The live entertainment and events industry is a unique group for a number of reasons, but one thing that sticks out is the position we have because of our very public, pop-culture work. Many of us have work featured on the public stage, on TV, in music, and in major venues around the world, and that gives us an influence unlike other industries. That influence pushes us to innovate. We incorporate new technology, and we strive for the “never been done before.”
This fast-paced innovation requires new approaches and new tools. According to The Institute for the Future (as well as many others), “design thinking” is one of those tools. In fact, it is on the top 10 list of skills employers need by 2020. Business magazines are writing about design thinking, and the business community in general is talking about it. It’s a hot topic here in Rock Lititz, with a campus comprised of innovative companies serving the event industry. In fact, at the recent inaugural event for the Rock Lititz Innovation Series, design thinking was the sole topic.
In many ways, it makes sense for us at Atomic to be talking about design thinking. We were founded by a designer, we provide production design to our clients, and we are constantly designing new products for our rental solutions inventory. We have been in the business of design for more than 22 years. However, it’s applying that same process one step further into the business in areas you don’t typically associate with “design,” like finance, operations, and systems.
Design thinking uses the building blocks of the design process as a way of systematic problem solving versus making. While design may be more traditionally thought of as an aesthetic and a means of style development to create new products, it can also be used to solve all kinds of problems, using the following familiar repeatable design process:
Clarify the question or problem by relentlessly asking, “Why?”
Generate and consider many options.
Refine, prototype (pilot), repeat (repeat, repeat).
Select and execute.
This all starts and ends with the user in mind, whether that user is a person, entity, local government, etc. It is unequivocally human-focused and well-suited to today’s environment of uncertainty and accelerated change, which is why employers are eager to have it as an integrated organizational competency. With its unique human focus, it is a process conducive to solving the social challenges of our day, particularly given the shifts toward personalization, transparency, and collaboration.
Design thinking certainly goes beyond just our industry. For example, IDEO, a global design company headquartered in Palo Alto, California does groundbreaking work in the area of applying design thinking to social problems around the world, problems ranging from how to make the voting process in Los Angeles County more user-friendly, to helping communities in India and East Africa gain access to safe drinking water—hardly typical design challenges. IDEO has led the way in this arena, unearthing needs and solving them for companies, non-profits, governments, and others, achieving great and sustainable results. Dr. Ronald Copeland, senior VP and chief diversity/inclusion officer for Kaiser Permanente, recently shared that the work his organization is doing with IDEO using these methods is a real driver of success for Kaiser.
Design Thinking
Of course like all designers, Atomic’s designers use design thinking on a daily basis without knowing it. Putting a name to the process and applying it with non-designers to challenges not traditionally related to design has helped us leverage the process for exceptional results. These successes include a new financial reporting system, a flexible new medical services option, and a completely new and effective way for us to approach social responsibility through our charitable giving. We’re also currently involving users in the design of a new work and information flow system in one business unit to solve a number of challenges that have hindered our operations for too long. We’re seeing impressive results and are just getting started on our journey.
At a time when businesses have wrung just about every possible bit of productivity out of their workforce and reengineering has about hit its limit as well, organizations are looking for innovative tools with which to achieve results in the changing business landscape. You can now find design departments in the most unlikely industries including banking, pharmaceutical, insurance, and health care, and they’re getting results. Based on information published by the Design Management Institute, design-driven companies have outperformed the S&P Index by 219% during the last 10 years. In recognition of such performance, greater than 10% of the Fortune 125 companies have executive-level design positions. It’s clear that there is no longer one right answer. Design thinking gives a new perspective and systematic approach to problem solving that fits our messy environment.
Taking it a step further: What if social needs become business opportunities? What if we use the power of business, the employees it attracts, the capital it can raise, and the processes it uses to create value for social challenges through the next wave of innovation? Atomic and the Rock Lititz Community are looking at such challenges, particularly those related to employee development, education delivery systems, and the concept of whole life issues that touch all of us in this industry.
As our Rock Lititz innovation campus grows, we’re focused on production, collaboration, and community. This community of industry professionals has the ability to use their thinking, design, and creative talents to enhance their clients’ experience, each other’s businesses, and potentially the larger community. That’s what the Rock Lititz Innovation Series is all about.
We look forward to joining with Rock Lititz and the talented professionals from the live events industry at large for proactive problem solving. Design has the power to change the world, not just make it look good, and our industry provides the perfect venues of influence and talent to make that happen.
Lydia Henry is the vice president of Strategy and Human Resources for Atomic. She has a business consulting background of more than 18 years and is a strong advocate for integrating growth and development strategies throughout all company operations and activities. She promotes the tenets of design thinking through speaking engagements to different industries and is focused on developing increasingly progressive ways of solid and expedient problem solving. Additionally, she is developing different ways of working to address the changing business environment to allow for a whole life that is fulfilling and achievement-oriented. She is happy to share ideas on these issues and may be contacted at [email protected].
For more, download the October issue of Live Design for free onto your iPad or iPhone from the Apple App Store, and onto your Android smartphone and tablet from Google Play or read the interactive PDF.