The document discusses challenges faced by designers in corporate environments. It includes quotes from design alumni expressing frustration that their skills and contributions are not fully understood or utilized. For example, one alumnus notes that companies are built for engineers, not designers, and designers are not always given challenging or meaningful work. Another says design thinking is overused for business purposes without understanding what designers can truly offer. The document advocates for organizations to develop more design-centric cultures where design plays a central, strategic role and designers have opportunities to lead and contribute creatively.
15. Just hiring a
designer does not
make a design
savvy organisation
If you want to
attract and retain
good talent, design
needs to be at the
forefront.
16. Just hiring a
designer does not
make a design
savvy organisation
If you want to
attract and retain
good talent, design
needs to be at the
forefront.
17. Better
integration
of design ethos
into everyday
working of an
organisation
Just hiring a
designer does not
make a design
savvy organisation
If you want to
attract and retain
good talent, design
needs to be at the
forefront.
27. “Design is still not a priority, its not
in the DNA
… it is used as a gimmick
…they don’t understand what
we can do and we aren’t
taken seriously”
“design is a very small component of
the overall ecosystem”
“Design thinking is overused
especially for business side.”
31. *Source : M P Ranjan
Strategic
Level
Systems Thinking
Opportunity
Mapping
Strategic Initiatives
creates new industries
creates new markets
re-engineering
strategies
anticipatory
mass customisation
VISION
LED DESIGN
32. *Source : M P Ranjan
Strategic
Level
Systems Thinking
Opportunity
Mapping
Strategic Initiatives
creates new industries
creates new markets
re-engineering
strategies
anticipatory
mass customisation
VISION
LED DESIGN
33. *Source : M P Ranjan
Strategic
Level
Systems Thinking
Opportunity
Mapping
Strategic Initiatives
creates new industries
creates new markets
re-engineering
strategies
anticipatory
mass customisation
VISION
LED DESIGN
Creative
Level
Inventive
Innovative
Creative
breakthrough products
novel constructions
innovative processes
PATENT LED
DESIGN
34. *Source : M P Ranjan
Strategic
Level
Systems Thinking
Opportunity
Mapping
Strategic Initiatives
creates new industries
creates new markets
re-engineering
strategies
anticipatory
mass customisation
VISION
LED DESIGN
Creative
Level
Inventive
Innovative
Creative
breakthrough products
novel constructions
innovative processes
PATENT LED
DESIGN
35. *Source : M P Ranjan
Strategic
Level
Systems Thinking
Opportunity
Mapping
Strategic Initiatives
creates new industries
creates new markets
re-engineering
strategies
anticipatory
mass customisation
VISION
LED DESIGN
Creative
Level
Inventive
Innovative
Creative
breakthrough products
novel constructions
innovative processes
PATENT LED
DESIGN
Tactical
Level
Form
Colour
Detail
Technology
Finishes
Tools
Ornamentation
Practical Know-
How
improves: quality cost,
performance finish,
colour ornament
SKILL + SENSE
LED DESIGN
36. *Source : M P Ranjan
Strategic
Level
Systems Thinking
Opportunity
Mapping
Strategic Initiatives
creates new industries
creates new markets
re-engineering
strategies
anticipatory
mass customisation
VISION
LED DESIGN
Creative
Level
Inventive
Innovative
Creative
breakthrough products
novel constructions
innovative processes
PATENT LED
DESIGN
Tactical
Level
Form
Colour
Detail
Technology
Finishes
Tools
Ornamentation
Practical Know-
How
improves: quality cost,
performance finish,
colour ornament
SKILL + SENSE
LED DESIGN
37. *Source : M P Ranjan
Strategic
Level
Systems Thinking
Opportunity
Mapping
Strategic Initiatives
creates new industries
creates new markets
re-engineering
strategies
anticipatory
mass customisation
VISION
LED DESIGN
Creative
Level
Inventive
Innovative
Creative
breakthrough products
novel constructions
innovative processes
PATENT LED
DESIGN
Tactical
Level
Form
Colour
Detail
Technology
Finishes
Tools
Ornamentation
Practical Know-
How
improves: quality cost,
performance finish,
colour ornament
SKILL + SENSE
LED DESIGN
Elaborative
Level
Variety & Style
