Young
Danish Designers'
Programme
Photographs and course notes:
Karen Blincoe & Henning Wettendorff
Module 1
Wednesday 31st March – 4th April 2004Reports from Kontrapunkt, DesignIt, 3deluxe, Frog, Pentagram,
Peter Koppel, Anne Møller Andersen.
Session 1
Kontrapunkt/Bo Linnemann
Kontrapunkt has gone through a series of development phases over the years – has now reached a third major phase of its existence.
Bo Linneman began his lecture:
“How did I get to be a designer? My father was a doctor , my mother an artist.
I was a late developer. Didn’t know what I wanted to be. Wanted to become a doctor, started the studies. Felt sick when I saw numbers and figures didn't like studying to be a doctor. Failed my exams. What next?
My mother said that I had always drawn letters and she found a place where I could study letterforms.
She took me to the School of Architecture, to the design department where they were drawing letterforms. Met Naur Klint. He was bonehard. But I got accepted. You were given a flat brush and colour and rolls of paper and had to start to draw letters. Had to sit for half a year drawing Roman letterforms. Started with the i, then the r and only later did we get to draw round letterforms. We had to draw the letters on marble and then chiseled out the letterforms. It was all about getting the hand to master the eye.
I was lucky enough to have a friend and cousin, who worked for Naur Klint in his drawing office.
Kim Meyer Andersen. I was asked to work there as well. We worked on signage, colours etc.
Lars Klint, Naurs son, ran the studio. All was done by hand. Typesetting by hand. On lithofilm in the darkroom. Then to the filmmaker and printer, Printed in silkscreen. Naur was a perfectionist and was after me all the time. I stood in the darkroom for four years I think.
It was good to be his apprentice and I was taught by the others working there who also taught at the school. An interesting place to work. I was given free education by them all. I was there for a total of 8 years. I learnt the foundation and basic rules of typography.
I passed my exams.”
Bo talked about the school of architecture, the design department, how it was full of intrigues and had a bad atmosphere at that time.
When Bo finished he went to see Claus Acton Friis and started working on stamps.
Looked for a job for the UN, went to Africa, Somalia and developed teach-yourself books for the best educated in refugee camps.
The books were about educating teachers for primary schools. Bo set up a printing firm to produce the books. He was there for 2 years. Returned to Denmark and still didn't know
what to do next!
He met his cousin again and was offered freelance work in his studio.
Didn’t respect what Kim did as he was educated at the Danish Design College
and Bo didn’t believe they knew what typography was.
Kim and Bo eventually decided to set up shop together and created Kontrapunkt.
Kontrapunkt is the largest design studio in Scandinavia with 50 employees:
They work with branding, design, innovation – it is a multidisciplinary design company.
They have researchers in 10 cities around the world who they can contact and ask for information about anything anywhere in the world. They can collect information in 24 hours.
Kontrapunkt has a Partnership with Doblin Inc Chicago. Kontrapunkt also has a daughter company - a production company in India, where they outsource their services. The market is a very tough. Competitive market is all about price, and in India the hourly rates are very much cheaper than in Denmark.
Is this ethical? Kontrapunkt has discussed it internally and concluded that it is as ok to wear a suit made in Korea as it is to set up a production company in India (!!???)
Kontrapunkt wants to integrate design, innovation and strategic thinking in all projects
They want to hire only the elite.
They feel they are too big for Denmark and too small for the world. They are in a transition period and wants to move from the small to the big.
History
“ ..From Graphic design, to visual id, branding and business development.
Kontrapunkt started as a small design studio which grew from a staff of 2 to 12. Then in the
late eighties we started to work with product design for Novo Nordisk. Then signage systems and hired a new partner and included industrial design in the range of expertises. Kontrapunkt changed from doing 2D work to 3D work.
Change was a difficult process and is still a difficult process.
It doesn’t just happen. It is difficult. Who decides what and who does what?
The human factor, people, is important – and difficult.
