This document discusses strategies for making connections to help organizations grow design capabilities. It begins by providing background on Nick Cochran's career and how making a simple connection early on changed his life's course. It then outlines challenges that can exist in large enterprises like unclear direction and work being done in silos. The rest of the document presents three strategies for making connections: 1) Treat every conversation as an opportunity by asking meaningful questions, 2) Explore connections beyond your own silo through various means, and 3) Get connections out of your head by sharing insights and how they may help others. Leaders are encouraged to create opportunities for conversations and sharing. The goal is to make connections that bring clarity to enterprise chaos through a continuous effort to

1. ENTERPRISE EXPERIENCE 2019
Growing in
Enterprise by
Making
Connections
Nick Cochran

2. 80's
smart
watch!
Let’s call
him “Nick”

3. Aspiring
game developer
Nick, age 14
web designer

6. 1999
a new
approach

7. $100,000
D

8. Making a simple connection
and acting on it changed
the course of my life

9. +
15 years?

10. Working in enterprise
can feel like chaos
unclear direction
lack of
transparency
work is done
in silos
initiative
overload
low signal-to-
noise ratio

11. Design

12. Design [is] a way of
organizing complexity or
finding clarity in chaos
Jon Kolko
“

13. Synthesizing Information:
The ability to make sense of
information
8 Core Design Abilities
Stanford d.school
“

14. Sensemaking is a motivated,
continuous effort to understand
connections…and act effectively
Klein, Moon, and Hoffman
“

15. Design
projects

16. To describe something
simply, you must first
understand it deeply.
Frances Frei
“ This is
HARD!

17. Making connections
can bring clarity to our
enterprise chaos
Growing design
by making connections
3 strategies for
making connections

18. 2014
3 designers
Basically zero
awareness
2019
100 designers
5,000 trained
globally

19. D
GROWING DESIGN BY
Connecting
executive goal
to need for a
design team

20. GROWING DESIGN BY
Connecting
people with
chances to
grow in design
Vinh
D

21. Flights for recruiting trip to CMU and a trip to SF to speak at the
Enterprise Experience conference.
Airfare for Pittsburgh and SF
D

22. D

23. GROWING DESIGN BY
Connecting
developers
and designers
using a design
system
D
Devs Designers

24. Finding and making
connections helped us
grow design at ExxonMobil

25. Strategies for
Making Connections

26. “Sensemaking is a motivated,
continuous effort to understand
connections…and act effectively
Klein, Moon, and Hoffman
Be curious and
intentional

27. Treat every
conversation as
an opportunity
to make
connections
01.
Explore for
connections
outside your
own silo
02.
Get the
connections
out of your
head
03.

28. Treat every conversation
as an opportunity to
make connections
01.

29. 01.
Treat every
conversation as
an opportunity
to make
connections
What are you excited about?
What surprised you recently?
What are you hoping to learn?
What else should I have asked?

30. 01.
Jenna
Sujata
Sujata reduced
costs in the
agreement by
almost $100m
Sparked by a
conversation

31. 01.
Treat every
conversation as
an opportunity
to make
connections
Leaders!
Create opportunities
for conversations

32. 01.
1,000
members

33. 01.
DesignOps
Network

34. 01.
Treat every
conversation as
an opportunity
to make
connections
Next step:
Practice asking
meaningful questions
here at #EX19

35. Explore for connections
beyond your own silo
02.

36. 02.
Explore for
connections
beyond your
own silo
1-on-1 conversations
Internal communities
Leadership communications
External inspiration

37. We connected
design to the
organization’s
vision & values
Org
values
02.

38. 02.
Explore for
connections
beyond your
own silo
Leaders!
Invite others to
make connections
with you

39. 02.
Felipe

40. 02.
Explore for
connections
beyond your
own silo
Next step:
Seek out a new
connection outside
your typical routine

41. “Sensemaking is a motivated,
continuous effort to understand
connections…and act effectively
Klein, Moon, and Hoffman

42. Get the connections
out of your head
03.

43. 03.
Get the
connections
out of your
head
Who could this help?
What other work might be related?
How does this fit other trends?
How does this connect to goals?

44. 03.
Out of my head
Helping
others

45. 03.
Sharing with
context helps
others make
connections

46. 03.
Get the
connections
out of your
head
Leaders!
Don’t make it
about YOU

47. 03.
Andre in
Brazil

48. 03.
Get the
connections
out of your
head
Next step:
Share something
from #EX19 with
someone back at
the office

49. Treat every
conversation as
an opportunity
to make
connections
01.
Explore for
connections
outside your
own silo
02.
Get the
connections
out of your
head
03.

50. Make connections to bring
clarity to your enterprise chaos

51. THANK YOU