Building Sustainable Design-Led Competencies for Resilience.
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Key Learnings
- Moving Beyond Linear Processes to Competency Maturity
- Integrating the Three Domains: Think, Do, and Feel
- Leveraging Meta-Competencies for Radical Adoption
Speakers
Speaker: Everton Lewis
Profession: Co-Founder and Partner
Workplace: Impact Signal
Description
In an era of rapid and complex change, traditional design thinking—often reduced to a linear 5-step process—is no longer sufficient to drive meaningful innovation. Organizations frequently focus on immediate project outcomes while overlooking the underlying learning outcomes required to sustain long-term change. This talk introduces OCAD U CO’s research-backed framework of twenty-one design-led competencies necessary to build a rich design culture. We define competency not just as a skill, but as the integration of knowledge (Thinking), skills (Doing), and behaviors (Feeling). We will explore how to identify, target, and measure the maturity of these competencies—from initial imitation ("Take In") to seamless self-learning ("Master"). By shifting the focus from "doing design" to "being design-led," leaders can equip their teams to tackle messy, bold, and transformational opportunities with true confidence.