Growing in Enterprise Design through Making Connections

Key Insights

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  Early entrepreneurial experiences, like domain registration, can have long-lasting impacts on career and personal life.

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  Large enterprises often operate in silos, causing confusion and lack of transparency that design can help clarify.

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  Design’s core ability of sense-making—understanding complexity and acting effectively—is crucial in enterprise environments.

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  ExxonMobil grew its design practice from 3 to 100 designers by making strategic connections and embedding design in workflows.

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  Investing in design systems like Unity accelerates app development and fosters cross-team collaboration.

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  A third of ExxonMobil’s design roles came from internal transitions, enriching teams with enterprise knowledge.

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  Meaningful conversations led by curiosity and specific questions can uncover unexpected insights and opportunities.

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  Leaders play a key role in facilitating connection opportunities by creating dedicated spaces and communities.

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  Inviting non-designers to participate in user research bridges understanding and motivates skill development.

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  Sharing insights with context helps others understand relevance and acts as a multiplier for organizational knowledge.

Notable Quotes