We have as designers always been given a project – now other people come in first and define the problem, the needs, etc. and we, the designers, come in later, and we feel that we are being put aside. But that's only a habit….”
The 3rd phase
Today in Kontrapunkt half the staff are designers, the rest are historians, psychologists, anthropologists, scientists, lawyers, journalists – they are academics, good at processes, good at selling, think ‘i helheder’ They are mainly projectleaders and work on designbriefs, time, planning, budgets etc.
They don't know how to projectlead when they start, but learn about it while they are there.
Professionalism
“..For us it is a question of professionalism. We cannot move on unless we make room for this new way of working. We don't each have a specific project to work on any longer. No project goes directly to the designer now. First to a project leader, then to the designer.
None of our designers are project leaders. I don't believe they can take on that role and often they chose not to. None of our designers do both. The solutions get much more creative that way, we get a kick out of it and is the reason why we work this way now. Its gives much more creativity and fun and excitement.
Before we were unprofessional. Were unclear as to who made what decisions and what and why - and it didn't work properly. Project leaders are the most important people in the team today.
The project leaders know the customers, the clients.
Our designers do have contact with the customers but not as much. Its not their main tasks. Their main tasks are to design. And we work in different teams according to what the job entails.
At the first briefing the project leaders and one or two of the partners come along.
Then afterwards the designers attend for more in-depth studies of the company, the problem and so on.
On Competitions
We have decided that if we enter a competition we want to win it. We therefore use more time on competitions than others do. Our culture and goals are important but when we go for it we go for it. We have lost many and won many competitions. The ones we have decided to win we have focussed on and won.
Our work for the ministries, especially the foreign ministry was criticised as trendy design and something you should not do for public institutions.
However, this area has given us a lot of work and we have redesigned the identities for nearly all the ministries and public organisations. We are renowned for that. This happened during the 90’s.
We then wanted to work for Philips. They said they didn’t outsource design projects because the had their own designers. They had ‘Green houses’ with different scientists and anthropologists etc. and they were creating a design group to work with these research groups. Our industrial designer went there to work for them. We still carried on working with industrial design in Kontrapunkt even if we don't have a head of ID any longer.
Philosophy
In 2003 we took the next step:
We decided to go into the world of research and use research as a tool in innovative problemsolving.
Kontrapunkt works with identity. That's what we do and what we want to do.
We work on different levels with identity and in different dimensions.
We work with the concept that identity is different from branding. It goes deeper and is more important than branding.
We fight against identities that are based on fantasies, are copies or are indifferent.
We believe in identities that are based on deep insights about human nature, culture,
markets.
We don't want compete with branding companies.
What is branding anyway? – Its a mark on cattle made with a hot iron!
However, you have to treat ‘branding’ with respect.
We don't use the word. We call it positioning.
It is our new strategy. This is our new core focus: positioning.
We create innovation.
What we do - our methodology
The client has a need. We develop something together with the client. As we work things change. Visuel design can change a company completely.
We make the mark, the name and the wording.
Before we made the design and we used the pencil to get us towards the right solution.
That is not enough today. We must be able to position the client in relation to his market.
This is called strategy.
A logo is no longer as important as it was 20 years ago.
Today other factors are equally if not more important: behaviour, stakeholders etc.
We work both with strategists and advertising agencies.
We therefore develop identities that work for the client on many levels.
We are trying very hard not to repeat ourselves. Therefore we display our work on the
wall for all to see and comment on. The work does not belong to anyone personally but
belongs to all of us.
50 peoples’ filters are a very good sieve for our work to go through.
Kontrapunkt is today a state-of-the art identity consultancy.
Our mission is to provide our clients with a sense of purpose, belonging and direction.
Our vision is to become one of the five most influential identity consultancies in Europe by 2006.
How will we achieve that?
