The Results-Oriented Design Workplace
Design jobs are involved in a lot of detail. When design people are so engrossed in the details of their jobs, it's easy for them, for anyone actually, to lose sight of the job's major contribution.
A Results-Oriented Design Job Description is different from a traditional job description because it focuses an employee on the several job results that answer the question: What results must this design job accomplish for the organization?
Design Job Standards added to job expectations tighten management controls by clarifying how well and when results must be accomplished.
Design Job Objectives establish management and employee plans by highlighting important current and future results needed.
Job-specific Design Employee Management Forms maintain consistent and legally sound management actions by basing manager-employee interactions on job results.
The Purpose of Design Jobs
Stated in a results-oriented, three-line style, design jobs--
- PRODUCE DESIGNS by
- studying design objectives; researching and analyzing desired design characteristics; preparing budgets; defining form, features, and attraction; preparing sketches by hand or by computer or constructing models.
Types of Design Jobs
A design job starts with understanding the function of the item to be designed, and proceeds to develop design options according to the client's goals. The client needs to be closely involved in the process so that the end result is what is desired-using sketches and models, whether drawn or constructed by hand or with the use of computers. Some design jobs specialize in home decorating. And, of course, somebody has to manage and supervise the design people and processes.
Design Job Management Tools
Here are actual job examples of how design job actions can be focused on results and kept on track using each of our job management tools:
Results-Oriented Design Job Descriptions form the foundation of all job management tools. Our uniquely structured job descriptions focus on the result to be accomplished first and prominently, followed by the duties performed in order to accomplish the result. For example,
- RECOMMENDS DESIGN ACTIONS by
- analyzing system controls.
Design Job Standards sharpen employee attention and management control by defining and communicating how well the design results must be accomplished and what benchmarks will be used to measure job results. For example, for the job result above, the job standards might be:
- Design situations are correctly understood.
- All options are identified and evaluated.
- Design recommendations are ready when needed.
Design Job Objectives point the direction for employee actions by focusing job efforts on current and future design issues. Job objectives are written in the three-line, results-oriented structure. For example, for the job result above, a job objective might be:
- SPEED-UP DECISION MAKING by
- reducing time to deliver design recommendations by 10% by (date).
Design Employee Management Forms tied specifically to each design job description are more helpful (and legal) than generic forms used for all different kinds of jobs. Job-specific forms are used to state job qualifications, guide job interview questions, orient new employees, plan job training, and appraise job performance.
Design Job Qualifications are stated in the same terms used in the job description. They are not translated into generic (typically behavioral) terms. For example:
- RECOMMENDS DESIGN ACTIONS by
- analyzing system controls.
Design Job Interview guide questions are inserted directly below each job result in the job description: For example:
- "What specific job responsibilities have you had in this area?"
- "Where did you have these job responsibilities?"
- "When did you have these job responsibilities?"
- "How did you go about accomplishing these responsibilities?"
- "What accomplishment in this area gave you the most pride?"
- "In this area, what were some of your biggest challenges?"
- "How did you overcome the challenges?"
The Design Job Orientation guide reformats the job description sequence so that job explanations, policies, protocols, processes, and procedures are logical and complete and can easily be checked off. For example:
- RECOMMENDS DESIGN ACTIONS by
- analyzing system controls.
The manager might say: "Here's the procedure and format we use to analyze and present design recommendations."
The Design Job Training plan guides a thorough examination of actual job knowledge, skills, and abilities as described in the job description that need improvement or that might be enhanced. For example:
- RECOMMENDS DESIGN ACTIONS by
- analyzing system controls.
The manager might say: "Analytical skills would be improved by enrolling in a statistical analysis class."
The Design Job Performance Appraisal guide is a job-specific form. It is not a universal form used for all jobs. The guide adds an appraisal scale below each job result in the job description so that attention can be drawn to each job requirement and expectation. For example:
- RECOMMENDS DESIGN ACTIONS by
- analyzing system controls.
__ Great! Just want we wanted.
__ We have a problem.
__ Improvement is needed.
__ Much, much more than we asked for.
Comments: _________________
Design Résumé Template
Potential employers want to know what a job applicant has accomplished in his/her design work career. They don't want to be bored with minor details. Our Résumé Template provides:
- an outline to help assemble personal background information.
- a Results-Oriented Job Description to provide the design job language-focused on results-needed to write an effective résumé.
- Design Job Objectives to orient thinking in terms of accomplishments.
- instructions on how to use a Results-Oriented Design Job Description and Design Job Objectives to express job accomplishments.
Use the design job description responsibility statement as a base:
- RECOMMENDS DESIGN ACTIONS by
- analyzing system controls.
Select the design job objective that fits your experience:
- REDUCE COSTS 10% by
- improving design processes.
Combine the two into a résumé statement:
Reduced costs 10% by analyzing, identifying, and recommending new design system controls.
Design Career Links
- Northern Michigan University, Department of Art and Design
- Resources to research in new media/graphics.
- Careers in Interior Design
- What is an interior designer?, the practice of design, stages of a career, professional associations.
- American Society of Interior Designers
- A community of people-designers, industry representatives, educators and students-committed to interior design and to advance the interior design profession and, in the process, to demonstrate and celebrate the power of design to positively change people's lives.
- International Interior Design Association
- A professional networking and educational association dedicated to enhance quality of life through excellence in interior design and to advance interior design through knowledge, value and community.
- About.com
- Articles, books, resources, links, schools about design and decorating.