In a rapidly changing world, an organisation has to innovate, create value, and adapt. To this end, design is indispensable. And design is all about knowledge. In this post, I distinguish seven sorts of design knowledge.
Seven sorts
Designers continually create, share, and use knowledge. They do this together with customers, commissioners, users, fellow designers, partners, and other stakeholders. The following figure shows different sorts of design knowledge:
These seven sorts almost fully correspond with the seven internal factors in the McKinsey 7S Model. Other points of departure are conceivable. But the McKinsey 7S Model turns out to be well applicable in practice. Furthermore, it is known among many managers. For a brief introduction to this model, see for instance Strategic Management Insight or Investopedia.
Framework
Together, the seven sorts of design knowledge form a framework. It provides a structure for analysing a design practice and advising how to streamline the production of design knowledge. Using this framework leads to better decisions and a larger chance of achieving the desired result.
On the basis of this framework, I draw three conclusions:
