Three DMI articles worth reading

DMI
Via the DMI November 2009 Newsletter, I came across a number of articles that are worthwhile exploring:

What the Hell Have We Done to Design?
(Really Thinking about Design Thinking)

Brian Matt, Founder & CEO, Altitude, Inc.
DMI News & Views, November 2009

The word, design, has been abused, misconstrued, and overused. I am not sure the there is even consensus about a true definition among insiders; supposedly those people in-the-know. I am sure that I cannot give an all-encompassing, perfect elevator pitch either. So, if there is no accord on the designation of design, then how do we describe and defend the notion of Design Thinking?

Notes on the Evolution of Design Thinking: A Work in Progress
Craig M. Vogel, College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, University of Cincinnati
Design Management Review, Spring 2009

During most of the twentieth century, corporations and cultural institutions asked designers to play a focused and limited role in product and service development. Today, that role is expanding and the core of the field, design thinking, must expand with it. Design thinking has a rich history, and it is important to trace how it evolved to help understand why design is now so valued.

Service Design: An Appraisal
Roberto M. Saco, Owner and Principal, Aporia Advisors
Alexis P. Goncalves, Independent Consultant, Business Innovation
Design Management Review, Winter 2008

In this thoughtful analysis, Roberto Saco and Alexis Goncalves map the landscape of service design. They define the discipline and key players, and sketch its potential vis-à-vis growth and profitability. Saco and Goncalves elaborate on the multi-faceted realities of this work with examples from the Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Herman Miller, and Egg Banking. And they wrap things up with a discussion of key principles related to practice.

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