On Strategic Design

This paper develops the concept of “strategic design”, the design implications of the interactions of a product with the whole user system, and relates it to other aspects of design. It describes some examples of poor strategic design that occur frequently, and some cases where effective strategic design has been important in the large-scale impact of an ambitious educational innovation. From these, the paper then seeks to infer some principles for strategic design. It is aimed at the three major constituencies of ISDDE: designers, design team leaders, and the client-funders that often commission their work. The hope is that sharpened awareness of the importance, and the challenges, of strategic design may help to increase the impact of good design as a whole. The goals of this paper are to: Articulate and illustrate the concept of “strategic design”; Relate it to other aspects of design; Pursue some of the issues it raises; and Suggest some principles for strategic design. I will start with a working description: Strategic design focuses on the design implications of the interactions of the products, and the processes for their use, with the whole user system it aims to serve. The importance of strategic design is illustrated by the many examples of design excellence that have been undermined by poor strategic design – wonderful lessons, assessment tasks, and professional development activities that are never seen, while mediocrity (and worse) is widespread. Section 1 outlines the concept, which will be developed throughout the paper, distinguishing strategic, tactical and technical design. Section 2 illustrates the concept with three areas of poor strategic design that are commonplace across educatio