Professionalism
Cross functional team processes
Training project managers
Investing in project software
Clear financial targets
Locality
Knowledge management
Knowledge sharing
Documentation
Sales management
Marketing strategy
Project Cases:
DEN DANSKE BANK
BILLUND AIRPORT: checking in in billund is now a completely different
experience than checking in at other airports
its people based and for people.
NAGOYA UNIVERSITY OF ART AND DESIGN/NUAS
FAO/UN
COLOPLAST
GUMLINK
AXCEL
COPENHAGENRIGHTNOW
The latest is something that suits the new Kontrapunkt. Completely new and innovative. It is a tourist centre. We changed the concept for a tourist centre..
The tourists are interested in the people who live in the countries they want to visit. We relate everything - all the activities to the people- i.e. where does Peter shop, eat, hangout. What does he like, love?
A totally new concept for tourism.
THE DANISH MINISTRIES
We have created a national identity which we are invited to talk about
all over the world. Everyone wants to know about us and we travel everywhere.
What’s the secret to our success?
The secret lies in our intuition.
Our intuition tells us what to do.
Intuition is about knowing about people.
Mikkel B Rasmussen who is working for us is an economist, very inspiring
intuitive element, fantastic energy in Kontrapunkt.
We develop intuition.
We meet our customers’ needs.
___________________________________________________________________________
Session 2
DesignIt/Mikal Jørgensen
Mikal Jørgensen set up the company, DesignIt in 1991 with 2 other people.
History
They graduated from the School of Architecture in Århus.
The friends wanted to sit together. Hired a room and then
rented a big room in a chocolate factory.
After a while they decided to set up a company together.
Got their first real job to make models of small chocolate boxes.
Great fun to be paid for the work. Then they made new chocolate boxes.
The company grew bigger.
They were working within the contexts of education. Anders made a bike.
He was good and pushy. They then had their first real customer.
They wanted to look like a company. They had one computer and a printer.
They worked with product design and graphic design.
‘Hvorfor kan man ikke se jeres designstil…altså som Jacob Jensens’
A quote in Børsen gave them cause for reflection.
They didn’t have a designstyle!
In 2004 DesignIt has 30 employees. The company works with many smaller companies linked together in a business structure.
The creative dynamic environment has about 40 people in all. Half are designers.
“Designit er formentlig det danske designfirma som har skabt sig det bredeste og mest forretningsmæssige koncept”. (Jyllandsposten)
DesignIt has 12 years’ experience with ambitious customers.
They have International customers and long working relationships
with a broad experience platform.
The success started happening after approx. 4 years.
And this required patience!
What they design
Lighting
Street furniture
Recycling bins
They like architectural stuff.
Outdoor furniture.
P-hus til cykler
Infographics
Interface design
Identities
Signsystems including product design and often the graphics.
Healthcare products
Eyewear
Training/learning guides
Bikes
Bits and pieces.
Mikal says: “DesignIt manages to design different things.
We don't have a problem with being versatile.
We have great satisfaction from working with products from concepts to the end communication on the website.
I.e.the work we have done for B&O
We have many opportunities.
We can work on many levels with many things.
Don't have the constraints. Don't need them.
We also sell:
Innovation capabilities and design ideas and creativity
Trendspotting
Trendforecasting
We use the internet for research.
Research into new ideas and trends
User studies/cases
Innovation workshops
Our core values
We have many values:
Common sense
Honesty
Doing the best we can
Always work in teams – with a wide mix of skills
Multiskills
We always work with review teams
Critical input is a gift
We need balloon busting
We test all ideas
Explainability is important
Our goals
Mistakes are a part of the process - not the result.
We create user-centeret design – take a step further, reality orientated design.
We include the stakeholders: producer, market, instructor, authorities.
Our design strengthens the customers branding, not our own.
We design with a clear ideas, explainability, common sense, realistic content ……
Our designprocess covers a 360 degree designprocess.
The process snail includes:
Predesign, research, identification, potentialilty, possibility, positioning
Problem summary
Projektplan
Design and conceptdevelopment
Set up the team
We present many many proposals, sketches, animations etc.
