Presented at the first Service Design Now conference.
I spoke about our approach to encouraging the adoption and application of design practices in non traditional areas within the bank, and how we were using a reflective practice approach to help our teams reach their own understanding of design and its benefits.
7. A propensity for doing
“All design to some extent is future
oriented”
-A Dunne & F Raby
“I don’t think you can design anything
just by absorbing information and then
hoping to synthesise it into a solution.
What you need to know about the
problem only becomes apparent as
you’re trying to solve it”
- R MacCormack
8. But not for doing’s sake
Managers are not confronted with
problems that are independent of
each other, but with dynamic
situations that consist of
complex systems of changing
problems that interact with
each other. I call these
situations messes. Problems are
abstractions extracted from messes
by analysis; they are to messes as
atoms are to tables and
charts…Managers do not solve
problems: they manage messes.”
- R. Ackoff
9. But not for doing’s sake
Designers are not confronted with
problems that are independent of
each other, but with dynamic
situations that consist of
complex systems of changing
problems that interact with
each other. I call these
situations messes. Problems are
abstractions extracted from messes
by analysis; they are to messes as
atoms are to tables and
charts…Designers do not solve
problems: they manage messes.”
- R. Ackoff
18. Listen to the system
“At the same time that the enquirer tries
to shape the situation to [their] frame,
they must hold [themselves] open to the
situation’s back-talk.”
- D Schön
Asked to talk about design at scale
Don’t have six hours
So talking about one important change to how we practice design at ANZ
ANZ currently undergoing a massive restructure. - explain
Fundamental shift
Design as practice is spread throughout
Design as approach is at its core
What I want to talk about today
By…
Let’s talk about the right place
(taking strong inspiration and liberties from “What Service Design Entails” - Tonkinwise)
- Cust proposition
- Delivery
- Delivery with design intent
- Those of you from a design background will recognise JJG
Bringing design to many parts of the business
We want to design better outcomes
To do that, we need to get better at letting our people design things across the business
To do that, we need to think critically about how we work as a design team, and as design individuals
Hat tip to JJG and CT
This is a great opportunity, but also brings many challenges
We’re not evangelists or salespeople
Goal is not to set up a large internal practice of the sake of it
Embedding is a fairly violent work
Instead, want to spread life into practice, but also control it’s shape
What are our goals?
What do we want to happen from this?
This is crucial.
Not something banks often have
Future oriented - we don’t want static design. Design that just gloms the techniques around what we already have
Prototyping - want to avoid those projects that just fill rooms with paper, diagrams, “insights”. No more research. We need people to have the courage to try, and the safety to fail, else we’ll never know what the right solution is
We’re not a product company.
We don’t just make widgets, so a linear design approach wont’ make sense.
Need to avoid the determinism of the project - otherwise we’re back here in a years time untangling mess again
Need to build culture of less
Also, and this is the one I lose sleep over, - how do we build a culture of actively getting things done, but help that to scale <—-this is probably the answer to the scaling design question, I don’t know what it is!
Our goal is not to build a large design team, or to have sheep dipped 46,000 through a design bootcamps
We’re not a product company.
We don’t just make widgets, so a linear design approach wont’ make sense.
Need to avoid the determinism of the project - otherwise we’re back here in a years time untangling mess again
Need to build culture of less
Also, and this is the one I lose sleep over, - how do we build a culture of actively getting things done, but help that to scale <—-this is probably the answer to the scaling design question, I don’t know what it is!
Our goal is not to build a large design team, or to have sheep dipped 46,000 through a design bootcamps
Ultimately, our goal is for
people to understand and take in the intent of design as much as the action of design
Often, when we introduce design to people we talk about the process
The end state goal only comes later
Want to focus on what we’re working towards (to show relevance)
- then use the journey there as a way to introduce the approach
need reflection of practice and reflection in practice
Of practice - need them to understand the depth of design so that they can apply it with rigour
In practice - need them to observe their own work as they are working and look at ways to tend and adjust to provide relevance to the organisation and its strategy, as well as to themselves
Liang and the magic paintbrush
A boy’s paintings come to life
We want to give people that experience - want them to find the relevance to their own problems
Banks normally create an environment that squashes following your gut
How to build an environment that allows for intuition, without people just following their preferences (humamns as are biased beings)
Need to internalise the messy, vague approach, as well as the validation and destruction of ideas (this is hard! Who has actually had to kill a darling?)
Training intuition
Need to move fast. We're talking about an 18 month to 3 year plan, but really we don't even have that much time
we need to get started now, even if we're not ready.
This might mean broken bones and late nights, but we don’t[' have time to wait for the business to have an identity transplant before we start.
Training will happen on the coalface, supported by people who have been through this before and have the scars to prove it.
Think back to our three planes
A big part of our work is making it easier for others to do work
Focusing just on the project has diminishing returns - focus instead on the environment it exists it.
Encourage design to thrive
Funding models
Risk approach
HR and Talent
Leadership
Definition of “done”
Access to customers
Leadership
We can do this, because we’ve run against these barriers before
Think back to our three planes
A big part of our work is making it easier for others to do work
Focusing just on the project has diminishing returns - focus instead on the environment it exists it.
Encourage design to thrive
Funding models
Risk approach
HR and Talent
Leadership
Definition of “done”
Access to customers
Leadership
We can do this, because we’ve run against these barriers before
I’m a bit in love with this quote
We might have a vision of the Bonsai. But, if it starts branching in a different direction we can force it too hard
Duality of having a strong future vision, but also being willing to break it open
What I’m showing you now might be redundant next week
We need to find the right solution for ANZ
This is not a ‘lift and shift’ - we need to confidence and rigour to practice what we preach; to adjust and modify, listen to our customers, iterate, refine
Act - but with thought and intent
Find relevance through applying the finished touches to your own painting
Find rigour through knowing why you’re working in a certain why