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
-
•
A single connection at 14 can have life-changing impacts on education, career, and personal life.
-
•
Enterprise workplaces often suffer from silos and initiative overload, causing confusion and inefficiency.
-
•
Design excels at sense-making—organizing complexity and finding clarity within chaos.
-
•
ExxonMobil grew its design practice from 3 designers in 2014 to over 100 in just a few years through strategic connection-making.
-
•
Internal transitions, like that of Vin moving from developer to UX lead, bring valuable domain experience into design teams.
-
•
Design systems like ExxonMobil’s Unity create cross-team connections and accelerate the design and development process.
-
•
Treating every conversation as an opportunity to learn and connect can uncover surprising insights and opportunities.
-
•
Exploring beyond one’s silo through internal communities and leadership communication broadens perspective and drives collaboration.
-
•
Sharing ideas with context maximizes their value and helps others to apply insights effectively.
-
•
Leaders play a critical role by investing in connection spaces, encouraging curiosity, and spotlighting their teams.
Notable Quotes
"A connection that I made when I was 14 years old helped me to fund my college education, find my wife, and get the job at ExxonMobil that I still have today."
"Working in enterprise can feel like chaos with unclear directions and too much noise from new initiatives every six months."
"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."
"Every time somebody purchased a domain name, I earned a commission. Over three to four years, I earned over $100,000 as a high school student."
"We created our design system called Unity to help scale great app experiences and connect developers and designers."
"Treat every conversation as an opportunity to learn and to make connections."
"Inviting people from other disciplines to experience user research helped Felipe see why user experience matters."
"Sharing with context can really help others to make those connections as well."
"As leaders, don’t make it about you—put the spotlight on the people doing great work."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"If I don’t trust you, how can I feel safe with you?"
Zariah CameronReDesigning Wellbeing for Equitable Care in the Workplace
September 23, 2024
"Individuals tend to confuse prioritization with personal productivity or time management."
John Cutler Harry MaxPrioritization for designers and product managers (1st of 3 seminars) (Videoconference)
June 13, 2024
"Sharing with context can really help others to make those connections as well."
Nick CochranGrowing in Enterprise Design through Making Connections
June 3, 2019
"Set measurable goals connected to the specific problem to track if a change is effective."
Deanna SmithLeading Change with Confidence: Strategies for Optimizing Your Process
September 23, 2024
"We’re now looking to help legislators think about digital outcomes as they draft new laws and regulations."
Magdalena ZadaraZero Hour: How to Get Far Quickly When Starting Your Digital Service Unit Late
November 16, 2022
"Be the one who picks up the sharpie first, especially if you’re in a leadership position."
Nova Wehman-BrownWe've Never Done This Before
June 4, 2019
"Close collaboration with AI researchers, including attending interviews and call center sessions together, blends human empathy with technical expertise."
Liwei DaiThe Heart and Brain of the AI Research
March 31, 2020
"My phone buzzed again. I have a job this weekend for you and your team to help on the COVID response if you’re available."
Gordon Ross12 Months of COVID-19 Design and Digital Response with the British Columbia Government
December 8, 2021
"I was running on fumes for decades."
Tutti TaygerlyMake Space to Lead
June 12, 2021
