This research, the findings and insights, combined with experience has led to a framework of needs to be addressed, by designers and non-designers. This framework is focused on the underlying biases and assumptions each side has of each other, unspoken but yet prominent and present in such a way that it prevents companies from making […]
CEO
Is it because they don’t have an engineering degree?
According to market data, engineering is the most common undergraduate degree of the F500 CEOs, and it has been for some time. Approximately one third of CEOs majored in engineering and only 11% graduated from business school. This might be another insight that impacts access to Designers to this selective group, a strong engineering, highly […]
2. Necessity – There is no need, design is already represented, these corporations are at the top of their game.
This insight generally describes a corporate context where there is no need for a designer in a C-suite position, design is already represented in some shape or form by one or more executives, these corporations are at the top of their game, so it is arguable that they don’t need a designer in this position. […]
1. Design CEO – There are not enough Design savvy CEO’s/ Executives that understand the value of Design.
So, why there aren’t more designers in the c-suite of large corporations?
So, why there aren’t more designers in the c-suite of large corporations?
The list of insights generated is done so in a statement format, almost as they were stated by the interviewees directly or implicitly. Research and reflection was conducted as if these were hypothesis, in some cases results pointed clearly towards a response, but in others the response was elusive, and in other cases there are […]
Was there misalignment between the two surveys?
Both surveys had a number of questions in common, and though they were not written in the exact same way, the data collected is comparable and allows juxtaposing and insight generation. The three areas that both surveys addressed were: • State of design in the company they worked in • design definitions • Insights impacting […]
How did the executive survey go?
We designed, along with an organization specialized in tracking executives in large corporations a short executive focused survey on Designer leadership in large corporations. The survey had to be short due to the nature of the target respondents, large company executives with very little time to spend on non-essential activities, and the partner we co-designed […]
Any recurrent arguments in the conversations?
There are three arguments that have come up since the first time we articulated this inquiry, one is that things are a lot better than they were in the past, the second that these things take time, the third that some of the design managers in N-2/3/4 are in fact important design leaders, managing often […]
And the future of design in these corporations?
The future of design is shaped by the perceived impact of technology, some have stated designers need to “speak machine”, other have recognized the constant pressure of the designers to learn, appreciate and apply technology and computational powers to evolve with design and its impact, Designers are being asked to lead a digitization revolution for […]
What about women designers in the C-suite of large corporations?
This research would be remiss if it didn’t address the fact that there is an ongoing debate about the lack of women in the C-suite of large corporations, as well as in the CEO role. As the HBR puts it in an article on the topic “The news about U.S. women’s presence in the C-suite […]