Design as sustainable change process
How does a group with the scale of Telekom manage to not only think in technological and infrastructural terms but also establish principles of design within the entire company in order to sustainably improve customer experience in a collaborative way? At Telekom, one of the largest German design divisions is working persistently on a gentle revolution across all business units. It has already shown success and won numerous awards.
Deutsche Telekom finds itself in the midst of a spectacular transformation process: It is shifting from a company with a traditional infrastructure to become a digitalization front-runner. Telekom has set itself the objective of accompanying its customers in an increasingly complex digital world. This includes as necessary conditions both first-class quality internet and excellent service. But the crucial task is to simplify our increasingly mobile everyday life in a sustainable way and enhance life through experiences in the digital space. This task is initially a question of designing products and services that are reliable and simple to use.
The design of products and services was the initial focus of Telekom Design when it was kick started several years ago. What was originally a small team of designers has grown to become one of the largest design divisions within a German company. Today, over 100 internal designers are working collaboratively with a large network of freelancers, national, and international design agencies. In the department's formative years, the focus was on developing innovative products and services based on use cases that would potentially become relevant over the next few years. These visions were made tangible at the Design Gallery. The design team was able to develop a holistic design language, shape numerous products and services, and worked for the comprehensive implementation of a consistent experience within a diverse product landscape.
Consistency
Consistency is essential for any brand. A brand's look and feel as well as product behavior have to correspond in an eco-system throughout the entire customer experience chain. At an early stage, Telekom Design put together design guidelines and assets in an experience toolbox which ensure a seamless customer experience. To create this positive customer experience, a smooth “end-to-end” cooperation between all services and products is of vital importance. Naturally, it is very complex to seamlessly coordinate infrastructure and technology in the background and provide a customer experience that is simple and effective, especially for a provider like Telekom.
In order to realize this expectation, designers at Telekom, just as in any other company, hold a key function: they take side with the customers, rooting for the best customer experience and creating intriguing products and services.
Design derives from empathy
That's why Telekom designers observe, investigate, and analyze their customers intensely. Since last year, demographic and every-day life characteristics of particular population groups are systematically collected at the Telekom Design Customer Lab and assigned to archetypal “Personas” representing different consumer groups. This systematic customer segmentation allows for the definition of different needs and expectations as well as for the search and selection of suitable candidates for focus groups in the Telekom Design Product Clinic. The focus groups are invited to the Customer Lab to evaluate new product ideas and prototypes and to integrate unfiltered and immediate customer feedback into the design and development process.
To significantly improve the customer experience of products and services, designers have to think about what people really want, why they want it, what moves them, and what they desire most. We want to turn this knowledge into invisible solutions that make life easier. We believe that humanizing technology has a positive impact on the world around us.
Listening exactly to what the customers really want is only a first step in the development of valuable solutions. Designers at Telekom have developed a strategic process of Design Thinking that is not only being put into action in their own unit, but has also been made available with an entire framework of methods and tools for all colleagues in the group. The focus has shifted from being a sole language to operating in corporate-internal processes. Philip Thesen: “If we want to restructure Telekom into a truly design-driven company, we need to establish the strategic design ability and the Digital Transformation within the entire group. Design Thinking is not a specialized discipline for designers only, but must interfuse with the entire company strategy. Because, every employee has immediate responsibility for the customer experience. There is no value of Design Thinking without Doing."
Design Thinking Doing
“Design Thinking Doing” is the handbook provided by the design unit to all colleagues across the group. It includes all common Design Thinking methods, processes, and tools that have been adapted for standardized product development processes at Telekom. A digital version is available for all employees. Furthermore, the Design Academy was founded to establish essential principles in the heads of as many employees as possible from all areas of the group. Telekom colleagues can take part in personal trainings, seminars, and workshops here, for best practice with the methods and tools. Already in 2016 over 8,000 trainings had taken place.
Design as sustainable change process
Published in: designreport 5/2016, (P. 81 – 85)
For the success of Telekom, this ambitious change process steadily including all parts of the group is a crucial component in the superordinate corporate strategy. A company must sustainably benefit from this design momentum developing within the organization. In a market characterized by increasing oversaturation and consolidation pressure, only one truly differentiating factor remains in the end: the customer experience. Design is a critical success factor for this.
Originally published in designreport 5/2016.
