Summary
Enterprises, even those with mature design practices, find it difficult to tap into the creativity of all of its workforce. Yet unleashing that broad creativity is now needed more than ever as success of teams depends on having the nimbleness of an ant farm to adapt and find their way around obstacles. Enterprise design processes, systems and ops are often tied to old top-down command/control organizational models. Design Swarms is an approach that has been used and adopted by teams within companies like Amazon, Amgen, Autodesk, Callison, Deutsche Bank, Lilly, T-Mobile, Microsoft, and REI to unleash swarm creativity at scale.
Key Insights
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Design swarms combine design thinking and swarm behaviors to unleash creativity in communities.
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Empowering individuals with no design background can yield powerful solutions for complex problems.
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The creative potential of 8 billion humans can drive systemic change when harnessed effectively.
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Visual process maps can guide collaborative problem-solving, making design accessible to all.
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Diverse teams lead to better outcomes as they bring varied perspectives to problem-solving.
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Successful problem statements are essential for achieving impactful results in design swarms.
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Swarm behaviors must be coached and reinforced for effective collaboration.
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Online mediums can foster intimate interactions among participants, enhancing the collaborative process.
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Using concurrent teams amplifies the benefits of swarm creativity in organizations.
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Adopting a systems thinking approach allows for graceful scaling of creative initiatives.
Notable Quotes
"The purpose of design is to help create a just and equitable world for everyone."
"There's so much creative talent in 8 billion creative humans on planet Earth."
"Not everyone needs to be a designer; people can be design thinkers."
"At Microsoft, we really started to understand what are the real needs of our customers."
"We need to tap into everybody's creativity to find solutions for societal challenges."
"Swarm behaviors are not natural; they must be coached and reinforced."
"Diverse teams lead to better outcomes by forming teams of different experiences."
"The future solutions will come from harnessing creativity at scale."
"Embrace diversity to unleash creative power in organizations."
"Think in systems to scale creative initiatives effectively."
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