Design management managing design strategy, process and implementation, 2nd edition

Design Management Timeline PART ONE Managing the Design Strategy KNOWLEDGE Identifying Opportunities for Design Understanding the Audience and Market Interpreting Client and Customer Nee

Introduction

Context

What is Design Management?

Why is Design Management Important?

Design Management Timeline

PART ONE

Managing the Design Strategy

KNOWLEDGE

Identifying Opportunities for Design

Understanding the Audience and Market

Interpreting Client and Customer Needs

Auditing the Use of Design

Establishing the Design Strategy

Promoting and Selling the Design Strategy

Planning for Long-term Growth

PRACTICE

Case Study: The Argus®3 Thermal-Imaging Camera

Case Study: Camper

Interview: Dr Chris H Luebkeman, Arup Group

Interview: Keiko Uchida, Keiko Uchida Collection

KEY SKILLS

Managing Client Relations

Guiding Design Decisions

Developing Good Working Relationships

Giving Form to Business Strategy

Increasing Awareness with Design

Expressing the Brand through Design

Initiating Design Projects

Kajima Design Europe for JVC

Case Study: The Honda Zoomer

Interview: Fabio Issao, Mandalah Conscious Innovation

Interview: Chloe Martin and Rosie Frost, The Innovation Collective

KEY SKILLS

Managing Creative Teams

Facilitating the Design Process

Developing Collaborative Cultures

The Project Management Process

Project Management in Practice

Social and Environmental Responsibilities

Design Policies, Procedures and Guidelines

Translating Global Design into Local Design

Measuring the Success of Design

Reviewing and Revising the Design Strategy

PRACTICE

Case Study: Sprunk-Jansen and Ping-Pong Design

Case Study: The Silken Group

Interview: Brian Gillespie, Continuum

Interview: Colette Liebenberg, Colette Liebenberg Design

KEY SKILLS

Management and Leadership

Leadership and Advocating DesignWritten Communication

Key Skills Exercises

Introduction

Design management is about the management of design

In its most basic sense, design management is about managing design projects; projects paid for by aclient, a business or an organization, and carried out by a designer, a design team or a designconsultancy For some, this is where design management stops, but for others, it is more than just aform of project management Design management as an approach has a myriad of other uses

Design describes both the process of making things (designing), and the product of this process (adesign) Design plays a key role in shaping the world and generating new products, systems andservices in response to numerous market conditions and user needs According to a recent IntellectualProperty Office (IPO) report, there are 315,000 designers working in the United Kingdom alone, andanother 590,000 working in design-related employment

Can design be used to add more value to business? What roles can design play in society andpolitics? Designers are often labeled as ‘creatives’, but they are just as likely to employ analyticalskills when faced with a problem Similarly, public and private sector managers tend to be quiteanalytical, but they are just as likely to adopt a creative approach when seeking a business solution.Designers and managers both exhibit the ability to be analytical and creative, but in different ways,using different tools, and with different outcomes The stereotypes of designers and managers overly-simplifies the complexity of design management (and of people), and this book extends beyond thesesimple generalizations Design is intrinsically linked to business, in a way that can both add andcreate value for organizations and the wider context as a whole

Beyond the superficialities of the style and aesthetics debate, and beyond the simplistic view ofdesigners and managers, there are opportunities for individuals at various stages of their career,working in a wide range of organizations, and at different project stages, to promote and utilize thevalue of design Design management is not a clearly defined vocation, career path or academicsubject area; no two ‘design managers’ will have the same background, training or experience in howthey got to the position of being the decision-maker about the management of design Designmanagement can be a strategic leadership role, one that requires explaining, inspiring, persuading anddemonstrating how design can positively contribute to an organization in many different ways It canalso be a tactical managerial role, where the focus is on delivering a specific project, task oroutcome

The aim of this book is to promote a clearer understanding of design’s role in business and thebroader context, and the importance of design as a way of creating value in any organization Thebook is a guide for students of design, design management, marketing, media communications andbusiness studies, and for anyone involved in the management of design and creativity

The book begins with a contextual overview of design management, which is followed by three

‘parts’ These parts fully explore the management of the design strategy, process and implementationrespectively.

