1. TURNING A STARTUP
INTO A DESIGN DRIVEN COMPANY
or when one buzzword changes to another

2. According to the Design Management
Institute’s DesignValue Index, for
example, design-driven companies
have maintained a significant stock-
market advantage, outperforming
the S&P 500 by an extraordinary
211 percent over the past ten years.
S&P 500 Design-Drivenhttp://www.dmi.org/?DesignValue

3. WOW

4. design = profit

5. 1. Claim that I value design
2. …
3. Profit
WHAT DO I NEEDTO DO?

6. 1. Claim that I value design
2. …
3. Profit
APPLE DOES IT. I CAN DO IT
WHAT DO I NEEDTO DO?

7. 1. Claim that I value design
2. …
3. Profit
APPLE DOES IT. I CAN DO IT
WHAT DO I NEEDTO DO?
And make that bike green.
I think red is too aggressive

8. 1. Claim that I value design
2. …
3. Profit
APPLE DOES IT. I CAN DO IT
WHAT DO I NEEDTO DO?
And make that bike green.
I think red is too aggressive
And flat. People don't like
skeuomorphic images anymore

9. being a design-driven company
is not about

10. Following latest trends
Turning designers into managers
Making everyone in a company
a designer
MacBooks, beanbags and pur overs
being a design-driven company
is not about
Putting some stickies on the wall
Making designers code

11. Your management claiming that you are
being a design-driven company
is not about
“When I see a company with an innovation lab
I cringe, because the only thing I really know is that there
will be no innovation in it.” - Carl Bass,Autodesk

12. bringing in a voice of the user
applying a design thinking
understanding a user journey
evaluating with users, and developers
being a design-driven company
could be about
creating collaborative environment

13. What is design?

14. What is design?Simply put, design is an action of problem solving.

15. What is design?Simply put, design is an action of solving a problem.
One of many others in it’s way to implementation.

16. Design is an action.
Design is also a result of this action.

17. I need a design for this unique exiting feature
that our users will love!
says a generic PM in a generic company

18. I need a design for this unique exiting feature
that our users will love!
Here are the requirements.
says a generic PM in a generic company

19. I need a design for this unique exiting feature
that our users will love!
says a generic PM in a generic company
Here are the requirements.
Do it fast. Developers need to start tomorrow.

20. I need a design for this unique exiting feature
that our users will love!
Here are the requirements.
Do it fast. Developers need to start tomorrow.
Sorry, but what is the problem
we about to solve for our user?
you ask

21. I need a design for this unique exiting feature
that our users will love!
Here are the requirements.
Do it fast. Developers need to start tomorrow.
Sorry, but what is the problem
we about to solve for our user?
What are you talking about?
There is no problem. There is a new feature.
says a generic PM in a generic company

22. Here are the requirements.
Do it fast. Developers need to start tomorrow.
Sorry, but what is the problem
we about to solve for our user?
What are you talking about?
There is no problem. There is a new feature.
What activity does this feature support?
What business value does it provide?
you ask

23. Sorry, but what is the problem
we about to solve for our user?
What are you talking about?
There is no problem. There is a new feature.
What activity does this feature support?
What business value does it provide?
I don’t understand.
What can’t you just put that button on a page?
says a generic PM in a generic company

24. we about to solve for our user?
What are you talking about?
There is no problem. There is a new feature.
What activity does this feature support?
What business value does it provide?
I don’t understand.
What can’t you just put that button on a page?
And make it not like any other.
We are a design-driven company.

25. Wait a sec

26. Design is an action of solving a problem.
if

27. Design is an action of solving a problem.
if
Design-driven company is a company
that widely applies design to solve
of its’ business challenges.
then

28. Design is an action of solving a problem.
if
Design-driven company is a company
that widely applies design to solve
of its’ business challenges.
then
and not only
to decorate those

29. 4 out of 5
startup mentors
suggest

30. 4 out of 5
startups
don’t do

31. 4 out of 5
startups
hire designer to
1. Design a logo
2. Make a landing
3. Suggest font and color
4. Sketch MVP
Identifying value is great
but we have no money.
Lets get reach first.

