along with their clients. The company likes to keep their clients
involved throughout the whole project, stating “we take care of the entire
process, which saves you time, and also have your feedback to prevent
misunderstandings as they cost money.” (Designit.com)
Below is an example of their ideation process used during a project for the
Danish Red Cross
Figure 2: Designit Worshop during Ideation Stage2
Sometimes the solutions might be a little messy owing to the diverse branches of
work, but it also provides fresh perspectives. Once the ideas are on the board
and categorized, they are further explored in the next stage.
IMPLEMENTATION
In this stage, Designit quickly begin the conversion of good ideas into workable
prototypes. They test the prototypes out in small focus groups where they can
explore any kinks in the product and fix it before releasing it in the market. The
company takes care of the entire implementation process, keeping the
financial factors in mind. They also use the same design team that was present
during the ideation stage to ensure no information is lost along the way. Using
the same team also assures the client that their work is handled with utmost care
and efficiency.
A deeper analysis of the company shows how Designit follows the principles of
Design Thinking through its strategies. They consider using Design Thinking for
innovations in three key factors: Desirability, Viability and Feasibility.
2 Designit Workshop during Ideation Stage. Image retrieved on 01 September 2011 from http://blog.designit.com/2011/05/31/red-cross-workshop/
Figure 3: Design Approach3
DESIRABILITY
Designit has several clients, each having their unique set of needs and
demands. Unlike most other businesses, Designit engages a team-oriented effort
with its clients, resulting in designs best suited for their target market. The most
common way to find out client’s needs is through workshops where members of
the design team meet up with the clients to brainstorm about the possible
solutions. This user involvement process greatly increases the chances for a
successful innovation.
Another example of how Designit interacts with its clientele is by using a tool
called Design Style Collection that enables clients observe the direction of their
project in the early stages. This process keeps evolving according to the latest
3 Design Approach. Image Retrieved on 01 September 2011 from http://www.slideshare.net/designitdk/servicedesign-i-praksis
style trends where every member of the design team pins new and/or interesting
products that are already available in the market place. This not only creates a
strong bond between clients and their product, but guarantees the client that
Designit is accurately studying the social and cultural drivers and ensuring their
services are one step ahead of the current market. (Designit.com: Building a
Better Launchpad)
VIABILITY
For any product or service solution to be effective in the market, one must
consider its business value. Designit uses the concept of Strategic Design, which
appears during the ideation phase. They approach the problems in a non-linear
approach, redefining the key questions as and when required, allowing a
thorough examination of the market.
After finding out the needs of the clients, they set out to establish whether their
solutions would work effectively on the users. They begin the research process by
going out and literally observing their desired environment taking down notes of
the behavior of its users. A good example of this process is the research gone
into the ATM interface design in Madrid for Caja Madrid, Spain’s oldest savings
bank. The design team recorded dozens of ATM users to take note of current
issues with the user interface as well as conducting interviews with the users to
understand the context of their project. After the data was collected and
analyzed, they realized the need to give special attention towards screen
visibility and extreme lighting.
Their final interface design was extremely successful, resulting in faster
transactions and smoother interaction experiences. (Designit.com: A
touchscreen Revolution)
FEASIBILITY
Along with an in-dept market research, Designit also investigates on the current
technology to ensure their solutions are achievable. The prime example of this
would be their work for Libratone who wanted to move on from their outdated
large sound system with something more modern.
Designit conducted studies on multiple mp3 players, taking note of their
simplistic design. Since smartphones have become an important medium for
music too, and with a majority of people carrying their music collections within
their pockets, Designit also realized the need for a wireless speaker system.
Design was a priority, but there was also a need to produce crisp powerful
sounds. After conducting their research on both feasibility and desirability, they
came up with a single speaker that was capable of producing a 360-degree
surround sound, all the while keeping the design slim and bold to appeal to the
consumers. The system was wireless allowing the users freedom to transmit music
via iPhones, iPods or their laptops. They received five star reviews for their detail
and ability to produce clarity without distortion or compromise. (Libratone- A
speaker to be seen & heard)
THE CREATIVE DICE
Designit is famous for its Design Thinking ideology for producing innovative
solutions. In their research paper, (Haglund & Pudas, 2010) note that to keep the
process dynamic, Designit fashioned a dice capable of boosting their creativity.
They display the six sides of the dice, each having different statements that the
design team must follow when stuck at a dead end. The six sides are as follows:
Flash it: Show your work to a colleague
Leave now: Take the entire team for a walk, allowing you to discuss and
reframe ideas in a different environment.
Mock it up: Create a prototype, or role-play, or draw your plans out.
