Make to Think
As “Design Thinking(TM)” has become a caricature of itself, I reflect on how design and creative leadership can drive honest and true organizational transformation.
No. 5 is here. I took some time to rest and think on where the world is headed, the semester at Princeton has successfully ended, the new one is way underway (it’s spring break!), and we’re busy building products at Stark.
Today’s post reflects on a combination of questions I’ve gotten from mentees and students as well as leaders I’ve worked with over the years. It’s about the value of creative process of design, the transformational power it can unlock, and how “design thinking” has wasted at least as many valuable resources as it had created.
Admittedly, I’ve been sitting on this draft for months, contemplating how useful it would be attempting to distill more than a decade of my creative leadership experience into some sort of a framework. Especially since this type of framework thinking has gotten us into somewhat of mess as design leaders and executives. However, my friend John Danner has encouraged me to share “the wisdom and invite the dialogue”.
So, as you’re reading the post below, keep in mind that what I’m advocating for is a simple as it is profound: Make. Make a lot, make it together. Show what you make to your colleagues and customers. Observe (no, feel!) the reactions and responses. Trust your gut, sense what resonates. Intellectualize as little as possible.
And as always, thank you for reading. Please let me know which of these thoughts resonate with you, what you’d like to read more of or send any ideas, questions, and feedback my way via email or the comments.
Make to Think
There’s something interesting that happens in organizations when hierarchy, sense of authority, politics, and ROI create the molasses-like inertia many people experience in their day to day work. That’s typically the moment when folks pull out the powerpoint slide decks, research data, consultancies, spreadsheets and all sorts of theoretical methodologies with the goal to “double down” and “move the needle”.
This has never resonated with me, and thus it has never been my approach. At the same time, I didn’t realize this difference in approach until (over the years) people repeatedly pointed it out to me, asked questions and were looking for advice.
Maybe it’s because I’m a hopeful business romantic or because of how I grew up, in an environment where every day we would “make things with our hands”.
There’s something profoundly human in the act of creating with our own hands. And I believe when people make things together, magic happens and big things become possible.
Design thinking without design doing is useless
“Design Thinking” (the thing that IDEO so masterfully marketed for decades) has not only become a buzzword but almost a caricature of a hollow process with questionable outcomes. That’s unfortunate given the robust foundational principles and insightful methods this process was initially built on.
That said, I believe there’s both a need and a better way of driving business impact through design. A simpler approach that focuses on the doing rather than the perpetuation of groupthink while worshiping (or workshopping) a wall full of post-it notes.
The profoundly transformational thing about “design doing” (aka the act of creation) is that we can take abstract ideas floating around an organization and make them tangible by giving them shape. That’s what making is all about. There’s nothing more powerful and convincing than a beautiful prototype that many people feel ownership in to shape a collective pride that can move mountains in an organization.
And that’s what I call ”Make to Think”, a phrase I first heard my former manager Jon Friedman use years back when we worked together at Microsoft.
“Nothing is a mistake. There’s no win and no fail, there’s only make.”
– Sister Corita Kent
So what’s the antidote to groupthink? Make.
“Make to Think” offers a refreshingly optimistic perspective on creative leadership. And yes, this post is specifically for executives that, for some reason, have convinced themselves that sitting through powerpoint-laden meetings is effective to drive impactful decisions. I implore you to give the below some serious thought and attempt to practice across your organizations.
In an age of unpredictability, “Make to think” provides an unorthodox blueprint for organizations to remain agile, innovative, and deeply connected to each other, their mission, and audience.
Distinct from traditional methodologies that emphasize thinking before making, this approach proves that through the act of creation—making—we discover new avenues of thought and insights. The process of making real, tangible “things” with a diverse group of people not only accelerates decision making but also builds the emotional momentum that moves the larger organization along.