Clients want you to tell them what they should do. Our clients
are co-decision-makers
DesignIt is regarded both as an advertising bureau/designer/consultant.
They work towards sustainability as many of their clients want to adhere to the various
environmental standards. DesignIt promotes and recommends sustainable materials.
Clients often ask for this. We will stretch very far to get the right materials.
“Innovation often fails “
both DesignIt og Kontrapunkt believe this.
There is a risk in innovation – It has become a buzzword and meaningless.
___________________________________________________________________________
Session 3
3deluxe/
Stefan and Andreas Lauhoff
“..We don’t like catalogues; so we have put ten years of our work together in a book
Which is what we want to show you.”….
Work samples/Cases:
- club flyers with large logos.. (“put logo as big as possible”)
- virtual rooms for MTV messe (‘good work, bad money’ or vice versa)
- glass cube navigation
- surf boards
- album covers
- shop interior
- communication pool (Swiss 2002 expo, Credit Suisse)
- HAL typeface
- book navigation system
- 2006 FIFA
Calendar for Zanders Papers
The calendar is divided into a circle with seven parts (from this a structural idea follows the design of the whole calendar).
Illustrations are taken from generated parts, rather than a “photo of winter, spring etc”.
Downward representation, spiralling.
3deluxe makes a good living. They work very hard. They like to please the client.
3deluxe developed a multidisciplinary practice 12 years ago…..but their warning was that before you work with multidisciplines you have to find your place in design first. Then you specialise and only then can you work with other people.
How do they hold on to the wild ideas?
They started with smaller installations and then got bigger and bigger and bigger.
And the installations got bigger and more complicated. They have a network of experts.
18-20 people with different backgrounds work in the studio. People come and go in their studios. 3deluxe works with a programming company Mezzo in Frankfurt who develops their ideas with 3Deluxe the core crew.
How did they start?
Looked for the network. Were interested in the arts and music.
They work with the same programme and tools as other designers but focus on the arts and music.
The network slowly grows and attracts likeminded professionals with the same attitude.
“….When we work with interiors, we need architects. Things have to work.
We used to knock on clients doors. Now they knock on our door.
We are seen as the artists until the deadline. We have to adhere to deadlines.
We must work professionally. We must work within budgets.”
3deluxe are interested in new technology and music and art.
They get their Inspiration from new technology, the web, the friends, their network.
Design is 95% transparation and 5 %inspiration!.
__________________________________________________________________________
Session 4
FROG DESIGN/Vice-president Peter Weber, Germany
Frog has been 36 years on the market. It is business driven with180 employees
and freelancers. The solutions are business-driven.
“We promise budget and time.
Success.
We deliver first class designsolutions.
We are a global company
We serve the client where the client is.
We have offices in:
Silicone Valley, US
SA
Austin
New York
Black Forest
We set up companies and close them when there is no more work.
Flexibility is a core aspect.
Face to face business is important.
It is all about people
Frog today is a travelling circus. Our employees are also
travellers and must be where the client is.
Last year we had 28 mio. US Dollars turnover.
This year 30 mio. US Dollars but it is hard in the EU where there is a recession.
We used to have 60-70 % German clients before. Today we only have 2% German clients. The rest are international companies.
Convergence
In each job we include considerations covering: digital, product, brand, strategy
And work on convergence of these aspects in every solution
Frog is about:
Content
Design in context
Process culture (biggest change ever in the history of mankind)
Design is to jump on the train.
Creative convergence for the economy
We use creative strategy to open up new markets.
We are not experts in marketing but we can influence the way the market goes.
The world has become a melting pot, what is required is time - especially time to market.
Before we had 2 years to find and create the market, now we only have max. 6 months.
We work with ID solutions with an engineering approach because you need to be able to transfer your ID ideas into reality.
Innovation strategy is to look at different influences of different aspects and work them into the solutions: more fancy at half the cost.
We look at what is cost saving.
