There is a great article at BusinessWeek.com on how Procter & Gamble is changing from a process-centered organization to a design-centered organization. Many of us have worked at companies where this comment from one of their design managers seems all too familiar: "[design is] the last decoration station on the way to market." But as this article shows, it doesn't have to stay that way.
It is a fascinating look at how P&G is shifting away from this culture, and teaching its employees the power of design thinking:
"Once business leaders see they can use design thinking to reframe problems, they are transformed," says Tripp. "The analytical process we typically use to do our work—understand the problem and alternatives; develop several ideas; and do a final external check with the customer—gets flipped. Instead, design thinking methods instruct: There's an opportunity somewhere in this neighborhood; use a broader consumer context to inform the opportunity; brainstorm a large quantity of fresh ideas; and co-create and iterate using low-resolution prototypes with that consumer."
More on what design thinking is about:
"Business schools tend to focus on inductive thinking (based on directly observable facts) and deductive thinking (logic and analysis, typically based on past evidence)," writes A.G. Lafley. "Design schools emphasize abductive thinking—imagining what could be possible. This new thinking approach helps us challenge assumed constraints and add to ideas, versus discouraging them."
Also be sure to check out OlayForYou.com, the case study mentioned in the article. It's a great example of a site designed with the underlying user need in mind: find me a product that is perfect for my situation.
There's also an interesting defense of the Participatory Design method, something I'm a huge fan of as well:
"Participants get scared using such rough prototypes to elicit consumer feedback at the beginning, but they are won over when they see the benefits of co-creation," says Kotchka. "We have found that the more finished a prototype is, the less feedback people will give you. When you give prospective users something half-finished, they think you don't know the answer. They know you need their help—and really open up."
If a packaged goods company like P&G can take this important step away from old school thinking about how products should be designed, I don't think the rest of us have any excuse. We really need to only design products that solves a specific user need -- even if that need isn't known by the user yet (like Twitter).
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