Design Strategy is the upfront thinking that informs the entire creative process, in turn driving the delivery of the tactical design solution.
“Strategy” can be a rather troublesome little word. It tends to morph so much that it has unfortunately become virtually meaningless. Design strategy to me is about holistically looking at a problem and figuring out the quintessential “sweet spot”: a solution that melds both business and user goals while working within project constraints.
My past Design Strategy work includes:
Unearthing the WHY
- Discovering the opportunities (and pain points)
- Recommending which opportunit(ies) to pursue
- Determining the priorities and focus (what features, products or services to do first)
Documenting the WHAT
- Understanding the constraints
- Understanding the business goals
- Determining the business value and ROI
- Envisioning the possibilities
- Defining the problem space
Defining the WHO
- Understanding the users
- Focusing on which users/contexts to target
Calculating the WHEN and HOW
- Determining if the approach will be “evolution” or “revolution” (or a mixture of both)
- Developing the concept details
- Planning and Scheduling the delivery
Related Work Samples: