Jason Mesut draws on his experience as a management consultant and a designer to unpack some of the core challenges he has found with design realising its value to business.

1. CRM
Amplifying design through
connection, reasoning and
manipulation
30 Jun 2017 | UX Lausanne
Jason Mesut
Resonant Design and Innovation
@jasonmesut

3. HARD TIMES

4. 2017

5. 2001

6. 2001

7. 2001
Things can
only get
better

8. A designer dream

9. Burst bubble

10. Jason (2001)
Naive, shy
Great ideas, poor execution
Hard working rebel
Succumbed to anxiety
2001

11. Amazon future reading concept
eInk based ebook
Social networking
Micropayments
2001

12. Anthony (Tony) Ward
Well spoken
Posh player
Plagiarist
Hard working execution
2001

13. British Airways Pod
Intelligent food tray for airplane
Model made by suppliers
Funded by his work placement
2001

14. Interaction designer within an
Industrial Design consultancy
Innovative design work
Creative designers
Moderate salary
Graduate within a
management consultancy
Suit every day
Corporate business folk
Big bucks
VS

15. VS
Jason Anthony
2 candidates

16. Anthony Jason

17. I went to the management
consultancy and joined the
graduate programme

18. Marketing
Financial
analysis
ConsultingTraining
Workshop
facilitation
5 diamond process
Stakeholder
management
Learned
loads
Selling
Arguing

20. In one session I contributed
an idea to the group

21. It wasn’t heard.
Barely acknowledged.

22. Moments later, someone
else said the same thing.
Everyone loved it.

23. WTF?
Has that ever
happened to you?

24. No more
I had to battle my demons, and my
natural designerly self to get myself
heard. To be asked into the room.

25. But why is a designer’s
voice so important?

26. PROPOSITION
DESIGNER

27. Sami Niemala
Founding partner, Designer
Nordkapp

28. Understand humans
Motivations, behaviours

29. Creative problem solvers
Pattern sensers. Combine concepts.
Ask What If? Explore alternatives.

30. Passionate about progress
Strive for better. Emotive.

31. Translate to tangible
Functional. Usable. Aesthetic.

32. DESIRES
DESIGNER

33. Designer desires
I keep hearing similar things
across the design industry

34. Be appreciated
Maximize value. Minimise waste.

35. Make the world better
Create something better

36. Get a seat at the table
Seeking senior influence

37. Designers suffer
Relevance
failure
Lee Sankey
Door Global
Former Director of Design, Barclays

38. DILEMMAS
DESIGNER

39. Pretentious?Designers touching their faces (http://dttf.tumblr.com/)

40. Misunderstood
Arty and fluffy.
Not rational.

41. Proposition of pretty
We’re slaves to the shiny
things we are asked to create

42. Portfolio driven design
Too many designers driven to
chase latest cool tech
VR, AR, chat bots, IoT

43. Idealistic
Liberal politics.
Strong purist entitled ethics.
Optimistic, sometimes naive.

45. Indecisive
Divergent.
Maybe mode.
Lack confidence.

47. Tribalistic
We stick to our own.
Cult-like cliques.
Regurgitate the same stuff.

48. Emotional
Volatile. Sensitive.
Difficult to work with.

49. CHALLENGE
DESIGNER

50. Desires vs Dilemmas
But we are (seen as)
– Artistic or pretentious
– Idealistic
– Indecisive
– Purveyors of pretty
– Tribalistic
– Emotional
We want our
– Voice to be heard
– Efforts respected
– Value maximised
– World to be better

51. How can we fulfil
designers desires to unlock
their potential despite
these dilemmas?

52. Designers have to stop
playing the victim

53. Make it happen
Seek solutions
Own it
Acknowledge reality
Wait and hope
I can’t
Blame and complain
Unconscious unaware
Accountable =
influential
Victim
Skyscanner Designers use The Accountability Ladder
Steve ‘Buzz’ Pearce
Global Head of Design, Skyscanner

54. Make it happen
Seek solutions
Own it
Acknowledge reality
Wait and hope
I can’t
Blame and complain
Unconscious unaware
Accountable =
influential
Victim
How can designers
move from being a
victim to making
the change?

