SydDT #128: When Does Design Become Strategic?

Most designers want to be more strategic.

But what does that actually mean?

Is strategic design about working on bigger problems? Influencing executives? Creating visions and roadmaps? Driving transformation?

Or are we confusing good design with strategic design?

Join us for our July meetup where a panel of experienced strategic design leaders will explore one of the most debated questions in our profession: what makes design strategic?

We’re lucky to have Dr Leanne Sobel, Jaimes Nel, Paul Merrell, Lize Wordsworth and Laura Kostanski sharing their insights with short lightning talks before we open up a panel discussion and audience conversation.

We'll explore:

• What strategic design is
• What it isn’t – with common misconceptions and traps
• How strategic design differs from other design disciplines
• Where strategic design is heading
• How designers can increase their strategic influence and impact

Expect diverse perspectives, thoughtful discussions, and practical insights for designers at every stage of their career.

Come join us for some fun conversations with interesting people in and around the design thinking community. New members are welcome!

SPEAKERS
Dr Leanne Sobel
Adjunct Fellow, UTS Business School
Leanne is a strategic designer, researcher, and educator. Her PhD research explored the role of design in strategy, and her work focuses on applying design practices, systems thinking, and participatory approaches to complex organisational challenges.

With experience spanning consulting, academia, and industry, Leanne is a leading voice in the evolving field of strategic design.

Jaimes Nel
Founder, Path Ventures
Jaimes is the founder of Path Ventures, a Sydney-based consultancy helping organisations connect strategy to action through design-led approaches. With more than 20 years of experience spanning service design, digital transformation, and organisational change, Jaimes has worked with organisations including the NHS, BBC, GOV.UK, Westpac, ING, and TAL.

His work focuses on helping organisations “play the long game” by using strategic design to navigate complexity and deliver lasting change.

Paul Merrell
Senior Service Designer, Allianz
Paul is a design leader and strategist with extensive experience applying service design and human-centred approaches to organisational transformation. Currently with Allianz Australia, Paul works at the intersection of customer experience, business strategy and change, helping organisations navigate complexity and deliver meaningful outcomes.

His work is grounded in the belief that meaningful change happens when strategy connects with the realities of people, systems and delivery.

Lize Wordsworth
Group Head of Business Architecture & Design, Westpac Group
Lize is a practical, results-driven leader specializing in bridging the gap between high-level strategy and tangible execution. With extensive global experience spanning financial services, telecommunications, infrastructure, mining, and petrochemicals across Australia, the Americas, Asia, and Europe, she focuses on building organizational capabilities across people, process, culture, and technology.
A trusted advisor across complex global environments, Lize combines deep expertise in target operating model design, enterprise architecture, and customer journey blueprints to help organizations navigate change and turn strategic intent into operational reality.

Dr Laura Kostanski
Fellow, Design Institute of Australia
Laura is a strategic designer working where science, design, policy and data meet. She designs and stewards national-scale programs across environmental intelligence, data ecosystems and multi-agency governance - building the partnerships and capabilities that help science translate into enduring impact.
A Churchill Fellow with a PhD in human geography and public policy, Laura's focus is towards the systems end of design: what the practice looks like when the brief is a national capability, with multiple products, services and institutions to be navigated.

EVENT SPONSORS
This event is brought to you by Atlassian, Shapeshifters, and Dynamic4.

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