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Insight & Ideas_In Here and Out There

Our observations of the world around us

• Design value: not if, but how by Taylor Lies on June 18, 2008

  I recently attended the IIT Institute of Design Strategy Conference (IDSC), held in late May in Chicago. The conference is billed as “an international executive forum addressing how businesses can use design to explore emerging opportunities, solve complex problems, and achieve lasting strategic advantage.” And in that regard it really delivered, bringing together champions of design from business, education, media, and beyond.

  Technologist John Seely Brown, a visiting scholar at USC and former director of the Palo Alto Research Center, kicked off the conference with a theme that would be present throughout: how the rapid changes in technology we’re experiencing will be a constant in the years to come. Unlike previous periods of change that were followed by periods of relative stability, technology continues to evolve at such a pace that instability will be the norm for the foreseeable future.

  While this change creates uncertainty about the future, it also creates opportunity—and this is exactly why the value of design and design thinking has never been higher. This was not a point up for debate at IDSC, as in previous years, but was clearly agreed upon by conference presenters and attendees. To paraphrase Bruce Nussbaum of Business Week, the question is no longer if design has value. The question is how to execute to deliver that value.

  Bill Buxton, from Microsoft, and AG Lafley and Claudia Kotchka, of P&G, made strong cases that organizations need to rethink how they position design. Is it actually valued? Who makes design decisions? What commitment is made to design? Buxton espoused that design should be one of three pillars of an organization, along with business and technology. P&G is a great example: it transformed from a place where “design was the last decoration station” into one where design is built into the corporate DNA.

  Other IDSC presenters gave examples of how design helps organizations in challenging times. Scott Cook of Intuit and Hardik Bhatt from the City of Chicago highlighted how consumer research helped create what we at Lextant call “design clarity”—the ability to build organizational understanding and drive consumer-facing innovation.

  Still, when various presenters alluded to user research, the common word seemed to be “watch” – meaning, the passive observation of consumers to identify unmet needs. While such ethnographic methods are powerful, they leave some questions unanswered or, at best, answered by the research staff rather than the user. At Lextant, we’ve found that combining participatory research methods with ethnographic methods delivers a more thorough consumer understanding – one that reveals current behaviors and unmet needs as well as aspirations, emotions, and descriptions of the ideal consumer experience.

  All in all, IDSC was a good conference with some exciting, dynamic speakers. But the hosts will need to continue to focus on Nussbaum’s question to keep attendance up. It’s no longer a question of if design adds value. And for many firms, it isn’t a question of how, because there are a lot of us out there doing it. The best question is, what can we all learn from our efforts thus far, to make design and design thinking an even more powerful force?
  

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• Art and Science, in balance by Justine Carleton on June 11, 2008

  At the recent IDSA Mideast District conference (held right here in Columbus), I had an interesting conversation with an established designer who is currently in residence at a renowned art school.  The theme of the regional event, Art + Science, served as a preview for the upcoming national IDSA conference (its theme: “Polar Opposites”).

  Our discussion started when he asked, “Where are all the great American designers?” He said he felt that the “art” in American design has gone by the wayside. “Ouch,” I thought to myself. “That’s pretty harsh.”

  My immediate response was to say that American corporations do not general encourage and nurture designers as artists; he went further, saying he felt industry was losing the art by focusing too much on the science. 

  What? Really?

  As a design researcher, I am on the science side of the field. So, at the time, it was difficult for me not to defend the science side of things. In fact, defend it I did. We talked and debated the rest of the night. Now that I have had a month or so to mill this about in my mind, I began to wonder if he had a point.  Here’s where I ended up…

  Everything is best when in balance. If you look one of today’s successful designers (and one of my personal favorites), Naoto Fukasawa, (notably, not American) you see the evidence of balance. He thinks about the use, function, and needs of the user, and yet all of his designs have a unique and consistent personal expression. So much so that you can look at a piece of his work and know that it is his. There is evidence of art and personal expression and well as science and forethought in these simple examples of his work.

  

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• Scooters, Fashion, and the Amazing Moyo by Ashley Golliver on June 04, 2008

  Ever since I spent my senior year in Florence, Italy, three years ago, I’ve seen the world in a different light. Everything there seemed to have a greater level of sophistication, creativity, and sensibility.  I recently had a chance to return to my home away from home, where I experienced and recognized common trends in Italian culture.

  

  One thing very noticeable in Florence is the transportation.  Unlike America where Hummers and other large SUVs reflect the “bigger is better” philosophy, small automobiles, scooters, and bicycles rule the roads.  Not only are they more cost effective, the sheer practicality of tiny cars in a city with some roads no wider than 7 feet and almost no parking garages makes me believe the Italians are onto something. Smart Cars, Mini Coopers, and other tiny vehicles are meticulously parallel parked everywhere, some with only a few inches between bumpers. Scooters have even more of an advantage.  If there is a large enough gap between cars, a scooter will fill that space, perpendicular to the road and sidewalk.  It’s like a life-size puzzle; if you can’t find a spot that fits here, try another a block or two away.

  Another aspect of Italy that changed since I was there last was the growing need for internet access. Much like Starbucks, there’s an internet café on every block. With so many people traveling these days, and the growing number of students in Europe, it’s no wonder that Florence has decided to cash in on the need for instant technological gratification.  Many people require stops like interent shops in their travel so they can email friends and family, find local events happening in the city, check the bus and train schedules for out of town excursions, and to just escape the old town feel of Florence. These “cafes” don’t include much, just 10-20 computers, maybe a few TV screens playing Italian MTV, and (if it’s a good place) a fridge where one can buy overpriced water and soda.  Average costs for access is about 3 to 5 euro an hour, or roughly $7 to $10. 

  

  There are places in the city where one can get free wireless access, but that usually comes with the understanding that you have to buy something while you are in there. One place that offers such a deal is Moyo. This trendy bar/restaurant allows any laptop owner to sit and surf the web – with the purchase of a meal or cocktail. It’s a great deal. At Moyo I paid just 7 euro for my drink, unlimited internet access, and an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner known as aperitivo. Places like Moyo definitely beat the more common internet cafes—you just have to do some investigating. 
  
  An aspect of Florence that is close to my heart is the fashion. Florence is the home of some of the most prominent designers in the business, such as Ferragamo, Valentino, Gucci, Missoni, and Cavalli, to name just a few. With such a large force of fashion in the city, it’s no wonder that creativity is a major part of Florence. One trend that is very prominent is layering. Most Italians can be seen with long pants, a shirt, a jacket, and a thin scarf during the warm spring and summer months.  As I was walking one day wearing jeans and a tank top and feeling the sweat on my forehead, l looked around and noticed that people were still wearing jackets and zip up sweatshirts!  This is a clear way to differentiate an American from an Italian.  Young American women will dress skimpily in miniskirts, camisoles, and flip flops, while Italian woman of the same age will have on jeans, simple tanks, blazers, and stilettos.  If you don’t want to stick out like a sore thumb, the layered look is the way to go.
  

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