55. No silver bullets today
Just experiences
+ frameworks that may
help you in your work

56. Confronting some large
elephants in the room
You may find what I say
uncomfortable

57. How can designers stop
playing the victim and get
better traction for their work?

58. A hypothesis
A new twist on a popular term
A framework, and related tips from
successful designers that can help
you make more impact with design

59. C R M
Connection Reasoning Manipulation

60. C R M
Connection Reasoning Manipulation

61. C R M
Connection Reasoning Manipulation
System
Different fields
Individuals

62. C R M
Connection Reasoning Manipulation
System
Different fields
Individuals
Argue
Throughout
More objectively

63. C R M
Connection Reasoning Manipulation
System
Different fields
Individuals
Argue
Throughout
More objectively
Work
Messages
Yourself

64. C R M
Connection Reasoning Manipulation
System
Different fields
Individuals
Argue
Throughout
More objectively
Work
Messages
Yourself

65. CONNECTION

66. POST EMPATHY

67. Who exactly do we
have empathy for?
Is it enough?

69. SYSTEM

70. empathysystem
Business
Market
User / customer
Technology
Stakeholder
empathy

71. Connect to Business
Connect to the bigger picture
strategic goals

72. Business driver
Brand
Operations
Employees
Customers
Users
Design goals
Support
Enhance
Consider
Appeal
Increase revenue
Reduce cost
Demonstrate relevance
Build on principles and identity
Avoid repetitional damage
Extend value proposition
Limit change
Mitigate risk
Limit cost of training
Retain job
Increase value in role
Support their motivations
For example
Best deal
Desirable
Reward loyalty
Fits workflows
Usable
Low effort
What outcomes do different aspects
of the business want to achieve?

73. If you don’t know, assume
Too often, higher level strategy
is unclear. It helps if you make
some assumptions.

74. Learn to play
the game
you’re in
Clare Munday
Experience Design Director
Independent

75. Understand how the business you are in
works. Commercially. What numbers and
tangibles it values. Then translate what you
are doing into those. Learn to play the
game you are in.
Clare Munday
Experience Design Director
Independent

76. How the hubs support the definition
NHS Choices continuously improves health information
and delivers it through the most appropriate use of digital channels.
Both are proven to support positive behavioural change
Empowering citizens by
providing the nation’s digital front doors to health information
Improve the
health of the nation
Improve the
effectiveness of DH
Increase
Capita’s profitability
Part of, and, supporting the NHS’s spectrum of urgency
999
Our
client
Our client’s,
client’s customer
Gov agency
Our client’s client

77. How the hubs support the definition
NHS Choices continuously improves health information
and delivers it through the most appropriate use of digital channels.
Both are proven to support positive behavioural change
Empowering citizens by
providing the nation’s digital front doors to health information
Improve the
health of the nation
Improve the
effectiveness of DH
Increase
Capita’s profitability
Part of, and, supporting the NHS’s spectrum of urgency
999
Our
client
Our client’s,
client’s customer
Gov agency
our client’s client

78. Understand the
complexities of
the end-to-end
process
Boon Yew Chew
Manager, Experience Design
and SapientRazorfish
Board Director at IxDA

79. empathysystem
Business
Market
User / customer
Technology
Stakeholder

80. FIELDS

81. Identify fields
Marketing
IT
Operations
Customer service
Maintenance
Other designers

82. Jargon
Documentation
Communication
Motivation
Values
Principles
Methods
Software
Approaches
Value
Uniqueness
Horizons
Timelines
Pace
Offer Mindset Language Tools Time
Acknowledge ground
you could share

83. Jargon
Documentation
Communication
Motivation
Values
Principles
Methods
Software
Approaches
Value
Uniqueness
Horizons
Timelines
Pace
Offer Mindset Language Tools Time
Identify overlaps

84. Respect differences

85. For example
Legal and Design

86. Strategically
help others
Kate Tarling
Service Design, Home Office
Mentor, Techstars
Design leadership, Fly UX

87. Strategically help [others] in order to gain help
another time, getting close to a frenemy in
order to actually help each other or pairing up
with those that you don't work well with to
force you to work it out.
Kate Tarling
Service Design, Home Office
Mentor, Techstars
Design leadership, Fly UX

88. INDIVIDUALS

89. Connect to People
Empathise with all the different
people you need to interact
with. NOT just users.

90. Seek out
allies and
alliances
Kate Tarling
Service Design, Home Office
Mentor, Techstars
Design leadership, Fly UX

91. Seek allies and alliances
Figure out who is inspired and wants to support.
Who is not but is willing to align with what you're
trying to do. Whose interests run parallel with yours.
Kate Tarling
Service Design, Home Office
Mentor, Techstars
Design leadership, Fly UX

92. Avoid, over-rule or work against
Those who run contrary to your ideals, and who are
just on some kind of power trip. Who will always be
contrarian no matter what, and therefore you need
to avoid, over-rule or work against, to protect your
energy and health.
Kate Tarling
Service Design, Home Office
Mentor, Techstars
Design leadership, Fly UX

