Bridging Strategy from Both Business Economics and Design Sciences

Influence • Management • Capital

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DOI:

10.31182/cubic.2023.6.57

Keywords:

design strategy, strategic design, capability building, design value, design performance

Abstract

Consensus on the impact of design on perfor-mance can be said to be evident at all three levels of decision-making in organizations: strategic, tac-tical, operational (Brunswicker et al. 2019; Gemser & Leenders 2001). This impact broadly assumes the following forms:

  1. Design impact for strategy in action and customer experience
  2. Design impact for business strategy, process, innovation, and performance
  3. Design impact for cultural change and organization transformation

Despite these revelations, precious little guidance is found in the way of forming a holistic view of the why of design science, core capabilities, theo-ries, and methods in business economics and the ultimate pertinence of the design function in any given organization. Similarly, the how, which would outline the ways in which these capacities could be built and coordinated towards the support of stra-tegic design and forward-looking decision-making processes is at best assumed, yet very rarely articulated.

This issue includes both the papers from academia and professionals we received through our Call, as well as the results of a complementary survey con-ducted by the editors with Chief Design Officers. Our editorial foreword uses the model (Figure 1) as the framework for a synthesis, linking strategy in design science and strategy in business science:

Part I - The vertical axis of Strategy from Vision to Mission through Value: design strategy versus cor-porate strategy, and business economics in design-driven organizations.
Part II - The horizontal axis of Strategic Manage-ment and the Strategic design decision path. From design leadership and strategic positioning to busi-ness strategy and design management to strategy in action and design.

How to Cite

Bühring, J., Borja de Mozota, B., & Moore, P. A. (2023). Bridging Strategy from Both Business Economics and Design Sciences: Influence • Management • Capital. Cubic Journal, 6(6), 4–19. https://doi.org/10.31182/cubic.2023.6.57

Published

2023-08-18

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 6 (2023): Design Economies — Influencing • Management • Capital

Section

Editorial

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Author Biographies

Jörn Bühring, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Dr. Jörn Bühring is an research assistant professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, School of Design. He earned a BA-equivalent degree in the field of Tourism Management (HH), an M.B.A. (VU) majoring in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and a PhD in Consumer Engagement Innovation futures at Swinburne University of Technology (SWIN) in Australia. In his current position, he is developing a collaborative approach (Design Economy, Ignite Innovation Industry Collaboration Futures) that brings academia, designers, and business stakeholders together to develop highimpact design knowledge, concepts, and solutions. His research explores Design Foresight, Vision and Fiction techniques as emerging processes within Strategic Design and Innovation Management.

Brigitte Borja de Mozota, Université du Québec à Montréal

Dr. Brigitte Borja de Mozota is currently director and founder of Designence, a Design Management Think Tank (2011); an Associate Member of research laboratory Chaire Diament on design and mental health at Université UQAM (Montréal, Canada). She teaches Design Leadership and Management in Masters in innovation! & MBA Managing by design (Strate Kedge) and runs international projects based on her! value model! for design - “Designence “ (KCDM 2.0 Slovenia; Politecnico de Monterey Mexico). A pioneer in design management, Brigitte received her PhD in economics on Design value at Université Paris, Sorbonne in 1985.! She created international research networks: Design Management Institute (1988), European Academy of Research (EAD 1993), Ateliers de la Recherche en Design (2006) and research journals (The Design Journal, Sciences du Design) & organized international design research conferences for EAD and DMI.

Patricia A. Moore, MooreDesign Associates

Dr. Patricia A. Moore is the president at MooreDesign Associates, and holds undergraduate degrees in Industrial Design, Rochester Institute of Technology, completion of Advanced Studies in Biomechanics, NY University’s Medical School; graduate degrees in Psychology & Gerontology, Columbia University. Selected as one of The 40 Most Socially Conscious Designers in the world; featured as one of 50 Americans Defining the New Millennium (ABC World News). Named one of The 100 Most Important Women in America (2000), inducted into “INNOVATORS Hall of Fame” (2012), honored with the Cooper Hewitt’s prestigious National Design Award in 2019; The Center for Health Design 2020 CHANGEMAKER Award.

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