Part One: Managing the Design Strategy looks at the first stage of design management, where

design projects and initiatives are conceived The focus of this stage is on identifying and creating theconditions in which design projects and ideas can be proposed, commissioned and promoted At thisstage, design management engages design thinking in an organization’s strategy, identifying theopportunities for design, interpreting the needs of its customers, and looking at how designcontributes to the overall business

Once an organization has made the decision to invoke a design strategy, design management dealswith the establishment and promotion of it, securing the support and commitment of the stakeholders

in the business, and planning for long-term growth – not just immediate and short-term gains

Part One investigates the skills required in managing client relations and guiding design decisions,building relationships, and developing the necessary verbal communications skills to achieve theeffective exchange of ideas and information

This stage is about how those responsible for the management of design can inspire design thinking,projects and possibilities

Part Two: Managing the Design Process looks at the second stage of design management, where

design projects and agendas are developed The focus of this stage is on demonstrating how strategycan be made visible and tangible through design At this point, design management is about howdesign can be used to craft the presence and experience of an organization, and in doing so influencehow the organization and its brand are expressed and perceived To help identify the managementchallenges that will be faced when initiating design projects, models from a range of design-relatedprocesses and disciplines are provided Theoretical models can never provide an instant solution, asthey are abstract representations of real-life situations, and no single model will fit all solutions.These models are intended as starting points from which to develop project-specific approaches,ones which enable an organization to explore competitive advantage through design

Part Two investigates the skills that are required to effectively manage creative teams, facilitate thedesign process, lead designers, develop a culture of collaboration and develop solid visualcommunication skills in order to make thoughts and ideas presentable

This stage is about how those responsible for the management of design can lead design agendas,projects and processes

Part Three: Managing the Design Implementation looks at the stage of design management where

design projects and outcomes are delivered The focus of this stage is the process and practice ofmanaging projects, including the decision-making involved in specifying design materials, workingrelationships and ethical responsibilities Once a design project has been completed, the delivery of

it can entail further stages of design management, such as developing design guidelines and manuals,the maintenance and evolution of the design, and translating design solutions for the global context.Evaluating the success of the design project allows positive feedback to inform and promote the

effective use of design.

Part Three investigates the skills required when managing creative projects, such as leading andadvocating design project successes, developing good written communication skills andunderstanding the differences between the management and the leadership of design agendas

This stage is about how those responsible for the management of design can manage design agendas,projects and people

The role of design, and its management, in business, society, culture and the environment has a rich and active history This section of the book provides an introduction to some of the key debates and definitions of design management, and reasons behind their importance today It also provides an overview of the background and origins of design management in the form of a timeline.

What is Design Management?

There is no single, universally agreed definition of the term ‘design management’, just as there is nosingle agreed definition of ‘design’, or in fact of ‘business’ When looking at the nature of ‘design’,the word itself is both a noun (an outcome), and a verb (an activity) The outcome of a design projectcan be seen in the products, services, interiors, buildings and digital media that we come into contactwith daily The management of these design projects is only one aspect of design management Theactivity of designing is a people-centered, problem-solving process, which also needs to be managedand therefore is another facet of design management

The term ‘business’, when used in the context of design and business, can become a container for allkinds of non-design activities such as marketing, finance, strategic planning and operational activities

In the area of design management a wide variety of perspectives exist that reflect the rich array ofindividuals, professions and contexts involved, such as academia, the public or private sectors,business and industry, the design profession, public services and governmental bodies Indeed, thelack of consensus on both the scope and substance of the design management discipline has ensuredongoing, rich debate about its continual evolution

Topalian has stated that within an organization, design management consists of managing all aspects

of design at two different levels: the corporate level and the project level Topalian also believes that

‘design management development needs to broaden the participants’ experience of design problemsand the range of project and corporate circumstances within which they have to be solved’ (2003)

Gorb has defined design management as ‘the effective deployment by line managers of the designresource available to the organization in the pursuance of its corporate objectives’ (1990) Thisdefinition suggests that the subject is therefore directly concerned with the organizational place ofdesign, and with the identification of those design disciplines that are relevant to the resolution of keymanagement issues, as well as what training managers need to use design effectively Hollinsdescribes design management as ‘the organization of the processes for developing new products andservices’ (2002), and for Cooper and Press, being a design manager is about ‘the response ofindividuals to the needs of their business and the contribution they can make to enable design to beused effectively’ (1995)

