Currently, most strategic information systems (IS) projects fail, as teams struggle to understand complex design problems, manage large-scale design processes, and negotiate design decisions in organisations. Multidisciplinary design teams need support to learn how to improve their skills and knowledge in design, and to manage complex processes more effectively.
The author proposes an approach called the Design and Learning Methodology (DLM), as a practical way to facilitate stakeholders involved in IS design to learn collectively from their design experience, using this experience to build quality results. The DLM is based on complexity theory, human-centred design, action learning, and facilitation methods that help keep collaboration going during all phases of a project, to transform team-based learning into appropriate design decisions. The study described here involved participatory action research in eleven design projects at European financial services companies and at an international engineering institute, over a period of five years.
Madelon Evers (1967) is co-founder and consultant for the design consultancy firm Human Shareware. She coaches European design teams working in broadcasting, new media, ICT, education, and financial services.