Differentiation
Choice/Fashion
product differentiation
variety
style / collections
market segmentations
MARKET
LED DESIGN
38. *Source : M P Ranjan
Strategic
Level
Systems Thinking
Opportunity
Mapping
Strategic Initiatives
creates new industries
creates new markets
re-engineering
strategies
anticipatory
mass customisation
VISION
LED DESIGN
Creative
Level
Inventive
Innovative
Creative
breakthrough products
novel constructions
innovative processes
PATENT LED
DESIGN
Tactical
Level
Form
Colour
Detail
Technology
Finishes
Tools
Ornamentation
Practical Know-
How
improves: quality cost,
performance finish,
colour ornament
SKILL + SENSE
LED DESIGN
Elaborative
Level
Variety & Style
Differentiation
Choice/Fashion
product differentiation
variety
style / collections
market segmentations
MARKET
LED DESIGN
40. “Creative freedom depends on team,
client and if the client is receptive”
“Need to have willingness to stand up to
clients who may not see the value of
design in the long term, and are only
conditioned to think in a particular
manner.”
“…don’t care about design, take any
client work they get, no filtering , agree
to all client whims and the studio
doesn’t have a say…”
42. “Don’t see us as individuals”
“we haven’t wasted 4 years
of our lives.”
“If I have been given a responsibility, I
wouldn’t want to disappoint”
What ends up happening is that you do
a lot of research and insights but all of
this goes for a toss if developer says its
not feasible, even if its exactly what is
required”
44. “I was left on my own..
I completed this project from end
to end, a project that no one was
willing to do …
I took charge of development
and other things that weren’t my
deal, but it received a lot of
praise”
– Alumni, Communication Design
47. “…leader was creative, he understood us,
then he left..the whole vibe of the design
studio crashed … made me realise.. the kind
of boss you are working for matters a lot -
soon after I made a choice to leave…”
48. “…leader was creative, he understood us,
then he left..the whole vibe of the design
studio crashed … made me realise.. the kind
of boss you are working for matters a lot -
soon after I made a choice to leave…”
“its luck right….
49. “…leader was creative, he understood us,
then he left..the whole vibe of the design
studio crashed … made me realise.. the kind
of boss you are working for matters a lot -
soon after I made a choice to leave…”
“its luck right….
what kind of manager you get..”
50. “…leader was creative, he understood us,
then he left..the whole vibe of the design
studio crashed … made me realise.. the kind
of boss you are working for matters a lot -
soon after I made a choice to leave…”
“its luck right….
what kind of manager you get..”
“design decision maker is very low on the
totem pole, sometimes they are not even
present during decision making … end up
creating something that’s uninspiring.
51. “…leader was creative, he understood us,
then he left..the whole vibe of the design
studio crashed … made me realise.. the kind
of boss you are working for matters a lot -
soon after I made a choice to leave…”
“its luck right….
what kind of manager you get..”
“design decision maker is very low on the
totem pole, sometimes they are not even
present during decision making … end up
creating something that’s uninspiring.
“…too many steps to get representation”
56. “I understand that as organisations grow,
at large scale, routine does set in, you do
have big projects - so some way to break
the monotony will work”
57. “I understand that as organisations grow,
at large scale, routine does set in, you do
have big projects - so some way to break
the monotony will work”
“You can’t just do a 9-5 with a
designer…just bring in a bit more life..”
58. “I understand that as organisations grow,
at large scale, routine does set in, you do
have big projects - so some way to break
the monotony will work”
“You can’t just do a 9-5 with a
designer…just bring in a bit more life..”
“do not want routine, need more
creativity”
59. “I understand that as organisations grow,
at large scale, routine does set in, you do
have big projects - so some way to break
the monotony will work”
“You can’t just do a 9-5 with a
designer…just bring in a bit more life..”
