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Home > DMI Publications > DMI News > Past eBulletins > December 2007

December 2007 eBulletin

Design: The Linking Force
Design/Management Europe 12
April 16-18, 2008
Paris, France

Design is an integrating activity and process, a way of thinking, an increasingly significant contributor to organizational success. The role of design is evolving beyond just the physical process of creating beautiful objects, desirable packaging or unique branding. Design can be a linking force, a unifying element across the enterprise, a connection between business, culture, and environment.

This year, DMI’s European conference will explore the evolution of design thinking and strategy to the next level. An international roster of forward-thinking experts will provoke, educate, and share. Come to Paris for three days of immersion in cultural exchange, and knowledge-building. Learn to make more holistic and meaningful contributions to the organization.

For more than a decade, this conference has explored the best in design and management thinking, through structured presentations, focused discussion groups, receptions, and networking opportunities. As a capital of culture, Paris forms a dynamic and enticing location for Design/Management Europe 12.

Link up in Paris, April 2008. Explore design as the linking force. Don’t miss the next evolution of design!

Registration and hotel information is now available for this conference. Look for speaker and program announcements at www.dmi.org/european in the coming weeks.

Call for Papers: International DMI Education Conference
Design Thinking: New Challenges for Designers, Managers, and Organizations
April 14-15, 2008
ESSEC Business School, Paris, France

The Design Management Institute, in collaboration with Lancaster University, ESSEC Business School, and SDA Bocconi School of Management, is inviting researchers and practitioners from all fields to submit paper proposals to the International DMI Education Conference. The conference will be held just prior to DMI's Design/Management Europe 12 conference.

The conference committee, chaired by Thomas Lockwood, is interested in papers that contribute to theory building, provide examples of empirical research, or use case studies to illustrate how, when and why designing can become an organizational asset. Abstract proposal are due by December 21, 2007.

Design|Value Conference Rescheduled
DMI Singapore Conference
March 13-14, 2008

Event Partner:
DesignSingapore Council
Event Supporters:
IE Singapore
SPRING Singapore

DMI's first Asian professional conference has been rescheduled to March 13-14. You'll get a second chance to participate in this gathering of thought-leaders from around the world. Join us in Singapore to explore the latest expert thinking and know-how to leverage the value of design. Speakers and panelists will present best of class design leadership strategies, techniques and solutions from a wide variety of industry perspectives. Please visit the DMI website for updates about the conference.

DMI Workshop Information

Making the In-House Design Department A Strategic Competency
Led by Peter Phillips, Design Strategy Consultant
(Offered Upon Request Only)

This custom workshop is designed specifically for in-house corporate design groups who are searching for positive techniques to firmly establish their group as a core strategic business competency. The workshop includes a group working session to address your group’s specific concerns and plan development to effectively move towards a new role for design in the company. Since this workshop was introduced in 2006, numerous companies on three continents have chosen this valuable training experience.
Complete information

DMI NewsBits

Scott Lerman, Founding Partner of Lucid Brands, and presenter of the DMI seminar Strategies that Transform Brands, has been appointed to the DMI Advisory Council... DMI President Tom Lockwood, PhD, recently presented at the International Conference on Managing Design in Global Environments in Korea. Below, he is meeting with Lee Il-Kyoo, President & CEO, Korea Institute of Design Promotion (center of middle photo), and David Kestor, CEO of the Design Council (right of middle photo)... DMI had a booth at the recent ICSID IDSA Connecting 2007 in San Francisco... DMI staff had a birds-eye view of the Red Sox World Series parade from our new offices, visit us next time you're in Boston!

Viewpoints
Design Leverage: Capturing the Aggregate Value of Design
By Maureen Thurston, Design Leverage Consultant, Second Road, Pty. Ltd. (Australia)

	Maureen Thurston

The protagonist of this essay is design, or rather, a way of thinking of it as a strategic initiative leveraged throughout an organization. The antagonist is the myopic mindset that design is only a linear, tactical exercise restricted to the development of a product, package, or promotion. Best-in-class quality, production prowess, and persuasive marketing no longer guarantee success or profit. As products and services become more commoditized, leveraging design as an organizational, cross-functional goal has become critically important to sustaining competitive advantage.
Read the complete article

Maureen Thurston’s DMI seminar, Learning to Lead: A Guide to Nurturing Our Innate Leadership Skills will be run April 7-8, 2008, in Charlottesville, Virginia, and September 8-9, 2008 in Phoenix, Arizona.

DMI Review Download of the Month
Launching the Dual Degree: Creating Business-Savvy Designers
By Jeremy Alexis, Assistant Professor, IIT Institute of Design, and Zia Hassan, Dean Emeritus and Professor, IIT Stuart School of Business
From the Design Management Review, Vol. 18, No. 3, Summer 2007

In this program at the Illinois Institute of Technology, students earn both a Master of Design degree and a Master of Business Administration degree. Jeremy Alexis and Zia Hassan elaborate on how this combination generates unique leadership and problem-solving abilities, benefits both schools, and qualifies graduates for an extensive range of management opportunities in corporations and design firms.
View the article