Culture, creativity, and business: design thinking for transformative cultural and creative leadership
“Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future.” Robert L. Peters
One of the things I love the most about my work is that I get to have great conversations with incredibly interesting people. I was interviewed by the brilliant Clara Gaggero-Westaway as part of her company, Special Projects In Conversation series.
Special Projects is an incredible design and invention agency and Clara had asked me to share my insights on the transformative power of design thinking in leadership which I really enjoyed doing. It gave me the opportunity to think about and discuss how strategic leaders today are expected to balance immediate goals with a clear vision for the future, drive innovation, and build a culture that supports growth. Although my conversation with Clara was focused on leadership within business and commerce, design thinking is so relevant to the cultural, creative, heritage and arts sectors. And of course its roots are embedded within these sector, but perhaps we can take it for granted sometimes…
Design thinking as a framework for transformational change
I hope my following musings can inspire some more intentional design thinking as it offers a powerful framework for leaders. By focusing on user needs and experiences, cultural organisations can find innovative and inclusive ways to remain true to their mission while also meeting the needs of their audiences, communities and stakeholders.
At CAO, we apply these principles to our work and encourage our clients to adopt a design thinking mindset, which involves:
Embracing uncertainty. Cultural leaders must be comfortable with ambiguity and willing to experiment with new ideas.
Fostering collaboration. We emphasise the importance of cross-functional teams and diverse perspectives in problem-solving.
Iterative problem-solving. We guide our clients through cycles of ideation, prototyping, and testing to refine their strategies and programmes.
User-centred focus. We help cultural organisations keep their audiences and communities at the centre of their decision-making processes.
The power of design thinking in cultural consultancy
At CAO, we pride ourselves on bringing together unique, highly creative, and expert teams to transform the cultural and creative sectors for the enjoyment of everyone. Our approach is rooted in the belief that museums, heritage, the arts, and creative industries play a vital role in society. This belief aligns closely with the principles of design thinking, which emphasises human-centred problem-solving and iterative innovation.
Design thinking has emerged as a powerful tool for driving innovation and creating value. Its human-centred approach emphasises empathy, creativity, and iterative problem-solving – key skills and capabilities recognised as essential for great leadership. By adopting design thinking principles, we at CAO focus on user needs, consciously foster collaboration, embrace experimentation, and become comfortable with being more adaptive in our approaches.
Our services at CAO span a wide range of areas, including strategic planning, audience development, and organisational change. In each of these areas, we apply design thinking principles to create tailored solutions for our clients. For example:
Strategic Planning. When developing strategic plans for cultural organisations, we employ a human-centred approach. We begin by deeply understanding the needs of the organisation's stakeholders – from communities and visitors to staff and board members. This empathetic understanding forms the foundation of our strategic recommendations.
Audience Development. Our audience development strategies are built on the design thinking principle of user-centred design. We use techniques such as user personas and journey mapping to gain insights into visitor experiences and identify opportunities for engagement.
Organisational Change. Change management in cultural institutions requires a delicate balance of tradition and innovation. We use design thinking's iterative approach to guide organisations through change, encouraging experimentation and learning from failure in a low-stakes environment.
We’ve been thinking a lot about the trends that are shaping the landscape of cultural leadership today. Admittedly they are not all new ideas, but we are using them with clients in new ways which navigate the contexts and environments we all find ourselves working within. For example:
Adaptive leadership. The need for adaptive leadership is becoming increasingly important. Cultural leaders must be agile, able to navigate rapidly changing environments and technological disruptions. At CAO, we help our clients develop this adaptability through scenario planning exercises and flexible strategic frameworks.
Purpose-driven leadership. There's a growing focus on purpose-driven, empathetic leadership. Cultural organisations are increasingly expected to align their goals with broader societal and environmental concerns. We help our clients articulate their purpose and integrate it into their strategic planning and operational decisions.
By applying design thinking principles to cultural consultancy, we at CAO are helping organisations navigate the complexities of the modern world while staying true to their social purpose, and artistic and cultural missions.
We believe that the future of cultural leadership lies in embracing these principles – fostering adaptability, encouraging experimentation, and maintaining a steadfast focus on the needs and experiences of our audiences and communities. By doing so, we can ensure that our cultural institutions not only survive but thrive, continuing to enrich our society for generations to come. The future of our cultural sector depends on our ability to adapt, innovate, and lead with purpose and vision.
