As design talent becomes more sought after and designers achieve higher levels of leadership in organizations, it's becoming more and more apparent that having design talent does not ensure design success. An organization's culture - its shared beliefs and behaviors - have a tremendous effect on how that company utilizes and capitalizes on design talent. If we want our organizations to make the most of not only designers, but the creative talent and innovative ideas of all and any of it's people, then we must make a focused effort to change our organizations culture and the various aspects and facets of an organization in which culture manifests. This is Organizational Design, a practice focused on optimizing the structures of an organization to achieve a desired outcome.

1. Redesigning
the Table The Case for
Organizational Design
@ADAMCONNORADAM CONNOR EXPERIENCE DESIGNER, VP ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN & TRAINING

2. Congratulations
Designers!
We’ve made it!

3. “Design lead” organizations have been shown to
outperform the S&P 500 by 228% over the last 10
years. (DMI)
In the next 10 years, job growth for UX Designers
in the US is expected to increase by 22%. (CNN)
Increase in design leadership positions such as
CCO, CDO and CXO.

7. Having design talent does not
ensure design success.

8. 25%
24%
18%
14%
11%
9%
Overall Culture
Lack of Leadership
Resource Constraints
Silos & Politics
Partial Implementation
Lack of Understanding
What barriers prevent UX Design from
having a greater impact in organizations?
Leah Buley
Principal Analyst, Forrester Research

9. They’re people problems.
Often, the problems that cause
organizations to fail are not
problems with technology,
talent, or ideas.

10. Conway’s Law
“Organizations which design
systems are constrained to produce
designs which are copies of the
communication structures of these
organizations.”
Melvin Conway,
Computer Scientist

11. “An organization’s ability to take
advantage of design talent and
creative ideas is directly proportional
to its culture’s support or hinderance
of the conditions needed for them to
flourish.”
Adam Connor
The Guy Speaking Right Now

12. 25%
24%
18%
14%
11%
9%
Overall Culture
Lack of Leadership
Resource Constraints
Silos & Politics
Partial Implementation
Lack of Understanding
What barriers prevent UX Design from
having a greater impact in organizations?
Leah Buley
Principal Analyst, Forrester Research

13. Organizational
Culture
Lack of Leadership
Resource Constraints
Silos & Politics
Partial Implementation
Lack of Understanding

14. Culture is the shared beliefs
and behaviors of a group.

15. Organizational
Culture
Lack of Leadership
Resource Constraints
Silos & Politics
Partial Implementation
Lack of Understanding
Structur
Values &
Commu
Tools &
Skills &
Policies

16. Organizational
Culture
adership
nstraints
& Politics
entation
standing
Structure & Roles
Values & Beliefs
Communication
Tools & Processes
Skills & Knowledge
Policies

17. Changing culture is difficult
because it is a self-reinforcing
network.

18. Organizational
Culture
Structure & Roles
Values & Beliefs
Communication
Tools & Processes
Skills & Knowledge
Policies

19. Structure & Roles
Values & Beliefs Communication
Tools & Processes
Skills & Knowledge
Policies

20. Structure & Roles
Values & Beliefs Communication
Tools & Processes
Skills & Knowledge
Policies

21. Structure & Roles
Values & Beliefs Communication
Tools & Processes
Skills & Knowledge
Policies

22. Structure & Roles
Values & Beliefs Communication
Tools & Processes
Skills & Knowledge
Policies

23. Changing culture can be
approached as a design
challenge.

24. Envision
Understand
the future culture you intend to change towards.
your current organizational culture.

25. Dave Gray
Super Smart Dude With Too Many Titles
Culture Maps Journey Maps

26. Skills, Tools &
Knowledge
COM-B Model
Capability
Opportunity
Motivation
Behavior
Values, Beliefs,
Structure & Roles
Processes, Policies &
Communication

27. Envision
Identify
Understand
the future culture you intend to change towards.
your current organizational culture.
the opportunities and challenges between the two.
Select
Analyze
Generate
and implement some of those ideas.
ideas for potential changes to process, structure, roles, etc.
and critique your implementation and it’s effect.
Iterate and keep going.

28. Structure & Roles
Values & Beliefs Communication
Tools & Processes
Skills & Knowledge
Policies
Where do we start?

29. Structure & Roles
Values & Beliefs Communication
Tools & Processes
Skills & Knowledge
Policies
Where do we start?

30. Intentional culture change
requires persistence and
adaptation.

31. “If we want to put our organizations
in positions where they can make
the most of their employees’ design
talent and ideas, we must make a
conscious, focused effort to provide
a culture that supports those beliefs
and behaviors.”
Adam Connor
That Same Guy As Last Time

32. Intentional culture change is
designed.

33. Intentional culture change is
Organizational Design.

34. THANK YOU!Adam Connor
VP Organizational Design & Training
!
@adamconnor
aconnor@madpow.com