Design is more than just aesthetics. It plays a critical role in the process of future-proofing small and medium-sized businesses through the promotion of innovation and sustainability. Strategic design is about how we create products and services to develop experiences that allow us to build relationships with them and also the companies that are behind them. In effect, design is a strategic tool that businesses need to leverage to drive meaningful change and achieve long-lasting success.
How does design contribute to innovation for small and medium-sized enterprises?
Typically, at Pivot, we work with companies doing what our other speakers do. We follow a strategic process that some of you may know of called Discovery. In User Experience, Discovery begins with understanding people. In other words, who are our users? Where do they come from? What are their needs? What are their constraints and motivations? Understanding their behaviour is a vital part of the process. We do things like field research, observation (watching what people do), and asking them questions when interacting with a product, service or environment. This is critical for learning about behaviours and motivations in understanding that our assumptions are right or wrong. We are in a constant state of learning, pivoting and adapting. It is a big part of how we move forward. It’s about understanding people, understanding the business, understanding the marketplace and then understanding context. Context is everything: people, where they live, their geography, the technological constraints and use (or lack thereof). Inclusive design is a methodology about understanding not only who is included but who is being excluded. And how we design for as many people as possible, especially those on the margins. Diversity, equity & inclusiveness (DEI) should be a priority for all businesses today.