Comments on: The future of the Industrial Design Discipline http://www.designsojourn.com/the-future-of-the-industrial-design-discipline/ The Business of Strategic Industrial Design Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:24:28 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Design Sojourn | Strategic Industrial Design Blog » How to be a Design Superstar! http://www.designsojourn.com/the-future-of-the-industrial-design-discipline/comment-page-1/#comment-62759 Design Sojourn | Strategic Industrial Design Blog » How to be a Design Superstar! Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:06:28 +0000 http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/08/23/the-future-of-the-industrial-design-discipline/#comment-62759 [...] Before we go on, you might like to take a look at the basics of “self-branding” or what Tom Peters calls “Brand you“. Smart guy that Tom, he has been talking about it since 1997. Briefly, in a world where the consumer product market is so saturated and most products are essentially the same, the only proven way to get ahead is by branding. Not only just about branding of products but a holistic 360 degree effort including everyone else in the process including the design agencies used to create such products. [...] [...] Before we go on, you might like to take a look at the basics of “self-branding” or what Tom Peters calls “Brand you“. Smart guy that Tom, he has been talking about it since 1997. Briefly, in a world where the consumer product market is so saturated and most products are essentially the same, the only proven way to get ahead is by branding. Not only just about branding of products but a holistic 360 degree effort including everyone else in the process including the design agencies used to create such products. [...]

]]> By: Design Sojourn | Strategic Industrial Design Blog » Is Industrial Design Dead? http://www.designsojourn.com/the-future-of-the-industrial-design-discipline/comment-page-1/#comment-57421 Design Sojourn | Strategic Industrial Design Blog » Is Industrial Design Dead? Thu, 01 May 2008 02:37:44 +0000 http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/08/23/the-future-of-the-industrial-design-discipline/#comment-57421 [...] out some of my other thoughts on this issue as well: 1) The future of the Industrial Design Discipline 2) Starck says Design is Dead, yet [...] [...] out some of my other thoughts on this issue as well: 1) The future of the Industrial Design Discipline 2) Starck says Design is Dead, yet [...]

]]> By: csven http://www.designsojourn.com/the-future-of-the-industrial-design-discipline/comment-page-1/#comment-53039 csven Fri, 07 Sep 2007 02:08:39 +0000 http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/08/23/the-future-of-the-industrial-design-discipline/#comment-53039 My answer to that is: who cares what the media promotes? As professionals, we should be concerned about how the profession is viewed by those who utilize our services. If the media is impacting their perception, then that's an issue which needs to be addressed. And to some degree, I have to imagine that wouldn't be too difficult. For every flamboyant design wunderkind there are a hundred not-so-flamboyant designers doing excellent and notable work but not getting the attention. Interestingly, I just read Frank Tyneski took over as head of the IDSA. Frank and I were friends at CIA, so I'll be interested to see how he resolves the IDSA brand and perhaps addresses these larger issues. Of course, because I know him, if he screws up I'll be just that much more critical (even though I'm not a member). My answer to that is: who cares what the media promotes? As professionals, we should be concerned about how the profession is viewed by those who utilize our services. If the media is impacting their perception, then that’s an issue which needs to be addressed. And to some degree, I have to imagine that wouldn’t be too difficult. For every flamboyant design wunderkind there are a hundred not-so-flamboyant designers doing excellent and notable work but not getting the attention.

Interestingly, I just read Frank Tyneski took over as head of the IDSA. Frank and I were friends at CIA, so I’ll be interested to see how he resolves the IDSA brand and perhaps addresses these larger issues. Of course, because I know him, if he screws up I’ll be just that much more critical (even though I’m not a member).

]]> By: DT http://www.designsojourn.com/the-future-of-the-industrial-design-discipline/comment-page-1/#comment-52455 DT Sat, 01 Sep 2007 09:04:14 +0000 http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/08/23/the-future-of-the-industrial-design-discipline/#comment-52455 csven, great and insightful comments as always. You are absolutely correct, and design in organisation has a great opportunity to spread laterally. It is all interconnected, branding, marketing, logistics, even corporate strategy. Effective designers understand this and can move between each element with ease. But the problem is the media plays up the "soloists" or super stars if you like. Its cool and sexy apparently. Fortunately we can learn from this, as the main thing these superstars have is "branding". That's what was one of the inspiration of this post. If we can use the communication advantages and power of branding, the Industrial Design profession will have so much leverage and longevity in time to come. This is evident when we go back and look at the successful consumer brands have with consumers. csven, great and insightful comments as always. You are absolutely correct, and design in organisation has a great opportunity to spread laterally. It is all interconnected, branding, marketing, logistics, even corporate strategy. Effective designers understand this and can move between each element with ease.

But the problem is the media plays up the “soloists” or super stars if you like. Its cool and sexy apparently. Fortunately we can learn from this, as the main thing these superstars have is “branding”. That’s what was one of the inspiration of this post. If we can use the communication advantages and power of branding, the Industrial Design profession will have so much leverage and longevity in time to come. This is evident when we go back and look at the successful consumer brands have with consumers.

]]> By: csven http://www.designsojourn.com/the-future-of-the-industrial-design-discipline/comment-page-1/#comment-52367 csven Tue, 28 Aug 2007 17:31:50 +0000 http://www.designsojourn.com/2007/08/23/the-future-of-the-industrial-design-discipline/#comment-52367 I think as a profession we need to stop thinking vertically. The design professions - including architecture - tend to produce more soloists than conductors. From my perspective, that's a problem in an increasingly connected, horizontal world. In more concrete terms, it's a problem for any designer who wants to move up the corporate ladder since managers are, by definition, conductors. To that end, and for the sake of everyone in the profession, I believe we should stop thinking of Brand as something distinct from Design. The future of design isn't in tools or role definitions, it's in understanding how systems fit together, businesses function and markets operate; and where we can contribute our expertise and talent to improve those systems/businesses/markets for the benefit of everyone. For the benefit of the Brand. Not just for those brands whose products we help design, but for our collective professional brand. I think as a profession we need to stop thinking vertically. The design professions – including architecture – tend to produce more soloists than conductors. From my perspective, that’s a problem in an increasingly connected, horizontal world. In more concrete terms, it’s a problem for any designer who wants to move up the corporate ladder since managers are, by definition, conductors.

To that end, and for the sake of everyone in the profession, I believe we should stop thinking of Brand as something distinct from Design. The future of design isn’t in tools or role definitions, it’s in understanding how systems fit together, businesses function and markets operate; and where we can contribute our expertise and talent to improve those systems/businesses/markets for the benefit of everyone. For the benefit of the Brand. Not just for those brands whose products we help design, but for our collective professional brand.

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