Visually conveying thinking through design requires communication and a clear process. This process gives clarity, alignment, and direction for how the brand should look and feel.
Strategy plays an important, if not critical role in the success and outcome of goals and plans. This is true of business, life, career, and its foundational training for the military.
Design strategy is the term used to describe the nexus between corporate strategy and design thinking. Corporate strategy is the traditional method that businesses and other similar entities use to identify, plan, and achieve their long-term objectives and goals. Design Thinking is a methodology that provides a solution-based approach to solving problems by engaging the end-users.
As in war and business, we need a way to put a strategy into effect, and that requires a methodology, a framework, a roadmap, and a way of thinking. Implementing a design strategy, requires a strategic thinking mindset.
Improving Strategic Thinking In Design
Strategic thinking improves with practice. Here are a few tips to stay sharp and polished:
Observe – Observe business goals and look for trends around those goals. Practice seeing the bigger picture and why it’s important to the client. Pay attention to issues that are raised throughout the design process and communicate these with everyone on the team.
Ask Thoughtful Questions – questions are the language of strategy. As a strategically thinking designer, ask more questions and listen more often. Become curious and ask thoughtful questions about the client, the team, and the process. Dig deep and deviate from “the script.”
Sound Strategic – a great tip is to begin structuring verbal and written communication in a way that keeps the team focused on the core objectives and results.
Focus on Issues – we are all masters of multitasking. We attend every meeting and we try to be present for every event. A better idea is to plan time accordingly and focus on issues, not people. Do we need to be at that meeting? Instead, perhaps we could focus on the goals and tasks at hand and make sure we are executing.
Summary
Executing a successful design strategy requires a strategic thinking mindset—a mindset that affords us the ability to focus more on problem-solving, execution, and better alignment with business goals.
