By way of UX Magazine, we were pointed to the UK's Design Council site, for their recently updated, remarkable feature: "Eleven Lessons: Managing Design in Eleven Global Brands." It's a series of case studies with some giants in miscellaneous industries, from Lego to Starbucks to Xerox, all about how they grow while trying to retain whatever design elements there are that make them, them. But it's not at all just bland information about their 400 page style guides or how they'll sue some independent designer into oblivion if they move a familiar element a single centimeter. Instead, it's a great batch of information on how these companies function and all the whos, whats and wheres are behind their respective design teams. Clear off your schedule for the rest of the day; you're going to need the time to dig through it all.