Design Concepts, SafetyNet win Design Value Award

SafetyNet and Design Concepts, both Madison-based companies, recently received a dmi: Design Value Award for their work creating a user-centered financial insurance solution through research and design.

SafetyNet is a simple insurance program that gives its members money if they are laid-off from a job or can't work for at least 30 days due to a disability. Design Concepts, a design and innovation consulting firm, worked closely with the SafetyNet team through multiple rounds of user research and service design to develop a payment security option that is affordable and easy to use.

“We’re honored to be one of the recipients of this year’s Design Value Awards. At SafetyNet, we have seen firsthand the value that design thinking brings to product and service model design. We would not be as successful in meeting our consumers’ needs without leveraging those core principles in our everyday work,” said Dan Kaiser, President SafetyNet.

The 2018 dmi:Design Value Awards recognize teams that have delivered significant value through excellence in Design or Design Management practices and are awarded by the Design Management Institute (DMI). The 2018 Design Value Award winners are exemplars in their fields; they are a distinguished list of organizations that include non-profit entities, government agencies, large multinationals, and regional enterprises.

“Design Concepts is grateful for the amazing opportunity to work side-by-side with the SafetyNet team to create a service rooted in human-centered design,” said Amy Lee, Design Concepts Director of Research and Insights. “It’s an honor to work with a company so committed to protecting people’s financial well-being.”

The longest standing global institution of its kind, DMI holds an exclusive position in the Design and Design Management landscape. For 42 years, DMI has been an active advocate for the strategic value of Design. The organization brings together educators, researchers, designers, and leaders from every design discipline, every industry, and every corner of the planet to facilitate transformational organizational change and design-driven innovation.