We promote new materials on the forefront of development and new ideas.
Our engineers are forced to bring new input into our projects. We create prototypes
and have a shop to show our prototypes i.e. the ‘think car’
We work with brand and strategy.
First strategy and overall goals then the brand.
You have to connect ID directly with branding strategy.
We work with design in context in the global marketplace.
Things have changed. Now it is about high volume turnover.
Frog has worked for 41 out of the top 100 brands.
Our strategy is needed and works. We are successful.
We have a lot of experience.
There are 3 major drivers:
1. the growth in market – a lot of turnover. Bigger companies are getting bigger.
There is saturation right now. Oversupply. Many products have long lifespans and therefore – this leads to cheaper, not better as the economy moves out to cheaper countries – gets outsourced.
2. Information. There is 200% more information on products today than 10 years ago.
‘Information drives the success of the business….’
3. Identity.
In a crowded marketplace you have to stand out – branding. Identity.
You compete on:
Commodity
Goods
Services
Experiences
All this goes hand in hand with needs, relevance, and pricing.
Case stories
1. Form follows emotion
DISNEY
Frog set this as its principle a long time ago.
Emotion is integral to our decisionmaking process.
Emotion instead of the brain
Emotion is a balancing system
A theory is that shopping is: loving, being
Customers now take functionality as a given
Customers want experiences
Customers want products, services and marketing campaign to deliver experiences
2. Designing experiences
MICROSOFT
Look at the consumption scene
Look at scenarios rather than the products
How can we enhance the consumption experience
3. Holistic experience
THE PRANA SHOE/REFLEXOLOGY SHOES
Complex Design Environments
The gut feeling diagram
Last minute changes
Designing successful solutions is not a linear process
The creative corridor: up and around here and there
Be open and flexible in all times of the project.
The nature of process is non linear
Be creative!
The team process is very important! Its more fun. It generates more output. It is faster. There are no winners and no losers. It creates amazing levels of output.
Design Programmes
A lot of design programmes are completely market-driven. Some are successful and some are not.
The aspects to look at are:
Drivers in society
Drivers in design
Research into the ways of life
Housing – singles
Aging
Money/income
Communication
Individuality
Believe: Technology versus spirituality
Entertainment
Forever young
Wellness
The designer has to detect society and meet customer needs.
This requires research work and developing consumer profiles.
Engage in trend scouting and designoriented market research activities.
The Frog Methodology for Success
The Future
The design strategist has to be fanatical: ideas. performance,
interdisciplinary, new scenarios, communication. He/she has to be
a visionary, conceptmaker and a businessplanner.
The following have to be in place:
the structure,
the strategies
the positioning
convergence
Interdisciplinary impact
The Design Teams/Staff
The Design Programme Manager/project manager
looks after the interfacing side, whats needed in the company
marketing.
The Manager has to manage cost, time, control
He has to make things happen, plans, has a consulting quality
Is a non-designer), the connector of all phases.
The Creative Director is the motivator for making it happen, has
leadership quality. Knows how to make them run faster!
Is an innovation strategist, is fast and enthusiastic, Wants success – take part in competitions
The Industrial Designers are:
Teamplayers
Highly creative
Can create conceptional work
Knows technology
Can sketch
Knows presentation tools: computer technology due to highly qualitative presentation skills, 3 D modelling
The Design Researcher:
Provides valuable information
Connects
Detection work
Aethetics
Functionality
Trend intuitive
Has education and communication skills
The Future Challenges for Designers
Must detect social future
Know what is happening with people re age and money: 60, 70 +
Must want to make things better
Must know new aspects of information technology
How to transfer connectivity to the older
generation.
Our core values are flexibility!
___________________________________________________________________________
Session 5
PENTAGRAM/Ex.partner Mervyn Kurlansky
Pentagram started in the 60’s. The company began as a result of a team working together. There were no design companies then, only ad agencies mainly and shared studios with smaller companies sharing admin, accounting advice or legal advice etc.
