Vol. 19, No. 3, Summer 2008

Kevin Clark, Program Director, IBM Corporate Marking and Communications; Ron Smith, Experience Strategist, IBM Corporate Marking and Communications

Using the power of design thinking to its best advantage means awakening design instincts and methods in business executives and organizations that we may not have even considered working with. Until then, say these authors, both IBM veterans, design thinking will remain an underused asset. But the more it is used to innovate and solve problems across many professions, the more design will appear in significant conversations and decisions that shape the future of the business world. Clark and Smith suggest that the best way to involve business people in design is to cultivate “design patrons” who also want to move design strategy and methods into the mainstream of business thought to accomplish business goals. These patrons would not just come to designers to acquire their skills; they would also learn to use the methods of design to make business itself more intentional. Several examples from IBM projects illustrate how to encourage these business colleagues to join the vanguard of design.

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