December 12, 2022
December 12, 2022
December 12, 2022
Vision Casting as Change Management
Vision Casting as Change Management
Vision Casting as Change Management
It takes a deft hand to chart a course through partnerships instead of imposing a vision with extremely fluid information.
Vision casting as change management
Many design leadership job specifications include creating a “design vision.” This can be broadly understood as incubating what the design offering will look like in 1–3 years. Often, the goals for the vision aren’t as straightforward. What do we mean when we talk about design vision? Typically, Design leaders build Keynote presentations and hatch principles. Then the inevitable happens; the leader is distracted with hiring, drowned in CVs and recruiting. Or, she exhausts all her relational capital, transforms the organization’s culture, and burns out. The key is identifying precisely what is needed from the organization at the onset before entering into vision casting.
3 types of design visions
Identify what’s needed from the organization in early conversations before undertaking this significant pursuit. It takes a deft hand to chart a course through partnerships instead of imposing a vision with extremely fluid information. Here are a few recent examples from actual job descriptions, which would frame some exciting follow-up discussions:
Vision as a call for help
“Continue to cast a vision for the growth of the Design team.”
“Define a strategic vision for what we build, helping focus on solving user problems.”
“Drive the development of a long-term vision for the product experience and business offering.”
Vision as an efficiency driver
“You can articulate and execute his/her vision from concept to production.”
“Define the design team’s vision and help establish the team and individual goals.”
“Define bold, long-term visions for our products and services, and motivate teams and individual designers to achieve them.”
“Deliver a UX vision and a plan for evolutionary, iterative updates that actualize the larger vision over time.”
Vision as an educational tool
“Create the vision for new features, and be a strong partner to the Engineering and Product teams to realize the company’s ultimate vision.”
“You set the vision for the user experience and create the space for others to collaborate.”
“Develop the user experience vision and garner support for this vision among your organizational peers.”
“Have a passion and skill for nurturing relationships and building rapport to align teams around a vision.”
A soothsayer of opportunities, rather than constraints
When the design leader is ready to roll out a vision, she can pull from an extensive list of hacks, tips, and strategies for selling ideas. We’re good at the “why” but soft on the “how.” Designers have no shortage of ideas, yet we often struggle to unpack, decompose, and communicate these vignettes to influence change. What often gets left behind are the procedures and operational details that make our vision come to life. The future state can’t be realized without mastering social dynamics and understanding the incentives for change. A good starting point for a design vision isn’t necessarily a vision of features. It’s a vision of empathy across the organization and the blueprint for how teams can build a better future together.
Tributaries instead of branches
When you hire bright people, many “visions” emerge. Each person will have an opinion as to the direction of the product, company, or value proposition. I suggest leaders support and encourage the existing corporate visions and initiatives. Think of your design vision as a tributary rather than a branch. If principles, values, or strategies are widely adopted, why muddy the waters with a unique, design-oriented one? Leverage the existing ethos and map your design principles to the company’s core values. Be a translator of existing tensions, and let dormant embers be the spark that fuels your team toward excellence.
Vision casting as change management
Many design leadership job specifications include creating a “design vision.” This can be broadly understood as incubating what the design offering will look like in 1–3 years. Often, the goals for the vision aren’t as straightforward. What do we mean when we talk about design vision? Typically, Design leaders build Keynote presentations and hatch principles. Then the inevitable happens; the leader is distracted with hiring, drowned in CVs and recruiting. Or, she exhausts all her relational capital, transforms the organization’s culture, and burns out. The key is identifying precisely what is needed from the organization at the onset before entering into vision casting.
3 types of design visions
Identify what’s needed from the organization in early conversations before undertaking this significant pursuit. It takes a deft hand to chart a course through partnerships instead of imposing a vision with extremely fluid information. Here are a few recent examples from actual job descriptions, which would frame some exciting follow-up discussions:
Vision as a call for help
“Continue to cast a vision for the growth of the Design team.”
“Define a strategic vision for what we build, helping focus on solving user problems.”
“Drive the development of a long-term vision for the product experience and business offering.”
Vision as an efficiency driver
“You can articulate and execute his/her vision from concept to production.”
“Define the design team’s vision and help establish the team and individual goals.”
“Define bold, long-term visions for our products and services, and motivate teams and individual designers to achieve them.”
