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d.MBA

Ever thought about the ingenious business and design strategies that turned an everyday gadget into an adventurer's (and content creator's) best friend?

Our latest Business Design Teardown dives into the thrilling business and design strategies behind the iconic action camera brand GoPro, revealing the creative and strategic decisions that shaped GoPro's journey to becoming a market leader. 

Join Alen, Franz, and Tom as they explore the trails and navigate the rapids of GoPro's fascinating journey. They'll zoom in on...

 • How a founder's passion for surfing and desire to capture his adventures identified a gap in the market for him to explore
 • The role of prototyping and rapid iteration that led to GoPro's innovation breakthroughs
 • Why user-generated content was a critical marketing flywheel driving GoPro's early successes
 • How arrogance and a focus on iteration over innovation may have stifled GoPro's journey to the top of the action camera mountain...

Whether you're a budding entrepreneur, a design lover, or someone who loves a good adventure tale, this episode has twists and turns that will elevate your perspective on GoPro's fascinating story.

107- GoPro - Business Design Teardown

When you want to learn about the intersection of business and design, you can turn to d.MBA Business Design Teardowns.

But for everything else? It has to be Wikipedia.

 

In this podcast episode, we're tearing down one of the most significant sources of knowledge on the internet and uncovering how it isn't just a website—it's a worldwide wonder.

We'll delve into why Wikipedia is a fascinating case study for designers, discovering the clever design and organizational strategies that make it user-friendly, universally engaging, and completely ubiquitous.

Join Alen, Franz, and Tom as they explore…

 • The critical shift from scholar-led to community-led content creation that revolutionized Wikipedia's output and productivity
 • Why a commitment to form over function has led to a design language which prioritises readability, accessibility, and performance
 • The thousands of stakeholders - and novel-length conversations! - that Wikipedia's design team has to manage when shipping updates
 • How Wikipedia manages to stay informative and reliable without resorting to paid advertising

So tune in to hear how design and strategy converge to keep this information titan thriving. 

You'll never look at Wikipedia the same way again…

106- Wikipedia - Business Design Teardown

Ready for a business adventure?

For our latest Teardown, we're exploring the terrain of a brand that has revolutionized business and ethical standards. Yes, we're unearthing the tale of Patagonia, a brand that's more than just outdoor apparel. It's a testament to sustainability, innovation, and an unwavering love for the great outdoors.

Patagonia is an icon of ethical business and thoughtful design. It's a brand that has masterfully woven the threads of environmental activism with cutting-edge business strategies. In this episode, Alen, Franz, and Tom will unravel how Patagonia has managed to design not just clothes but also a culture of sustainability and product innovation that other brands are dying to replicate.

Join us as we explore...

 • The relatable conflicts of Patagonia's founder, a craftsperson at heart who remains reluctant to call himself a businessman
 • Why Yvon Chouinard committed early business self-sabotage in the interests of the environment he loved… and set the standard for the business's future decision-making.
 • How Patagonia weaves philosophy into its culture, always prioritizing its most important stakeholder: our planet
 • The role of activism in its brand ethos and the marketing side-effects that this fosters

So, lace up your hiking boots, and let's hit the trail together in this latest Business Design Teardown. It will be one wild ride through Patagonia's business peaks and design valleys.

105- Patagonia - Business Design Teardown

Prepare to immerse yourself in a tale of innovation and color that revolutionized design and branding. Our latest Business Design Teardown paints the vibrant journey of Pantone, the brand that turned the art of color consistency into a global industry.

Join us as we explore the canvas of challenges and innovations Pantone navigated to become the global authority on color. We'll brush up on how Pantone didn't just stop at solving a problem; they became trendsetters, influencing design and fashion and setting tones that reflect cultural moods and movements.

It's a story of strategic brilliance as much as it is about the beauty of color. So tune in as Alen, Franz, and Tom uncover...

 • How faded camera film boxes brought to light the critical need for color consistency
 • Why Pantone's strategic decision to sell early in the value chain to ink manufacturers set the stage for a color revolution.
 • Pantone's journey from standardization to 'Colour of The Year' trend-setting
 • The reasons Pantone's Colour Matching System has dominated for decades, and the threats to its future...

So, enjoy the spectrum of strategic stories about Pantone, the brand that painted its way into our lives and lexicons. From standardizing hues to dictating trends, this episode promises to add a splash of color to your day!

104- Pantone - Business Design Teardown

Get ready to crack open a can of intrigue with our latest Business Design Teardown, where we're diving headfirst into the chilling waters of Liquid Death's business and creativity genius.

We're peeling back the heavy-metal label to reveal the secrets behind their killer branding that's taken the beverage industry by storm. From the mountainous origins of their water to the razor-sharp humor of their marketing campaigns, we'll explore how Liquid Death has managed to make hydration feel like an act of defiance.

Join Alen, Franz, and Tom as they explore how this brand turned the simple act of drinking water into a rebellious statement as we explore...

 • How sneaky energy drink marketing at festivals first planted the seed of an idea for Liquid Death's founder
 • Why using a fake advert to measure demand was a breakthrough move designers can learn from
 • The playbook that Liquid Death used to shake up a stale product category with edgy branding and marketing
 • Why Liquid Death's 'Murder Your Thirst' tagline means more than hydration; it's an environmental call to action

So, if you're thirsting for a business story that's as refreshing as a cold drink on a hot day, tune in. This episode promises to murder your boredom and resurrect your love for innovative branding and design.

Stay hydrated. It's going to be a killer episode.

103- Liquid Death - Business Design Teardown

Tap, tap... is this thing ON? Great, because we've got an exciting new Teardown episode for you!

In this latest podcast installment we're taking you behind the scenes of ON, the Swiss brand racing to the forefront of the athletic footwear industry. With its unique CloudTec technology and striking sneaker silhouettes, ON is a brand taking on the big players using design as a critical differentiator.

