I read a great article today in the April issue of Fast Company that talked about a shift taking place toward a design-based economy. The article suggests that this is the next evolution from the information economy (before that the service and manufacturing economies). I don’t know that I buy that completely. I still think we’re in an experience economy; however, this concept of design-based strategy has a place in understanding why some companies (and churches) are successful in creating Wow! experiences for their customers (and weekend guests).

The bottom line of the article is that we need to think more like designers.

  • Rather than permanent assignments, we need to organize around projects.
  • Rather than waiting until something is “just right,” we need to design the prototype, improve on it and then act on it.
  • Rather than rewarding big-time managers, reward the big-time problem-solvers.
  • Rather than waiting for proof that it’ll work or that it “must be,” reward those with the courage to explore what “might be.”

The article cited the example of Apple, “Companies such as Apple act like design shops by saying, ‘If everything must be proven, we’ll never make the likes of an iPod.’” The bottom line: we need to be less concerned with incremental improvements–getting better at the same thing–and get better doing something completely different. I love this challenge: We need to be about “devising clever solutions to wickedly difficult problems.”

If there’s any organization facing wickedly difficult problems it’s the local church. This article was a great reminder to me that we must always be about designing new methods to deliver an unchanging message of forgiveness, love and hope found only in Jesus Christ.