Insegnamento a.a. 2009-2010

Course Objectives

The Course on design Management is aimed at offering tools and experiences to help participants in solving problems related to the design process, even if some activities are carried out outside the company. A wide perspective on the value system is adopted. The course starts from the analysis of the role, the competencies and evolution of main actors (designer, suppliers etc) to focus on the design domain: product design, retail design and visual identity design.
The course focuses on the management of innovation and product development in design-based companies. As known, in these companies innovation is not only promoted by technology and the products have both a strong aesthetics and symbolic value.
This is not a course of design itself but of the context in which design is used. The creativity of designers, their internal and tacit skills are vitally important but only if combined with managerial skills and a deep understanding in the current economic climate. For design to be managed and championed effectively those responsible must be equipped with a broad vision of how design interacts within its changing economic, social and technological context. So, the course provides an opportunity to consider design in the context of organizations, how design relates to different business functions in the new product development process. The students learn how organizational structure, culture and strategy can encourage design and how design is used. The use of design as a strategic tool to create competitive advantage is also covered.
During the course, cases and guest speakers support the learning process.

Course Content Summary

• Design and competitive advantage
• Design and business strategy
• Features of the design business
• The Italian design system
• Get inputs for the design process: knowledge building
• Managing external designers
• Organizational aspects for a design-based company
• Briefing
• Managing the product portfolio
• Economics of design
• The design-based industries: furniture, lighting, jewellery, household appliances
• Visual identity design
• Design and brand management

Detailed Description of Assessment Methods

The exam will be explained during the first session of the course.

Textbooks

Attending Students

• Lojacono G., (edited by), Managing Design-Based Companies, Readings and Cases, Il Pellicano, a.a 2009/2010
• Additional material will be distributed during the course

Suggested readings

• G.Lojacono, Competitività e crescita internazionale delle imprese del sistema arredamento, Etas, 2007
  G.Lojacono, Le imprese del sistema arredamento, Etas, 2003

Non Attending Students
Contact the course coordinator G. Lojacono or the course tutor N. Guerini.