For Raymond Turner, design management success in business is not so much about practices, as aboutattitudes and behavior (2013)

As a job description, the design manager has the role of managing design What exactly this entailswill vary from organization to organization, and the person responsible for managing design might becalled a ‘brand manager’, a ‘project manager’, an ‘account director’, a ‘design consultant’ or an

‘advertising planner’ The important aspects of managing design, irrespective of the job title, areabout understanding the strategic goals of an organization and how design can play a part, and

effectively putting in place the ways and means, the tools and methods, the teams and planningrequirements and the passion and enthusiasm, to achieve these goals as successful outcomes.

There is growing awareness within many organizations that design is a valuable means to achievestrategic goals and objectives There is also an increasing desire to understand the design tools (themethods and ways of thinking that the design process brings), and the design planning andimplementation, which effective project management of design brings More recently, design is beingvalued as an enabler of innovation and collaborative (as well as competitive) advantage

Whirlpool is the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances Whirlpool introduced their revolutionary new clothes revitalizer in response to five of the latest emerging trends identified by an expert panel of international style leaders from the world of fashion and interior design Understanding the impact of these trends on consumer needs and Whirlpool’s own business objectives drove the design of ‘prêt-à-porter’, a fast, easy and practical way to keep clothes smelling fresh and looking great.

Image courtesy of Whirlpool Corporation.

The W W Stool, designed in 1992 by Philippe Starck for a Wim Wenders film, is produced in a small series by Vitra The stool ignores functional constraints, allowing Starck’s imagination to have full reign It is more like a sculpture, which can be used as a stool or standing

support, rather than an item of purely functional furniture.

Image courtesy of Vitra, (photograph: Hans Hansen).

The Heart Cone Chair (1959), from the Verner Panton-designed collection at Vitra For all its extravagance, it is a comfortable club

chair for everyday use.

Image courtesy of Vitra, (photograph: Marc Eggimann).

Table 1: The Key Categories of Design

‘Design management is rooted in the shift from a hierarchical model of management to a flat and flexible organizational model, which encourages individual initiative, independence and risk taking Designers feel at ease with the new, more informal model of management The new model is based on concepts like customer-driven management, project-based management, and total quality management, which all deal with design.’

Brigitte Borja de Mozota

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION: Is it possible, or desirable, to create a single, standard

definition of design management that can be applied to all areas of design, business and society?

Understanding the context in which design operates helps design managers to identify opportunities for new creative projects, processes and enterprises, and plan for the resources needed It also helps other decision-makers understand what they need to contribute, and how

these projects support their goals.

Inside an organization, design typically exists as an in-house team working alongside or embedded within other functional business units.

Design can also exist outside the organization as a consultancy or agency.

Moleskine produce the legendary notebooks popularized by many famous artists and writers including Henri Matisse and Ernest Hemingway Planning a new generation of products for a new generation of consumers means that Moleskine can build on their successful traditions, and continue to develop and launch new ranges Typically, when launching new product ranges, many companies, including Moleskine, involve a number of decision-making representatives from areas such as design, marketing, distribution and sales.

Image courtesy of Moleskine.

Why is Design Management Important?

The economic importance of design, and its use as a communication and strategic business tool, hasreinforced the status of design management and placed the true potential of design high up onorganizational agendas Equally, design is aiding the development and innovation of social,environmental, technological and cultural processes within enterprises of all kinds

For students, the changing roles and challenges of design mean there are new demands made on thosewanting to build careers in design and the creative industries Design is inextricably linked to the way

in which society, the environment and business interact, and as a result today’s organizations areapproaching design in a more ‘managed’ way In order to have a successful, long-term career indesign, it is necessary to understand how and where design sits within a wider context, and how thetrue potential of design can be engaged and professionally managed as a tool for innovation andchange

Within an organization, design can affect management on many different levels and in many differentways Design can be active on strategic, tactical or operational levels, in setting long-term goals and

in day-to-day decision-making Design is a function, a resource and a way of thinking withinorganizations and one that can be active in the strategic thinking, the development processes and,crucially, the implementation of projects, systems and services; the ways in which an organizationconnects and collaborates with its customers and stakeholders By becoming more in tune with thecommercial pressures of industry, and by understanding how to use design more effectively, graduateswill be at a distinct advantage in making professional design contributions, whether they are forming

a start-up or joining a commercial business enterprise, the public sector, or a non-profit organization

