Design Strategy is...

We spent the last century sorting out supply - how to make things. This century will be about sorting out demand - what to make (and what not to make). Consumers, not companies, determine the value of things. Our job, our struggle, is to achieve resonance between what is meaningful for the consumer and profitable for the company.

This film is about revealing that creative struggle. More importantly, it is about the type of people who are driven to challenge the notion of “what to do?” before accepting the question “how to do it?”. Now more than ever, companies are looking for a new type of thinker/doer - one who can envision, and interpret for others, a creative plan for what to do next - someone who helps a company do the right thing.

Design strategists are creatively driven, deeply empathetic about people and focused on winning in the marketplace. Design strategists are experts at achieving resonance.

What will the film be about?
It will reveal how high level strategic design thinking can solve the important challenges of our time. And it will demonstrate that success relies on creating a culture of challenge and change. It will answer the question “What do we do next?” with an intimate look at the people who spend their lives making sure they get it right.

Who is the film for?
1. Organizations that want to succeed and are committed to sustaining themselves for the long term.
2. Executives and leaders who want to know how to connect with consumers meaningfully.
3. Students of design, business, marketing, engineering, and social sciences.

How will it be made?
I will ask strategists about their roles as team members, people and consultants - to reflect on their personal and professional growth within the context of an evolving practice and the larger business world. There will be a focus on the behavioral, emotional and social ingredients that combine to make strategists different than designers, marketers or engineers. 

This is a DesignFilms production and produced by Continuum, Inc. Film proposal PDF here.