Swap seats: Change your given roles and attitudes. Think from a different
perspective.
Screw up: Allow yourself to fail, learn from the mistake and innovate.
Call mum: Learn from their experiences, listen to their opinions.
Figure 4: Creative Dice 4
Using this method allowed the team to enhance their creativity and have a little
fun along the way. When asked about the concept behind the dice the team
responded by saying that it is a way to challenge themselves, to keep them on
their toes. Whenever a client’s work is completed, the team needs a place to
relax and that’s why they develop concepts like the dice for fun.
(Designit's Videos on Vimeo.com)
4 Creative Dice. Image retrieved on 01 September 2011 from http://designit.com/cases/building-a-better-launch-pad
ROLE OF SPACE IN DESIGN THINKING
Throughout history, there have been mentions of creative spaces that lead to
unusual rates of creativity and innovation. Good ideas often come from
collusion of smaller hunches to form something much bigger. The places where
collusion can effectively place were generally well-known taverns, bars and
coffee shops, for example Café Momus during the Bohemian Era. (Johnson,
2010)
Designit understood the importance of a good working environment and
maintained a casual workplace allowing the employees to work whenever they
wish as long as they delivered quality results.
Different departments are not separated into clusters and everyone worked in a
wide open-space environment as shown below. The colors are generally kept
muted, with the walls having ample open windows to allow natural light to pass
through, making the atmosphere very pleasant for its employees.
Figure 5: Designit Aarhus Main Office5
5 Designit Aarhus Main Office. Image retrieved on 01 September 2011 from
The company also provides rest and recreational areas for the employees to
catch a break or take a nap if necessary. As we know, sometimes brilliant ideas
are conjured up in the first few moments of waking up, which is why the
company even has notepads placed besides the chairs and sofa-beds.
Figure 6: Rest and Recreation at Designit Madrid6
This, combined with an extraordinary mix of people makes Designit an
inspirational and creative working environment.
http://designit.com/aarhus 6 Rest and Recreation at Designit Madrid. Image retrieved on 01 September 2011 from http://designit.com/madrid
IMPACT OF DIVERSITY OF CULTURES
Designit has successfully grown into a global and culturally diverse consultancy
firm, having around 180 employees from all over the world. Although teamwork
is a valued asset, they still focus on individual talents and the importance of
diversity, which they state by comparing their work environment to a creative
zoo.
They continue to describe their employees as experts, stating that their design
team is “equipped with across-the-board expertise and has the knowledge and
experience to tackle a wide range of design challenges” (Haglund & Pudas,
2010)
Creating a multidisciplinary team gives Designit a chance to explore different
perspectives, which is one major requirement for the Design Thinking process. At
times, the diversity of cultural origins does make a mess but it also provides a
different perspective, which is essential for an effective solution. Almost
everyone is equal in the design team. Each member withholds the core
principles of importance of teamwork and answering challenges with a passion.
Designit seeks out the best people who share one common passion and that is
to create valuable solutions in order to improve both business and society. In
some ways, Designit could be comparable to Pixar and Samsung since both
companies aimed at getting the best creative individuals from all over the world
and giving them the freedom to explore their creativity.
Oddly enough, despite Designit having several offices across Europe, the
influence of each individual culture is minimal on their design solutions as the
company’s employees already come from various cultures and together hold a
wider perspective towards innovation. In fact, the idea of opening offices in
Madrid or Shanghai is not so much to cater to the local culture, as it is to fuse the
two cultures together. For instance, the office in Shanghai will not exclusively
produce Asian oriented solutions. It will instead try to successfully merge Asian
and European styles, along with whatever mix seems to work based on the
different backgrounds of the employees. It is a process of creative
experimentation… a method called collective creativity. (Bertelsen, 2010)
A prime example of collective creativity was the firm’s partnership with the
Danish Red Cross. By focusing on making innovative tools & better instruction
manuals to make it easier for people to understand and receive medical aids,
the Designit team acquired a chance to explore various competencies to
create a fusion of innovative solutions.
According to The team operates at various levels namely: Creative level,
Integrative level and Strategic/Transformational level.
Creative levels allow the individuals to develop their own ideas, which often
vary due to different cultural backgrounds. Integrative levels is when they
develop integrated innovations by collectively thinking together to come up
with a solution for brand identity, portfolio etc. Lastly, the Strategic Levels aim for
social changes where the collected ideas are implemented and tested out for
feedback. These levels are not mutually exclusive and generally coexist for
optimum results.
Expanding the businesses to different locations allows Designit to increase its
range of activities and pick up new skills to learn. By broadening their skill set,
they can offer a more holistic service, as was the case in the production of Novo
Nordisk’s Novopen ® 4. Not only did Designit help co-create this product, but
the firm also launched an entire brand strategy and product manuals in both
print and online formats for their consumers.
