We live in the age of design. We've seen Accenture buy design firm Fjord, making the international consulting firm the latest member of the club of multifaceted companies that are integrating studios. Accenture isn't doing its design savvy moves alone, which leads to the simple question: why?
Because the budgets of many firms that are in disruptive markets are being cut, these companies are trimming down and aiming for quick wins. I was reminded again about this when a gentleman’s earplugs blasting k-pop during an uncomfortable flight between London and Helsinki interrupted my nap.
While airlines struggle in the heat of no frills mania, some players in other industries are freshening up by reaching for design. Accenture isn't alone. Both Google and Facebook have acquired design companies – Mike & Maaike and Hot Studio, respectively. Why now are some reaching out for design?
Haworth Design presents Mike & Maaike
Design in the old days (50s and 60s) was something left to a small set of people in the back room. These people didn’t interfere with the actual business of the company and the outcome of their work was mostly creating visual assets. The IBM logo is a great example. Designed by Paul Rand, the IBM logo stands for a company that used design to stylise items rather than generate business.
At some point however some design savvy people realise designers had the ability to think in a way that could be useful for businesses. This created new options: the use of imagination and development of prototypes. This process is difficult for some because these methods aren’t part of the usual business school curricula.
As others still try to make their balance sheets look healthy through cuts and quick wins, more businesses are going out to explore new territory. Successful companies analyse, act on the results, and add creativity to the mix, creating possibilities, prototypes and different options. These options are then tested on the market and then put into action. This is the design process.
'Don't lose your head with boardroom questions about how to demonstrate innovation, but focus on being different through design'
No one should think ‘is our business going to be disrupted’ but rather ‘when is our business disrupted’. Brands can no longer be static, they need to move, be agile and open to change. Design is the way to keep up with the times.
I see a world of organisations using design to sharpen their competitive edge. Think about Tesla trying to solve energy issues with its Powerwall, or look back a few years to how Swiffer was created, not to mention the first computer mouse from 1982.
As we move swiftly towards the end of the year, don't lose your head with boardroom questions about how to demonstrate innovation, but focus on being different through design.
