The well-known pattern of a new medium copying the conventions of an older medium is repeating itself. Just as the early phase of photography copied the structure of painting, movies copied theatre, and TV copied vaudeville, eBooks and iMovies are mimicking the structure and other conventions of paper books and cinema. Just as before, it will take awhile for these media to develop their own language and genre.

Three experiments in developing a new language of interactive communication will be unveiled at the Institute of Design Strategy Conference. Stan Rucker will show examples of his work on the future of reading. Anijo Mathew will describe how embedding sensors in urban environments turns space into place and the physical world into a medium. And Kevin Denney will show new learning software that uses timelines and groups focused on an interest rather than chapters and pages.

Shown together, this work will give a view into the future of interactive communication that is not modeled on the past.

Jeremy Alexis, senior lecturer and assistant dean, IIT Institute of Design
Vincent Michael, John H. Bryan Chair in Historic Preservation, School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Strategy is traditionally about competitiveness, whether between armies or between companies. However, the core principles of strategic design, linking increased value to the user to increased economic value to the producer, can be applied to non-competitive arenas as well.

Applying the rigor familiar in competitive fields is also very useful in the social sector. Without this rigor, not-for-profit and government agencies often lose sight of their core purpose and who they are serving. Two of the esteemed speakers at ID Strategy Conference are Vince Michael, a historic preservationist both globally and locally, and Jeremy Alexis, assistant dean of ID. They will show us how these principles of strategic design can be applied to the social sector in the developing world and at home.

Vince will tell us about the Global Heritage Fund’s program called Restoration by Design, demonstrating how GHF transforms ruins into assets: How do you turn rocks on the floor of the jungle into an attraction catalyzing economic development while protecting it as a world heritage site?

Jeremy will show how strategic design methods have been used for social and civic innovation. Examples will range from improving the abandoned building programs in depressed urban areas to new directions for health care facilities for Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

Jeff Semenchuk, CIO, Hyatt Hotels Corporation

Leaders of almost all large companies are calling for disruptive innovation, as long as it does not require real change. This contradictory point of view is understandable. Unlike small companies, the risks involved in making a mistake in a big company are huge. Remarkable human-centered ideas are only the first small step in the path to innovation. The subsequent steps involve working with functional silos, human resource policies, and corporate cultures—all formed for the way companies worked in the past.

Sam Pitroda, advisor to the Prime Minister of India

Design draws much of its power by asking “What might be?” rather than “What exists now?” This causes us not to accept the status quo but to explore the possibilities that are often overlooked by those who are governed by the evidence garnered from past successes and failures.

Robert Brackett, director, Institute for Food Safety and Health

Health, indulgence, and convenience—these are the three forces, usually pulling in opposite directions, which influence the food we eat. In North America, food is talked about as if it is healthy chemistry, yet people’s tendency is to overindulge in salt, fat, and sugar. In Europe, they talk about food as a joyful part of life and have a style of eating that is healthier than that in the U.S. And in the developing world, there simply isn’t enough food to go around. The scientific, cultural, economic, and public policy dimensions of the situation are in conflict. The situation is truly a “wicked problem.” Dr. Robert Brackett will talk about how design can help reframe the problem and find a new path.

Martin Cooper, chairman and cofounder, DYNA, LLC
David Vaskevitch, former CTO, Microsoft Corp.

Innovation teams inside large organizations frequently find themselves in the difficult situation of being asked to create disruptive innovation.....as long as it does not require change. 

Martin cooper and David Vaskevitch are champions of creating meaningful change that lasts. David was CTO of Microsoft during its era of rapid growth and was the champion of Windows 3.0. Margin invented the cell phone. Both of them are now involved in the world of startups.

Pamela Mead, director of user experience, Telefónica

The growth of mobile media continues to accelerate. Initially led by innovation in devices, then in services, the current situation is a confluence of advancements in hardware, services, and content. Pamela Mead has led initiatives in dimensions of this space and will join us to discuss the next steps for Telefónica and the European context.

Denis Weil, vice president, innovation and concept development, McDonald’s Corporation

The design of environments for retail and services is going through a revolution as companies discover they have to go beyond designing for efficiency and focus on creating great user experiences. One of the best examples of this shift is the new work at McDonald’s being led by Denis Weil.

Jeanne Liedtka, author and professor, University of Virginia Darden School of Business
Skip Walter, former vice president of engineering, Aldus (now Adobe)

Jeanne Liedtka and Skip Walter are the most recent additions to the amazing speakers at the Institute of Design Strategy Conference on May 9-10, 2012. Each, in their own way, will address the issues of value creation, innovation, organizational design, and design.

Jeanne will talk about the challenges business leaders face when trying to use frameworks invented for the 20th-century context of scale and predictability when today's demands call for speed and flexibility.  In her new book, Designing for Growth, she makes a compelling case for design methods being appropriate for the new environment.  Skip has moved from focusing on technology and strategy in big companies to the creating and capturing value in start-ups.  He has created breakthrough innovations within industry leaders and in the lofts of Seattle and has a remarkable perspective on the role of design.

Arlene Harris, cofounder and president, DYNA, LLC
Steve Smith, advisor, Pegasus Capital Advisors

One of the conference’s striking characteristics is the extremely diverse backgrounds of of the speakers. They are CEOs of public companies, authors and critics, leaders of NGOs, leading academics, and thought leaders in design, innovation, technology, and business—and they all share an interest in design as a means of setting the direction of an organization. Over the next few weeks we will unveil a phenomenal group of speakers. For example, Arlene Harris will show us how telecom innovation can serve often forgotten constituencies, Jeff Morgan will talk about the design of a system for saving cultural heritage sites as a way to spark community development, and Steve Smith will illustrate how value can be created in the areas of sustainability and emerging markets.