Years ago I was fortunate enough to work in an extraordinarily toxic studio culture. I do mean fortunate because it truly redefined my approach to design and made me a much more thoughtful practitioner. After leaving that environment for a new exciting role I sat down and reflected on the challenging experience. Being a proper product person, I took out a pad of sticky notes and listed all of the failures, abuses, and missed opportunities I witnessed in that studio and stuck it to my kitchen wall. After a few days of revisiting the list, I realized that I would need to do the exact opposite of each line item to run a successful studio. The six pillars listed below represent all the ingredients needed to create and foster a culture of design thinking. It may seem obvious, but you would be surprised how impactful they are to any given environment. I have shared this list with friends and can happily say that posters of my pillars appear on the studio walls of tier-1 automotive suppliers and international defense contractors.
Discuss ideas openly and consider input from all stakeholders
Show and discuss design intent with all stakeholders especially when asked
Embrace lessons learned
Be dynamic and open to change
Seek opportunities (uncover holes) AND propose solutions
The user is the customer. Repeat. The user is the customer