The DME Award: Winners, and plural perspectives on the contribution of design to business

The Design Management Europe (DME) Award was launched in 2007 by a consortium of European design support organisations, with initial funding from the European Commission. Since 2009 it has been supported through the commitment of many of the founding partners.

The award rewards excellence in the inclusion of design in businesses of any size, as well as public services or other non-profit organisations.

More than 500 applicants have entered the award since its inception. Although the last four editions have suffered from a lower number of entries, the economic crisis being partly to blame, we can proudly say we have noticed an increase in the level and depth of the integration of design by businesses. The selection is too scattered over sectors and regions to be able to draw any solid conclusions from any quantitative sample. This doesn’t mean that qualitative working hypotheses cannot be made:

The first is that all sectors can benefit from design management. This statement should not be misinterpreted: it is not a claim that a single generic model can crossover fields of activities, but a pledge for tailored, bespoke, crafted models. Priorities differ, stakeholders vary, design cultures are diverse, but what remains is the idea that how clients will perceive the offer cannot be left to chance or to marketing. The genuine commitment of the design team, and through it, of the whole staff - including top management - shows in the background of all applications for the award.

Secondly, the NGO/NPO category for public organisations has proved one of the most exciting. I personally believe that it offers fresh alternatives to the stubborn way of running public sector activities as if they were businesses.

Most of the posters and other material are available through the project’s website. I invite all BEDA members to use these to promote design and design management. The project partners are also familiar —in fact most of them are also BEDA members— so can be approached easily for support.

Finally, let me say that I have found my three years as chairman very challenging - trying to keep a consortium and its assets alive when the budget dropped to zero has been a lesson. My term ended with my capacities as well, and I am glad to see that a new board is in place to drive a fresh vision.

Jean Schneider

Find more information at http://www.designmanagementeurope.com

The winners and honourable mentions for the Design Management Europe Award 2012 were presented November 15th 2012 at Casa da Cultura in Paredes, Portugal.

The winners and honourable mentions in each category are:

Best management of design in a large company:
Winner:
Beiersdorf (Germany) - www.beiersdorf.de

Honourable mentions:
Kale Group (Turkey) - http://www.kale.com.tr/tr-tr
Schneider Electric (France) - www.schneider-electric.com

Best management of design in a medium-sized company:
Winner:
Leborgne (France) - www.leborgne.fr

Best management of design in a small company:
Winner:
Tyromotion (Austria) - www.tyromotion.com

Honourable mention:
Shadelab (Italy) - www.shadelab.it

Best management of design in a micro company:
Winner:
GMG (the Netherlands) - www.yepp.nl

Honourable mention:
Bolin Webb (United Kingdom) - www.bolinwebb.com

Best management of design in a public or non-profit organisation:
Winners:
Design Silesia (Poland) - www.design-silesia.pl
Tallinn Transport (Estonia) - www.tallinn.ee

Best poster (1^st time awarded):
GMG (the Netherlands) - www.yepp.nl

To view their design management strategy posters, visit www.designmanagementeurope.com.
For more information about DME, contact Barbara Cruz (European Design Centre): This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Finland to become a leader in measuring the effects of design

The Design ROI project of the Finnish Design Business Association FDBA and Aalto University will be a tool for companies and design agencies to measure and predict financial outcomes of design. The project was initiated by the need for design agencies to be able to evaluate their work, and is especially valuable for SME sector of businesses. The Design ROI project has been carried out with the support of the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 year and is part of its programme. One of the core objectives of the design capital year is to increase the understanding of design's role as a promoter of business life and economics. Measurement of design is a major cornerstone of success in business economics and has been long awaited by businesses, design agencies and the public sector.

Design impacts have been measured elsewhere: In Great Britain an average design investment has been calculated to multiply the turnover by 2.25 when compared with the invested resources. In Denmark companies investing in design have gained a growth 22 % greater than companies that have not invested in design, and the difference will rise up to 40 % when talking about continuous investing. Design ROI is a trailblazer in compacting the collected data into a tool. Professor Jaakko Aspara from Aalto University says:

"From an exploratory point of view Design ROI is a very ambitious project. We have such knowledge of design and business management in Finland that there is a good reason to presume that we will succeed in this challenge. Design ROI is a concrete solution to an extremely large problem that has delayed the impact of the otherwise well-developed design sector on society.”

The Design ROI research report can be downloaded (in Finnish) from http://www.designroi.fi/

Progetto grafico: Aiap's international magazine relaunched

Progetto grafico is an international graphic design magazine published by Aiap (Italian Association for Visual Communication Design).


The magazine was founded in 2003 and directed by Alberto Lecaldano until 2011. In 2012, Riccardo Falcinelli and Silvia Sfligiotti became the magazine’s editors.
 A reference point for the culture of visual communication design in Italy since its beginning, Progetto grafico has now undergone a renovation, including a new editorial style, new layout and full English translation.
 Progetto grafico aims to become a critical forum on graphic design; for that reason, a monographic approach was chosen, which makes it possible to analyse a number of topics in depth, including contributions from inside and outside the industry. Aside from the main section, there will be an “off-topic” section for articles on different themes.
 Progetto grafico does not aim to present news stories, but is an attempt to look at ongoing developments from the right distance.

The magazine will be issued every six months, once in spring and once in autumn. The first issue of the new series, PG21: Why Write About Graphic Design?, was published in July 2012. PG22: Common space, is fresh off the press; both are available for purchase through the Aiap website.

Information on international subscriptions can be found by clicking here

The topics of the next issues: PG 23: The use of images (spring 2013), PG 24: Graphic Design, History Italy (autumn 2013), PG 25: Writing and images in the domain of science (spring 2014).

Information for the submission of article proposals can be found by clicking here

The €Design Project has recently published its first Paper examining the economic impact of design

€Design is an initiative whose aim is to identify and establish guidelines for measuring design as a factor of economic production and its impact on GDP. The project has six European partners: BCD Barcelona Design Centre, Coordinator (Spain); design austria (Austria); Hungarian Design Council/ Hungarian Intellectual Property Office (Hungary); SVID Swedish Industrial Design Foundation (Sweden) as well as the University of Cambridge / Design Management Group (United Kingdom) and Copenhagen Business School (Denmark).

The project, co-financed by the European Commission, the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism, and the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, will analyse and define the conceptual framework of design in its economic context, so that design can be measured both as a tool for user-centred innovation and as an economic factor of production. Tangible results can be obtained that demonstrate the importance of design as a crucial element in enhancing the innovative capabilities of Europe, and increasing economic growth and business competitiveness in the global market.

The initiative is part of the 1st Action Plan of the European Design Innovation Initiative, a commitment of the Innovation Union Europe 2020 flagship to exploit the full potential of design for innovation and to reinforce the link between design, innovation and competitiveness.

To download the Analytical Framework Paper please: click here

Design Wales launch new Service design training course for public authorities, design centres and third sector bodies.

Design Wales are pleased to invite you to a unique learning experience.

Service design and innovation have been identified by organisations across Europe as having the potential to support growth and create positive economic impact. We believe that design can play a significant role in this field and have seen this first hand through our delivery of national service design programmes, international networks and projects.

That’s why we have created The Greenhouse; a design-led service innovation training programme for public authorities, design centres and third sector bodies. The Greenhouse is delivered by Design Wales, an internationally recognised design centre based in Cardiff (UK) and builds upon our experience of delivering national and international service innovation projects.

By taking part in this intensive, three-day course you will learn how to run design-led innovation projects within your organisation. As well as learning from experienced practitioners in an internationally renowned design centre, you will also be given copies of the Greenhouse process, tools and methods. These will be licensed for you to use within your own organisation after the Greenhouse workshop.

Greenhouse School Dates
20^th – 22^nd - November 2012 - Limited places available
5^th – 7^th - February 2013 - Bookings now being taken
14^th – 16^th - May 2013 - Bookings now being taken

Who should attend?
The Greenhouse is designed for programme managers and policy makers working in the fields of design, innovation, service delivery, economic development and business support.

How to register
To register at any of the upcoming Greenhouse events please email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to request a booking form.

The Greenhouse registration fee includes;

•  Your place in The Greenhouse for three days of intensive learning
•  Accommodation for three nights at a 3* city centre hotel
•  All daytime and evening meals during your stay in Cardiff
•  All workshop tools, materials and presentations
•  Up to four hours follow-on mentoring from The Greenhouse facilitators

Individual places for The Greenhouse cost £1,345 when booked before 28^th September 2012. After this date the fee rises to £1,495. Discounts are available for multiple registrations.

For more information
If you have any questions regarding The Greenhouse then please call
Paul Thurston on: +44 (0) 2920416720 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it  

Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) - Erasmus University Rotterdam.
In collaboration with Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering Delft University of Technology (TUD).

Emphasizing design, and including designers in new product development teams, contributes to new product success. Likewise, involving designers in developing web sites and corporate visual identity helps to improve firm image. Together, this translates to better firm performance. These are the main findings of research conducted in a large sample of Dutch firms from both manufacturing and service sectors.

