Summary
The term "anti-fragile" comes from Nassim Nicholas Taleb's book "Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder." It describes systems, organizations, or entities that not only withstand shocks, volatility, and stressors but benefit and grow stronger from them. The current state of design is undoubtedly challenging and will continue to be volatile We need strategies that move us out of defense mode, beyond resilience & mere product delivery, and position us as indispensable during times of transformation. In this talk, we explore five anti-fragile strategies for DesignOps 2.0, that will inspire you: New Work Models & Hiring Strategies, Ops beyond Design, Interconnectivity, Rise of the Chief of Staff, and (Anticipatory) Destination Teams.
Key Insights
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Design is transitioning from a unique value proposition to a viewed as an expense.
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Hiring managers should take charge of recruitment to ensure a suitable team.
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Diversity in hiring should include age and non-traditional backgrounds.
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Cross-functional roles can enhance empathy between different teams.
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Future-focused planning can mitigate the challenges of today's ad hoc problem-solving.
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Creating pilot programs helps test new roles and ideas without needing permission.
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Incorporating design operations into broader business functions increases impact.
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Cross-functional collaborations can help spread design capabilities throughout an organization.
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Destination teams should focus on long-term organizational visions to guide current decisions.
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Future studies and scenario planning are essential for preparing design teams for emerging roles.
Notable Quotes
"Let’s think about the impact on future generations."
"Design is enabling, enabling function and therefore it was invested in."
"Don't act just when the layoff is coming from one day to another."
"Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable."
"If you don’t study the future, you cannot influence it."
"You will never arrive, but it’s all about keeping moving forward."
"What roles are declining, what roles will remain?"
"Prove the value without asking for permission."
"You could apply all five anti-fragile strategies to your team."
"Design Ops is all about fragility."
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