Design Management
Design has a central role innovation and creativity. It is increasingly important as a contributor to organisational growth both in the public and in the private sector. As such, the knowledge and skills in leading design thinking in organisations is a valuable asset across all industry sectors. We are exploring the many ways in which design thinking and design methods relate and contribute to problems of managing and organizing. This research aims at developing design theories, educational programmes and professional design and management practices.
Our research encompasses the application of design thinking, practice and management to a broad range of situations and environments. Looking strategically at the role of design in national policy and also the role of design consultancy and practice in the UK economy. We also undertake work addressing design management in sectors (health, education, manufacturing, construction and service) and in organizations public and private. We are particularly interested in understanding process, teams and organizational issues with regard to design management, as well as the impact of digital technology on the management of design. Finally we link ethical and sustainability issues into our work by investigating the nature of socially responsible design and its relationship to corporate social responsibility. Sabine Junginger are editors of a forthcoming Handbook on Design Management to be published by Berg.
Together with the Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts, we offer a unique Master in Design: Management and Policy.
Current Research Activities
VivaCity2020 is a university-led research consortium, comprised of 5 UK universities and over 100 partner organisations. In 2003, VivaCity2020 received £2.75M from the EPSRC to undertake a five-year programme of research into the design and delivery of sustainable urban environments. The aim was to develop an in-depth understanding of human behaviour in urban environments and to create new practical resources to support urban design professionals with sustainable design decision-making.
Project Overview
The key the the VivaCity2020 programme was to understand the trade-offs made every day by city dwellers and city developers. The first step was to understand the processes they use to make their decisions: what information they value and what they do not, but this changes from decision-maker to decision-maker and from situation to situation.
The ability of decision-makers (eg. city developers, residents and workers) to make more sustainable decisions relies upon them having accurate and relevant information. It is currently quite difficult to access this information, if the information exists at all.
Through innovative and interdisciplinary research, VivaCity2020 has developed a toolkit of resources that can be used to navigate urban sustainability issues. The toolkit addresses sustainability issues by encouraging decision-makers to think about sustainability in a user-centred, holistic way, identifying overlaps and trade-offs as the drivers of decision-making.
More Information
Website: www.vivacity2020.eu
Project report:
Design 2020 Final Report (PDF, 2 MB)
The UK design industry in 2020
Design 2020 is a research project undertaken by the Universities of Salford and Lancaster in partnership with British Design Innovation. The overall aim of Design 2020 is to explore potential futures for the UK Design industry. It is part of a foresight initiative investigating future scenarios which reveal the threats and opportunities facing the UK design industry over the next 15 years. It is funded by the AHRC/EPSRC's Designing for the 21st Century initiative.
Project Overview
The overall aim of Design 2020 is to explore potential futures for the UK Design industry. Its objectives are: (i) To research the shape of, and challenges/opportunities facing, the UK design industry over the next decade, and building on this; and (ii) Inform policy frameworks for the sector up to 2020. It intends to develop an understanding of the forces for change and guide the next generation policy, enabling the UK design industry to remain relevant and a significant force within a global design context.
The project focuses on researching the challenges facing the UK design industry over the next decade, and will consult agencies, clients, trade associations and journalists, HEIs, economists and policy-makers via a range of interviews and surveys to provide recommendations for the industry. As such, the proposal supports the AHRC's call for leading edge design research, which explores new modes of design thinking suitable for the challenges facing 21st Century society. Various government initiatives have looked at technology and enterprise. However, the creative industries, and particularly the 71,000 employees in the commercial design have not received the attention they warrant, despite the fact that creative capabilities lie at the core of the UK's ability to compete.
More Information
Contact: www.ukdesign2020.org
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