Vol. 3, No. 1, Design Management Journal 2007

This special edition of the Design Management Journal contains a selection of papers drawn from the D2B First International Design Management Symposium, held in Shanghai in 2006, in which the future role of design management theory and practice were considered from a variety of perspectives based on design to business. The special edition was conceived to pick up on a significant issue drawn from the D2B symposium—namely, the cross-cultural significance of design management beyond national boundaries. Our main aim in this journal was to further explore the East/West differences, perspectives, and complexities of design management within the needs of the East/West business community, and to reflect on varied viewpoints, discussions, approaches, and shared experience.

The Design Management Journal is a refereed journal devoted to articles and case studies exploring how design is an essential resource, a component of every organization that can be effectively managed to make important contributions to the bottom line and to long-tem success.

An Evaluation of the Positional Forces Affecting Design Strategy
Cai Jun, Professor, Head of the Department of Industrial Design, Academy of Arts & Design, Tsing hua University, China
This paper describes and analyses the relationship between design strategy and design management. Design strategy involves the long long-term planning and direction of brand and product development, whilest design management focuses on the...

An Investigation of the Transferability of Design Management Education from the UK to China
Philippa Ashton, PhD, Senior Research Manager, University College for the creative Arts, UK; Jian Ye Deng, Senior Lecturer, Design Management, Shandong University of Art and Design, China
Design management has not previously been taught in China and many of the new courses are imported from the West. However, differences in culture, education system, and economic need make the transfer complex, thus requiring interpretation, as well...

Development of a Customer Experience-Based Brand Strategy for the Lenovo Group to Explore the UK Market
Yuanyuan Yin, PhD Candidate, Design Research, School of Engineering & Design, Brunel Universiity; Dr. Ray Holland, Director, Design and Branding Strategy, Masters Program, Brunel University; Weicheng Wu, MA, Brunel Universiity
Since acquiring IBM’s personal computing (PC) division, Lenovo has focused on exploring the UK market as part of its internationalization program. This paper presents the development of a customer experience-based brand strategy for the Lenovo...

In-House Design: How Do Design Managers Manage Change?
Naomi Gornick, Founder Director, MA Design, Strategy and Innovation, Brunel University
This study examines new directions in design and management theory and practice, and illustrates how design managers in large corporations are responding to organizational change and new contexts for design. The paper will re-visit design managers...

Innovation, Branding, and Organization: What International Design Managers Think About Their Performance
Frans Joziasse, Director, PARK; Tim Selders, Director, PARK; James Woudhuysen, Professor of Forecasting and Innovation, De Montfort University
Since the dot.com boom and Clayton Christensen’s book, The Innovator’s Dilemma, there has been an international revival of interest in innovation. At the same time, corporate interest in branding remains buoyant. On a third issue—a world of...

Reflections on Design Management Education in China
Jikun Liu, Associate Professor, Industrial Design, Academy of Arts & Deisgn, Tsinghua University; Manxian Zhan, PhD Candidate, Design Management, Central England University, Birmingham Institute of Art & Design
Design management and its instruction is a recent phenomenon in China. Rapid development is anticipated in the near future alongside the advances in China’s innovation-oriented society and its further economic growth. After reviewing the features...

Strategic New Product Development in Chinese Organizations: A Case Study in the High Technology Sector
Xiaohuan Zhang, PhD, University of Salford; Alex Williams, Professor, Associate Dean, Academic Enterprise,, University of Salford
Despite a growing body of research on Chinese business practices and consumer market development, little has been written on the significance of new product development (NPD) within Chinese organizations. In addition, there has been little analysis...

The Role of Design in the Development of the Made in Italy Brand in China
Massimo Bianchini, Politechnico di Milano; Marina Parente, Politechnico di Milano
Nowadays, the world-wide globalization process has brought a new economic and production scene and a different economic geography. The progressive liberalization and deregulation of markets, together with the ICT development have led to the birth...