Case Study: American Marketing Association builds a customer-focused design thinking culture with Highland

Building an organizational culture of design thinking

The American Marketing Association worked with Highland as it moved away from an internal, us-focused way of thinking and looked for help institutionalizing a more customer-first approach. Scott Stern, Director of Innovation & Insights, wanted a structured way to uncover assumptions and better understand members and potential members.

Highland recommended Jobs to Be Done research before running a design sprint, then guided the AMA through interviews and used those insights in one full design sprint and a second 3-day sprint. The work helped surface the idea of digital microcertifications for younger professionals and produced a more concrete prototype for a more engaging member experience, with the sprint process also bringing clarity of decision-making and faster alignment.

American Marketing Association

Scott Stern

Director of Innovation & Insights