Becoming a Changemaker by Leading with Design
Summary
Key Insights
-
•
The role of design leaders has evolved from product delivery to shaping organizational culture at scale.
-
•
Changemakers must assess 'ground conditions' like executive support and resources before accepting leadership roles.
-
•
Rushing into change without understanding the organization's history and culture ('coming in too hot') often generates resistance.
-
•
Building a shared vision requires inclusive collaboration where all stakeholders feel heard and represented.
-
•
Prioritization and focus on a few small wins prevent burnout and enable sustainable change.
-
•
Tools like the impact matrix help teams evaluate effort versus impact to choose projects wisely.
-
•
Vision without execution is futile; delivering tangible outcomes with prototyping and milestones is essential.
-
•
Failure is inevitable in change leadership; embracing mistakes with courage leads to growth and innovation.
-
•
Visual communication techniques enhance stakeholder understanding and trust during complex change efforts.
-
•
Changemakers don’t necessarily need formal design training but must adopt design as a mindset and problem-solving strategy.
Notable Quotes
"The best future leaders will embody the qualities and traits of a DEO — design executive officer — creative business leaders at the intersection of design and business."
"Change is fundamentally a design problem and therefore change can be designed."
"Before you accept a mission as a changemaker, ask yourself do you have a clear directive, champion support, and the right resources?"
"Coming in too hot means running into a burning building like a firefighter, ignoring past work, and rushing without listening."
"Nobody wants to be told to do your thing unless it’s clear that it helps their thing. It’s just human nature."
"Don’t boil the ocean. Get small wins before you go for the big change."
"You need maniacal focus to prioritize, but remain flexible as priorities will always change."
"Vision without execution is hallucination. You must make outcomes tangible and measurable."
"Failure sucks and hurts, but if you haven’t failed, you haven’t taken enough risks."
"When you hit the bottom, that’s where creativity flourishes and it’s time to iterate, evolve, and redesign."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"We put high-fidelity designs in Mural so stakeholders unfamiliar with Figma can still comment and interact."
Erika FlowersIntroduction to MURAL for UX
June 11, 2021
"We are at an inflection point where what got us here won't necessarily get us to a thriving future."
Neil BarrieWidening the Aperture: The Case for Taking a Broader Lens to the Dialogue between Products and Culture
March 25, 2024
"We have to meet them where they are. Designers need to learn the language of business. That’s a very, very important lesson."
Robert SchwartzWe're Here for the Humans
June 9, 2017
"Sharing your research skills broadly within your company can create unexpected opportunities to improve experiences."
Marieke McCloskeyUser Science: Product Analytics & User Research
March 11, 2021
"Everything can be designed – ourselves, relationships, processes, policies, systems."
Bria Alexander Ariel Kennan Charlotte Lee Sarah Brooks Emily Lessard Gordon Ross Joanne DongReflect and Chart Forward
December 10, 2021
"Sometimes you have to insist on the correct terms that are widely recognized and consistently used."
Shan ShenTranslating UX Terms into Business Contexts
November 29, 2023
"When you ask ‘When was the last time you asked this question?’ it can trigger panic in someone with anxiety."
Pippa LomasPaving the Path for Neurodiversity in Design
October 4, 2023
"Collaboration is great but we must support teams moving toward a goal, not just theorizing endlessly."
Jemma Ahmed Chris GeisonBridge Building across Research Disciplines
August 26, 2021
"The digital is infusing the physical and breaking down familiar boundaries between parts of our lives and systems."
Jeff SussnaWhat DesignOps Can Learn From DevOps
November 6, 2017
