Thozamile Futshane

Taking on a holistic approach to design and systems’ thinking can help us understand how different elements relate to each other — and helps us remember that the world is an interconnected web. Everything we design is part of a whole that has a wider social and ecological impact.

The new ecosystem design will need to start with the customer’s view and deliver on the agreed-upon value proposition and experience. To achieve this, organizations can consider three domains: consumers, sectors and partners, and products and services. Design has a central role to play in each.

Embedding design thinking, methods, and tools from the outset of ecosystem development will help companies produce integrated ecosystem offerings that delight customers, stave off threats, and create new sources of value.

To achieve success with ecosystems, it is crucial to create a flexible and agile operating model that is capable of not only continually rolling out new solutions but also managing the entire portfolio of value propositions by addressing failures, branching out into new areas, and pivoting the focus along the way. This requires a number of cultural... See more