In the wider context, there is an ongoing shift from industrial economies to knowledge economies andcreative economies, from manufacturing-based processes to information-based and idea-basedprocesses, and from international trade agreements and restrictions to increasingly competitivemarket challenges from emerging and expanding economies worldwide In terms of design, thisimpact is apparent in the evolution of design debates: from ‘style and aesthetics’ to a means ofimproving products, services, innovation processes and operational efficiencies The focus of design

is now on improving customer services and experiences, and creating better efficiencies and wastereduction strategies in both the private and public sectors It is inevitable that how design is managed

in this shifting context will also change

The practice of design management is evident across a range of disciplines such as product andservice design, fashion, architecture, media, entertainment, advertising, digital media and gamesdesign In addition, how design is perceived and utilized in the realms of business, engineering,technology and the creative disciplines varies enormously, and so, different approaches to howdesign is managed are required in each context

Within an organization, design management is present in the brand communications, the product and

service designs, the corporate buildings and retail environments, and the digital interfaces andadvertising campaigns of each enterprise Externally, design management can respond to the growingpressure for organizations to address government legislation, regulations, policies and politics, andchanging attitudes around the world to the management of local and global resources as well aspeople.

All of these internal and external demands, from organizational goals and customer requirements tosocial and environmental responsibilities, need to be taken into account in the management of design,and all of these aspects need to be managed in order to maximize the time, money and resources that

an organization invests in design in order to present itself favorably to both current and potentialconsumer markets

Design is active at three levels in any organization: strategic, tactical and operational At the strategic level, the overall policies, missions and agendas are defined – and it is to these agendas that design must connect At the tactical level, the teams, processes and systems of specific business units or functions come into play At the operational level, design manifests itself in the physical and tangible products,

services and experiences – the implementation of projects and processes the customer can actually ‘touch’.

Source: Adapted from Sean Blair, ProMeet.

Managers of design often have to transcend roles and adapt to different situations The design leader sets the vision for how design could

be used within an organization, selling the vision to, and gaining buy-in from, key stakeholders and decision-makers The design manager ensures the design processes, procedures and internal functions are adding value to the organization, through a defined design team or through the internal resourcing of design thinking into and across a range of business units and projects The designer helps unlock the potential of a proposal, and crafts and delivers the solution, to brief, on time and within budget, to satisfy client and customer needs.

Source: Mike Crump, Honour Branding Ltd.

‘Worldwide, many countries are beginning to address the challenge of

a world that is becoming vastly more competitive Technology that is not carried through into improved systems or successful products is an opportunity wasted; enterprise that fails to be sufficiently creative is simply pouring more energy into prolonging yesterday’s ideas Creativity, properly employed, carefully evaluated, skillfully managed and soundly implemented, is a key to future business success and national prosperity.’

Sir George Cox

According to Powell (2004), the importance of design management is growing in four fundamentalways:

1 As businesses of all kinds deepen their understanding of the role of design in innovation, they willlook to design management as a powerful resource for innovations that will effectively differentiate

their business and build sustainable competitive advantages.

2 As people continue to find increasing choices in the marketplace, and become more determined toimprove the quality of their lives, they will demand more of what only the effective management ofdesign can provide in good design

3 The shift in attitude from design management to managing for design will unleash the potential ofdesign

4 The increasingly important role design will play in building a bridge between the fundamentaleconomic and cultural aspects of individual nations and the world will open doors for design to make

a key contribution to healthy, balanced societies worldwide

Clearly, there is growing recognition of the potential benefits of design management However, it isalso emerging as a driving force in social policy and environmental regulations, and in educationaland government initiatives An independent report sponsored by Capita, the Design Council and theAHRC calls for a greater use of design thinking in building and delivering public services, to ensurethey are made both more responsive to users’ needs and more cost effective (2013)

The Cox Review of Creativity in Business was commissioned by the British Government in 2005 to

investigate ways in which creative skills might be exploited more fully, and described the valuableconnection that exists between creativity, innovation and design

Creativity: is the generation of new ideas Either new ways of looking at existing problems, or the

discovery of new opportunities

Innovation: is the exploitation of new ideas It is the process that carries a concept through to new

products, services, or ways of operating the business

Design: is what links creativity and innovation It shapes ideas so that they become practical and

attractive propositions for users or customers

Design has become a critical and strategic function and methodology in today’s evolvingorganizations, and the need for the knowledge, the ability and the skills to lead, plan and manage fordesign is becoming more important

Table 2: Design Statistics in the UK

QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION: What other emerging trends can be identified in order to begin

to think about the role of design in business, society, technology, the environment and politics inthe future?

