Publications
Publications
- April 2021
- HBS Case Collection
IBM: Design Thinking
By: Srikant M. Datar, Amram Migdal and Paul Hamilton
Abstract
This case describes the 2012-2020 effort at IBM to implement design thinking throughout the company and hire thousands of designers to serve on every product team alongside technical engineers and developers and product managers. IBM’s design transformation is told through the development of the Design Program Office—a new centralized function led by General Manager Phil Gilbert to support the organizational change effort—and the adoption of design thinking at several key business units: IBM’s Z mainframes business; IBM Security; IBM’s data and artificial intelligence (AI) business; and the Digital Strategies and Interactive Experience (DS/iX, or just iX) group, within IBM Services. The case contains details about IBM’s approach to design thinking frameworks and how IBM integrated design thinking and designers to center end-user needs in its product development teams and processes.
Keywords
Business Ventures; Business Divisions; Business Units; Business Organization; Change; Change Management; Transformation; Competency and Skills; Talent and Talent Management; Design; Human Resources; Recruitment; Selection and Staffing; Innovation and Invention; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Innovation and Management; Innovation Strategy; Jobs and Positions; Job Design and Levels; Leading Change; Management; Business or Company Management; Goals and Objectives; Management Practices and Processes; Operations; Product; Product Design; Product Development; Organizations; Business Processes; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Design; Organizational Structure; Strategy; Adaptation; Adoption; Technological Innovation; Hardware; Information Technology; Technology Industry; Information Technology Industry; United States
Citation
Datar, Srikant M., Amram Migdal, and Paul Hamilton. "IBM: Design Thinking." Harvard Business School Case 121-007, April 2021.
