At last, the folks at McKinsey & Company are learning about and promoting the benefits of building a Design-Driven Culture. After acquiring Lunar Design it seems they are now among the converted, well, better late than never. And McKinsey just published a very basic article endorsing four elements of design-driven cultures, including:
1. Really understanding the customer
2. Bringing empathy to the organization
3. Designing in real time
4. Acting quickly
You can read more about McKinsey’s recommendations on Building a Design Driven Culture here.
But here’s the part that really makes me smile. How many times have we all talked about, and fretted about, and argued for “design” to have a seat at the table? Countless. For years. For decades. And now McKinsey & Company agrees. They say:
“Transforming your company into one that uses design as a driver of change takes time. Here are some questions we’ve found helpful in successfully making that journey:
Do you have a senior design leader with real authority? Hire a chief design officer or vice president of design strategy. Empower this person with a seat in the C-suite and the backing of the CEO. Ensure that design factors such as customer implications are part of any business strategy.”
Even McKinsey, an American multinational management consulting firm that conducts qualitative and quantitative analysis in order to evaluate management decisions, is on board. How cool. Design, indeed, always has and always will deserve a seat at the table.