For 18 years, the core philosophy of Fossil Design Studio has been to focus on teaming and collaboration, and this has created a successful arrangement in which design and business have coexisted with noted results. During this time it has been my privilege to manage the Studio. Recently, Earl Powell, President of DMI, posed this question to me: “Where does this focus on collaboration and teamwork come from? Is it intuitive or was it a learned management practice?” (For what it is worth, this ‘mystique’ about the Fossil Design Studio seems to have garnered as much interest as the body of work that has collectively built up over so many years.)

My response was twofold. First, it came from the way that I intuitively value people; and second, it was learned from the dynamic of being a design manager in a trade where management of the creative process has only recently begun to be talked about in a wider, more vocal circle of influence. What has worked about the design group at Fossil is partly a direct result of the understanding and commitment from founding management that design would, and could, make a significant difference in the life of the business model from the very beginning. And as a result of that, the design groups as a whole and on an individual level have a sense of value. Value begets ownership, ownership begets accountability, and accountability begets a passion to produce the best work that creates results for the company.

Read the complete article

Article submissions are welcome; please contact jtobin@dmi.org.

Annual DMI Conference to Build Better Design Leaders
The 29th International Design Management Conference: Leadership by Design
October 24-27, 2004
Chatham Bars Inn, Chatham, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA

“This conference helps me think clearer and with more confidence. Thanks!”

As design takes on greater importance in the business enterprise, the responsibility of design leadership is growing exponentially. Design managers work within a global marketplace in which brands emerge and fade, products top the charts and drop off, markets shift and reconfigure so fast that the slightest mistake is quickly magnified to huge proportions. In this environment, the management of design must move to an increasingly proactive position in order to survive. Come participate with the best and the brightest at this conference and advance your career as a design leader.

Soon after you register for this conference, you will begin learning how to improve your leadership capabilities by completing the Campbell Leadership Descriptor participant workbook. Here is what Dr. Campbell, keynote speaker at the conference, has written about it:

Before you can further develop your leadership skills and abilities, you must first be able to recognize your strengths and identify areas in which you need to improve. The Campbell Leadership Descriptor was developed for this purpose. Designed specifically for use in situations where a comprehensive analysis of leadership characteristics is useful, the Campbell Leadership Descriptor provides a personalized assessment.

The process of filling out and scoring the Descriptor, and coming to the conference to discuss the results, will help you:

• Describe the major components of leadership
• Identify the characteristics of a successful leader
• Evaluate your leadership by comparing yourself to others
• Develop a personal action plan for improving your leadership skills and abilities

Dr. David Campbell, Keynote Speaker at the 29th DMI Annual Conference, is currently the Smith Richardson Senior Fellow at the Center for Creative Leadership, where he has been engaged in research and teaching in the area of leadership for more than twenty-seven years. He has worked with design managers at past DMI conferences as well as a wide range of managers and leaders from the corporate, governmental, military, and non-profit sectors.

Three senior design leaders have been included in the conference program in order to enhance your conference experience:

The Role of Design Within IBM: Its History, Culture, Values, and Current Day Success
Lee Green, Director, Corporate Identity & Design, IBM Corporation

 

The Impact of Design on Braun's Corporate Culture
Hartmut Stroth, Director, Braun GmbH

 

A Genetic Leg Up
Steve Frykholm, Vice President, Creative Director, Herman Miller Inc.

Featured Sessions

Keynote Session:
Looking Inside Leadership
David Campbell, PhD, Smith Richardson Senior Fellow, Center for Creative Leadership

 

Forming a Common Vision: Meeting the Complexities of a Collaborative Challenge
Tom Dierking, Global Design Director, Procter & Gamble Co.
Henry Chin, Director, ZIBA Design, Inc.
Beth Malone, Creative Director, Libby Perszyk Kathman, Inc.

