Strategic Design &
Meaningful Innovation
Nathan Shedroff
2008

Slides and templates posted:
nathan.com/thoughts

The big thing!

The big thing!
Meaning

Why innovate?
Paths to Growth:
Increase operational efficiencies
Sell-off assets
Mergers and acquisitions
Initial Public Offerings
“Rebranding”
Innovation

Why innovate?
Paths to Organic, Lasting Growth:
Increase operational efficiencies
Sell-off assets
Mergers and acquisitions
Initial Public Offerings
“Rebranding”
Innovation

Why experiences?

Price/Value
Commodity Product Service Experience
From: The Experience Economy, Pine and Gilmore

Price/Value
Experience
Commodity Product Service Event/Environment

Experiences are
designable

Everything we create
is an experience

We recognize some
experiences easily

We recognize some
experiences easily

We recognize some
experiences easily

People don’t just
travel to see things

They travel to
experience

The boundaries of
experiences are our
minds and bodies

Design is the process
of making experiences

But what, exactly,
is an experience?

Breadth
Product
Service
Brand
Name(s)
Channel/Environment
(Space)
Promotion
Price

Intensity
Reflex
Habit
Engagement

Duration
Initiation
Immersion
Conclusion
Continuation

Triggers
Senses:
Sight
Sound
Smell
Taste
Touch
Cognitive:
Concepts
Symbols

Every sensorial decision is
a trigger: every color,
texture, smell, taste,
typeface, sound, music,
voice, pattern, icon,
symbol, interaction,
layout, concept,
temperature, expression,
etc...

Interaction
Passive
Active
Interactive

Significance
Meaning
Status/Identity
Emotion/Lifestyle
Price
Function

Function (Performance):
Does this do what I need?

Price (Value):
Does this do what I need at a
price that’s worth it?

Emotions (Lifestyle):
Does this make me
feel good?

Status/Identity (Values):
Is this me?

Meaning (Reality):
Does this fit into my reality?

Core Meanings:
Accomplishment Harmony
Beauty Justice
Creation Oneness
Community Redemption
Duty Security
Enlightenment Truth
Freedom Validation
Wonder

Porsche: Dreamers (2006) Nike: If you let me play (1995)

Successful experiences
are meaningful
(and not merely novel)

Design & development
is the process
of evoking meaning

How do you put
meaning into the
process?

A meaning-filled development process:

A meaning-filled development process:

A meaning-filled development process:

A meaning-filled development process:

Strategic Design:
Competing Objectives:
Business (Clients)
Customers (Users)
Team
Domain & Medium
Sustainability

Strategic Design:
Business Objectives:
Revenues
Profit
Growth
Brand/Reputation/Satisfaction/
Loyalty/Relationship/Value
Experience & Meaning
Strategy

Strategic Design:
Customer Objectives:
Needs & Desires:
Performance
Value
Emotion/Lifestyle
Values
Experience & Meaning

Strategic Design:
Team Objectives:
Values
Goals
Desires
Meaning

Strategic Design:
Domain & Medium:
What’s appropriate for the
medium, industry, and
context?
What is the cultural context?
What are expectations?

Strategic Design:
Sustainability:
Human Capital
Natural Capital
Financial Capital
Manufactured Capital
Is each form sustainable?

Strategic Design:
Corporate
Meaning
Priorities
Team Customer
Meaning Meaning
Priorities Priorities

Strategic Design:
Corporate
Meaning
Priorities
Team Customer
Meaning Meaning
Priorities Priorities
Your Focus!

Strategic Design:
Corporate
Meaning
Priorities
Team Customer
Meaning Meaning
Priorities Priorities
Competitors’
Meaning
Priorities

Some questions:

Who’s doing this?

Who’s doing this?
You

What meanings do
your customers prioritize?

What experiences
do they seek?

Is meaning manipulation?

Should companies
evoke meaning?

Does everything we design
already evoke meaning?

Are you creating
anything meaningful?

What’s meaningful to you?

nathan.com/thoughts
nathan@nathan.com