Design can help not only to achieve business objectives, but cultural and social agendas too, especially in the non-profit and public sectors Recognizing a need for alternative energy sources amongst the world’s poorest communities, Freeplay Energy is committed to

providing innovative and practical energy solutions to ensure sustained access to information via the radio The foundation continually searches for new applications for Freeplay’s patented wind-up and solar-powered technology The ‘Encore Player’ is a solar and dynamo powered multi-band radio, MP3 player and recorder designed for off-grid communities It has been designed and engineered for the humanitarian sector and is used by educational programs, listening groups and other programs where training and information are

crucial.

Image courtesy of the Freeplay Energy Ltd.

Industrial Society 1830–1944

1759 Josiah Wedgwood, a creative and business thinker, sets up his own pottery enterprise and produces new, inexpensive and

beautiful tableware.

1830 Inventions such as the steam engine and the weaving machine necessitate the reorganization of industry Manufacturing,

mass production, utility and efficiency begin to replace handcrafts.

1832 The National Gallery opens in London, exhibiting fine arts to educate manufacturers and encourage good taste in consumers.

Conceived as an aid to the manufacturer in his struggle with foreign competitors, the gallery effectively promotes the idea of an

‘industrial’ design.

1833 Isambard Kingdom Brunel appointed as chief engineer of the Great Western Railway, establishing him as one of the world’s

leading engineers.

1851 The Great Exhibition of the industries of all nations asserted Britain’s world leadership in manufacturing and the ‘useful’ arts,

and celebrated the fusion of science, art and design.

1861 William Morris, a British craftsman and designer, sought distinction between the work of the hand and the product of the

machine, and in doing so took art out of the academies and into the design of everyday objects.

1869 Charles Eastlake publishes Hints on Household Taste, which claimed to be the first publication on design written ‘in a

manner sufficiently practical and familiar to ensure the attention of the general public’.

1877 Christopher Dresser appointed as art adviser to Huskin & Heath, a silver manufacturing and industrial production firm and

supplier of novelties and luxury goods Dresser’s role was to help provide a new creative direction for the firm.

1887 AEG (Allegmeine ElektrizitatsGesellschaft) established AEG rapidly gains a reputation for advanced management and for

design patronage.

1907 Peter Behrens, the first designer for industry, appointed as design adviser to AEG, consulting on buildings, products and

graphics, and effectively creating the first corporate identity.

1909 AEG’s turbine factory built Designed by Peter Behrens, it was considered to be the most beautiful industrial building of its

time.

1915 Design and Industries Association founded to promote and encourage good design.

1919 The Bauhaus is founded Accepting the machine as a modern vehicle of form, they experimented with modular design, the

elimination of decoration, and the prototyping of simple designs for mass production.

1930 The Society of Industrial Arts (SIA) is founded It later becomes the Chartered Society for Designers (CSD), the world’s

largest chartered body of professional designers.

1930 Art Center College of Design founded in California.

1932 Art and Industry: the Principles of Industrial Design by Herbert Read is published.

1934 The National Register of Industrial Designers established to maintain and improve the standard of design, to bring designers

and manufacturers closer together, and to monitor the skills and qualifications of designers.

1934 The Government Council for Art and Industry established to address questions on the relation between art and industry.

1937 The BBC broadcasts a series of talks on design by Anthony Bertram; Design in Everyday Things.

1937 Laszlo Moholy-Nagy is appointed Director of the New Bauhaus: the American School of Design in Chicago.

1938 Design by Anthony Bertram published.

1939 Laszlo Moholy-Nagy founds the School of Design in Chicago, later renamed the Institute of Design.

1940 Wells Coates appointed design consultant to British Overseas Air Company (BOAC), and EMI recording company.

1940–1954 Raymond Loewy ‘styles’ the Greyhound buses in the USA.

