Corporate business and management are embracing design thinking for its potential to
deliver competitive advantage through helping them be more innovative, differentiate their
brands, and bring more customer centric products and services to market (Brown, 2008).
As consumers continue to expect more personalisation and customisation from their service
providers, the use of design thinking for innovation within organisations is a logical
progression. To date however, there is little empirical literature discussing how
organisations are setting about integrating design thinking into their culture and innovation
practices. This paper is a first step in initiating a scholarly discussion on the integration of
design thinking within organisational culture.
Deloitte Australia is a large professional services firm employing over 5700 staff in 12
offices across Australia. The company provides a range of services to clients in the areas of
audit, tax, financial advisory and consulting. In early 2011 the company made a strategic
commitment to introducing design thinking into the organisation’s practices. While it
already maintains a strong innovation culture, to date it had largely been operating within
an analytical business environment. For Deloitte, design thinking is an opportunity to
create better outcomes for the people they serve – both internal and external stakeholders
(Brown & Wyatt, 2010).
Research was conducted using case study methodology and ethnographic methods from
June to September 2011 at the Melbourne Deloitte office. It involved three methods of data
collection: semi structured interviews, participant observation and artifact analysis. This
paper presents preliminary case study findings of Deloitte’s approach to building
awareness and a consistent understanding of design thinking, as well as large scale
capability, across the firm. Deloitte’s commitment to transforming its culture to one of
design thinking poses significant potential for understanding how design thinking is
comprehended, enabled and integrated within a complex organisational environment.
DRS 2012 Bangkok
deliver competitive advantage through helping them be more innovative, differentiate their
brands, and bring more customer centric products and services to market (Brown, 2008).
As consumers continue to expect more personalisation and customisation from their service
providers, the use of design thinking for innovation within organisations is a logical
progression. To date however, there is little empirical literature discussing how
organisations are setting about integrating design thinking into their culture and innovation
practices. This paper is a first step in initiating a scholarly discussion on the integration of
design thinking within organisational culture.
Deloitte Australia is a large professional services firm employing over 5700 staff in 12
offices across Australia. The company provides a range of services to clients in the areas of
audit, tax, financial advisory and consulting. In early 2011 the company made a strategic
commitment to introducing design thinking into the organisation’s practices. While it
already maintains a strong innovation culture, to date it had largely been operating within
an analytical business environment. For Deloitte, design thinking is an opportunity to
create better outcomes for the people they serve – both internal and external stakeholders
(Brown & Wyatt, 2010).
Research was conducted using case study methodology and ethnographic methods from
June to September 2011 at the Melbourne Deloitte office. It involved three methods of data
collection: semi structured interviews, participant observation and artifact analysis. This
paper presents preliminary case study findings of Deloitte’s approach to building
awareness and a consistent understanding of design thinking, as well as large scale
capability, across the firm. Deloitte’s commitment to transforming its culture to one of
design thinking poses significant potential for understanding how design thinking is
comprehended, enabled and integrated within a complex organisational environment.
DRS 2012 Bangkok