93. Create totems
to find the
open minds
Dave Malouf
Director of Product Design, Digital Ocean

94. I created a totem to
show the contrast of what
was possible and unstick the
model. It shook people up
and got their minds loose. It
helps you find the open
minds. Then have a drink or
lunch with them to start the
evangelising process. Aim
high!
Dave Malouf
Director of Product Design, Digital Ocean

95. Connect to
individuals
Heart
What they’re passionate about
Head
What they think
Hands
What they’re capable of and do
Logos
Pathos

96. Heart
What they’re passionate about
Head
What + how they think
Hands
What they’re capable of and do
Life experience
Hobbies / Sport
Politics
Work aspirations
Type of thinker / learner
Family
Music

97. I setup a monthly lunch
with the director of R&D.
It helps that we both
care about the same thing. That
helped bring down any barriers.
I worked to understand his and
his team’s goals, so that we
could better support them and
work closer together.
Nick Myers
Director User Experience Design, Fitbit
Connect on a
personal level

98. Understand
their why?

99. Unite around a
common outcome
Kate Tarling
Service Design, Home Office
Mentor, Techstars
Design leadership, Fly UX

100. Plant ideas in
their head
Jane Austin
Director of Design and User
Experience, Moo

101. I would work out what his motivators were and play on them, planting ideas
in his head so they would later come out with the thing I wanted and I’d say -
amazing idea, however did you think of that?
It was my way of getting a seat at the table - I was too lowly and design was
poorly understood so he was my proxy
I’d then do an exemplar project, and it worked really well, made the
stakeholder look awesome and gave us data to refer to
It was all about making the stakeholder look good - he then got promoted,
and he promoted me giving me more influence and budget and the ability to
build a bigger team
Jane Austin
Director of Design and User
Experience, Moo

102. Fields
Individuals
System
Connect at different levels but go
connect deeper to individuals

103. REASONING

104. Crafting solutions isn’t enough
You need to make clear cases for
what you need to do and rationalise
what you’ve done throughout the
design process.

105. We need to convince others
Appealing to stakeholders and
their motivations.
Connection helps.

106. Reasoning
Make clear cases for
what you need to do
and what you’ve done.

107. ARGUE

108. Learn to argue effectively
Develop powerful narratives for
your work

109. Top Down Thinking
Digestible.
Robust.
Persuasive.

110. Answer
(The governing thought)
Situation Complication
Question
Logical argument
(inductive, deductive, abductive)
Key strand Key strand Key strand

111. Situation Complication
Question
Logical argument
(inductive, deductive, abductive)
Key strand Key strand Key strand
Answer
(The governing thought)
Situation
Designers have a lot to offer business
and want to make the world a better place

112. Situation Complication
Question
Logical argument
(inductive, deductive, abductive)
Key strand Key strand Key strand
Situation
Designers have a lot to offer business
and want to make the world a better place
Complication
They are often not heard,
misunderstood and not respected.
Answer
(The governing thought)

113. Situation Complication
Question
Logical argument
(inductive, deductive, abductive)
Key strand Key strand Key strand
Complication
They are often not heard,
misunderstood and not respected.
Question
How can designers unlock their potential and
stop playing the victim so that they can get better traction for their work.
Answer
(The governing thought)
Situation
Designers have a lot to offer business
and want to make the world a better place

114. Governing thought
Situation Complication
Question
Logical argument
(inductive, deductive, abductive)
Key strand Key strand Key strand
Complication
They are often not heard,
misunderstood and not respected.
Question
How can designers unlock their potential and
stop playing the victim so that they can get better traction for their work.
Governing thought
Designers need to connect, reason and manipulate to unlock their potential within business
Situation
Designers have a lot to offer business
and want to make the world a better place

115. Governing thought
Situation Complication
Question
Logical argument
(inductive, deductive, abductive)
Key strand Key strand Key strand
Complication
They are often not heard,
misunderstood and not respected.
Question
How can designers unlock their potential and
stop playing the victim so that they can get better traction for their work.
Governing thought
Designers need to connect, reason and manipulate to unlock their potential within business
Connect
Designers should connect to
their stakeholders and the
wider system to create
alliances and uncover
motivations
Reason
Designers should argue their
cases more objectively in line
with others’ motivations
throughout the process to
justify what they do and have
done
Manipulate
Designers should use their
skills to manipulate their work,
their messaging and
themselves for their and their
client’s advantage
Situation
Designers have a lot to offer business
and want to make the world a better place