At first there were 3 graphic designers (Gill, Fletcher, Forbes), then joined by the architect, Theo Crosby, then Mervyn Kurlansky, followed by the industrial designer, Kenneth Grange.
.
A new name was then chosen. The name Pentagram was found in a book on mystic symbols.
“When you grow a company you add more expertise.
And If and when a company grows it often becomes a top down structure like most companies in the world”.
Pentagram decided instead on creating small teams growing together.
The partners were at the top with designers assisting, supported by the admin and secretarial teams.
We wanted to be creative people and have a structure for working together and for growth.
We wanted to create good work – and then money would follow. This happened.
We didn't want to be like the others. We wanted to be different and establish ourselves as authorities on design.
We wanted to find surprising solutions, unexpected ideas. We never promoted ourselves or did sales pitches. Instead we created interesting evenings with lectures by cultural personalities, exhibitions in our offices etc.
The partners were equal in the company and took it in turns to run admin, finances and other tasks. The partners had creative meetings once a week where the projects were discussed.
What we did we always did creatively with quality as a core goal with a sense of fun, discovery, cheekiness, cleverness.
Pentagram became known as the Rolls Royce of design in the 80’s.
The company is today still going strong with 16 partners and offices in the UK, US, Germany and Hongkong.
Pentagram has worked and is working for multinationals and high profile clients at the same time as doing pro bono work for some clients of their choice.
The company’s structure still holds and works as well today as in the sixties when the company was created.
__________________________________________________________________________
Session 6
Designers Versus Clients/Peter Koppel
Venstre regeringen smækkede pengekassen i – DDC lukkede den erhvervsrettede del af DDC. Ny chef, ny DDC, ny instituion.
Der ligger en rapport I EBST (Erhvervs- og Boligstyrelsen) som fortæller om dansk designpolitik I forhold til andre landes.
Peter Koppel har arbejdet med designrådgivning i små og mellemstore virksomheder (0-250 ansatte er små og mellemstore virksomheder) og siger:
“ Nu efter 7 år kan jeg se at noget er rivende galt. Der er ikke efterspørsel efter design, selvom design kan gøre en masse for virksomhederne.
Der er mange selvstændige designere på markedet. 90% af designvirksomhederne har 0-1 ansatte.
Hvorfor bruger virksomhederne ikke designere i deres udvikling?
Virksomhederne siger at de bruger design. Problemet er, at de gør det ifølge deres egen forståelse for hvad design er.
Dansk industri siger, at industrien bruger en masse design. Problemet er at virksomhederne bruger andre end designere til det.
Tit er det ejeren, der selv har lavet designet. Så hvad skal de dog bruge designere til?
De har jo klaret det godt indtil nu.
Hvis de anvender design, så er det som formgivning eller styling.
Vi vil gerne have nogle pæne ting, siger de, men vores konkurrenter laver endnu pænere kasser. Kan du ikke lave pænere kasser til os?
Virksomhederne lærer meget af hinanden, af konkurrenterne. Men de lærer ikke af rapporter….”
Peter Koppel oplever, at der er stor efterspørgsel efter det, man allerede kender, ikke efter nyt eller det man ikke kender.
Man kunne ønske sig, at virksomhederne efterspurgte viden om design. Selvom designerne udbyder design og virksomhederne efterspørger design, så mødes de to kurver ikke. Det ene svarer ikke til den andens behov.
Virksomhederne er dårlige til at købe viden om design – vidensydelser i det hele taget.
Design-isbryderordningen
Oprettet i 1996. Regeringen lavede isbryderordninger for alle områder. De syntes også der skulle være en for design. Virksomhederne skulle ansætte en designer, der fik tilskud fra regeringen.
Man kunne købe design, når man havde brug for det.
