Design Ladder is a model where companies are classified into four categories, depending on their use of design: + from no use of design; + to design as style; + to design as a process, and the most advanced ladder + design as a strategy. That last kind of organisations design innovators and market leaders.

This post was part of my presentation competing at the WBPC10

How to connect design management with your corporate culture?

In the model Design Management Staircase at the picture below there is a range presented from an immature level of design management to a level where design management is of a strategic nature and part of the company’s culture. At highly driven design corporations they have a differentiation strategy where design is at their core. Those kinds of corporations are market leaders through design innovation. If a company wants to be a market leader it needs to have the design as part of its strategic plans and design planning should be a dynamic process that drives the business. However, not every company needs to focus its strategy on the role of design as a driving force of innovation. It depends on the nature of the organization, its market position, or its strategy. In some cases, it may be sufficient for a company to be on the level of design management as a function or even as a project

Nevertheless, the usage of design is valuable information. In Denmark, they researched their companies according to a model called Design Ladder where companies were classified into four categories:

1. no use of design,
2. design as style,
3. design as a process, and
4. design as a strategy.

And in general, they found out that the higher the use of design in an organization the higher its gross performance.

If you would like to support my claims, please vote for my presentation at http://slidesha.re/aQkX9R. The countdown is starting, because you have only three more days to vote for my presentation, please share this post through your network. Thank you.

And please vote for the presentation by clicking on the “thumbs up” icon. You will be asked to register with SlideShare (or log in if you are a member already), so a few clicks will be necessary (and an e-mail confirmation). If you have a Facebook profile you should be able to vote with it. It is maybe the easiest way but you will be asked to allow SlideShare to approach your data. I really appreciate your efforts.