Design doing is the practice of transforming design thinking into tangible actions, prototypes, and outcomes. While design thinking helps organizations understand customer needs and identify opportunities, design doing ensures those ideas become real initiatives that can be tested, evaluated, and implemented. Many organizations develop strategic plans but struggle to turn them into meaningful action. Design doing bridges the gap between strategy and execution by creating practical demonstrations of ideas. This allows stakeholders to assess opportunities more effectively and creates momentum for innovation. By moving beyond theory, organizations can create strategies that deliver measurable business value.
How design doing can help build a successful business strategy
A round-up of Pete Ballard's latest thinking on how to build business strategies that work via Consultancy.uk.
This is supported by research from satnav giant, TomTom, who have found that one third of UK businesses are “too slow” to adapt when it comes to adopting new technology.
In our latest publication, Peter Ballard proposes an effective solution to this stasis: design thinking delivered in the form of design doing. Design thinking has been used by designers and businesses alike to create digital solutions that work for everyone. Though this kind of thinking may – on the surface - seem exclusive to designers, its literacy and customer-centric principles should be familiar to you and your business.
It’s a fact that customer-centred design and thinking improves overall satisfaction for everyone involved. That’s why placing your customers at the forefront of your business strategy is imperative.
However, delivering meaningful impact means that design thinking has to be channelled into design doing - one way of achieving this is by creating a Proof of Concept. This enables design doing to make its way into the boardroom.
More importantly, design doing is cost effective – and once bought into by stakeholder – responsible for kickstarting slow-moving projects into action.
In light of the above, here’s a breakdown of Peter’s key takeaways from his full article:
Businesses currently dedicate little time to forming clear, implementable vision for the end-user - design action (prototypes and POCs) can counter this.
POCs should supplement design thinking if they are to increase speed to market.
They should also not replace design thinking, a POC is a useful tool but it has to be supported by design thinking and its ability to address the technical aspects of design.
POCs shouldn’t be overly complex – they must clearly define strategic direction and consider the business case at every step.
Placing customers at the heart of experience-creation will guarantee better outcomes and create new opportunities.
Key takeaway:
Businesses must implement design thinking and doing into the boardroom to create strategies that better serve the people who use these products and services.
Read the full article.
Business Strategy & Design - FAQs
Customer-centered strategies are more likely to create products and services that solve real-world problems. When organizations focus on customer needs, preferences, and behaviors, they gain insights that improve decision-making and increase the relevance of their offerings. The article emphasizes that customer-centered thinking improves satisfaction for everyone involved, including customers, employees, and stakeholders. Businesses that place customers at the heart of their strategy are better positioned to identify opportunities, build loyalty, and create long-term competitive advantages. This perspective ensures innovation remains grounded in genuine user needs.
Proofs of Concept help transform strategic ideas into something tangible and understandable. They allow organizations to visualize future experiences, test assumptions, and communicate ideas more effectively to stakeholders. By demonstrating potential outcomes, PoCs make strategic discussions more concrete and actionable.PoCs also accelerate decision-making by helping stakeholders understand opportunities before significant investments are made. Rather than debating abstract concepts, teams can interact with representations of future solutions. This reduces uncertainty and increases confidence in strategic direction.
Design thinking provides the framework for understanding customers and identifying opportunities, while design doing ensures ideas can be validated through action. Organizations that rely only on strategic thinking may struggle to gain momentum, while those that prioritize execution without research risk building the wrong solutions. The most successful organizations use these approaches together. Design thinking informs direction and customer understanding, while design doing enables teams to test, refine, and implement ideas. This balance increases the likelihood of creating solutions that are both innovative and practical.
Design doing reduces organizational inertia by encouraging experimentation and rapid learning. Instead of spending months debating ideas, businesses can create prototypes and Proofs of Concept that demonstrate value and generate feedback. This makes it easier to gain support and secure investment. By moving quickly from ideas to tangible outcomes, organizations can identify risks, uncover opportunities, and refine their strategies more efficiently. This practical approach helps teams build confidence while accelerating innovation and reducing delays caused by excessive planning.
Strategic decisions increasingly depend on understanding customer experiences, emerging technologies, and changing market expectations. Design provides valuable insights into all these areas and helps leaders make informed decisions about future investments. The article argues that design thinking and design doing should influence boardroom discussions because they connect business strategy with real customer needs. Organizations that incorporate design into leadership decisions are better equipped to create relevant strategies, improve customer outcomes, and maintain competitive advantage.