Growing in Enterprise Design through Making Connections
Summary
Designers are known for their ability to make connections—to take in a wide variety of diverse data points and find meaning through patterns and associations. As designers in enterprise, we can use this ability to be more effective partners and leaders. In his journey with design at ExxonMobil, Nick Cochran has thrived on finding and making these organizational connections. This talk will highlight how he has used this ability, featuring examples of connections made and some he wished were made sooner. He will also share some practical methods to collect these data points so that more valuable connections can be made.
Key Insights
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Early entrepreneurial experiences, like domain registration, can have long-lasting impacts on career and personal life.
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Large enterprises often operate in silos, causing confusion and lack of transparency that design can help clarify.
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Design’s core ability of sense-making—understanding complexity and acting effectively—is crucial in enterprise environments.
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ExxonMobil grew its design practice from 3 to 100 designers by making strategic connections and embedding design in workflows.
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Investing in design systems like Unity accelerates app development and fosters cross-team collaboration.
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A third of ExxonMobil’s design roles came from internal transitions, enriching teams with enterprise knowledge.
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Meaningful conversations led by curiosity and specific questions can uncover unexpected insights and opportunities.
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Leaders play a key role in facilitating connection opportunities by creating dedicated spaces and communities.
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Inviting non-designers to participate in user research bridges understanding and motivates skill development.
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Sharing insights with context helps others understand relevance and acts as a multiplier for organizational knowledge.
Notable Quotes
"A connection I made at 14 helped me fund college, find my wife, and get my job at ExxonMobil."
"Working in enterprise can feel like chaos with unclear directions and siloed information."
"John Kolko said design is a way of organizing complexity or finding clarity in chaos."
"Sense-making is a motivated, continuous effort to understand connections and act effectively."
"We earned over $100,000 in commission by connecting customer needs to an existing domain registration service."
"It’s not just about being technically good; understanding people’s motivations is key to great app experience."
"There’s a huge opportunity in transitioning people from other disciplines into design roles."
"Treat every conversation as an opportunity to make connections and learn meaningfully."
"Inviting people outside your silo to join projects can lead to better outcomes and personal growth."
"Don’t make the spotlight about yourself; give it back to the people doing great work in your organization."
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