Why Design and Not, Say, Project Management?

The Institute of Design released the Lead with Purpose report to highlight design’s central role in realizing executive vision. 

While project managers can be effective at breaking down large projects and making things happen, they need specificity in order to be successful. Designers thrive in the face of ambiguity. The intent set out by the organization’s business leaders should be visionary, and as such, it will likely be lofty as well. Designers can take the same competencies and methods (foresight, systems thinking, etc.) that they put toward building products or solutions and orient them toward achieving that vision. This is how they determine, shape, and take responsibility for the Intent-to-Effect Pathway.

Our interviewees believe that design’s ability to define the Intent-to-Effect Pathway makes it uniquely qualified to close the gap between vision and reality within an organization.

Explore the full 2020 ID Report in our Resource Library. You can also download the PDF.