 

From Business Model to Design Execution: Lessons in Collaborative Leadership
Eduardo Alvarez, Managing Director, Strategy & Design, Willey Brothers

 

The Importance of Understanding Culture in Achieving Design Leadership
Robert Brunner, Partner, Pentagram Design

 

Bringing Design into the Boardroom
Richard Eisermann, Director, Design and Innovation, Design Council (UK)

 

Leading with Vision: The Design of New Ventures
Andrew Hargadon, Associate Professor and Director, Technology Management Programs, Graduate School of Management, University of California at Davis

 

Integrating Design into Organizational Culture: Straight Talk About Design Leadership, Design Performance and Corporate Culture
Tom Lockwood, Director, Global Brand and Design Strategy, StorageTek

Leadership Forums
This year DMI has added Leadership Forums, which are interactive parallel sessions featuring brief presentations by leading experts, followed by moderated group discussions.

Getting Everyone on the Same Page
Timothy Bachman, Principal, Bachman Design
Driving the Customer Experience through Design Collaboration/Leadership
George Daniels, Group Manager, Enterprise Design Center, Hewlett-Packard
Management Vision in Rich Pictures
Michael Eckersley, PhD, Principal, HumanCentered
Seeing Design’s Potential: Providing a Self-Discovery Vision for Clients
Gil Hanson, President, Hanson Associates, Inc.
Leading Good Design in a Climate of Change
Lisa Malmud, Vice President, Creative Director, America Online
Heroic Leadership
Bill O’Connor, President, SOURCE, Inc.
Structuring Leading Thinking into a Project Approach
Mark Oldach, Partner, VSA Partners
Leading Innovation Initiatives: Positioning Design in Corporate Innovation Programs
Darrel Rhea, Principal, Cheskin
The High Cost of Saving Money: Design Management Faces Downsizing, Outsourcing, and Elimination
Rob Wallace, Managing Partner, Wallace Church, Inc.

Please visit the program, schedule, hotel, and registration pages for more information on this highly-regarded annual gathering of senior professionals. New members can receive a substantial discount on DMI membership by signing up for the special membership/conference registration package.

The International Conference on Innovation by Brand and Design Management
November 11-12, Seoul, Korea

DMI's 2004 biannual academic conference promises to be an exciting and truly international event. The conference is being held in collaboration with two other organizations: The Design and Brand Management Society, and the Institute for Industrial Policy Studies. It will help both academics and practitioners better understand ways to integrate brand and design for greater business success.

A broad and impressive range of abstracts has been received by the conference Scientific Committee in response to the call for papers. The 74 abstracts represent 14 different countries, and cover topics such as branding, design management, innovation, product design, and green design. Based on this strong response, the conference promises to be a seminal forum for the exchange of ideas and best practices from around the world.

Registration for the conference is open to all interested individuals from academia, business, and public and government agencies. Please visit the DMI Web site for more information about the conference, registration, and hotel accommodations.

Managing Strategic Creativity & Innovation
August 12-13, Boston, USA
Taught by Alison Rieple, Professor of Strategic Management, University of Westminster-Harrow Business School (UK)

Designers are visionaries with important roles to play in the innovation process, and are key drivers of organizational success. And yet innovation, and the creativity that underpins it, is notoriously hard to manage. This seminar will explore why this is the case and how participants can work to overcome some of the problems inherent in bringing about something new in their organizations. More information.

“This seminar brings into focus issues which I otherwise would not have been able to identify as crucial in managing designers. I am taking away some valuable action points.”
—Mel Rees, Studio Manager, Reed Business Information

Creating the Perfect Design Brief
September 16-17, Chicago, USA
November 4-5, Boston, USA (New Date)
Taught by Peter L. Phillips, Design Strategy Consultant

A well-crafted design brief can function as a contract, an easy-to-follow road map for the entire design process, and an invaluable tool for securing project approval at the end of the process. This seminar explores all of the critical components of a design brief and how to use them to assure the success of any design project. More information.

“A one-of-a-kind seminar that is much needed for designers and marketing alike. Eye-opening.”
—Marie Macaspac, Graphics Manager, Sony Computer Entertainment America

Using Design Research for Product and Brand Innovation
September 16-17, New York City, USA
November 11-12, San Francisco, USA
Taught by Darrel Rhea, Principal, Cheskin

This seminar empowers design managers to integrate research into the design development process with confidence. It will give managers the tools to become advocates for research that actually produces better design and supports innovation. By knowing how, when, and what kind of research to use in the design process, managers can maintain control of their programs, and produce more effective products and brands. More information.

