What we mean by strategic design

Figure 1. Strategic design diagram by Marco Steinberg, the director of Strategic Design, Sitra, Finnish Innovation Fund

Traditional definitions of design and architecture often focus on creating discrete solutions—a product, a building, or a service. Strategic design is about applying some of the principles of traditional design to "big picture" systemic challenges like vicious circle of urban poors in Cambodia. It redefines how problems are approached, identifies opportunities for action, and helps deliver more complete and resilient solutions.

This is only possible when design is integrated into the DNA of organizations, creating new opportunities for designers with a strategic aptitude to migrate from studios and ateliers to integrated positions, embedded within organizations and governments.

–Questions A
The state asks an architect to design a sustainable shelter with a budget of 1,000 dollars. Then the architect starts asking questions: Is it one of the state's initiative that will eventually create clones in different area? Is it only for this specific beneficiary? How much does local material cost to keep the house maintained? Does the beneficiary have a occupation with which he/she can upkeep the shelter in livable condition? Isn't it better to buy him a tuk-tuk so that he can earn money and build his home his own?

–Questions B
A NGO wants to give jobs to people and asks a designer to create a low-cost tuk-tuk, so that they can hand-out 100 to the urban poor. The designer asks: Is this the only answer for the poverty mitigation of the urban poor? Won't it only increase the competition of tuk-tuk drivers in the city so that each of them will end up earning less? If so, which is highly likely, should I design a low-cost tuk-tuk or persuade client not to do so?

Strategic design is about helping stakeholders and decision makers see the structure of problems and deliver more complete solutions. Strategic design starts by asking right questions to see the problem in a larger context. By offering an integrated approach to defining problems and developing solutions, design is an essential capability for any of the challenges of tomorrow.

We started from shelter related issues of Cambodia in City in Crisis course. Soon it extended to issues like secure tenure, water, sanitation, education, livelihood, entrepreneurship, finance, corruption, history and eventually the mindset of people. Of course there are very difficult issues to deal with–for example, corrupted governments, insecure tenure, cultural issues, which are only some of the limits that help us design the scope.

–You may visit following links to learn more about strategic design

Strategic design by Helsinki Design Lab, a strategic design initiative sponsored by Sitra, The Finnish Innovation Fund
Strategy by Design by Tim Brown, the CEO of Ideo on Fast Company

Strategic Design on Wikipedia