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 […]

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 […]

How was your question received?

Regarding the question “Why Aren’t There More Designers in the C-Suite of F50 Corporations”, the interaction with both designers and non- designers revealed a certain uneasiness with the question. Some senior designers felt there was a certain insinuation that they were either not able or willing to be in high level positions in large corporations, […]

Research motivation

I have been a working professional in the domain of design and design management since 1989 and very early was given the opportunity to manage designers and began the journey of design management per se. In 2011, and after a number of professional experiences with different organizational formats and in different countries, accepted the challenge […]