“Make to Think” harmonizes intuitive action with reflective strategy. Based on my own experience applying this approach at Microsoft ans SAP across multiple large-scale organizations, I believe it’s the winning approach for creative leadership to be successful in the increasingly dynamic business landscape of the 21st century.
Not only have I seen this approach creating more momentum and producing meaningful change at faster rates than before, it has also led to some the most fulfilling work I’ve ever gotten the chance to do. And huge amount of gratitude goes to my teams, coworkers and collaborators that leaned in, put politics aside, and joined in the fun of making together.
My “Make to Think“ Principles
Or better: Here’s the stuff I found to work well, distilled down into a list of bullet points for easier consumption. As a leader, model these behaviors and give your teams permission – no, require it – to drop the PowerPoints and come with real drafts, prototypes and mockups. Try it out, try it on, see how it feels for you!
Creation spawns ideation: Instead of over-planning before taking action, begin with a foundational idea. Make. Trust the process and take the first step. Jump into the creative process early, use each iteration as a touchpoint for reflection and refining strategy.
Doing beats dreaming: Emphasize learning through doing. Play. As you build, your team will gain insights from their successes and setbacks, informing the next steps and strategies. Even the biggest ideas can be expressed in a first-step prototype people can touch.
Everything’s a work in progress: Accept that not everything will be perfect from the start. Learn. Through making, adjustments can be identified and applied in real-time. Think of complex problems as just a series of simple steps to take.
The best experience wins: Making an idea real has profound power and energizes a team. Have fun. Observe and test often how your creation resonate with its intended audience not only on a rational but also an emotional level.
Inspiration eats incentives for breakfast: You don’t need to incentivize inspired people. Celebrate. By actively engaging in the making process, teams tap into their intrinsic motivation, politics melt away, leading to increased creativity and innovation.
Unite and conquer: Encourage diverse teams to work together. Jam. Bring together people from different departments, united in their ability to create. During the making process you’ll uncover novel solutions that emerge from the unique perspectives everyone brings. This is how you ensure the creation of inclusive, accessible, and intuitive experiences.
The benefits I’ve experienced
When I’ve shared these notes with mentees, coworkers, and students before, I often got the reaction “Sounds so simple but how does it work?”. Here are the benefits and why I think “Make to Think” works:
Quick wins: Just like every journey starts with the first step, so does every organizational transformation accelerate with the celebration of small wins. Often underrated, these small wins add up and build momentum. As humans we connect with real products we can touch, even if those products are at first imperfect, unrefined prototypes.
Play first: By focusing on the act of making, teams unlock unparalleled levels of creativity and innovation. No matter the size of the organization, the process of making together, connects us as humans. The ability to explore and manifest ideas as they come up, is a playful, exciting endeavor that transcends artificial organizational boundaries.
The team’s the winner: Working collaboratively through challenges fosters a strong sense of unity and shared purpose. “Make to Think” enables organizations to rapidly adapt to changes and challenges in the modern business landscape. What’s more, people from different departments can join in the same process and create together which reduces the political hurdles or potential power dynamics often found in organizations that suffer from the “not invented here” syndrome.
Finally, a note on how what sounds so simple actually requires a good amount of discipline and rigor in daily execution: It’s easy to get sucked into the vortex that is the habits of the corporate organism. Consistently applying “Make to Think” requires a self-awareness and courage to resist engaging in the politics of large organizations.
This is where creative leaders shine.
3 Inspirations
I’m learning a lot about AI (as many people do), specifically with a focus on things that help me balance hype vs. reality, understanding the second order effects (on environment, economy, and humanity) of what appears to be a truly foundational technology of the future.
Kevin Scott (Microsoft’s CTO) talks with Bill Gates on many things AI.
Jaron Lanier looks into AI’s future. I find his work to always be insightful.
Jensen Huang (CEO of NVIDIA) on the future of AI.
You made it. Thank you!
Kudos to you for making it all the way to the end. Since this is all new to me, please share your feedback, questions or any topics you’d like me to touch on.
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