1944 The Council of Industrial Design (CID) set up to improve the product design of British industry The CID promotes the

economy of design as well as of materials The CID later become the UK’s Design Council.

Post-war Society 1945–1957

1945 Design becomes a profession in its own right.

1945 Braun, producer of functional and stylistic classics, divide their product line into four categories, each headed by a senior

designer: Dieter Rams, Reinhold Weiss, Richard Fischer and Robert Operheim.

1946 Sony founded by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita.

1949 Raymond Loewy makes the cover of Time magazine.

1949–1951 Royal College of Art reorganized as an independent foundation, ‘to provide advanced teaching, and to conduct

research into the fine arts and in the principles of art and design in relation to industrial and commercial processes’.

1950 Public project initiatives to rebuild bombed cities and towns.

1950s–60s Japanese manufacturers tour US corporate design departments to learn more about design procedures 1950 public

project initiatives to rebuild bombed cities and towns.

1951 Charles Eames designs the influential Eames armchair.

1951 The first Aspen Design Conference, founded by Chicago industrialist Walter Paepcke, is held It brings together business and

design and introduces themes such as ‘Design as a Function of Management’.

1952 Olivetti hosts the seminal Design and Industries exhibition at MOMA in New York.

1955 Walter Teague, design consultant to Boeing, and Frank de Guidice build a full scale prototype of the interior of the 707.

1955 Henry Dreyfuss, design consultant to General Electric, AT&T and Polaroid, publishes Designing for People This considers

design as a form of problem solving, as well as addressing social, ethical, aesthetic, and practical requirements.

1955 Dieter Rams joins Braun, a company that used design to achieve superior market position, and created a corporate identity

through their products.

1956 The Festival of Britain celebrates the recovery of post-war Britain, and establishes the nation’s place in the world The

festival’s design team is led by Gerald Barry, Hugh Casson, Misha Black and James Gardner.

1956 Eliot Noyes is made design director for International Business Machines (IBM), shaping their design policy through product

design, architecture and graphics, creating IBM as a leader in design.

1956 Good design, a concept founded on Bauhaus principles, is promoted by the Council of Industrial Design.

1957 The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID), a network of design associations, is founded with Misha

Black as a key figure The ICSID promotes industrial design, and acts as a forum for professional design policy and guidelines.

1958 Ettore Sottsass becomes design consultant for Olivetti He is employed on a retainer basis to encourage freedom of design

thinking.

1960 Verner Panton designs the influential stacking chair, which is manufactured by Herman Miller.

1960 Erwin Braun initiates the Braun Prize, which reflects Braun’s core competence of design and benefits the field of industrial

design on a broader basis.

1960 Henry Dreyfuss publishes The Measure of Man, which contains ergonomic data on human sizes and proportions.

1960 Victor Papanek becomes an international design expert for UNESCO and WHO.

1961 National Institute for Design (NID) founded.

1963 The Design Research Unit is founded by Misha Black, Kenneth Bayes, J Beresford Evans, James Williams, and Milner Gray.

1963 The International Federation of Interior Designers (IFID), a network representing 32 societies, is established.

1963 The International Council of Graphic Design Associations (ICOGRADA) begins in London.

1963 Mario Bellini becomes product design consultant for Olivetti and Cassina, leading innovations in ergonomics and design.

Consumer Society 1958–1981.

Consumer Society 1958–1981

1964–1977 Eliot Noyes active as a design consultant for Mobil and advises on design policy for Pan American Airways.

(PanAm).

1965 The Royal Society of Arts (RSA) introduces the term ‘design management’.

1966 Michael Farr publishes the first book on design management.

1966 Thomas Watson Jr’s seminal Tiffany Lecture at Wharton Business School asserts that ‘good design is good business’.

1969 Danish company Bang and Olufsen establish their corporate identity through a range of ultra-slimline modern products.

1970 The Managing Design Initiative is launched by Mark Oakley.

1972 The CID is renamed the Design Council.

1972 The RCA establishes a scientific design research department.

1972 Victor Papanek’s Design for the Real World charges the industrial design establishment with criminal negligence on a vast

scale ‘The designer’s responsibility is to society and the environment, rather than to the client’s bottom line’.

