How can design create impact at a systems level, across business, government and the planet? Cat Drew has spent a large part of her career answering exactly that question.
Chief Design Officer at Design Council, the UK's design body, set up nearly 80 years ago to help rebuild the post-war economy. Cat works at the intersection of design, business, policy and sustainability.
Cat is also faculty member of our Executive Programme for Design Leaders: https://fla.wiki/4vsrYWRAs
In our conversation, we explored how designers can better communicate their value, why sustainability belongs in every designer's toolkit, and what it takes to influence entire systems.
What you'll learn:
► How to build design's influence inside a large organisation, and make the business case for it, from Decathlon to Impossible Foods
► Why sustainability and "skills for the planet" now belong in every designer's toolkit
► How design can shape government policy, not just products
👤 Who this episode is for: Chief Design Officers · Design Leaders · Heads of Design · Policy Makers · Sustainability Leads · and anyone curious about design's role in business, government and the planet
00:00 Meet Cat Drew, Chief Design Officer at Design Council
2:04 80 Years of Design Council: From Post-War Product Awards to Design for Planet
6:45 Why Governments and Businesses Still Misunderstand the Word Design
9:39 Design Speaks a Different Language Than Business
12:10 How to Build Design Influence Inside a Large Organisation
14:33 Five Business Arguments for Design, With Case Studies From Decathlon to Impossible Foods
19:04 What Governments Actually Care About: Design Economy vs Design for Policy
23:54 Measuring Impact in the Public Sector From Vulnerable Families to Mental Health Access
29:54 Salford Wetlands: A Design Solution That Solves Five Problems at Once
32:34 Should Designers Even Use the Word "Design"?36:44 Introducing Skills for the Planet and the Weight of Design's Responsibility
45:58 How Can Designers Advocate for the Planet
49:31 Judging FLA's Executive Programme & What Design Leaders Are Building Next
52:03 Q&A: B Corp Certification vs Measurable Regenerative Impact
53:42 Q&A: Why Designers Need Hands in Soil and Feet in Rivers
56:49 Q&A: Fixing Design Education for the Next Generation
01:03:45 Q&A: Designing for Systems When Work Is Project-Based
01:06:08 Q&A: Building a Business Case for Retainer-Based Sustainability Work
01:10:35 Q&A: Who Kat Thinks We Should Invite Next to the Podcast & Why
01:12:21 Q&A: Bridging a Career Into Purpose-Led Work
More about our Executive Programme for Design Leaders: https://fla.wiki/4vsrYWR
