Design Management as core competency

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Introduction: Changes in design activity are linked to changes in the environmental context Designers have always been “actors of change “in society. Studying both the history of design and the history of organizations demonstrates how the environment shapes simultaneously the activities of designers and managers. Historical phases in organization theory follow the same framework of design theories and design processes. There are no changes in design or in business that are not derived from, or influenced by, changes -- whether social, technological or cultural. Consequently, there is constantly a contradiction between the reality of the design activity (through design projects classified under many design disciplines, namely ‘tangible design’, or “design you can see”) and the definition of the design activity (that emphasizes design science, design ethics and processes, design theory -- all intangible design attitude or ways of working, “design you can’t see”). As an example, see the present failure of “eco-design” which has not been sufficiently powerful to change an economic system aimed at overconsumption. Few environmentally aware designers find a way to follow their consciences whilst thriving economically. Most designers at a professional level cannot follow their “Victor Papanek” consciences, and instead must apply their skills to market forces. Designers should play a greater role in transforming society through more win-win relations on broader, supra systems - but how Managers and designers alike research changes in the world. From this research phase, designers discover new trends in technology and culture, and new needs in and for human behavior, which they embed in innovative cultural artifacts. Managers agree to develop these artifacts because they see their coherence with their own research on the global context of change. Just as designers are making new cultural routes tangible through their work, management are developing new strategic routes according to the new challenges in the outside environment. So what has changed What are the changes in our postmodern context that all decision makers, including designers, have to face, andwhat are the challenges facing contemporary decision makers in society What is their potential, and impact, for and on design - Managing complexity: This requires applying “design thinking” as both a holistic view and as “information design“; visualization skills are used to simplify complex environments, and to build scenarios for system change. - Globalization and innovation: Companies have to be international; design teams are used to multicultural working environments, and creativity has no borders. - Process-oriented companies: Companies have to be more human-centred, customerdriven, and process-oriented; new information systems have to be invented for Customer Experience Management. Designers have to take a wider view for “user oriented 2
design”;customers are not the only focus and “users” must include customers as well as employees, shareholders, suppliers, stakeholders, etc. - Socially Responsible Enterprises: This business model is spreading, and methods are needed in order to implement it as a collective action, as “sense building “according to K.Weick. Designers’ input can go beyond “advanced design” projects in eco-design or community design, towards inventing and implementing standard processes for change in an SRE enterprise. As a consequence of these challenges, the design and design management communities have two directions for change: the incremental design strategy or “meta design” direction, and the radical “basic design“strategy - or core competency – direction. The “meta design” direction: incremental design strategy expanding “design you can see“ Existing design disciplines have to redefine themselves according to the changes in the global context of the service - and aesthetics - based economies: - The aesthetics-based economy and the development of new design disciplines must include: design imaging, perception evaluation, cognitive psychology, pleasurable products and sensory design. - The service economy must develop: service portfolios, as well as services industries that redefine their activity in terms of customer experiences and customer relationships. The “experience economy“is where new “meta design” disciplines are needed, to help navigate between existing design-discipline silos. This “meta design“direction is an adaptation of design that is understood as design outputs and solutions. The entry points for design in organizations remain the same. The design demand starts with the company’s products and service portfolios, and the design brief is to give the brands an emotional difference that customers can see in the market. This direction is based on the classic strategy definition of Michael Porter: a strategy as fit in selecting a unique value chain in a specific market after a SWOT analysis of internal strengths and weaknesses, and the external opportunities and threats of your competition. Design is a tangible competitive advantage that is valued through improved sales, a brand image and market shares in a defined market. Finally, we have entered the “creative economy“ in which design is an industry that is part of the bigger picture of creative industries, and where creative industries are now understood as having a national competitive edge. Postmodern organizations are collages that value creativity. Managers in postmodern organizations are reinventing a management that enhances autonomy and individual creativity. Design managers in postmodern organizations enhance autonomy and individual creativity: 3
Page 1: Journal of Design + Management 2009
Page 5 and 6: See also the so-called Kim and Maub
Page 7 and 8: as an art form, etc. Why, therefore
Page 9 and 10: can’t see “ through the manager
Page 11: The problem, however, is that even

Design Management as core competency

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