Design + Business. (Not Versus.)
In the last five years of my career as a design leader, I’ve discovered the deep (misguided) tension between business and design methods. Leaders like Elon Musk have pointed this out in the past, but an article by Roger Martin hit the nail on the head:
These quotes stood out:
Business schools teach the tools and techniques for optimizing what is, and they leave teaching of the tools and techniques for creating what might be almost entirely to design schools.
They don’t see design as a legitimate business discipline.
Therein lies the problem. The discipline of design is often left to paint the walls of the building that business has built. Its impact is minimized (and sometimes blamed for poor outcomes). Design isn’t viewed as a legitimate business discipline. How tragic! Because they’re a perfect pair.
The Perfect Pair
The worst part is that design and business are really a perfect fit for each other. I love the story of Walt and Roy Disney. It’s such a perfect example of Walt’s vision, exploration, and creativity, balanced by Roy’s reality and business acumen. This dynamic duo were able to balance each other and pair together to create some of the most iconic experiences.
Walt was a visionary, utilizing design to bring form to things that had never been imagined before. Left alone, his ideas would have been mothballed as fantastical dreams of a madman. However, the business genius of Roy was able to work out funding, revenue models, and a working business model that has stood the test of time. Together, they were able to achieve unbelievable things. Together, their disciplines created something successful. Together, they had mutual respect for what the other one did. That’s the magic formula: together.
How Can Design Help?
Design leaders and designers: We have a responsibility to level up our business understanding and find ways of demonstrating the power and influence of design methods. We need to learn how design fits into the context of business thinking, so we can inject the power of the discipline we love and hold dear.
Take time to read books like the Business Model Generation, Value Proposition Design, Playing to Win, and HBR’s Top 10 Reads on Strategy. You can learn about the objectives of your business and product partners to begin weaving your design methods into their thinking as a means of exploring “what could be”. I recommend going beyond “telling” to using the design language of “showing”.
I’m excited for a future where design and business methods work together in better harmony. Let’s keep working at it!