“A wonderful seminar jam-packed with practical information. I look forward to sharing what I have learned in the last day and a half with my co-workers.”
— Kristin Arnold, Consumer Insights Leader, Sanford Corporation

The New Marketing: Understanding It, Working with It
September 23-24, Chicago, USA
Taught by Bruce Clark, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Marketing Group, Northeastern University

It’s not just the “four P’s” of marketing anymore. It’s not just “brand” anymore. Over the last ten years, marketing has been inundated with new ideas that are changing the way marketers and designers need to do their jobs. Simultaneously, the end of the 1990s boom has put new pressures on marketing managers that only increase their demands on complementary functions such as design. This seminar outlines the new marketing practices resulting from these trends, how the new marketing affects design and other functions, and how designers and marketers can build and maintain effective relationships in this environment. More information.

“This seminar provided a clear understanding of the partnership that must exist between the marketing discipline and the design discipline. A must-attend seminar for all organizations who truly believe that design impacts their bottom line.”
—Dan Dittmar, Global Brand Design Manager, BIC Corporation

Strategies for Designing Meaningful Brand Experiences
September 27-28, Los Angeles, USA
October 14-15, Minneapolis, USA (New Date)
Taught by Dave Norton, Ph.D., Vice President, Experience Strategy and Research, Yamamoto Moss

Creating meaningful brand experiences is the key innovation that will drive growth and new value for your brand over the next ten years. This seminar will prepare your brand to engage in—and profit from—an important shift in consumer demand: a desire for experiences that really matter. Designed to make you a more strategic thinker about branding, experience design, and value creation, this seminar will explore key consumption trends and detail techniques for creating meaningful experiences for your target audience. More information.

“What an eye-opening way to look at your business! Dave's seminar on creating meaningful brand experiences exposes you to what every marketer needs to know (and probably thinks he/she already knows, but doesn't) to become or remain successful during these times.”
—Cheryl Rogers, High Affinity Markets, Disney

Managing Design for Strategic Advantage
October 7-8, Philadelphia, USA
Taught by Peter L. Phillips, Design Strategy Consultant

Traditionally, design has been viewed as a service within an organization—not as a strategic business resource. But this traditional view of design is rapidly changing in the fast-moving, highly-competitive business arena of the new millennium. Design managers and designers now need to rethink both the processes of managing design and the ways in which they communicate the strategic value of design to the success of the enterprise. More information.

“This seminar was very informative and the knowledge that I gained was invaluable.”
—Mike Jovic, Graphic Designer/Marketing Coordinator, Edgepark Surgical Inc.

Marketing Graphic Design Services
November 5-6, Atlanta, USA (New Date)
Taught by Cameron S. Foote, Principal, Creative Business Newsletter

Without regular and consistent marketing, a firm often finds itself on a feast-or-famine roller coaster at best, and at worst, struggling for its very existence. This seminar has a practical, real-world approach that’s ideal for anyone who wants to improve his or her marketing ability, learn techniques for prospecting for new clients, needs to know more about hiring and motivating sales personnel, or would like to achieve a higher success rate in converting presentations into projects. More information.

“This is the first seminar to fully address all elements of the designer/client relationship and how to nurture it. Cameron Foote has a vast amount of experience and his style, manner and tone were excellent.”
—Ben Blaber, Vice President, Account Director, Davis

Free Download of the Month

Found in Translation: Bringing a Japanese Brand to Life in the US
By Gloria Garvey and Brook Gramann, Principals, The Brand Strategy Group
Design Management Review, Spring 2004, Vol. 15, No. 2

When InSpecs arrived in Hawaii, managers thought the $39.99 price tag for a complete pair of glasses would draw huge crowds. But business failed to meet expectations. A market analysis and comprehensive design strategy led to significant improvements. Focusing on sales to younger adults, glasses became “fashion eyewear,” and a homegrown identity was replaced with an integrated brand that included a new logo, environments, and packaging.

This free download has expired. Click here to read the executive summary for this article and the opportunity to purchase the article for direct download.