Der var afsat 14 til 15 mio dkr og der var stor efterspørgsel. Der blev givet 20 mio i tilskud. Virksomhederne gav lige så meget og I alt 44 mio dkr og 425 designvirksomheder fik disse penge og designarbejde. Nogle designere fik mange projekter på de 4 år og nogle fik kun en sag. 60% af virksomhederne, der deltog, er fortsat med at samarbejde med designere siden ordningens ophør og har set fordelen ved professionelt design.
Mange designere siger, det var for svært at samarbejde med virksomheden.
De mener at virksomhederne var dårligt udrustet til at købe designviden.
Men i over 200 tilfælde lærte man dog at bruge design.
Når man ser på alle de undersøgelser og rapporter, der er lavet og offentliggjort om designområdet, er ingen af dem videnskabeligt baseret.
Der er mange uoverensstemmelser i alle disse rapporter. Ingen er ordentlig undersøgt.
Oprettet i 1996. Regeringen lavede isbryderordninger for alle områder. De syntes også der skulle være en for design. Virksomhederne skulle ansætte en designer, der fik tilskud fra regeringen.
Man kunne købe design, når man havde brug for det.
Der var afsat 14 til 15 mio dkr og der var stor efterspørgsel. Der blev givet 20 mio i tilskud. Virksomhederne gav lige så meget og I alt 44 mio dkr og 425 designvirksomheder fik disse penge og designarbejde. Nogle designere fik mange projekter på de 4 år og nogle fik kun en sag. 60% af virksomhederne, der deltog, er fortsat med at samarbejde med designere siden ordningens ophør og har set fordelen ved professionelt design.
Mange designere siger, det var for svært at samarbejde med virksomheden.
De mener at virksomhederne var dårligt udrustet til at købe design-viden.
Men i over 200 tilfælde lærte man dog at bruge design.
Når man ser på alle de undersøgelser og rapporter, der er lavet og offentliggjort om designområdet, er ingen af dem videnskabelig baseret.
Der er mange uoverensstemmelser i alle disse rapporter. Ingen er ordentlig undersøgt.
Det handler om adfærd
Forretningsgrundlaget, virksomhedens funktionsområde, konkurrencegrundlag, det er de elementer, der gør virksomheden bedre og gør at den adskiller sig fra andre på markedet.
Det handler om viden. Den virksomhed, der ved mere, har en større konkurrencefordel.
Design er jo viden. Vi skal fortælle virksomheden, hvad de kan få mere ved at bruge design.
Vi skal fortælle virksomheden hvad de skal bruge design til.
Det handler om at skabe sammenhæng. I deres produkter, markedsføring, emballage og indretning. Der møder virksomhederne deres kunder.
Ved hjælp af design bringer vi identiteten ud på markedet, ud i samfundet: omdømme og kulturen kommer indefra, egen værdioplevelse.
Det handler om identitet, styrke konkurrencegrundlag.
Designeren går ud til virksomheden og siger at her og der er der problemer.
Det er derude, at slaget skal slås. Flyt debatten ud i virksomheden. Der skal virksomheden og designeren sidde over for hinanden.
Men designeren må have ydmyghed og anerkende virsomheden for det, den er og der, hvor den befinder sig. Når designeren er i virksomheden skal han eller hun spørge ind og spørge til. Hvordan og hvad, om virksomheden, om produkterne, om markedet. Hvis der skal skabes noget i fællesskab, må der spørges først. Der skal skabes dialog. Jo mere virksomheden fortæller, jo mere kan virksomhedslederen indse, hvor problemet ligger og kan begynde at forstå, hvor problemerne er.
Designeren har brug for en stor portion ydmyghed og nysgerrighed og skal spørge ind til virksomheden.
Snak om konkurrenterne og markedet. Sæt dig ind i problematikken. Som SAPPI sagde: sæt dig ind i virksomhedens arbejdsområder og marked. Er man tilfreds med udviklingen? Tjener man penge nok?
Virksomhederne vil gerne tale om sig selv.
Få dem til at tale om deres strategiske verdensbillede.
Det vil være mit råd til jer, som designere. Det er min erfaring.
