Key Insights

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  The VUCA framework—volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity—aptly describes modern organizational challenges shaped by accelerated technological change and globalization.

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  Design is not just about making better things; it is a distinct way of knowing that uses abductive reasoning and solution-focused strategies to tackle ill-defined problems.

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  Large enterprises remain trapped in Industrial Age organizational structures, making it difficult to respond effectively to network-age complexities.

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  Designers add the most value when engaging with the slower-changing foundational layers of organizations—purpose, strategy, and governance—not just surface UI layers.

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  Co-creation involving diverse stakeholders shifts design from a requirement-gathering exercise to a collaborative problem-solving practice that can transform organizational culture.

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  Design artifacts such as journey maps or navigation structures often act as 'macguffins'—catalysts for organizational collaboration rather than ends in themselves.

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  Language itself is an important design element; consciously mapping and aligning language across teams can reveal hidden misunderstandings and change organizational thinking.

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  The escalating pace and scale of software-driven change creates positive feedback loops, accelerating unpredictability in institutions and cultural contexts.

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  Design governance should be integrated into overall organizational governance, emphasizing shared responsibility rather than siloed design team ownership.

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  There is tension within design between being seen as a superficial craft versus a strategic discipline essential to organizational resilience and adaptation.

Notable Quotes