DMI members can download all DMI Review articles for free on the DMI Web site. Visit www.dmi.org/membership for more information.

 

Call for Papers: International Conference on Design Education, Tradition, and Modernity
Abstract Deadline: August 3, 2004, Ahmedabad, India
This conference, to be held March 2-4, 2005, will bring together the academic design community, design researchers, and design professionals across the globe. Info: www.nid.edu.

Image, Space, Object: A Week of Learning, Interaction and Creation
August 7-13, 2004, Denver, Colorado, USA
A workshop where designers of all disciplines come together to learn collaborative methods and develop new design languages for compelling physical and communication experiences. A Rocky Mountain/High Ground Workshop in partnership with AIGA. Info: www.aiga.org/content.cfm/rockymountain2004.

International Design Conference in Aspen—Ambient: Interface
August 25-28, 2004, Aspen, Colorado, USA
Confirmed speakers include: Greg Lynn, Thomas Y. Levin, Joachim Sauter, Natalie Jeremijenko, John Maeda, Joel Burdick, Rafael Lozano-Hemmer, Hernan Diaz-Alonso, S. Joy Mountford, and Norman M. Klein. Info: www.idca.org

The UTOPIA 2.0 Design Contest
Deadline: August 30, 2004, Saint-Etienne, France
This year’s contest, “Travel in a Sustainable World,” is for students, design professionals, and professionals in related disciplines. 1500 participants from 73 countries entered the first contest. Info: www.saint-etienne-concours.com.

Competitiveness by Design: The Helsinki Summit for Senior Business Leadership
September 1-2, 2004, Helsinki, Finland
Discuss design with business leaders and experts in the field. Learn how design adds value to technology, how it contributes to the innovation process, and how it explores customer experience. Info: www.uiah.fi/summit.

4th NAGOYA DESIGN DO! Competition
Deadline for Second Judging: September 3, 2004, Nagoya, Japan
This competition targets young designers from around the globe and provides an opportunity for participants to exchange ideas and develop their technical and creative skills. The exhibition will be held November 11-21, 2004. Info: www.idcn.jp/compe/2004/2004ap_e.html.

“Unschärfe – Blur”
September 16, 2004, Ulm, Germany
Professor Hannes Wettstein, architect and designer from Zurich, will give this public lecture that is sponsored by the International Design Forum. Info: info@ifg-ulm.de.

IMPACT 21: 9th International Eyes & Ears Conference
September 16-17, 2004, Cologne, Germany
IMPACT 21 summarizes the most important trends in audio-visual communications design. Info: conference@eeofe.org.

London Design Festival 2004
September 20-30, 2004, London, UK
The program for the second London Design Festival is available at www.londondesignfestival.com. Parallel to the festival, the two-day World Creative Forum will deal with the economic effects of innovation and creativity. Info: www.worldcreativeforum.com.

3rd Annual Leadership Summit on Sustainable Design
September 26-28, 2004, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
A select group of professionals will create a new agenda for leadership in green and sustainable design and share wise strategies for stewardship of our planet. Info: www.di.net/summit.

Include 2005: International Conference on Inclusive Design
Abstract Submission Deadline: September 30, 2004
The conference will be held May 5-8, 2005, at the Royal College of Art, London, UK. Info: www.hhrc.rca.ac.uk/programmes/include/2005/index.html

Gain: AIGA Business and Design Conference
October 1–3, 2004, New York City, USA
“Gain” will demonstrate the value of designing as a strategic process that adds substantial value to business and organizations. Influential designers and visionary business leaders will describe how they have initiated fundamental change in their organizations and their industries by making design part of their culture. Info: www.aiga.org.

NeoCon East
October 6-7, 2004, Baltimore USA
This event will celebrate the interior design, architectural and facilities management industries of the Mid-Atlantic USA region.
Info: www.merchandisemart.com/neoconeast/overview.html

Design Research Society International Conference: Futureground
November 17-21, 2004, Melbourne, Australia
This conference will feature leading-edge design research from the international research community. Supporting the central theme will be discourse around design as both cultural activity and production; mapping the discipline's development; and research in an industrial context. Info: www.futureground.monash.edu.au/index.html.