Der er et behov, men designerne og virksomhederne går fejl af hinanden – og det er ofte blot et spørgsmål om psykologi.
Gå ind på hjemmesider og læs om
Dansk Industri: design som konkurrencekraft >
EBST: designisbryderordningen >
(og andet om dansk design og dens økonomiske effekter - søg på siden)
DDC: rådgivning om design > __________________________________________________________________
Session 7
Internationalisation of Design/Anne Møller Andersen
Øresund Design
The internationalisation of design is very relevant and important at this point in time.
Nokias headquarters are based in Copenhagen. There is a very good reason for that,
The new and developing economies in Asia, Taiwan and Korea’s economies are good and
survived the recession. And even if both the Taiwanese and the Korean economies are dependent on the Chinese economy they now want to create their own products and want to create markets for them. They have focussed very much on design in developing of new products. They still need the insight and understanding especially regarding IT. IT is their area of focus. They have invested a quarter of a billion dkr in design for the past 10 years. A lot of money.
Design has become an essential factor in their economic development.
And the countries want the Scandinavian design expertise.
We thought at first that it was IT expertise, but in fact it was design they wanted.
A huge opportunity for Danish designers to launch their work internationally.
But something went wrong – and what went wrong?
The Danish design companies didn't know how to meet the Asian customers. They didn’t know how to treat these people. They hadn’t carried out their basic research. Hadn’t even looked at the companies’ websites or product ranges, or even company cultures.
Designers sit on a pedestal or in a bobble and have no idea what reality is. If you want to succeed you have to be a team player, you have to know how to work with different processes.
Danish design has quality and therefore foreign companies want, what we have become so used to over the years. And for you to offer your services and meet these clients’ needs you have to practise placing yourself in the position of the client. You have to learn to play your cards better, because you have something to offer.
Taiwan wanted to place a design centre in Copenhagen. But there were many problems related to this it in both from the design profession and the politicians.
Only one Danish design company placed itself in Taiwan as a result of these activities.
It was Frederick Rickmann and Gideon Loewy. Design Nord now has an office in Taiwan.
One Taiwanese company had 340 mio dollars turnover and 1000 employees. They wanted
R&D from Denmark and Frederik Rickmann met them and started to work with them. And is doing very well.
My advise to you is:
to network and co-operate with companies you are already involved with. You have to share, you have to be smart, you have to get out there and sell your expertise.
If you cannot work locally and globally it will cost you.
There are plenty of opportunities abroad especially in the Eastern countries.
Jump off the pedestal!
Where is your company now and where do you want to be in 5 years time?
Do you want to get employed? Do you want to become freelance?
Do you want to work in a network?
Design education is lacking in management principles and economy knowledge. There have to be modules on these topics in the colleges, as part of the degree course.
You need it in order to succeed and to do well.
Bring order in your dreams, develop your plan, time plan, milestones. Develop the competances, equip yourself to implement your dreams. Its about methodology.
Its about how to, the tools. You can get the methodologies. Erhvervscentre, salgskurser. They are the basic things, you need, like how to sell yourself.
Find a coach, a mentor. Look at your own networks, your family networks. A list of 5 who can give you information, who can give you some feedback. You’ll have someone to look you over the shoulder. Go to Rotary, choose a business person to mentor you.
80% of the leaders also have had to look for jobs and have had failures.
They know how difficult it is. They want you to get a job.
Use your network, look around and get mentors to move on with. A coach is someone who guides you in a psychological sense as well as in a business sense.
You can create a structure for how to get a coach or a mentor. Create an advisory board.
Connect Danmark has existed since year 2000, based on an American model where you can get money to start a business.
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Summary
Whats important?
What are my dreams?
How do I realise them?
Whats my situation?
Clear goals, timebased – get a coach.
Look at:
Center for Ledelse/
Connect Danmark/
other organisations/
homepages
Links
Coaches
Mentors
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KB, May 2004