Design Management – (M.A.)

Contents

Structure

Our course explores and develops the ability to apply design knowledge and thinking in a range of contexts. The curriculum offers methods of teaching, learning and assessment which develop subject specific as well as transferable skills, providing opportunities for students to develop independence of thought and critical judgement. Generally as the course progresses, teaching and learning moves from methods and approaches which include more formal staff input and directed learning, towards increased independent and self directed learning.

An understanding of the role of design in commercial contexts is a core theme you will experience. You will explore a range of theoretical frameworks for the investigation of design and develop the ability to apply this knowledge into real world situations. The ability to communicate findings and conclusions to specialist and non-specialist audiences will be facilitated. Core modules are:

* Design Management | Introduction to design management; the design process; nature and management of design, creativity and creative people; design as a strategic business tool; design in a cultural and commercial context; the design industry; design and related services; design and other organisational functions; the role of the design manager; design issues: environment, sustainability, corporate social responsibility


* Design Thinking and Research Methods | The relationship between design thinking and design research; design thinking and creative practice, disciplinary approaches to creativity and innovation, and research methodology; library and internet retrieval; quantitative methods: sampling, survey/questionnaire design, data analysis and interpretation; qualitative methods: case studies, interview, observation, ethnography


* Service Design | An introduction to services and systems; current meanings of ‘services’; the emergence of system and service design; guest speakers and student-led seminars will be conducted on related topics such as Interaction and Experience Design, Service Marketing and Management, Organisational Change and Sociology; project based learning


* Design Strategy | Design strategy; design leadership; design decision making; regional and national design policy; design and added value; design as corporate strategy; and futures methods: scenarios, scenario planning, and personas; the scope of design; auditing design; branding and brand strategy; the effect of national identity on the interpretation of design


* Design, Sustainability and Contemporary Issues | Sustainability, design and society; historical and contemporary contexts; the three E’s of sustainability: ecological, ethical and economic; open source, design for recover and reuse and re-design, distributed innovation, product-service combinations; design and complexity; democratising design; The Natural Step, Cradle-to-Cradle, Biomimicry, Natural Capitalism, Slow Design, Product Life Cycle Assessment, Product-Service-Systems


* Innovation and Design | Innovation as a ‘system of thought’; innovation as an emerging discipline; measuring and evaluating innovation; a taxonomy of innovation (e.g. incremental, open, disruptive, architectural, marginal, radical, evolutionary, democratic); networks and communities of innovation and the relationship to service design; implications, impediments and pathways to successful innovation; invention, innovation and design; designing with innovation in mind; evaluation of innovative design concepts


* Major Research Project (60 credits) | Primary and secondary research strategies; literature review; case-studies; journal identification, engagement with industry/collaborators; research and profiling; prototyping in the design process; project management: define, develop and deliver; targeting audiences; presentation and communication



Features

In recent times design has developed from a problem-solving activity to problem-processing one that investigates the potential that design can bring to a commercial context. An understanding of professional practice of design will be supported through the combination of case studies that document best practice; visiting professionals who bring a contemporary and up to date understanding of the application of design in real world situations; and live briefs that offer opportunities for students to demonstrate professional working practices and methodologies.

A comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the role of the user within design will be developed through p roject learning and assessment, where students can take control and manage their own learning and demonstrate skills and competencies in areas such as problem-solving and primary research; group critiques involving peers and tutors, which provide opportunities for the development of intellectual skills in constructing and supporting arguments; and extended projects that enable students to demonstrate a broad range of competencies from technical skills and research/enquiry through to independence of thought and critical analysis.

Staff who contribute to the course have broad and in depth experience in design and are experts within their particular fields. They bring a contemporary understanding of the role and value of design and have research interests that encompass: design management and policy; design thinking and design methods; new product development; forecasting and design futures; design in organisations; ethnographic research methods; systems design; scenario planning and trend analysis; and socially-responsible design.