By expanding to a global market and having a design team from various parts
of the world, Designit achieves three things:
Firstly it is exporting Danish Design, allowing products to contain the quality and
characteristics such as clean lines, pure colors etc, which are generally
associated with Danish designs. Eventually it slowly becomes a recognized style
and adopted in many countries around the world.
Secondly, it introduces international clients to European markets, giving
guidance to foreign companies who wish to expand or reinvent themselves in
the European market.
Thirdly, expansion allows integration of global knowledge, allowing them to learn
about new industries, new markets etc. which in turn further allows them to meet
up to the expectations of both foreign and local clientele.
(Boztepe, 2010)
Collective creativity is the essence of Designit. It has followed this principle from
the very first day. They realize that they do not have the answer, nor do their
clients nor their consumers and its only by collaborating through various people
from different cultures that they can find the perfect solution.
(Designit Blog: Why we Still believe in Collective Creativity, 2011)
CONCLUSION
If any company treats Design Thinking as a process, they are already doing it
wrong. Design thinking is strictly a mindset, one that is not necessarily restricted
to a Designer. It is an outlook that keeps both customer and client in mind, a
position to create an amazing customer experience.
It is much more than just another innovation process. Design Thinking can apply
to redesigning, adapting and improving existing products too. There can be
guidelines used to develop this mindset, but there are no set rules to follow to
achieve it.
In addition, by having a culturally diverse work environment paired with a
historic increase of global connectivity brought by the internet allows people to
exchange ideas and collaborate on a global level. Such working environments
definitely boost the design thinking mindset.
Designit has succeeded in keeping this process dynamic. It does categorize the
process into three steps, the Triple I process, however it is still quite generalized.
Considering their current ideology and the way in which the company moves
forward implementing new strategies and bigger collaborations, Designit will
continue to maintain its competitive advantage over other consultancies.
Despite having several branches they still display all their employees as one
giant family adhering to the principle that everyone is equal here. By
expanding to a global level, they will bring in more employees from around the
world, and need to be careful about possible internal conflicts that may arise
due to several cultures working together. For now, their selection process is
successful enough to pick creative who are willing to set aside their cultural
differences and work towards proposing solutions for a better future.
WORKS CITED Designit Blog: Why we Still believe in Collective Creativity. (2011, April 13).
Retrieved September 01, 2011, from Designit.com:
http://blog.designit.com/2011/04/13/why-we-still-believe-in-collective-
creativity/
Bertelsen, M. (2010). Roles in the creative production. Frederiksberg.
Boztepe, S. (2010). Management, Innovation and Strategy in Danish Design
Consultancies. Aarhus: Danish Center for Design Research.
Designit.com. (n.d.). Retrieved September 01, 2011, from Designit.com:
http://www.designit.com
Designit.com : Cases. (n.d.). Retrieved September 01, 2011, from Designit:
http://designit.com/cases
Designit.com : Process. (n.d.). Retrieved SEptember 01, 2011, from Designit.com:
http://designit.com/process
Designit.com: A touchscreen Revolution. (n.d.). Retrieved September 01, 2011,
from Designit.com: http://designit.com/cases/a-touchscreen-revolution
Designit.com: Building a Better Launchpad. (n.d.). Retrieved from Designit.com:
http://designit.com/cases/building-a-better-launch-pad
Designit.com: Mission. (n.d.). Retrieved September 01, 2011, from Designit:
http://designit.com/about/mission
Designit's Videos on Vimeo.com. (n.d.). Retrieved September 01, 2011, from
Vimeo.com: http://vimeo.com/designit/videos/page:1/sort:newest
Haglund, K., & Pudas, M. (2010). Structuring the Innovation Spirit: A study of Two
Design Consultancies and their Approach to Innovation. Gothenburg .
Johnson, S. (2010, September 17). Where do good ideas come from? Retrieved
September 01, 2011, from Youtube.com:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?=NugRZGDbPFU
Libratone- A speaker to be seen & heard. (n.d.). Retrieved September 01, 2011,
from Designit.com: http://designit.com/cases/a-speaker-to-be-seen-
heard
Ong, I. (n.d.). Interview: Tim Brown of IDEO on ' Design Thinking'. Retrieved
September 01, 2011, from DesignTaxi.com:
http://www.designtaxi.com/article/101286/Interview-Tim-Brown-of-IDEO-
on-Design-Thinking/
Youtube: Can Designers save the Planet? (n.d.). Retrieved September 01, 2011,
from Youtube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU6emsEb-Rs