Design Leadership Chronicles

‘Design Leadership Chronicles’ is a graphic novel that tells the stories of nine design leaders and their approach to organizational change. They all use design to rethink how their respective organizations make decisions and organize work to meet strategic business goals, such as customer-centricity.

The book’s objective is to reveal the human side of these leaders rather than offer a step-by-step approach. It explores how they dealt with failures, achieved success, and their learnings along the journey. These stories are deeply contextual, reflecting the unique experiences and challenges faced by design leaders worldwide. Each design leader is highlighted in a dedicated chapter, providing insights into specific periods of their careers.

Instead of providing a strict formula, the book aims to inspire readers on how to bring about meaningful change within large organizations. It starts with an introductory chapter and is divided into three parts: making sense of the status quo, seeking change, and envisioning alternative futures. Each section contains three chapters sharing three distinct stories. The book concludes with a concise section that shares reflections on patterns emerging across the nine stories and lessons to be learned. Each section features a distinct graphic style, as the author has worked with three graphic novel artists to create styles that reflect each central theme.