116. Governing thought
Situation Complication
Question
Logical argument
(inductive, deductive, abductive)
Key strand Key strand Key strand
Complication
They are often not heard,
misunderstood and not respected.
Question
How can designers unlock their potential and
stop playing the victim so that they can get better traction for their work.
Governing thought
Designers need to connect, reason and manipulate to unlock their potential within business
Connect
Designers should connect to
their stakeholders and the
wider system to create
alliances and uncover
motivations
Reason
Designers should argue their
cases more objectively in line
with others’ motivations
throughout the process to
justify what they do and have
done
Manipulate
Designers should use their
skills to manipulate their work,
their messaging and
themselves for their and their
client’s advantage
Situation
Designers have a lot to offer business
and want to make the world a better place

117. Governing thought
Situation Complication
Question
Logical argument
(inductive, deductive, abductive)
Key strand Key strand Key strand
Complication
They are often not heard,
misunderstood and not respected.
Question
How can designers unlock their potential and
stop playing the victim so that they can get better traction for their work.
Governing thought
Designers need to connect, reason and manipulate to unlock their potential within business
Mgt consultancies + ad
agencies use a lot of data
Management consultancies
and advertisers use data to
make their arguments
These fields are successful
This has been going on for
years, and those industries
have been incredibly
influential to businesses
Design should use data
Because others who are
successful use data, if
designers use data better, they
will be successful
Situation
Designers have a lot to offer business
and want to make the world a better place

118. THROUGHOUT

119. Rationalise throughout
Learn to pre-rationalise and post-
rationalise your work, while probing
any feedback and reactions

120. Day 2 of new job
A client review gone wrong

121. Client
I hate it
I don’t like bento boxes
That's gay
Get out

122. No rationale explained
Assumed client could feedback
in terms they understood
Didn’t probe the feedback

123. I hate it
Dislike bento boxes
That's gay
Get out
Not familiar to me, or where I had hoped to
be taking this.
It feels very cluttered. I was hoping for something
more clean and Swiss in keeping with our brand.
In banking, people are used to darker interfaces.
My previous macho slick black platform was
successful.
I’m angry that you’ve spent so much time doing
this, not engaging with me and being so far off
the mark.
Team heard Client meant

124. Requirements weren’t clear
Many were hidden, but we needed
to make solution tangible to
uncover them. We just didn’t start
with that appreciation.

125. We presented updated work with
rationale and probe responses
Explaining:
– What we were trying to achieve
– Challenges we overcame
Probing:
– What do you mean by that? (clarify)
– Why do you feel that? (probe)
– Do you mean? (paraphrase)

126. Pre + Post Rationale
Be clear why you’re doing
something, and explain why you
did what you did.

127. Requirements–
solution loop
Requirements inform solutions.
Solutions inform requirements.
Requirements Solutions
Inform, justify,
validate
Adapt, create
new

128. Booster rockets help you on
the way to a breakthrough
solution. They help you
make progress, but can then
be jettisoned
Matthew Cockerill
Creative Director, Seymour
Powell

129. OBJECTIVELY

130. Do a Pugh
Make the subjective design
selection process more objective.
Transform perceptions around how
design really works.

132. Use emotion to short-cut
logic. Play on the pathos.
Richard Seymour
Founder, Seymour Powell

133. MANIPULATION

134. Management consultants
manipulate board rooms
Lying, falsifying results,
over-charging,
manipulation,
sex and alcohol abuse

135. Don Draper
Made up ad guy
Advertising is
famous for it
The emotional creative tapping
into human insights, and the media
guys persuading with data

138. Manipulation
How can designers use their special
powers to get the results they want
for the greater good?

139. verb (used with object), manipulated, manipulating.
1. to manage or influence skillfully, especially in
an unfair manner
2. to adapt or change (accounts, figures, etc.) to suit
one's purpose or advantage.
3. to examine or treat by skillful use of the hands
Manipulate

140. verb (used with object), manipulated, manipulating.
1. to influence skillfully, and consciously, using
designer skills to better demonstrate the value
of solutions to businesses and the market
Manipulate
(In a designerly way)

141. RESEARCH

142. Research bias
Research is not objective.
It can always be strategic.
Who we
recruit
Methods we
use
Discussion
guide
How we dig
into answers
How we spot
patterns
How we
Synthesize
How we share
with others
Target Approach Focus Probe Analysis Synthesis Comms

143. We need to focus on young
professionals (or millennials)
Generic cliche I heard recently on one
project. Not helpful to design with.
We recruited broader sample instead.

