Teaching an entire
company to think
differently
Design thinking isn't a methodology you install. It's a mindset you spread — one workshop at a time.
"Design thinking is a human-centered approach to innovation that draws from the designer's toolkit to integrate the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success."
— Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO
Design thinking is a mindset shift. I learned it at IBM iX, then carried it into the enterprise at FM Global.
At IBM iX, design thinking wasn't optional — it was how every engagement started. Workshops, sticky notes, "How might we..." statements, empathy maps. I learned the discipline by running it dozens of times for clients across financial services, healthcare, and consumer brands.
When I moved to FM Global, the framework wasn't there. Our Vision team understood early that if the company was going to succeed, it couldn't just be the designers who thought in a human-centered way — it had to be everyone. Product owners, business analysts, developers, leadership.
The challenge wasn't designing a training program. It was changing a culture. And culture change starts with getting everyone in the same room doing the same thing.
If we are to succeed as a company, we need to prepare ourselves individually, on teams, and as an organization.
Unify a company around the user
- "If we do more research, it will slow everything down"
- "Our users will get burned out"
- "It's just workshops and post-its"
- Designers aren't driving the experience
- Section silos with competing frameworks
- Design constantly proving its value
Design thinking at scale.
Design Thinking Practitioner · IBM iX → FM Global
Design Thinking U
We assembled an immersive training program — first for the design team, then for all employees. Business units, project teams, and groups across the company learned the value of design thinking by actually doing it.
We ran Accelerated Visioning workshops where participants practiced Design Thinking on their own live projects, learning tools like commander's intent, empathy mapping, and participatory design.
How we spread the mindset
Culture takes time. We started the clock.
We ran many teams through a Design Thinking framework. Over time we provided tips, coaching, and eventually worked with teams on continuous delivery. The most important outcome wasn't a deliverable — it was a shift in how people thought about their work.