By Prasun Pakhira The field of design needs creativity and innovation. But does that mean your productivity ends with a creative block? Of course, not! There’s a very prominent role in this field wherein you apply your designing principles to get best of the results!
There are two prominent discourses here, design thinking and design strategy. As a design thinker, you would train business leaders to “think like a designer.” This will help them to apply designing principles to the workings of a business.
However, with strategic design, you’ll be the change you want to see in the world. It will give designers prominence in strategic parts of the business. Designers will take up the lead in strategizing, and decision-making to suit the requirements of the businesses.
This role doesn’t limit to only businesses. It works well with any field in need of a policy. Sounds familiar with the strategic design process? If yes, then let’s dive deep into understanding its workings.
What is the strategic design process?
We are here to answer all your questions, so let’s proceed with defining strategic design at its most basic level.
Strategic design is the process wherein you use traditional design principles to address systemic problems. For example, launching a new ad campaign. Here, you’ll need to figure out what challenges your product addresses and then market it with the same motivation behind it. You’ll also find solutions to issues that do not have clearly defined clients.
Design strategy is successful because it creates efficient work processes that are:
- a) Goal-oriented
- b) Cost-effective
- c) Specific target audience
- d) Prioritized & organized
All in all, having a design strategy is akin to eating a cake with a cherry on top.
Why do we need strategic design management?
First, let us delve into a quick trivia. How many consumers do you think are purpose-driven, i.e., know what they want?
3, 2, and 1! Your time’s up. According to a recent IBM study, around 44% of consumers choose a product that aligns with their values and principles, constituting the largest segment of consumers.
Hence, your economics textbook wasn’t making up things. Consumers are sharp enough to understand what they want and usually go ahead with their needs. However, feeling confused about what to choose is also pretty standard so don’t feel left out if you’re not the quick decision maker!
This is one of the reasons why you need to incorporate design thinking with corporate strategy. It will ensure that you successfully manipulate ideas into a product that will bring systemic change. Making your consumer feel less confused and more sure about your product.
Benefits of the strategic design process
Now that you know the Whats and Whys of the strategic design process, let us take a look at its benefits. But before that, you need your specifics. When you engage in strategy design pattern, you notice three essential things:
- Technology
- Business
- Customer needs
You need to pay attention to all of them before deciding to address organizational and global challenges. Customer needs are primary because you’ll be providing a solution to them. At the same time, business needs will let you achieve a set goal using the best technology at your disposal!
With strategic thinking at your disposal, you can:
- Improve your efficiency with a faster process and lesser mistakes
- Engage in a team to have farsighted decisions in place
- Build relationships aligning with your business goals
- Increase the longevity of your projects
Strategic designing is essential for business processes to solve challenges at all levels of human existence. So, take out your notebooks and pens to finally note down the steps for strategic design to aid you better!
5 steps for the strategic design process
From a designer’s point of view, you need to use strategic thinking to look at the design process as a problem. With these broad five steps, you’ll be able to recognize issues even of unknown origin and address them rightfully.
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Identify the problem
You must understand the project holistically. It would help if you analyzed the extent of all the constraints and opportunities. Ultimately you will understand your customer’s needs and provide a solution.
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Understand the problem
Now that you have tackled which problem you’ll be focusing on, you need to figure out what it is and why the consumers need it. Make sense of it through designing and business goals, keeping your consumer in mind.
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Learn the strategy
This is the part where you apply design strategy. You’ll figure out how you will solve a problem. It will help if you enlist different approaches to plan their outcomes in detail effectively.
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Execute your strategic design process
This is the step where you’ll give life to your ideas. With a rigorous practice of trial and error, you’ll find the outcome of your reasoning. Remember, strategic design works best in collaboration, so be with your team constantly.
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Evaluate your strategic design
Now that you have executed your plan, you must keep track of many things. You’ll monitor your product’s ordinary course and result to understand whether there’s room for corrections.
Effective strategic design management brings design, innovation, technology, business, and customers together. It is meant to cater to economic, social, and environmental factors to mediate the gap between design and business.
You cannot separate aesthetics from design, but it shouldn’t provide a roadblock to creative control. It would help if you rein in your creativity and use it to provide effective results at the end of the value chain.
Design strategy is the process that will help you not only understand a customer’s problem or the objectives of an organization. It will further your understanding to incorporate the ecosystem of the issues.
How can ISDI help:
If you wish to become a designer that gives society the newest solutions possible, catering to their wants and needs then you’re at the right place to study the strategic design process!
ISDI offers various design programs such as Strategic Design Management, Fashion Design, Fashion Communication and Styling, Interior Design and Strategic Design, Communication Design, Product Design, and Management. Pursuing one of the degree programs, that is, Bachelors in Design (B.Des) – 4-year program or Postgraduate In Design (PGDI) – 11 months program. Either of the programs is an alternative to a career in fashion and design.
The ISDI campus is located in the business district of Mumbai, the commercial center of India. ISDI consists of a curriculum that is based on that of the Parsons School of Design, experienced and industry-leading faculty, and practical project-based training, all situated on a state-of-the-art campus. ISDI is just the right place for someone looking to start a career in design.
The design process at its best integrates the aspirations of art, science, and culture.
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