be able to do design work on a daily basis in an innovative organization

I've been working for Mouvement des accélérateurs d’innovation du Québec for 8 months now, with the aim of applying design methods and practices to the creation of new projects or the improvement of existing projects or services.

just before joining main, I was finishing my bachelor's degree in product design at Laval University. This education made me fall in love with design. It completely changed my view of the world and the way I interact with it.

Well, I should also mention that right after college, I went on a long hike lasting several months onthe Appalachian Trail. It was after I returned that my former entrepreneurship professor, Louis-Félix Binette, contacted me to find out more about what I had just experienced, having himself undertaken a similar adventure in the past. We quickly reconnected, and he ended up explaining to me that he wanted to integrate design practices into the organization he runs. It was the beginning of a new adventure.

It's hard enough explaining to my family and friends what design is, so I can guarantee you that explaining what I do at main is a challenge in itself, but a particularly interesting one.

experience design in everyday life

For me, design is more than just a problem-solving process; it is everywhere and lives in simple objects as well as complex systems. Design is a powerful agent of change and progress.

As a designer, people might expect me to be creative. However, being creative isn't something I can just do. I firmly believe that creativity lies in making connections. After all, that's how we innovate: by combining things that weren't previously connected. So it's with a creative mindset that I allow myself to question, explore, and learn every day at main.

Just recently, I had the opportunity to lead an activity on design thinking during our team strategy retreat at the Monastère des Augustines in Quebec City. The goal of this activity was to introduce my 16 colleagues to design and its methodology so that they could become familiar with my world.
The activity proved to be very enriching, but above all, it brought up a question that has been on my mind since I arrived:

What are the ingredients of a rewarding design culture in an environment where design is not the primary focus?

By "ingredients," I am referring to all the activities, initiatives, contexts, attitudes, atmospheres, and tools that can be used to foster this kind of culture. And by "design culture," I mean everything related to innovation, creativity, and more.

in a non-profit organization such as main, I see that we work on a multitude of projects with very specific constraints and criteria set by the various partners and funders. We must therefore be creative in our approach if we want to successfully complete the projects.

To take this further, I realize that a comprehensive design process can sometimes be particularly complex to implement in this type of context, where projects multiply rapidly.

So I wonder: how is it possible to include design when it is not possible to use a large-scale methodology that includes all the stages of design thinking?

I am putting these questions out there for everyone to consider. We all have a role to play in our organizational cultures. We all have interesting insights to share. The very purpose of my questions is to include everyone in the discussion. I am curious to hear your thoughts on this subject.

After all, questioning things in this way is part of my daily practice, both in my work and in my personal life. As a designer, I spend my time asking questions and looking for solutions. And I think I have found main an environment where I can ask these questions—and contribute to being an agent of change.

— Nicolas Delisle-Jubinville, Project Manager – Strategic Design @ main