Design Leadership

Unlike business leadership, which is about leading organisations, the notion of design leadership is fuzzier. It is often used interchangeably with design management, but is also liberally applied to any big personality around the industry. Back in the days the designers or design managers were situated low down in the business hierarchy, and if they wanted to stress their opinions, they would have to talk to a marketing director, who would then talk to a higher member of staff, and then eventually the top management would get the idea. - If not the idea was lost along the way, or changes too much. Nowadays, the role of the design managers have totally changed, and their roles are vital to business success. 


There are many different design leaders, such as Josephine Green, Sir Terrence Conran, Tom Ford and Dyson. However, design leaders do tend to share three general qualities: they are good at envisioning the future, thinking strategically and leading others. They tend to have mastered their professional craft and understand their field well, but are driven by a restless feeling in their gut that 'it doesn't have to be this way'. They have the ability to hover above the detail, see the big picture and think abstractly to imagine a different direction.

TOM FORD

Leadership involves remembering past mistakes, and analysis of today’s achievements, and a well grounded imagination in visualising the problems of the future

 – Stanley C. Allyn