From its humble beginnings to its rise as a global contender, we'll explore how this innovative brand has made significant strides in a competitive market. 

So tune in as Alen, Franz, and Tom discuss…

 • ON's technology and design breakthroughs, from the humble garden hose to innovative footwear.
 • How a founder's dedication to continuous innovation through experimentation keeps ON moving forward.
 • The David vs. Goliath battle ON faces in the fiercely competitive athletic footwear arena.
 • ON's enormous potential for expansion into new market categories.

So, get set and join us as we race through the story of ON - a business running on innovation, savvy leadership, and unique design.

102- ON - Business Design Teardown

Prepare to embark on an exciting journey about the magic of building – both in terms of creative design and prosperous business strategy.

We're about to unravel the colorful story of LEGO, where imagination and innovation interlock seamlessly to create an empire that's been stacking up success, one brick at a time! It's a brand where business philosophy and product design are as interconnected as the bricks it's so famous for.

So join Alen, Franz, and Tom as they explore how this iconic brand has masterfully constructed its path to global acclaim, including...

 • How a pivot from wood to plastic (and from traditional toys to bricks) transformed the direction of a small Danish toy brand
 • Why a chance encounter on a business boat trip would lead to a critical strategic decision in Lego's history
 • Lego's 1990s slump and how it turned things around through franchising, IP, and the mature play market
 • The surprising margins Lego maintains in the declining toy market

Whether you're a lifelong LEGO enthusiast or intrigued by the story of turning creativity into commerce, this episode shows how every great idea starts with a solid foundation and a few strategic building blocks!

101- LEGO - Business Design Teardown

In a world where organizations constantly strive for efficiency and innovation, Design Systems have emerged as essential tools. They are pivotal in delivering greater value to users while simultaneously enhancing team productivity and satisfaction.

Yet, these systems often stumble. Many companies face challenges in implementing and maintaining effective Design Systems.

In our latest episode, Alen and Tom delve into these challenges with Dan Mall, a leading authority on Design Systems and the author of the new book "Design that Scales." 

Dan also runs Design System University, creating, collecting, and curating curriculum, content, and community to help enterprise teams design at scale.

Previously, Dan ran design system consultancy SuperFriendly for over a decade. We discuss his experience running a successful distributed agency and his reflections on what he'd do differently a year after wrapping up this business.

Our conversation also ventures into critical areas for design freelancers and agencies: pricing strategies and the evolving landscape of design subscription models. Drawing from his expertise and his book Pricing Design, Dan offers clarity on these often misunderstood topics.

So join us as we uncover the intricacies of successfully implementing and gaining buy-in for Design Systems. Discover how to measure their impact meaningfully, and learn from Dan's extensive experience in running a distributed agency and navigating the complex world of design pricing.

100- Dan Mall on Design Systems, Design as a Subscription, and Pricing Design

Have you ever marveled at a Dyson product's seamless integration of form and function? Or how their pioneering approach to mundane appliances has shaped an entire market?

Behind each groundbreaking product, there's a world of calculated business, design, and engineering decisions. Dyson has consistently raised the bar, from revolutionary bagless vacuum cleaners to the elegant engineering of their air purifiers. 

But what propels a company from domestic dust busters to global design icons? What strategies propelled them from a single idea in a British workshop to a worldwide household name? And beyond their sleek products, what insights can we gain about their research, development, and market expansion approach?

In our latest Business Design Teardown, Alen, Franz, and Tom lift the lid on…

 • How Sir James Dyson went from designing wheelbarrows to vacuum cleaners and created over 5000 prototypes along the way!
 • Why Dyson's persistence and self-belief paid off in the face of rejection and mounting debt
 • The decisive strategic moves that made a global powerhouse that has captured an enormous share of the appliance market
 • The pioneering ventures that could propel Dyson to even greater success, including…. Farming!

So join us as we ride the wave (or should that be cyclone?) of Dyson's success and explore how a global brand has elevated humble appliances to lust-worthy gadgets.

99- Dyson - Business Design Teardown

Birkenstock…

A symbol of practical beauty, or just an ugly shoe you wouldn't dream of slipping on? Few footwear items split opinion like this classic German brand's iconic sandals.

Behind the love-it-or-hate-it reputation is a business that's weathered the tides of fashion for nearly 250 years. And behind its design lies a compelling narrative of commitment to craft, sustainability, and business innovation.

In this latest episode, Alen, Franz, and Tom are tearing down this enduring example of substance over style to understand how a human-centered shoe design became emblematic of a company's entire ethos.

In this Business Design Teardown, we'll unravel:

 • How the thoughtful details behind Birkenstock's iconic design reveal much about its foundational beliefs and mission.
 • Birkenstock's evolution from a modest German shoemaker to a global footwear leader and how it retained its values throughout this journey.
 • Why smart collaborations and high-fashion takeovers have been central to its recent wave of popularity.
 • How vertical integration has allowed Birkenstock to remain highly profitable while committing to high-quality manufacturing and sustainable practices.

98- Birkenstock - Business Design Teardown

Imagine working on the iPhone before its release in 2007. Imagine the number of design decisions to be made. No one knew if this is going to be successful.
 
Now, imagine working on the iPhone in 2019. Now, the level of design work is completely different, for sure. 
 
Each product has its lifecycle and its strategic position in the company. If we learn what type of product we work on, we will know where design has the most value.
 
In this mini MBA episode, I talked about:
 
 • 

why iPhone is a “cash cow” and iTunes a “dog”,
 • 
 • 

the growth-share matrix that helps us categorize our products,
 • 
 • 

and what the role of a designer is for each product strategy.
 • 
 
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35- How product strategies affect design work?

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