Your perspectives on design and business schools

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Your perspectives on this issue

Addressing: Competitiveness in industry, Supporting growth in the creative economy

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Sir Christopher Frayling

Rector of the Royal College of Art, on the announcement of Design-London

Building on the triangle of design, technology and business at this high level is good for us and in time will be good, no doubt, for the British economy.

Bill Moggridge

Founder, IDEO, speaking at the Design Council Competitiveness Summit 06

At the d-School, Stanford, we have an institute that allows for collaboration between departments. Funnily enough the students have no difficulty at all with collaborating... but the faculty find it very difficult! Perhaps that's an indictment on the difficulty of institutional collaboration.

Recent submissions

Derek Nicoll of Limkokwing University, Malaysia said on 15/04/08 at 09.23

I am putting together a post-grad programme which fuses Design, Engineering and Business in Malaysia. Having taught MBA and DBA I was surprised at the rigidity of thinking in the curriculum, also lack of depth of criticism of issues such as globalisation. The 'softer', 'freer' thinking aspects of design can unlock more left-hand brain thinking in business while the disciplines of b-school thinking can help fashion design towards more pragmatic and practical ends.

Emma said on 08/02/08 at 14:19

I am participating in combining buisness, tech and design at university. I am greatly concerned that the only driver is to increase economy. Such a hub of expertise and creativity should be used as the oppurtunity to produce holistic innovative solutions that can benefit everyone valuably and socially. Please consider not only designing innovative buisness - for this is not creating innovation, only supporting the uninnovativeness in which we live. If this school creates profound innovation for immeasurable benefits, it would be a far greater project than anything else.

B R Chohan of Brunel Unviersity said on 20/06/07 at 15.45

It's evident based on my own research and that conducted elsewhere that business skills will need to be part of the designer's toolbox for the industry to prosper in the future. What concerns me is what happens to those currently in design positions wanting to follow this pattern of increasing business skills and fluency? What can these individuals do to futureproof themselves? What is being done to prepare or assist them? Views and opinions very much welcome.

Lissie Parker said on 01/06/07 at 07.36

I am currently enrolled on the MSc Design Management course at the University of Salford, the course is broad ranging and involves bonding two disiplines with modules from both the design and business school. Courses like this are not advertised enough in the UK, peers are constantly asking what I do and what design management is. I think it is also important to add that designers might be nervous of business and business students nervous of design if neither has any knowledge. It is possible to learn!

Caroline Norman said on 04/04/07 at 14.45

I run the MA Design Management at UCE Birmingham, I wish more people were aware of the course as it meets many of Cox's goals. It's frustrating that we have such a low profile in the UK whilst being inundated by designers from the emerging economies. The course explores the strategic role of design whilst collaborating with companies and organisations involved in design. We work with designers wanting to develop their business skills, and non-designers involved in design. Our students are able to study full time or part time whilst remaining in design practice. Isn't this what Cox describes?

Kathryn Simon said on 15/01/07 at 16:13

Fashion as an industry has transformed into a rich discourse, yet is rarely taught that way. A number of disciplines outside of the manufacture, distribution, and history of design exist. A number of new professions and paths are opening. Yet there is little in fashion education that enlarges these examinations. I teach fashion theory/history at Parsons. As a designer, I am aware of the diversity of thinking that fashion engages. My course, Culture and Couture, presents fashion at the intersection of critical theory, media, performance, economics and process oriented work.