Shouldering Responsibility: The Rise of Chief Design Officers in Modern Organizations

Shouldering Responsibility: Chief Design Officer

In today's article I would like to bring in new insights where we will try to break the myths of a common man's intuition and perception about the responsibilities that a designer shoulders, Growth prospects and importance in an organization.

Common Myths in India

• Only people from engineering or any related professional background can grow in an organization
• A proper degree: is engineering
• Learn engineering, you can learn anything
• Design, Ahh its art, drawing … you can learn the same any time ….
• Take a regular degree first, like engineering … then do anything that you like

Changing Times

Design as an application has evolved like no other in the last few centuries. The same can only be resonated with culture, technology and societal values. The influence of design has engulfed over time to include a variety of fields ranging from Fashion, communication, architecture, technology in enhancing the way we experience the several touch points in satisfying our needs and wants.

Design can be subtly expressed as an extension of one's own personality, Design as a tool in solving real time problems, Design as one's own reflection of values, freedom, culture, Design as an inspiration that surpasses boundaries.

According to a recent survey, 99% of our choice in choosing a product or service depends on design. From the early design that includes Cave painting, Art, industrial revolution such as Lithography to digital revolution such as computers /digital technology /digital design /responsive design has made this piece of discipline more has bridged the several gaps of product and a user.

Let's see some facts here on how Markets/brands/world see design as their "Friendly neighbourhood spider man":

1. 99% says Mobile-friendly design is important: It benefits customers in easily accessing internet/applications etc
2. As per marketers: 92% believe design plays a major role in brand recognition
3. Stunning to note that 55% business use Graphic Design in customer communication
4. Exhilarating to hear that 24% of the social media engagement in business is through graphic design
5. Stunning to hear that 21% of the business use visual form of design for internal business purposes in any organization
6. Some of the factors that include design in fashion such as Culture, comfort, functionality, fit, trends etc.
7. Design has left audiences with a voracious appetite to come back more. Some of the cornerstones of these innovations include Multimedia elements, Motion graphic and animation, Stunning layouts, Immersive experiences with 10x Power in ways of Visualization/in compelling storytelling formats.

Breaking Myth: Career growth as a Designer

Some Starling facts: CDO (Chief Design Officer) as they are designated (C-Level Executive)

1. A chief design officer earns a salary of Rs 27 lakhs and upwards in a year in India.
2. Some of the top hiring companies in India include Pepsi, Coca cola, Tata group, Boeing, Mahindra, Aditya Birla, Adani group, Infosys, Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, Airtel, ICICI Bank, SBI, ITC, Hindustan Unilever, Maruti Suzuki, Ranbaxy has designated CDO positions.
3. If CEO of an organization is all about Strategic vision a Chief design Officer is responsible for Design development
4. Some of the links related to this profession also include Chief Creative officer/Vice president of Design.
5. The typical background of a Chief Design Officer should include a formal training from a leading Design school, +10 years of experience in design led organizations, proven leadership experience and more than 4 major Product releases.

Role of a Chief Design Officer

The Role of a Chief design officer is not just execution alone but should have the ability to transform. This includes transforming the User experience, the design team and involves transformation of the organization.

The core responsibilities include:

• Introduce New business models every year (Innovate to Disrupt)
• Ensuring experience improvement for customers by ensuring high quality design at all point of Interactions
• Drive design standard across the organization and provide regular training session for designers
• Represent design at the top level of Organization
• Spread the design culture across organization that includes language and set of design practices
• Develop design team skills
• Nurturing a thriving community of designers
• Represent organizations brand at functions and in the press

Some of the popular Chief Design Officers in the world (Reporting to CEO)

Conclusion

The article is just to give you a taste of what lies ahead for you in terms of growth. Design is no longer considered as a vocational profession and has far evolved in taking the centre stage to that of equals to any other profession. With design gaining popularity it has become a cornerstone for any organization as a differentiator. With customer demand on the rise for enhanced experience and engagement, the role of a designer and its possibilities can never be limited to a short scale. Design as a concept has penetrated to many an Industry in creating and showcasing starling differentiation in their product and services offering.

Design as a concept has penetrated to many an Industry in creating and showcasing starling differentiation in their product and services offering.

Let me give you with some few numbers (in $):

• The global design market is valued at 75 billion
• The global Interior design market is at 225 billion
• The industrial design market is valued at 55 Billion
• There are an approx of 5 lakh graphic designers employed globally
• Design system software market is valued at 115 billion
• The most in demand in digital design is the UI.UX design for mobile application and web content