Closing Keynote: Getting giants to dance - what can we learn from designing large and complex public infrastructure?
Summary
Key Insights
-
•
Design practice has evolved from creating buildings to delivering national visions and economic investments.
-
•
Collaborating with economists, planners, and specialists enriches design strategy and execution.
-
•
Heathrow Airport’s financial model heavily influences design constraints and decisions, notably the flat landing charges.
-
•
Designers must go beyond execution and influence organizational strategy and economics.
-
•
Organizational culture and explicit value alignment are critical success factors in large-scale design delivery.
-
•
The transition from open partnerships to structured program management and business case gateways redefines design roles.
-
•
Design ops is emerging as a central discipline for ensuring quality and value in complex projects.
-
•
Early informal experiences and relationships shape perspectives that influence professional design thinking.
-
•
Pre-booking carry-on baggage into overhead lockers illustrates innovative thinking in future airport design.
-
•
Active engagement in strategy conversations allows designers to contribute meaningfully to business outcomes.
Notable Quotes
"Can we just hang out, get on the tube, and hang out at Heathrow? He looked at me very strangely."
"We’ve moved from simply delivering the design that’s in front of us to influencing the strategy itself."
"The landing charge is the key thing airlines look at and that needs to stay flat."
"Organizational culture and values have been essential to ensuring successful delivery."
"Design ops is at the heart of how we can achieve outstanding quality and value in design."
"This client project is very deliberate and explicit in focusing on culture and values."
"If you could pre-book your carry on baggage into the overhead locker, wouldn’t that be great?"
"We must talk like business people, not just designers."
"There’s been a steady evolution starting with delivering buildings to delivering national economic visions."
"I am so glad to be part of this new design ops community and wish you all the best of success."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Always communicate next steps, timelines, and delays honestly with candidates; they will appreciate it and stay engaged."
Corey LongHiring in DesignOps: A Critical Study on How to Hire and Get Hired
September 23, 2024
"Building trust within organizations toward methods and processes is essential to onboarding new ways of working."
Sarah Auslander Betsy Ramaccia Gordon RossInsights Panel
November 18, 2022
"Every bad thing that can happen in the real world can now happen on the internet — and every good thing too."
Lisa WelchmanCleaning Up Our Mess: Digital Governance for Designers
June 14, 2018
"Community input is invaluable in crafting solutions that work for everyone."
Lena ShenkarenkoCollaborative Wireframing for Creating Team Alignment and Shipping Better Products
October 21, 2020
"We have to design not just for humans but for other life forms on this planet."
Christian BasonExpand—Rethinking Design for Public Challenges
September 14, 2022
"We found that being mindful of cultural differences and global perspectives enriches the learning experience."
Nicole UmphressDelivering Design Education During a Global Pandemic: Lessons Learned
June 9, 2022
"Design ops’ job is like jazz rules—it provides a framework so creativity can flow without worrying about inventing structure mid-process."
Jim KalbachJazz Improvisation as a Model for Team Collaboration
November 6, 2017
"A society that is designed is better than one that is simply built."
Bob BaxleyTheme 4: Intro
January 8, 2024
"If seeing a diverse participant pool is important to you, it's your responsibility to make sure your recruiters use it as a priority."
Megan CamposWhat Did I Miss? The Hidden Costs of Deprioritizing Diversity in User Research
March 12, 2021
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
What practical techniques help reset expectations about the fidelity of design deliverables?
What factors lead experienced UX leaders like Sarah B. Nelson to leave corporate design roles for artistic paths?
What is the Neural Transmission System project and how does it invert typical human-AI art interaction?