54: At the Intersection of Design and Business, Be The Anomaly (ft. Roger Martin)
Feb 8, 2025
auto_awesome
In this conversation, Roger L. Martin, a renowned business strategist and former dean at the Rotman School of Management, discusses the evolving relationship between design and business. He delves into how Aristotle's principles can inspire innovative problem-solving beyond historical data. Roger critiques traditional business education's shortcomings and emphasizes the necessity for community-centric design amidst the Silicon Valley layoffs. He encourages embracing anomalies and fostering creativity to drive meaningful change within organizations.
Roger Martin argues for a shift in design's role within business, advocating for a possibilities-driven approach rather than relying solely on past statistical data.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of community engagement in design, advising designers to focus on crafting experiences for broader groups instead of individual users.
Deep dives
The Intersection of Design and Business
The discussion highlights the evolving relationship between design and business, emphasizing the need for a new framework that aligns with the realities of modern society. Roger L. Martin asserts that the scientific methods traditionally applied in business are inadequate for understanding the dynamic nature of design. He suggests that designers should focus on imagining possibilities rather than relying solely on past data to inform decisions. This approach advocates for designers as key players who can navigate and shape the unpredictable landscape of business and innovation.
Aristotle's Influence on Decision-Making
Martin elaborates on Aristotle's distinction between the realms where things cannot change and where they can, arguing that most business practices ignore this critical insight. He posits that much of modern business relies on outdated statistical methods that assume the future will mimic the past, which is fundamentally flawed. By contrast, design operates in the space of possibilities and 'what could be,' making it essential for designers to harness this perspective. This fundamental understanding can guide designers to create innovative solutions that resonate more effectively with evolving market needs.
Shifting from Individual to Community Focus
The conversation points out a notable shift from designing for the individual user to crafting experiences for entire communities or worlds. Emerging platforms like TikTok demonstrate that successful engagement may derive more from community building than understanding individual user preferences. As social dynamics play an increasingly significant role in product success, designers must pivot their strategies to foster inclusive environments rather than simply creating user-friendly interfaces. This new directive challenges designers to rethink their role and how they leverage community insights for impactful design.
Encouraging Anomalous Thinking in Design Leadership
Martin encourages design leaders to embrace their roles as catalysts for change by embodying the very principles they wish to implement in their organizations. His advice emphasizes the importance of starting small within one's sphere of influence and steadily expanding that influence through successful initiatives. By courageously pursuing innovative ideas without needing prior validation from data, designers can collectively shift corporate culture towards valuing creativity over exhaustive analytics. This anomaly-driven approach could ultimately reshape the higher education landscape and broader business practices to better accommodate the unpredictable nature of design and innovation.
Joining Peter and Jesse is business strategist Roger L. Martin, former Dean of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management, who advanced the conversation about design and business with his influential work in the late 2000s.
We'll talk about the parts of that vision that worked out as well as the parts that didn't, the new forces shaping design's business impact, and what design leaders should be advocating for next from Aristotle to Hermes.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode