Intersections 07: Design know-how for a new era

What’s the connection between termites and architecture, candy and computers, between sneakers and Hummer and techno music and Martin Luther King?

As design makes inroads into business, public services and policy, it has developed greater ambitions. What are design's merits and limits? How far can design go?

'Design thinking' is a term given to the introduction of design methods and culture into fields beyond traditional design, such as business innovation.

Clive Grinyer introduces us to some of the people in his world (his father, his wife, his boss…) and describes what design does – and doesn’t – do for them. He questions our model of design and looks at how designers must step into the world and show their value.

Does the convergence of architecture and communication media create a new genre? What is the role of narrative in creating environments that work? Peter Higgins of Land Design reflects on the importance of editorial control in creating unique experiences for users of buildings, exhibitions and public spaces.

John Thackara and friends discuss the ways we have designed the world force most people to waste stupendous quantities of matter and energy and how we can redeem ourselves by becoming part of the solution.

Reflecting on his discipline-busting career, Richard Seymour believes that designers need to adopt a wide-spectrum approach to the future, encouraging them to broaden their bandwidths.

Designers Gillian Crampton Smith, Chris Downs, and Heather Martin outline some examples of good, and bad, service design and discuss what the core skills of service designers are.

Where does design fit into management thinking? What is the role of the designer in the modern economy?

Prof. Jeremy Myerson and a panel including Dick Powell, John Thackara and Peter Savile attempt to pull together the key themes from Intersections.