“do not want routine, need more
creativity”
“…it is like any government stable
income, fixed timelines, entire life
planned out…
62. Can’t do brain dead jobs, if it’s only
about following instructions, you
don’t need a designer.”
63. Can’t do brain dead jobs, if it’s only
about following instructions, you
don’t need a designer.”
“Internal projects are very
redundant, nothing new to be done,
when I started, there was already a
library of things waiting for me…”
64. Can’t do brain dead jobs, if it’s only
about following instructions, you
don’t need a designer.”
“extremely boring repetitive
work - boring, not challenged.”
“Internal projects are very
redundant, nothing new to be done,
when I started, there was already a
library of things waiting for me…”
65. Can’t do brain dead jobs, if it’s only
about following instructions, you
don’t need a designer.”
“extremely boring repetitive
work - boring, not challenged.”
“Internal projects are very
redundant, nothing new to be done,
when I started, there was already a
library of things waiting for me…”
“not enough chances to
prove yourself”
68. the one thing that I enjoyed
the most was talking to
clients..at a huge scale,
gave me confidence to
communicate”
69. the one thing that I enjoyed
the most was talking to
clients..at a huge scale,
gave me confidence to
communicate”
“..We had all the techs and
gadgets we could expect,
there were so many gadgets
we could tinker with…I was
exposed to so many things..
70. the one thing that I enjoyed
the most was talking to
clients..at a huge scale,
gave me confidence to
communicate”
“..We had all the techs and
gadgets we could expect,
there were so many gadgets
we could tinker with…I was
exposed to so many things..
“Impact I can create
is motivating”
71. the one thing that I enjoyed
the most was talking to
clients..at a huge scale,
gave me confidence to
communicate”
“ Got a global exposure,
learnt from non-designers,
helps you appreciate
thinking across geo
locations”
“..We had all the techs and
gadgets we could expect,
there were so many gadgets
we could tinker with…I was
exposed to so many things..
“Impact I can create
is motivating”
72. “not much scope for growth for
designers…”
“Design discourse is missing, I would
like to keep growing, keep learning,
going for conferences, having meet
ups at work to discuss design”
“ Would be good to hear things
beyond design…”
74. “The ___ office was an
artistic space, so that was
much more in tune with
us, so that helped”
“ I can’t think sitting in the same
place.…need informal environment,
chilled-out space, young vibe,
colourful, flat hierarchy”
77. Hannah Somerville,
the archivist for the
Materials room library,
arranges textiles
swatches above a
museum-style display of
objects that designers
can peruse.
GOOGLE
Design Lab
California, US
Hardware design chief Ivy Ross (right)
and designer Leslie Greene compare
colors across Google product lines, from
Nest stands to Pixel phones, in the lab’s
Color room.
*Source : FASTCOMPANY
[Photo: Cody Pickens]
82. “Can’t they just appreciate what we know?”
“..now I was seeing the side of the
developers, what they had to go through to
create something simple that I had made,
being empathetic to both
and finding a compromise.”
86. System Design Approach > Silos Vs Whole
TECHNOLOGICAL
FUNCTIONAL
ECONOMIC
SPIRITUALAL
MATERIAL
CULTURAL
COST
CLIENT
INDUSTRIAL
LEGAL
SOCIAL
BUSINESSENVIRONMENTAL
GEOGRAPHICAL
POLITICAL
ETHICAL
EMOTIONAL
FUTUREPAST
TRENDS
87.
88. Seeing connections that aren’t obvious, connecting disparate
elements, creating meaningful solutions as a whole.
89. Underlying Structure (status quo)
Individual Parts (autonomous)
Links & Loops (interdependencies)
Simultaneous Interaction (multi-users)
Non-Linear Pathways (cross-functional)
Cause & Effect (domino effect)
Sum total of parts (holistic solution)
{ {Designers are
trained to
manage
variables and
contradictions
106. “playing extremely safe…
way too safe..…”
“applying design parameters
cerated many years ago, world
is a very different place today,
new technology will need new
success parameters, we need to
keep track and update”
“..contextual understanding
is lacking ..…”