There are lots of debates taking shape these days. Many of us immediately think about the political leaders locking horns over issues on healthcare, foreign policy, gun control, climate change, and education. But as we find our way in a post-recession era, many businesses are wrestling with their traditional business models and market strategies. Anticipating where to place their bets is a gamble riddled with wicked problems we’ve never solved before. Peter Drucker states, “the best way to predict the future is to create it.” Sounds simple in theory right? Without the right insight, framework, and tools, this is nearly impossible to execute.
Traditional business models are not withstanding the pressures from increased demand, transparency, and continued cost cuts. So, new leaders and new models must emerge that optimize operations while considering geopolitical, social media, and sustainability issues that come with new opportunities and new problems.
The book publishing industry is going through a similar era of transformation. The traditional book publishing model is built on a process of selection whereby publishers screen many authors and select those that seem most likely to achieve minimum sales targets. Lulu.com turned the traditional model on its head by eliminating barriers and providing authors the tools to craft, print, and distribute their work through an online marketplace.
So I am fascinated about the debate taking shape addressing what role design plays in this new post-recession era and what is the appetite for design thinking? It certainly is not the cure-all but is helping people and companies of all sizes to reframe their thinking. In her review of the Aspen Design Summit, Helen Walters, the former editor of innovation and design at Business Week cautioned, “those looking for a prescribed way to implement design thinking are destined to be disappointed. It’s a messy, opaque process that depends as much on group dynamics as intellect or insight… The process was more important than the product…the idea that people need a way to engage in multiple places within their community.”
As we emerge from this Darwin state of corporate evolution, is this the new role for designers? Does the emphasis on process over outcomes drive greater rewards or risks for design? What do you think?