Design as sustainable change process
How does a group with the scale of Telekom manage to not only think in technological and infrastructural terms but also establish principles of design within the entire company in order to sustainably improve customer experience in a collaborative way? At Telekom, one of the largest German design divisions is working persistently on a gentle revolution across all business units. It has already shown success and won numerous awards.
Deutsche Telekom finds itself in the midst of a spectacular transformation process: It is shifting from a company with a traditional infrastructure to become a digitalization front-runner. Telekom has set itself the objective of accompanying its customers in an increasingly complex digital world. This includes as necessary conditions both first-class quality internet and excellent service. But the crucial task is to simplify our increasingly mobile everyday life in a sustainable way and enhance life through experiences in the digital space. This task is initially a question of designing products and services that are reliable and simple to use.
The design of products and services was the initial focus of Telekom Design when it was kick started several years ago. What was originally a small team of designers has grown to become one of the largest design divisions within a German company. Today, over 100 internal designers are working collaboratively with a large network of freelancers, national, and international design agencies. In the department's formative years, the focus was on developing innovative products and services based on use cases that would potentially become relevant over the next few years. These visions were made tangible at the Design Gallery. The design team was able to develop a holistic design language, shape numerous products and services, and worked for the comprehensive implementation of a consistent experience within a diverse product landscape.
Consistency
Consistency is essential for any brand. A brand's look and feel as well as product behavior have to correspond in an eco-system throughout the entire customer experience chain. At an early stage, Telekom Design put together design guidelines and assets in an experience toolbox which ensure a seamless customer experience. To create this positive customer experience, a smooth “end-to-end” cooperation between all services and products is of vital importance. Naturally, it is very complex to seamlessly coordinate infrastructure and technology in the background and provide a customer experience that is simple and effective, especially for a provider like Telekom.
In order to realize this expectation, designers at Telekom, just as in any other company, hold a key function: they take side with the customers, rooting for the best customer experience and creating intriguing products and services.
Design derives from empathy
That's why Telekom designers observe, investigate, and analyze their customers intensely. Since last year, demographic and every-day life characteristics of particular population groups are systematically collected at the Telekom Design Customer Lab and assigned to archetypal “Personas” representing different consumer groups. This systematic customer segmentation allows for the definition of different needs and expectations as well as for the search and selection of suitable candidates for focus groups in the Telekom Design Product Clinic. The focus groups are invited to the Customer Lab to evaluate new product ideas and prototypes and to integrate unfiltered and immediate customer feedback into the design and development process.
To significantly improve the customer experience of products and services, designers have to think about what people really want, why they want it, what moves them, and what they desire most. We want to turn this knowledge into invisible solutions that make life easier. We believe that humanizing technology has a positive impact on the world around us.
Listening exactly to what the customers really want is only a first step in the development of valuable solutions. Designers at Telekom have developed a strategic process of Design Thinking that is not only being put into action in their own unit, but has also been made available with an entire framework of methods and tools for all colleagues in the group. The focus has shifted from being a sole language to operating in corporate-internal processes. Philip Thesen: “If we want to restructure Telekom into a truly design-driven company, we need to establish the strategic design ability and the Digital Transformation within the entire group. Design Thinking is not a specialized discipline for designers only, but must interfuse with the entire company strategy. Because, every employee has immediate responsibility for the customer experience. There is no value of Design Thinking without Doing."
Design Thinking Doing
“Design Thinking Doing” is the handbook provided by the design unit to all colleagues across the group. It includes all common Design Thinking methods, processes, and tools that have been adapted for standardized product development processes at Telekom. A digital version is available for all employees. Furthermore, the Design Academy was founded to establish essential principles in the heads of as many employees as possible from all areas of the group. Telekom colleagues can take part in personal trainings, seminars, and workshops here, for best practice with the methods and tools. Already in 2016 over 8,000 trainings had taken place.
Design as sustainable change process
Published in: designreport 5/2016, (P. 81 – 85)
For the success of Telekom, this ambitious change process steadily including all parts of the group is a crucial component in the superordinate corporate strategy. A company must sustainably benefit from this design momentum developing within the organization. In a market characterized by increasing oversaturation and consolidation pressure, only one truly differentiating factor remains in the end: the customer experience. Design is a critical success factor for this.
Originally published in designreport 5/2016.