Mission
The 2007 Design Research Conference will feature exceptional, breakthrough, disruptive approaches to design problems, and the outstanding ways in which research inspired uniquely new outcomes. The concepts showcased will demonstrate empathy for the cultures they serve, and respect for the context wherein they exist.
Establishment of a norm.
Since the advent of industrialization, companies have sought to streamline operations and maximize efficiencies in order to remain competitive. A linear development process emerged as a means of maintaining control over this evolution. If design research played a part in affecting the development of products, services and experiences, it relied mostly on the ‘intuition of the few’.
Then things changed.
It is safe to say that in this day in age, corporate competition has reached a critical mass. In response, the characteristic of today’s business leaders lays not in their ability to single-handedly devise solutions, but in their acumen for structuring teams that create new choices for the institution. In response to this shift, we’ve seen the capabilities of design evolve in remarkable ways, capitalizing on the use of research methods to bring out deep insight into the motivations that drive social and cultural transformation.
The linear business model is in question under the stresses of the current competitive landscape. If ‘business as usual’ embraces silos, roles, and hierarchy, what should ‘business by design’ be? The capability of user-centered research to solve wicked problems, deliver superior and differentiated offering, and win market share, continues to expand. Among corporations and business schools, people are beginning to understand the potential of design in research and across the organization, to develop strategies for addressing the nuances that differentiate markets from one another.
Refocus.
Corporations are at a critical juncture. Incremental innovation alone will no longer support sustainable growth. The IIT’s Institute of Design, 2007 Design Research Conference will showcase a select group of forward-thinking individuals who have challenged the norm. It will feature their exceptional, breakthrough, disruptive approaches to design problems, and the outstanding ways in which their research inspired uniquely new outcomes. Their solutions demonstrate empathy for the cultures they serve, and respect for the context wherein they exist.