“Deliver a UX vision and a plan for evolutionary, iterative updates that actualize the larger vision over time.”
Vision as an educational tool
“Create the vision for new features, and be a strong partner to the Engineering and Product teams to realize the company’s ultimate vision.”
“You set the vision for the user experience and create the space for others to collaborate.”
“Develop the user experience vision and garner support for this vision among your organizational peers.”
“Have a passion and skill for nurturing relationships and building rapport to align teams around a vision.”
A soothsayer of opportunities, rather than constraints
When the design leader is ready to roll out a vision, she can pull from an extensive list of hacks, tips, and strategies for selling ideas. We’re good at the “why” but soft on the “how.” Designers have no shortage of ideas, yet we often struggle to unpack, decompose, and communicate these vignettes to influence change. What often gets left behind are the procedures and operational details that make our vision come to life. The future state can’t be realized without mastering social dynamics and understanding the incentives for change. A good starting point for a design vision isn’t necessarily a vision of features. It’s a vision of empathy across the organization and the blueprint for how teams can build a better future together.
Tributaries instead of branches
When you hire bright people, many “visions” emerge. Each person will have an opinion as to the direction of the product, company, or value proposition. I suggest leaders support and encourage the existing corporate visions and initiatives. Think of your design vision as a tributary rather than a branch. If principles, values, or strategies are widely adopted, why muddy the waters with a unique, design-oriented one? Leverage the existing ethos and map your design principles to the company’s core values. Be a translator of existing tensions, and let dormant embers be the spark that fuels your team toward excellence.
Vision casting as change management
Many design leadership job specifications include creating a “design vision.” This can be broadly understood as incubating what the design offering will look like in 1–3 years. Often, the goals for the vision aren’t as straightforward. What do we mean when we talk about design vision? Typically, Design leaders build Keynote presentations and hatch principles. Then the inevitable happens; the leader is distracted with hiring, drowned in CVs and recruiting. Or, she exhausts all her relational capital, transforms the organization’s culture, and burns out. The key is identifying precisely what is needed from the organization at the onset before entering into vision casting.
3 types of design visions
Identify what’s needed from the organization in early conversations before undertaking this significant pursuit. It takes a deft hand to chart a course through partnerships instead of imposing a vision with extremely fluid information. Here are a few recent examples from actual job descriptions, which would frame some exciting follow-up discussions:
Vision as a call for help
“Continue to cast a vision for the growth of the Design team.”
“Define a strategic vision for what we build, helping focus on solving user problems.”
“Drive the development of a long-term vision for the product experience and business offering.”
Vision as an efficiency driver
“You can articulate and execute his/her vision from concept to production.”
“Define the design team’s vision and help establish the team and individual goals.”
“Define bold, long-term visions for our products and services, and motivate teams and individual designers to achieve them.”
“Deliver a UX vision and a plan for evolutionary, iterative updates that actualize the larger vision over time.”
Vision as an educational tool
“Create the vision for new features, and be a strong partner to the Engineering and Product teams to realize the company’s ultimate vision.”
“You set the vision for the user experience and create the space for others to collaborate.”
“Develop the user experience vision and garner support for this vision among your organizational peers.”
“Have a passion and skill for nurturing relationships and building rapport to align teams around a vision.”
A soothsayer of opportunities, rather than constraints
When the design leader is ready to roll out a vision, she can pull from an extensive list of hacks, tips, and strategies for selling ideas. We’re good at the “why” but soft on the “how.” Designers have no shortage of ideas, yet we often struggle to unpack, decompose, and communicate these vignettes to influence change. What often gets left behind are the procedures and operational details that make our vision come to life. The future state can’t be realized without mastering social dynamics and understanding the incentives for change. A good starting point for a design vision isn’t necessarily a vision of features. It’s a vision of empathy across the organization and the blueprint for how teams can build a better future together.
Tributaries instead of branches
When you hire bright people, many “visions” emerge. Each person will have an opinion as to the direction of the product, company, or value proposition. I suggest leaders support and encourage the existing corporate visions and initiatives. Think of your design vision as a tributary rather than a branch. If principles, values, or strategies are widely adopted, why muddy the waters with a unique, design-oriented one? Leverage the existing ethos and map your design principles to the company’s core values. Be a translator of existing tensions, and let dormant embers be the spark that fuels your team toward excellence.