Presentation Transcript

1. Design Council

   Future directions for design research Presentation to the Design Research Society AGM ,11 Sept 2012 AilbheMcNabola, Head of Policy Research
2. Agenda Who, why, what What we’ve done so far: the scoping study findings Next steps: follow up study on service design Discussion and feedback
3. Who, why, what
4. Partners
5. Why focus on design? Key strategic priority for DC and AHRC. We believe that design plays a key role in economic and social value creation. It is key to connecting R&D efforts with innovation thereby enabling the market implementation of new knowledge that is fundamental to delivering economic growth and contributing to social renewal.
6. Why focus on design research? To develop better evidence, and a more detailed understanding, of: the value and economic and broader impact of design, the connections between design practice and academic design research, and levels of engagement between design research and business.
7. Scoping Study: To provide direction for future research council funding programmes or other activities in the area of design
8. Research Question What research is needed for measuring the role and value of design?
9. Research methodology Agree scope 1 Desk research review within set parameters 2 Event 14th March to consult with design researchers 3 Online consultation to gain more engagement 4 Expert interviews to gain a wider view 5
10. Desk research – Gap analysis Confused picture of £ value of design investment and its benefits Low level of strategic use Economic well being Potential for more application / valuation is e.g. health care e.g. Kings Fund Built Environment – lack of clear theory and guides to practice Human well being Sustainability Environmental improvement agenda has design as an after thought
11. Consultation Findings Event with design researchers & policymakers No immediate consensus on areas for future development Limited engagement with concept of measurement General sense that any future funding programme needs to clearly articulate what it wants the material generated to achieve and who it is targeted at e.g. policymakers have different needs to businesses or design agencies
12. Consultation Findings Online consultation with design industry and academics Open call supported but concerns that design might become sidelined Endorsement in general of academic work with business / policy makers General endorsement of a focused call and need for building evidence on value of design No real consensus on funding mechanisms, wide range of suggestions
13. Consultation Findings Expert interviews with a wide range of contributors Academia – Prof Tom Inns, Prof Rachel Cooper, Prof Nick Chater, Prof Bruce Brown Government – Dan Hodges, BIS World of design – Rab Bennetts, Deborah Dawton DBA Cultural organisations – Sir Mark Jones, Nigel Llewellyn Business – Joe Ferry, Herman Hauser
14. Consultation Findings Expert interviews Much more interest in what design achieves than in design itself Much more engagement with concept of valuation Desire to see stronger evidence base for making the case for design, greater understanding of where that might be useful and how it could be used Desire to see some more consistency on the fundamentals at micro and macro level– design’s role and value in the UK economy, and its role at firm level
15. Consultation Findings Expert interviews contd. Desire to see design engaged and learning much more from other academic disciplines e.g. social science More knowledge transfer with the industry Endorsement of multidisciplinary projects Funding needs to be broader than AHRC Concern over the capacity of creative disciplines to apply for funding – possible need for support with applications
16. Reflections on Funding Mechanisms General response to sand-pits very positive Capacity building activities likewise endorsed, with lots of ideas how to make work / deliver Large collaborative grants, perceived to work well for multi /inter disciplinary work Long list of ideas for other funding mechanisms suggested e.g. fellowships, TSB models, DOH innovation centres etc.
17. Scoping Study Key Recommendations Mindful of the increased levels of activity in the design measurement space internationally, it could be unproductive to fund further research on developing evidence on the macro-economic value of design
18. Scoping Study Key Recommendations Area that is perhaps most neglected is the developing sector and discipline of service design Area most regularly cited as in need of attention across all of the stakeholder research Has the potential to make major contributions to innovation & to major challenges such as health and sustainability We believe it is under researched, is still an emerging field of practice, and is an area that has the potential to deliver both economic and social value
19. Other recommendations and considerations Bring together economists, design businesses and design researchers in multi-disciplinary teams with design research as an equal partner Design researchers need support to get involved with Research Council calls; they need mentoring to lead bids if the real contribution that design can make is to be realised There is also an appetite for collaborative work with other stakeholders: business, (design buyers, design suppliers) user groups and policy networks In our view, the collaboration between the Design Council and AHRC represents an opportunity to do something inspiring in this space
20. Next Steps: Service Design
21. Research methodology Agree scope 1 Desk research review within set parameters 2 Expert interviews to gain a wider view 3 Online consultation to gain more engagement 4
22. Research Questions: what’s happening now What is service design and where does it occur? Is there a working definition? What are the main areas of activity in the service design profession currently? What are the main areas of activity in academic research in service design currently? What is going on internationally in service design both in academic and business spheres? What sort of demand is there for service design expertise (professional or academic) in the wider private and public sector businesses? To what extent, and in what fields, is there existing engagement between design professionals (or broader businesses) and academic researchers in service design? Where are the gaps in such engagements and opportunities for new collaborations?
23. Research Questions: future priorities In what ways does service design contribute to the sustainability of choice for customers and producers? How do service designers add value to business? How does service design help businesses to innovate and come up with new ways of working? Who else is talking about service design? What would the priorities be for any Research Council funding in Service Design?
24. Join our consultation Feed your views back to us today or complete our survey (accessible through the Design Council / AHRC / ESRC websites later this month) Our questions for you: Are you aware of service design and agencies working in service design? Do you see service design as a separate discipline or an ‘application’ of design? Does anyone have any case studies to share? If you were a Research Council what three key things would you do to support the development of service design?
25. Your questions for us?
26. Thank you for listeningailbhe.mcnabola@designcouncil.org.uk