The research of the doctoral thesis was focused on the development of knowledge of a particular context that impacts design, and the expectation is that the knowledge produced may later transform in different forms of practice. The research started with a given statement describing a situation, and has ended in specification to implement a solution, […]
PhD Thesis
Throughout my career, there were always heated discussions about the general lack of design recognition, empowerment, presence of designers in top leadership, but the insights to better understand this, especially in large corporations, were elusive, with anecdotal evidence and lack of qualitative and quantitative data. This research started from this motivation, with a focused question: ‘Why aren’t there more designers in the C-Suite of F50 corporations?’.
And the future of design in these corporations?
The future of design is shaped by the perceived impact of technology, some have stated designers need to “speak machine”, other have recognized the constant pressure of the designers to learn, appreciate and apply technology and computational powers to evolve with design and its impact, Designers are being asked to lead a digitization revolution for […]
What is the future of large corporations?
While some governments have acted in ways that may look inadequate, many large corporations have stepped up in ways that have become as impactful if not more than governments. And in many ways because these large corporations are global, they have impacted places and people that otherwise would have not via their local government. While […]
What is the state of design leadership in large corporations?
Research on the state of leadership found that effective leadership development programs are a major force driving organizations’ ability to successfully transform, but when comparing findings from previous year, studies found that while many organizations intended to give Leadership and Development a more strategic role, the objective hasn’t necessarily been achieved. When asked why they […]
What is the role of design in innovation?
According to many, even if design requires clarification, there is enough evidence to state that design is a major driver of innovation, critical to differentiation and branding and positively affecting companies’ financial and non-financial performance. For some, while end-to-end experiences expand the role of design, they see it more as a requirement of more consumer […]
Elliot Noyes
When talking about the history of design at IBM, many tend to focus on Elliot Noyes who was hired in 1956 as a design consultant by the then IBM CEO and Chairman of the Board T. J. Watson Jr. who popularized the statement “Good design is Good Business”. Noyes was a well-respected architect with a […]
Henry Dreyfuss
Henry Dreyfuss FIDSA is a past President of the IDSA (1965) and the organization recognizes him as one of their Chairmen Emeriti, they have a concise but thorough biography of Henry Dreyfuss in their site (IDSA, 1975), and it covers his work from the nineteen twenties to his death in 1972, touching companies and brands […]
Sara Little Turnbull
Sara Little Turnbull was born in 1917 and grew up in Brooklyn as the youngest of a Russian immigrant family of very sparse means. This early experience shaped the rest of her life and career. She attended Parsons School of design on a full scholarship. Using her insatiable curiosity allied with a multi-dimensional approach, Sara […]
Has the value of design in business improved in the last 30 years?
In 1988 Peter Lawrence, co-founder of the DMI Design Management Institute and the Corporate Design Foundation, stated that design was a corporate asset requiring management like any other asset, commenting on the fact that many executives still treated design as superficial and expendable and suggesting designers need to participate in the customer research process. Though […]
What makes a designer a designer?
If the definition and history of design is far from consensual, so is the definition of a designer. Beyond craft elements that make a designer an apt professional, what makes a designer a designer are more core beliefs and view of the world, as well as how we are seen by others. When we address […]