IAG
Making Human-Centered Design a Competitive Advantage
THE CHALLENGE
IAG, the largest general insurance company in Australia and New Zealand, embarked on a transformative journey to enhance its customer focus, adaptability, and innovation. Despite its strong market position and portfolio of trusted brands, IAG recognized the need to evolve beyond mere profitability and secure its future in an ever-changing world.
While IAG had already embraced Human-Centered Design (HCD), they sought to scale it to a level that would provide a larger impact. Working with IAG alongside a team from IDEO, our collaboration involved a comprehensive 3-year vision, fostering a movement. The objective was to position HCD as a competitive advantage, enabling a human-centered approach to problem-solving while continuously adapting and innovating.
WHAT WE CREATED
We defined critical roles within the movement, including evangelists, practitioners, coaches, and the IAG by design community. To ensure success, we established key metrics and milestones to track the progression of the movement.
Our contributions extended to laying a solid foundation for HCD adoption. We developed a bootcamp, ongoing resources, a playbook outlining methods and activities, an online learning platform, educational videos, and a coaching network. The HCD process was articulated in a language and culture tailored for IAG, accompanied by a strategic plan detailing specific projects and activities for the upcoming years.
THE IMPACT
The impact of the HCD Community at IAG has been substantial. With 580 participants across five locations, 92% reported significant shifts in their understanding of HCD through surveys. The transition from workshop-only formats to more thoughtful projects and the application of design methods in various roles is evident. The HCD Community has evolved from individual interest to larger collectives across business divisions. Despite organizational realignments, enthusiasm for HCD has surged, with participants actively contributing to program facilitation and improvement.