Secrets to Leading Creative Teams and the Role of Chief Design Officer Revealed with Eric Quint
<p>Eric Quint, a prominent design leader and author, discusses the critical aspects of effective design leadership, emphasizing the importance of collaboration, the distinction between design as strategy versus tactics, and the need for a governance framework to elevate design within organizations.</p><p>In this episode, he shares insights on measuring the impact of design, building a design center, and navigating organizational politics. Quint also highlights the significance of intuition, creativity, and the ability to say no in design leadership, providing valuable takeaways for aspiring design leaders.</p><p>Eric<strong> </strong>is former Chief Brand and Design Officer at 3M Company (United States) and former Vice President and Head of Design Management and Consulting at Royal Philips (the Netherlands). </p><p><strong>Eric’s Linkedin:</strong> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericquint3mcdo/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericquint3mcdo/</a></p><p><strong>Design Leadership Ignited - Elevating Design at Scale: </strong><a target="_blank" href="https://www.sup.org/books/business/design-leadership-ignited">https://www.sup.org/books/business/design-leadership-ignited</a> (also available on Amazon)</p><p>Design leadership at scale requires leaders who design the design function, establish a thriving environment for the creative team, and shape the design organization to drive progress, advance innovation, and enhance meaningful customer experiences. </p><p><strong>Eric’s white papers and publications (Linkedin Featured section):</strong></p><p>* Foreword for book “Research for Designers” by Gjoko Muratovski (3rd edition, 2024)</p><p>* Journal of Innovation Management: “Collaborative Creativity: A Design Approach to Systemic Challenges Navigating the Innovation Ecosystem.”</p><p>* Journal of Design and Allied Sciences: “Designing the Future: How Balanced Design Leadership Can Drive Desirable Futures.”</p><p>* California Management Review: Leadership to Elevate Design At Scale: Balancing Conflicting Imperatives</p><p>* Foreword for book “Futures By Design” by Corà-Fazio-Collura (2023).</p><p></p><p><strong>Takeaways:</strong></p><p>Collaboration is essential for effective design leadership.</p><p>Design should be viewed as a strategic capability, not just a tactical function.</p><p>Engaging stakeholders is crucial for demonstrating design’s value.</p><p>Establishing a governance framework for design is necessary for success.</p><p>Measuring design impact requires a focus on progress rather than just financial KPIs.</p><p>Creating a design center can significantly enhance design’s role in an organization.</p><p>Navigating organizational politics is a key skill for design leaders.</p><p>Intuition and creativity play vital roles in design leadership.</p><p>Aspiring design leaders should focus on building influence and resilience.</p><p>Understanding the business language is important for design leaders.</p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://ggutt.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1">ggutt.substack.com</a>