Abstract
This paper examines how strategic design functions as a learning infrastructure that supports adaptability in early-stage organisations operating in high-uncertainty environments. Drawing on consulting engagements with technology startups, it explores how design practices create conditions for learning, coordination, and alignment before formal systems emerge. Drawing primarily on organisational learning and strategic design, with dynamic capabilities as a supporting perspective, the study proposes that design not only guides product development but also structures how organisations interpret complexity and translate experimentation into coherent action. Through qualitative analysis and reflective observation, the research shows how design enables shared understanding, informed judgement, and ongoing adaptation across multidisciplinary teams. The paper introduces a conceptual model that positions strategic design as a learning infrastructure, embedding reflection into everyday practice to sustain organisational adaptability and resilience.
Keywords
Strategic design, Organisational learning, Design-led learning, Early-stage organisations
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.556
Citation
Matta, P. (2026) Strategic design as learning infrastructure: Building organisational adaptability in early-stage contexts, in Simeone, L., Gray, C. M., Verhoeven, A., de Götzen, A., Bakırlıoğlu, Y., Zohar, H., Stead, M., and Buwert, P. (eds.), DRS2026: Edinburgh, 8–12 June, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2026.556
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Strategic design as learning infrastructure: Building organisational adaptability in early-stage contexts
This paper examines how strategic design functions as a learning infrastructure that supports adaptability in early-stage organisations operating in high-uncertainty environments. Drawing on consulting engagements with technology startups, it explores how design practices create conditions for learning, coordination, and alignment before formal systems emerge. Drawing primarily on organisational learning and strategic design, with dynamic capabilities as a supporting perspective, the study proposes that design not only guides product development but also structures how organisations interpret complexity and translate experimentation into coherent action. Through qualitative analysis and reflective observation, the research shows how design enables shared understanding, informed judgement, and ongoing adaptation across multidisciplinary teams. The paper introduces a conceptual model that positions strategic design as a learning infrastructure, embedding reflection into everyday practice to sustain organisational adaptability and resilience.