1973 Knut Yran publishes Philip’s first House Style Manual to ensure consistency in the company’s presentation.

1975 The Design Management Institute (DMI) is founded at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, by William J Hannon Jr.

The DMI provides a forum for corporate design executives and heightens awareness of design as an essential part of business strategy.

1976 The first DMI Annual Design Conference.

1976 Peter Gorb teaches design at the London Business School (LBS), and initiates his design reclassification.

1976 Alan Topalian initiates a formal program of research into the management of design, promoting the common ground between

business executives and designers.

1977 Peter Lawrence takes over as director of the DMI.

1978 The Sony Walkman is launched It combines the miniaturization of technology and the needs of consumers Worldwide

success due to quality of manufacture and style.

1979 Cellular phones tested in the USA and Japan.

1979 Peter Gorb publishes Design and its Use by Managers.

1980–1991 Robert Blaich, senior managing director of design at Philips, introduces a design management system that regards

design, production and marketing as a single unit His commitment to design as a core element of a business wins him rapid recognition.

1981 Memphis Milan, a design studio focused on design innovation and mass culture is established.

1981 The Society of Industrial Artists and Designers (SIAD) sets up a design management group.

Network Society 1982–1997

1982 Time magazine names the computer as its Man of the Year.

1982 Commercial email services begin among 25 cities in the USA.

1982 The Design Management Unit at the London Business School is formalized.

1982 Hunan University opens China’s first design school.

1983 Research into Design and the Economy UK by Roy Rothwell and Paul Gardiner is published.

1983 Research into the Competitive Edge: The Role of Design in the American Corporation, by Clipson et al is published.

1983 Italian product design company Alessi commissions architects such as Robert Venturi and Michael Graves to develop its

product range.

1984 CD-ROM introduced by Sony and Philips.

1984 The UK’s Department for Trade and Industry and the Design Council jointly sponsor a report on managing design, with

directives encouraging firms to use design for competitive advantage.

1984 The Apple Mac personal computer is launched, which puts the user not the technology at the center of the design Adverts by

Ridley Scott emphasize liberation, individuality and freedom.

1985 The DMI becomes an independent non-profit entity and establishes a membership program Earl Powell takes over as

director of the DMI.

1986 The Design and Business Association (DBA) is founded.

1989 The DMI and Harvard Business School initiates the TRIAD Design Project It is the first international research project on

design management.

1989 DMI begins publishing the Design Management Review.

1990 Publication of Design Management: a Handbook of Issues and Methods, edited by Mark Oakley.

1990 Publication of Design Management: Papers from the London Business School, edited by Peter Gorb.

1991 Stefano Marzano becomes CEO and CD of Phillips Design, and integrates design strategy into the business process.

1993 Mosaic (later renamed Netscape), one of the first Internet browsers with a visually appealing interface, is released and

proliferates the web with a 341,634% annual growth rate of service traffic.

1993 Single European market inaugurated and barriers to trade across borders subsequently disappear.

1994 Publication of British Standard BS7000 Part 3: Guide to Managing Service Design.

1995 The Design Futures Council established It is a global network of design community professionals aiming to reinvent the art

and business of design.

1995 Publication of British Standard BS7000 Part 10: Glossary of Terms Used in Design Management.

Design Society 1998–2014

1996 Publication of British Standard BS7000 Part 4: Guide to Managing Design in Construction.

1997 The DMI establishes a professional development program for design management.

1997 DMI establishes the European International Conference on Design Management.

1997 Publication of British Standard BS7000 Part 2 Guide to Managing the Design of Manufactured Products.

1998 Design for the World network is established in Barcelona It aims to reflect the concerns of international design organizations

and to serve as a vehicle for design professions to act in concert.

1999 Publication of British Standard BS7000 Part 1 Guide to Managing Innovation.

2000 The first Designthinkers Conference is organized by the Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario.

2001–2005 The Design for Business program is developed and piloted by the Design Council.

2002 The Design Leadership Forum is launched in the UK.

2003 Publication of Design Management by Brigitte Borja de Mozota.

2005 Update of the British Standard BS7000 Part 3 Managing Design in the Service Sector Led by Bill Hollins, this standard

is the first to be written with Design Council approval.

