Useful Resources for Results-Based Strategic Design

Our Future By Design: The Centenarian Fall/Winter 2017. How Results-Based Strategic Design was implemented at Centenary University.

IDEO: A Global Design Company.  From early computer innovations (such as the mouse)  to global design of systems for improving human life, IDEO is the leading proponent and practitioner of human centered design. 

Tim Brown, Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and Inspires Innovation. New York: Harper-Collins, 2009. Applies the principles of human-centered design to organizational change.

Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life.  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2016. See also the accompanying web site: https://designingyour.life How to apply the principles of human-centered design to one’s personal and professional life. 

Benjamin Ginsberg,“The Strategic Plan: Neither Strategy nor Plan, but a Waste of Time.” Chronicle of Higher Education July 17, 2011. A cynical but insightful critique of traditional university strategic planning.

David P. Haney, “Rebooting a COVID-19 Stalled Strategic Planning Process.” Planning in Higher Education 48:3 (April-June 2020).

David P. Haney, “Thinking Like a Designer in Uncertain Times” Opinion, Inside Higher Ed, June 23, 2020.

Joanne Soliday and Dr. Mark Lombardi, Pivot: A Vision for the New University. CREDO Press: 2019. Published by the higher education consulting group CREDO, this book explores successful examples of universities that “pivoted” to become innovative leaders of change. 

Lee Vinsel, “Design Thinking is a Boondoggle: Its adherents think it will save higher ed. They’re delusional.” Chronicle of Higher Education, May 21, 2018. The author, clearly angry at the faddishness of the design thinking movement, both misunderstands the value of design thinking in reframing questions (he focuses on design thinking as a pedagogical rather than planning tool), and provides a valid critique of how design thinking can devolve into a cultish allegiance to unfounded claims, a “fun” process, and innovation for its own sake.

Hal Williams, Halsresultsfirst.com. Former CEO of the Rennselaerville Institute (the “Think Tank with Muddy Boots”), Hal is responsible for the “results” in results-based strategic design. He moves the emphasis from activities to results in the design process.