144. Video works as a trojan horse,
shaping perceptions when it’s
sent around the org
Markus Hohl
CEO London, Hellon
Design Associate, Design Council

145. ???

146. Participatory
research analysis
Nick (Bomo) Bowmast
Bowmast

147. MESSAGES

148. Manipulate
the vision to
connect with
different
audiences
Phil Whitehouse
Delivery and Innovation
Director, APAC at Digital LBi

149. We sought
opportunities that
benefited everyone,
aligning business and
IT, and ensuring we
secured a long term
engagement.
Brand
Client business
Technology
Customers
Springboard
Digital touchpoints
Personalised,
relevant
Premium
Agency Digital touchpoints
Initial vision for an airline
To create a springboard for a premium, personalised
and relevant experience across all digital touchpoints
Phil Whitehouse
Delivery and Innovation
Director, APAC at Digital LBi

150. Leverage language
Your choice of words can
persuade, confuse or just
be forgotten

151. Load with emotion
People farming. Surveillance.
Extortionate*. Manipulation.
*Sorry Aral

152. Covert concept naming
Name concepts and solutions.
Think carefully how it reflects the
strategic direction and someone’s
aspirations for it.

153. Alliteration
Creating catchy phrases helps stick
in the psyche of others. It can help
carry the ideas along much further.

154. Acronyms
Think about how things can be
boiled down to an acronym or
mnemonic. Memory aids will help.

155. Reframe through synonyms
Use thesauri to reframe ideas and
thinking for appropriate effect.

156. DIAGRAMS

157. Diagrammatic dishonesty
Amplify. Attentuate. Adapt. Abstract.

159. ???
Nick (Bomo) Bowmast
Bowmast

160. We saw the opportunity to ‘hijack’
a diagram with the adjacent
message we wanted to make sure
the client heard.
Basically we slipped in the
message they’d asked us not to
tell them, around one they had.
Nick (Bomo) Bowmast
Bowmast

161. Do you really need a seat at
the table?
Is this really the influence we want?

162. Get a slide in the deck
Influence beyond the meeting.
A video. A poster. Or just key slides
that are used again and again.

163. SOLUTIONS

164. Oliver King
Founder, Engine Service Design

165. Play to the magpies
Use your powers of pretty and
fidelity to play to those that are
attracted to the shiny + the cool

166. In auto design school, we
were advised to render the
concept sketch we wanted
chosen in red, the others in
muted tones.
Drew Smith
Senior Design Manager,
Westpac

168. Beauty is a lens with
which creativity seems
clearer
Will Bloor
Brand Experience Director EMEA,
Futurebrand

169. Amy tool
Sex does sell

170. Amy tool
Sex does sell

171. Amy tool
Sex does sell

172. Sell them
sexy shit
A dangerous cycle
Boon
Manager, Experience Design
and SapientRazorfish
Board Director at IxDA

173. [too often] people keep going back to pitches
and eye candy — sell them sexy shit, try to
deliver sexy shit, and if things don't quite work
out, then manage client expectations using
other sexy shit.
Boon Yew Chew
Manager, Experience Design and SapientRazorfish
Board Director at IxDA

174. Boon Yew Chew
Manager, Experience Design and SapientRazorfish
Board Director at IxDA

175. You have the ability to
seduce and repulse
We should use it wisely or be
prepared to deal with the
consequences

176. YOURSELF

177. Flex yourself
Adapt yourself to
your environment

178. Deal with your own
introversion
Over-compensate
Worxtrovert

179. Just remember to take off your
mask off from time to time

180. Dress for the occasion
Make sure you don’t lose respect
and make your job harder because
of what you wear

184. CONCLUSION

185. C R M
Connection Reasoning Manipulation
System
Different fields
Individuals
Argue
Throughout
More objectively
Solutions
Messages
Yourself

186. C R
M
Keep your connection and reasoning tactics above the waterline
And the
manipulation a
little covert

187. C R
M
Support
Enables
Risksdamaging
Canassist

188. Do all three all the
time, with as little
manipulation as
possible
Dave Malouf
Director of Product Design, Digital Ocean

189. C R M
Connection Reasoning Manipulation
Do more here + rely less here

190. Do it positively
and consciously
Don’t lose your soul and
damage the relationships
you’ve cerated
If you have to manipulate…

191. Thank you
@jasonmesut
Lee Sankey, Jane Austin, Dave Cronin, David Sherwin, Christina
Wodtke, Justin Stach, Kate Tarling, Clare Munday, Dave Malouf,
Nick Bowmast, Nick Finck, Steve Buzz Pearce, Richard Seymour,
Seamus Byrne, Maria Brendes + more