32. 4 out of 5
startups
hire designer to
1. Design a logo
2. Make a landing
3. Suggest font and color
4. Sketch MVP
Identifying value is great
but we have no money.
Lets get reach first.
1 out of 10
startups
hire designer to
1. Evaluate user needs
2. Create user flow and IA
3. Craft unique experience
4. Design solid MVP
Identifying value is great.
Invest in it and asses
product-market fit.

33. 4 out of 5
startups
hire designer to
1. Design a logo
2. Make a landing
3. Suggest font and color
4. Sketch MVP
Identifying value is great
but we have no money.
Lets get reach first.
1 out of 10
startups
hire designer to
1. Evaluate user needs
2. Create user flow and IA
3. Craft unique experience
4. Design solid MVP
Identifying value is great.
Invest in it and asses
product-market fit.
Most often a startup
that survived on its
post MVP stage is a
company that can be
ready to do a shift and
become a truly
design-driven company.

34. 4 out of 5
startups
hire designer to
1. Design a logo
2. Make a landing
3. Suggest font and color
4. Sketch MVP
Identifying value is great
but we have no money.
Lets get reach first.
1 out of 10
startups
hire designer to
1. Evaluate user needs
2. Create user flow and IA
3. Craft unique experience
4. Design solid MVP
Identifying value is great.
Invest in it and asses
product-market fit.
Most often a startup
that survived on its
post MVP stage is a
company that can be
ready to do a shift and
become a truly
design-driven company.
When founding
fathers are ready.
But you will work with
their expanded team.

35. with a team that knows

36. Bright visuals sell.

37. but

38. Bright visuals sell.
But it is care that creates
a lasting relationship between
the user and the product.

39. Great design cares about its’ users.

40. Great design cares about its’ users.
In a design-driven company everyone
understands what the great design is.

41. Great design cares about its’ users.
In a design-driven company everyone
understands what the great design is.
And everyone contributes.

43. You cannot make everyone to care.

44. You cannot make everyone to care.
It takes time. Be patient.

45. How to make people care?
1. Care about them and show that you do.
2. Explore what they already have/think/do.
3. Find your allies.
4. Outline your responsibilities.
5. Make rules clear.
6. Build your strategy around your discovery.
7. Evaluate the progress.

46. How to make people care?
1. Care about them and show that you do.
2. Explore what they already have/think/do.
3. Find your allies.
4. Outline your responsibilities.
5. Make rules clear.
6. Build your strategy around your discovery.
7. Evaluate the progress.
How to make a
design-driven company?
1. Say hello
2. Assess status quo.
3. Gain C-level management and team support.
4. Take ownership over whole design.
5. Define good design.
6. Build strategy around company roadmap.
7. Be ready to reassess on a regular basis.

47. Say Hello!
• Introduce yourself.
• Introduce your task.
• Get know stakeholders and key decision makers.
• Get know other people too.

48. Access the Status Quo
• Product (users, functions, visuals, everything).
• Responsibilities (people, processes).
• Previous experiences.
• Expectations.

49. Gain C-level support
• Share your discoveries.
• Ask about long and short team goals.
• Ask about their strategy.
• Discuss your strategy.
• Discuss your resources (budget, people, time).

50. Gain team support
• Be friendly and responsive.
• Be useful from the beginning.
• Help to tackle immediate issues.

51. Take ownership
• Decide what you want to be responsible for.
• Decide how you want to work.
• Decide how you queue incoming design tasks.
• Decide how you squeeze new task into existing routine.

52. Define good design for this company
• Formalize role of design.
• Write down design goals and principles.
• Build brand and translate it into design.
• Create styleguide.
• Create design system.
• Find way to make it into SDK.
• Run design reviews.

53. Build your strategy around company roadmap
• Keep track of global vision.
• Build your activities around strategic initiatives.
• Support tactical activities.
• Build exit points to adjust your vision.

54. Be ready to regroup
• No quick assumptions.
• Get feedback from metrics.
• Get feedback from people.
• Observe and listen.
• Adjust what and when needed.
• Remember your goals.

55. There will be a transition period.
Keep calm. Carry on

56. THANKYOU

57. 1. DesignValue by Design Management Institute http://www.dmi.org/?DesignValue
2. Business innovation by design http://businessinnovation.design/blog/2015/3/30/
infographic-building-design-driven-companies
3. http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/
building-a-design-driven-culture
4. Autodesk insights http://thisisdesignthinking.net/2015/05/autodesk-design-thinking-
hiring/
CREDITS