Two main design foci are identified in the study: experiential design, which is about appealing to the senses, supporting self-expression and evoking emotions, and functional design, which is concerned with technology, functionality and ergonomics.

Reddot design award.
“red dot award: communication design 2012“ in Berlin Celebrating with the creative elite at the red dot gala and Designers’ Night

The “red dot award: communication design 2012“ honours innovative creative achievements – from posters and print campaigns to apps and TV spots. Thus, the competition documents the most important design trends in the PR and commercial industry. A distinction with the red dot guarantees worldwide attention and make sure that the brand is effectively associated with outstanding design quality.

The 15 international experts of the red dot jury assessed and evaluated every single work of the 6,823 entries from 43 countries – as always, live and on-site during the jury session in Essen, Germany. While doing so, they focused on criteria like recognition value & social relevance, effective target group reach or interface & aesthetics. Only the best designs were awarded: just 8% of all creative achievements submitted to the competition convinced the red dot jury.

The award ceremony, party and vernissage on 24 October 2012

On 24 October 2012, the international design elite will once again come together in Berlin, Germany, in order to experience the brilliant final of this year’s competition. In the Konzerthaus Berlin, Avi Avital – the first mandolinist with a grammy nomination – will fascinate the audience. On this evening, the participants will get to know the laureates of the highest single accolade, the “red dot: grand prix”, and which creative office will be honoured “red dot: agency of the year”.

1After the glamorous awards ceremony, the Designers’ Night opens its doors. “Alle Farben” and Jan Pyroman, two high-class DJ’s, will treat the former coin mint and today’s scene location Alte Münze Berlin with danceable tunes. The Designers’ Night is also the vernissage of the exhibition “Design on stage – winners red dot award: communication design 2012“. Until 28 October 2012, all award-winning designs of this year’s competition will be presented here.

Guided Tours & Talks on 25 & 26 October 2012 at the Alte Münze Berlin

Is design rateable? On 25 and 26 October 2012, red dot jurors Prof. Dr. Linda Breitlauch, Prof. Michel de Boer, Jean Jacques Schaffner and the red dot: agency of the year will discuss this and many other questions. Those interested in design are invited to swap ideas on trends in international communication design in “Guided tours & talks”, which is free of charge.

For more information please visit: www.red-dot.de/press

Press release contact details...
Name: Kristina Alexandra Halilovic
Address: Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen
Tel: +49 (0) 201 30 10 4-35
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it @red-dot.de
Tel: +49 (0) 201 30 10 4-3

Armi OPEN Workshop discusses on movement and communication

Simultaneous workshops bring together professionals around the world 6-7 September 2012

As part of World Design Capital Helsinki 2012, the Armi association arranges an international project of events on developing urban environments. The Armi OPEN Workshop – Urban BrainStream will be a series of ideation workshops taking place within one day, 6-7 September 2012, around the world. The workshops will feature professionals in architecture and construction as well as design, including graphic design, together with citizens, approaching internationally topical issues related to urban design from the point of view of communication and movement. Armi OPEN Workshop is also a part of Helsinki Design Week’s programme.

For more information visit: www.armi.fi

Global Local 26/08/2012 - 01/09/2012

Origins
The original Zsennyei Műhely (Zsennye Workshop) started in 1978. Designers from all over the world shared their experiences, discussed current trends and built a community. The Zsennyei Műhely had a strong theoretical basis, analyzing the role of designers in society.

In 2005 this tradition restarted at Olaszliszka, focusing on student’s works. After three great workshops we returned to the original place, Zsennye, where we celebrated the 30 years history of this workshop. It was an international meeting point for the professionals and the students to work together playfully for a common intention, parted to 5 sections, surrounded by a beautiful area of the nature.

For more information visit: http://www.designworkshop.hu/
Application 2012: http://www.designworkshop.hu/?page_id=1026

Cities for All Helsinki Conference and Exhibition 24 May 2012 

When: 24 May 2012
Where: Helsinki Music Centre 
For more information: http://www.ornamo.fi/citiesforallhelsinki/

Cities for All Helsinki 2012 CALL FOR EXHIBITORS
Cities for All Helsinki Exhibition is seeking a selection of the most interesting Design for All solutions in the areas of built environment, product design and service design.

Please send your proposals no later than 30th November 2011 to the email address This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Accepted proposals to the exhibition will cost € 2000/ case.

Find proposal form from Cities for All Helsinki 2012 website:
http://www.ornamo.fi/citiesforallhelsinki/