{"id":50758,"date":"2020-03-12T12:49:22","date_gmt":"2020-03-12T19:49:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/?p=50758"},"modified":"2020-03-12T12:49:22","modified_gmt":"2020-03-12T19:49:22","slug":"cultivating-design-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.creativecircle.com\/blog\/cultivating-design-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"For Designers, This is More Important Than a Fat Paycheck"},"content":{"rendered":"

For designers, this is more important than a fat paycheck<\/h2>\n

The #1 criteria for product designers is actually a strong design culture. That\u2019s right. It\u2019s not a higher salary or oodles of vacation time. Rather, employees want to feel like they\u2019re a part of something bigger than their 9 to 5. They want exciting, meaningful work, and the freedom and agency to solve it in their own way. I mean, at the end of the day, don\u2019t we all?<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can’t be a successful unicorn hunter if you\u2019re going to bring people into a horrible culture. You have to create an environment that creatives want to be a part of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rachel Kobetz, <\/em>SVP Head of Experience Design at Bank of America<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Cultivating a strong design culture<\/h3>\n

So how do you know if you have one? Or if you don\u2019t, how do you create one? The answer isn\u2019t hard to grasp, but actually putting it into practice requires a steady flow of intention, because the unfortunate truth is: Most companies unwittingly stifle creativity by prioritizing process and politics over people and passions.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s start with what it is. IDEO<\/a> describes culture as \u201can environment that makes it possible for people to work together to come up with innovative products and ideas.\u201d In other words, it\u2019s a human-centered approach that sparks collaboration and invites innovation, or, you know, the creative vibe.<\/em><\/p>\n

So a strong design culture must understand and respect the needs of the people who work there \u2014 beyond what they contribute to the company\u2019s bottom line.<\/p>\n

Good UX is good culture<\/h3>\n

Most of us are familiar with how good UX can bring satisfaction, and maybe even delight us along the way. Or a bad one (hello Ikea store layouts?) can conjure up dread and dismay.<\/p>\n

So even though companies focus on building products and creating design that provide an intuitive and friendly UX, many fail to apply that same methodology to their own organization.<\/p>\n

How does the employee as the user navigate through the experience of working at your company? These considerations should encompass:<\/p>\n

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  1. The physical environment.<\/strong> Is the lighting and furniture thoughtfully considered? Is the path between desks or to the coffee machine intuitive and pleasant? Can designers choose the sound level they\u2019re subjected to? Because how the office is designed can directly influence:<\/li>\n
  2. Personal interactions.<\/strong> Are there dedicated spaces for collaboration or serendipitous conversations? Can employees escape to a quiet room to work if they need to?<\/li>\n
  3. The company\u2019s values.<\/strong> For this, I defer to the top five behaviors IDEO values in design-driven organizations:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n