2005 University of Oxford Said Business School creates a Design Leadership Fellowship.

2005 Stanford University Institute of Design establishes d-school, which is intended to advance multidisciplinary innovation.

2005 RED Unit set up at the Design Council, its purpose is to challenge current thinking on social and economic problems by

exploring new solutions through innovative design practice.

2005 Sir George Cox, Chairman of the Design Council, carries out the Cox Review of Creativity in Business.

2005 Publication of British Standard BS7000 Part 6: Managing Inclusive Design.

2006 The International Design Alliance (IDA) nominates Turin as the first World Design Capital.

2006 European Design Day created.

2006 Publication of Design Management: Managing Design Strategy, Process and Implementation (Kathryn Best).

2006 The first TED (Technology Entertainment Design) Talks posted online TED was curated by Chris Anderson ‘to spread great

ideas’, based on Richard Saul Wurman’s first TED initiative in 1984.

2007 Design Management Europe established via EC funding for ADMIRE (Award for Design Management Innovating and

Reinforcing Enterprises, an EU Pro Inno Europe Initiative) The aim was to encourage SMEs to adopt design management practices.

2010 ‘App’ (mobile application) named ‘Word of the Year’.

2010 Finland’s National Innovation Strategy defines policies concerning education, research and technology, and emphasizes the

significance of business, design and organizational innovations as well as technical ones Aalto University established.

2012 Indian Design Council established.

2013 Graphic Design USA names their 50th Anniversary as ‘The Year of the Designer’.

2013 Publication of The Handbook of Design Management (Rachel Cooper, Sabine Junginger and Tom Lockwood)

2014 Cape Town named as World Design Capital.

2014 The 13th International DESIGN Conference in Croatia (DESIGN 2014) calls for leading academics, researchers and

practitioners to present their view on ‘EXCELLENCE IN DESIGN’.

2014 AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) celebrates its centennial.

Part One: Managing the Design Strategy

This is the stage where design initiatives are conceived, and the focus placed on identifying and creating the conditions in which design ideas and projects can be proposed, commissioned and promoted At this stage, design management engages design thinking in the organizational strategy, identifies opportunities for design, interprets the needs and desires of the organization and its customers, and looks

at how design contributes to the business as a whole.

Identifying Opportunities for Design

Opportunities for design projects, processes and thinking exist both inside client organizations andconsultancies and outside in the wider social, cultural, political and economic context There are noprescribed ways for identifying opportunities for design within any given organization Instead it isthe goals and aspirations of the organization, its corporate vision and purpose, or its brand identityand values, which will suggest what opportunities are right for each organization, and how a design-led approach could best serve them

A corporate identity expresses the values and beliefs that an organization stands for, and these valuesand beliefs will be outlined in the company’s brand and mission statement The same values andbeliefs will also be translated into various business objectives and strategic plans across a number ofdepartments within the organization and, finally, will also manifest themselves in the environments,communications, products and services of the organization The values and beliefs of the organizationwill reflect those held by its customers; the people that use, buy or share in the overall brandexperience

If the purpose of design management is to identify and communicate the ways in which design cancontribute to a company’s strategic value, then identifying opportunities for design is the first steptowards this (Borja de Mozota, 2003)

CHANGING CIRCUMSTANCES

Opportunities for design often stem from changes in circumstances: from new demands, either internal

or external, made of an organization

Within an organization, design opportunities can be found in the company’s name or brand, itsmission statement, its corporate strategy (the overall objectives of the company), its business strategy(the department-level objectives that support the corporate strategy), or its operational strategy(project-level objectives) Opportunities can also arise during mergers and acquisitions,organizational restructures and company diversification, during formal meetings and informalconversations with other departments, and collaborations with stakeholders

Outside an organization, opportunities can develop from changes in local, national or internationalpolitics, economics, culture, society, population trends, technology and legislation Opportunities canalso originate from humbler origins, such as a chance article in a newspaper or a casual conversation

Perhaps though, the most valuable and rich source of opportunities for design arises from thecustomers themselves, whether through observing the way they behave when using a product, sharingthe collaborative development of the services or collecting customer feedback on how to improve aservice

Table 3: The Business Triggers of Design