Why Design Thinking Is Business Thinking, Global HR Forum 2016

Global HR Forum 2016, 01 – 03 November

Televised live on Korean national TV and streamed worldwide on Youtube, leading minds from business, education and government convened in Seoul for the Global HR Forum 2016. Held under the theme of “Let’s Dream, Challenge and Create,” the forum’s speakers and discussants engaged in an in-depth dialogue about the development and utilisation of global talent for the common goal of global prosperity.

tangerine CEO, Martin Darbyshire, was invited to deliver a presentation on ‘Why Design Thinking is Business Thinking,’ to an audience of 400 people. 

Over the last decade, people have increasingly acknowledged the important role that design plays in the economic success of a country within the interconnected global economy. This belief is not without foundation. The Design Council’s 2015 The Design Economy report’s findings, on the value of design to the UK economy, shows that the design economy generated £71.7bn in gross value added (GVA) in 2013, equivalent to 7.2% of total GVA, and is now the 9th biggest employer in the UK.

‘Design Thinking’ has provided a useful terminology to help design professionals demystify their design processes and evidence the impact that their work has on business. However, as a practical tool or process that companies can employ, there’s still much disagreement about what design thinking is, how it influences business and the true value it really brings. 

In his talk, Martin explains how both design and design thinking together bring real value to business, addressing three key questions:

Why is design relevant to you?
What is design thinking?
How best can design and design thinking impact business?