Summary
As designers we want to reach people’s experiences, make their lives better, and ultimately contribute to a better condition of humanity and our planet. But something is getting in our way. Instead of delivering breakthrough experiences we are relegated to feeding bits into downstream implementation and operations. The enterprises we work for make us chase arbitrary, short sighted goals, and chase after the next release. Meanwhile, the key business decisions that determine the outcomes of our efforts have already been made. Enterprises are made of individuals forming great teams, applying a diverse set of skills, knowledge and experiences to ambitious projects. In order to bring this enormous potential to fruition, we need one thing: a shared understanding, appreciating each other’s viewpoints and backgrounds, tracing and translating decisions for greater impact on the whole. Milan will introduce you to EDGY – a language designed to achieve just that, relying on your core skills as experience designers and information architects: understanding enterprises as systems embedded in a wider ecosystem and navigating their multifaceted nature. You’ll take away an approach for co-creating their future working with elements, dynamics and dependencies, and radically increase your impact on the outcomes they produce for people.
Key Insights
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Language shapes how we think about and design enterprises.
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Enterprises must have a clear purpose to deliver meaningful value.
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Bad user experiences often stem from systemic issues outside designers' control.
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True enterprise design requires a holistic view encompassing architecture, identity, and experience.
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Edgy provides a shared language for better collaboration between design and business stakeholders.
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Systems thinking principles, like Stafford Beer's, help evaluate enterprise effectiveness.
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Engaging multiple perspectives improves the likelihood of successful design outcomes.
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Best practices in enterprise design involve co-creation among diverse teams.
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Understanding enterprise capabilities is crucial for addressing user needs.
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The shared language of Edgy helps bridge communication gaps within organizations.
Notable Quotes
"In order to influence the systems around us, we need to look into the language we are using."
"Better can mean different things, whether that's more money or saving the world."
"The purpose of a system is what it does, and a system is always designed for the outcomes it produces."
"Enterprise awkwardness arises when systemic issues create barriers to user experience."
"We must create conditions that allow enterprises to work together in a coherent way."
"Every part of the enterprise architecture is connected and cannot be designed in silos."
"If enterprises are delivering bad outcomes, we need to redesign some things."
"The identity, architecture, and experience facets are interconnected perspectives on the same enterprise."
"When designing better experiences, we need to go beyond the immediate scope of UX."
"Engagement with other stakeholders is essential for successful enterprise design discussions."
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