Earlier today I was thinking about the way that we think of design at CPH127 and trying to link that with my current process of re-designing myself and my surroundings.
I believe that we all have different definitions on design so this one can only go for myself. I tend to think of design as a method of enhancing life, processes, experiences, concepts and services. Rather than just being some paint on a wall or the cup on my desk. And maybe that is just natural that my definition on design has evolved this much? The society has evolved anyway. We’ve gone from economies based on material exchange to economies based on symbolic exchange. By symbolic I mean experiences, concepts, services, branding and such.
Who knows? Maybe Dan Pink is right, we are moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age. Maybe even faster than he thinks.
No matter what I am pretty sure this new mindset on experiences and services will be as important for the Conceptual Age, as silicon was for the Information Age.
By the way, I really miss a weblog about service design. If there’s someone reading this entry that would like to elaborate on that please don’t hesitate to contact me (jacob (at) boetter.dk) and we’ll work something out.
RED has done a tremendous work in finding answers to the very difficult question - How to create demand for sustainable design? and How to take advantage of the business opportunities from sustainable development?
They made a “open source” document which is very interesting and definitely worth a read.
I haven’t yet reflected that much on the 151 pages – but I will over the weekend.
…they say!
Building you self up as a gury is tough - but standing there on top of the mountain gives you unlimited posibilities, doesn’t it?
Tom’s angle to the above - "I say "Radical change" takes a minute……."
Mr. Peters has just done a new manifesto - amazing read - easy cooked though, It reminds me on one of his presentation I saw this spring.
Take an architect, ad some bricks and mortar, a flavour of Mr. Philippe and finally spice is up with a lot of hype…..
Then you have a success.
I’ve been posting this before, I know. But I think it’s very interesting to see what can be done when thinking design into “old” industries, not only into products, or companies…..
It’s so obvious…
Dexigner reminded me once again.
Do you know of any other disruptive design-influenced industry movements? Please share 
I found a really interesting post on Communites Dominate Brands about the experience economy. Overall it gives some perspectives on "expanding the experience" for the customers in order to survive in the market place. Even though its a good post I disagree with the brand angle:
Context is something that already exists in peoples lives. Combining the brand to the context gives the experience new, deeper meaning.
I dont think its branding that makes a difference…in worst case, branding can be counter-productive. As mentioned in previous posts I believe that branding - at its best - is a "fog of war", propaganda and something meant to cover up that no real development and improvement in a company or its products has occured.
Instead (of the above) I believe that combinding new and real value to a given person’s context gives the experience new, deeper meaning. Something design ("new design" if you like) can do.
Nevertheless, its an interesting post and I agree with its suggestion that business need to focus on the total experience for their customers if they want to be a player in the future.
How you create this experience is a different matter, I guess…do you have any thoughts on this?
(Thanks to Morten Grønborg for some interesting discussions about branding in relation to this).
I guess so – take a look on this very interesting issue from Fast Company. But nether the less, it’s well done PR from the guys at IDEO.
I won’t complain – The issue is highly relevant and I agree very much with most of the IDEO approach.
But then again – It isn’t all about IDEO, isn’t it? Who are the stars of tomorrow?
Why is IBM entering the design consulting scene? Do they have a role to play? Is it obvious that they can make a difference, and how will they be acknowledged?
It seems that everyone it entering the scene these days – please join the discussion over at "Does size matter?"
The way I see it this is the largest threat against our society, wealth, economy - everything. Forget about China and Black Tuesday. Worry about Kakorrhaphiophobia among designers. Kakorrhaphiophobia among (want-to-be-)entrepreneurs (!). Kakorrhaphiophobia among CEOs. Kakorrhaphiophobia everywhere.
So what is this? It’s simply morbid fear of failure. Quite simply also the greatest danger today. We are so afraid of making aesthically "wrong" designs (=failure), so we just stick with what everyone else is doing. We are so afraid of changing our life and starting up as entrepreneurs that we never end up doing it right, just because we are afraid of failure.
But frankly - what is there to lose? Your reputation? Your friends? I don’t think so, if you try to think about it, some of the most significant people in history failed big time before making it to the history books. Van Gogh cut off his ear.. Hitler attacked the Soviet Union and lost everything (you can say a lot of bad things about him, but he was definitely not afraid of failure).. Starck did some crazy things that designers saw as just "wrong" from an aesthic point of view and now he is one of the worlds most famous designers.. George Bush (Jr.) entered Iraq to find weapons of mass destruction but there was none.. I could go on, but I’ll let your imagination do that
Please provide me with the context I’m missing:
WHY ARE PEOPLE SO AFRAID OF FAILURE?
Few days ago there was a conference at Institute of Design. A strategy conference – I wished I had the possibility to go, but I couldn’t afford it.
Lucky me a few of the participants blogged about the event. Not that much, but better than nothing.
I’m sure that we next year will se a different coverage – maybe live-blogging? I hope so.
I volunteer as a transskription-blogging-assistant right away…..
Months ago I made a comment on a book on its way to the stores. It was and is a HIGHLY recommendable book for everyone facing the challenges in the digital economy.
Corporations are built on the assumption of continuity; their focus is on operations. Capital
markets are built on the assumption of discontinuity; their focus is on creation and
destruction. The data present a clear warning; unless companies open up their decision
making processes, relax conventional notions of control, and change at the scale and pace of
the market, their performances will be drawn into an entropic slide into mediocrity.
Foster & Kaplan, Creative Destruction, Currency 2001
How is your business designed – for today’s reality?
Take a look at DOMINATE….
