Beyond the Design Team

Strategists describe to make. Designers make to describe.

How do you design for a future so ambiguous that all things we take for granted turn out to be assumptions? What if cars drive themselves and people need insuring? How do you ensure a home in a world where we are climate change nomads? What if homes were printed not built..?

This talk explores how IAG is using Design as a prototype for a new kind of future practice. Where the opportunity of being a Design team inside an organisation offers the chance to leave the current design business model behind, using the craft to create ‘nests’ where the business can explore possible futures and play with new futures in a way that builds adaptable strategy.

Harriet will explore how they're learning new forms of ideation and some of the more confronting (and exciting) opportunities it offers for their teams, their people and their organisations.

Harriet Wakelam

Harriet Wakelam‘s work at IAG uses design to challenge consensus supporting IAG in delivering to their customers a safer Australia. She uses design techniques across innovation, future strategy and customer experience design. She is fascinated by ‘why’, making real things, experiences that enable us to operate in an increasingly uncertain world.

She’s worked at NAB, CAPCO, Medibank and is an active supporter of the UK and Australian startup community. Her work has taken her to the US, UK, Russia and Eastern Europe. She has some medium-sized humans and is not averse to a good Negroni.