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McKayla Barber

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The role of today’s designer extends far beyond aesthetics and functionality—today’s designers are powerful agents of change.
To see how designers are leading much-needed innovation in the world today, consider the role we play in the following critical areas:

Delve's experts in insights, strategy, design, and engineering can guide you through an end-to-end innovation process that delivers results.

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<ul><li>Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).&nbsp;By considering the perspectives of marginalized groups in our work, designers challenge biases, create more inclusive designs, and ensure that products and services cater to the needs of all individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or abilities. In our own work at Delve, you can see examples of this in our designs for <a href="https://www.delve.com/work/pediatric-hand-cycle" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">adaptive sports equipment</a> and <a href="https://www.delve.com/work/not-impossible-labs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">connected devices that deliver inclusive experiences.</a></li></ul>

Case Studies: Inclusive Product Design

<ul><li>Solving pressing social Issues. Many designers actively collaborate with NGOs, nonprofits, and government organizations to address challenges such as healthcare, education, poverty, and urbanization. Through the lens of human-centered design, designers can understand the needs of underserved communities and develop solutions that empower them. You can see the impact of this work in low-cost medical devices educational tools for disadvantaged communities, or in <a href="https://www.delve.com/work/satellite-terminals-and-portable-solar-array" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">innovative infrastructure solutions that provide Internet access to developing countries.</a></li></ul>
<ul><li>Driving sustainable design across industries.&nbsp; As the world grapples with the evolving effects of climate change and dwindling resources, designers are reimagining how we create, consume, and dispose of products. We are embracing and promoting principles of circular design, which emphasize minimizing waste, maximizing product lifecycles, and using renewable materials. You can see the impact of this work in sustainable packaging, energy-efficient building materials, <a href="https://www.delve.com/work/readypay-solar-home-system" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">affordable energy solutions for the home</a>, and <a href="https://www.delve.com/work/smart-faucet" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eco-friendly connected devices</a>.</li></ul>

Case Studies: Sustainable Product Design

So, yes, designers are driving innovation in important areas—but the work is far from done, and our goals cannot be achieved in isolation. 
At Delve, we strongly believe in our vision: “Together, we can design a better world.” The word “together” is key, because creating a better world is the ultimate collaborative project. Every organization has its own circumstances, and designers cannot force change—but we can be powerful catalysts for the change that needs to happen. 
<h2>Designer as Change Agent </h2>
Change can be intimidating and uncomfortable, but doubling down on business as usual in a world that’s changing as fast as ours is the greatest risk of all. 
To serve our clients’ interests—and the interests of the broader community of which we are all part —designers must: 
<ul><li>Help clients identify opportunities to create change for the better, for people, for business, and for the planet. </li><li>Advocate for these changes </li><li>Identify barriers to change and help to address them</li></ul>

Designers have a responsibility to design a world that all want to live in. Here are three principles that can help us navigate the complexities of design decision-making and truly achieve design success.

Don't Miss: Three Principles for More Human, Solution-Focused, Fair, and Inclusive Design

This is a big ask, but the truth is, designers are uniquely qualified to:
<ul><li>Inspire others to share our bold vision of what’s possible</li><li>Help leaders understand the business value of adopting new approaches and business models</li><li>Help our partners navigate these complex changes successfully.</li></ul>
When we work in teams with other change agents whose skillsets complement our own, we can drive innovation even more effectively.

<h2>The Four Agents of Change You Need on Your Innovation Team </h2>
There are four types of change agents. Each brings an essential superpower to an innovation team.

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<h3>Agent of Change #1: The Explorer</h3>
The Explorer is excited by the unknown and is comfortable in the ambiguous state of a project, when it’s at its fuzziest. Not yet having one clear answer or all the details resolved does not paralyze the Explorer. The Explorer enjoys the process of navigating through the problem and is not afraid to propose an entirely new approach that we may not yet fully understand. 
The Explorer’s superpower: Navigating through fog. When there is no path forward, they forge one.

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<h3>Agent of Change #2: The Time Traveler</h3>
The Time Traveler is inspired by new ideas and is usually the first to try new things. They are optimistic, excited about what’s next, and can usually be found exploring how emerging trends and new technologies might impact a given industry. 
The Time Traveler's superpower: Envisioning the different futures, solutions, and paths forward that don’t exist yet.

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<h3>Agent of Change #3: The Communicator&nbsp;</h3>
The Communicator can distill complex concepts and information into messaging that is easy to grasp and connects with different audiences. The Communicator’s storytelling ability not only helps others to see through the fog, but also helps get others excited about the aspirational vision they are painting of the future. 
The Communicator’s superpower: Cutting through complexity to get stakeholders on the same page and on board.

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<h3>Agent of Change #4: The Influencer&nbsp;</h3>
The Influencer is committed to a specific vision of change and has the perseverance to see that vision through against all odds. They are comfortable questioning rules and assumptions that others take for granted. Within an innovation team, the Influencer functions as a kind of secret agent: a natural leader who disrupts the team by persistently challenging the status quo.&nbsp;
The Influencer’s superpower: Inspiring others to see and bring about their vision of change.

<h2>Leveraging Your Change Agents' Superpowers</h2>
To enable successful change agency, you want to: 
<ol><li>Build an innovation team that collectively represents all of these superpowers. </li><li>Understand that each member brings a different change agency superpower to the team. </li><li>Enable each team member to contribute and collaborate in the way that best aligns with their change agency superpower. </li><li>Know when to activate each change agent. For example:</li></ol>

Our experts in insights, strategy, design, and engineering guide you through an end-to-end innovation process that delivers results.

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<ul><li>If you have a project where the objective or path forward is very vague and fuzzy with many unknowns and possibilities, activate your Explorer.</li><li>If you have a project that involves implementing new technology or understanding the future implications of emerging trends, bring in your Time Traveler.</li><li>If you have a project where it is difficult for everyone to understand the vision or one that involves impactful but complicated ideas and processes, send in your Communicator.</li><li>If you have a project with an established point of view and need help getting others on board with the vision, ask your Influencer to step in and align the teams.</li></ul>
By working together, your superpowered innovation team can, in turn, empower your clients to achieve successful transformative change.

Continue this conversation on LinkedIn! Follow McKayla's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mckaylabarber/" target="_blank">LinkedIn page</a>&nbsp;and share your thoughts about this blog post <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mckaylabarber_innovation-designthinking-productinnovation-activity-7079104931059695616-Br1u/" target="_blank">here.</a>

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Four Agents of Change You Need on Your Innovation Team

Four Agents of Change You Need on Your Innovation Team

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