HOW SERIOUSLY DOES YOUR COMPANY TAKE DESIGN?

by Carolyn Gawkowski

There is a lot of emphasis in today’s employment market on the importance of User Experience design. Many people of different skills and qualifications have started working as UX Designers, and many other people have started hiring them. But that doesn’t mean your company has embraced design. Many companies hire designers without fully understanding how design can benefit the organization. And unfortunately, many designers don’t know how to teach their companies what they have to offer.

If you’re thinking of joining a company as a designer, they’re probably telling you how important the role is and how design is very respected in their organization. But here are some questions you can ask to find out for sure.

Acceptance of Design Thinking

  1. Do they use design thinking as a methodology? 

  2. Have they integrated it into their business processes?

Creative Hiring and Operations

  1. Do they invest in design resources? 

  2. Have they hired design leadership (not just entry level designers)? 

  3. Do the design leaders have access to the CEO? 

  4. Are they able to contribute to business strategy? 

  5. Do they provide design and research training and education for employees? 

  6. Do they understand how to use design research? 

  7. Do they invest in research and design initiatives?

Design as an Investment

  1. Do they invest in user-centered design? Do they conduct user research, creating user personas, or regularly soliciting feedback from users.

  2. Iterative approach to problem-solving: Design thinking involves an iterative approach to problem-solving, where solutions are tested and refined through multiple cycles of prototyping and testing. A company that takes design thinking seriously will embrace this approach and encourage experimentation and iteration.

  3. Does the design practice have leadership buy-in?

  4. Is there a willingness to take risks and experiment?

  5. Is there a focus on continuous improvement and learning?

If the answer to most of these questions is “not really,” then you are in good company. Most companies don’t really understand that design is an investment, not a cost.

But if you are lucky enough to find yourself at a company that does understand design, share it. Share that information on your LinkedIn or in networking groups so that others can benefit from it as well.

As designers, we’re all in this together.