+ Advocacy for design as an economic building block
+ Build/connect a creative community
+ Promote region as ‘Design Centric’
+ Help attract and retain design focused companies and designers
Design West Michigan
Design and the Economy
+ Design alone does not ensure economic growth, but without design there can be no economic growth
+ Most major new design trends have come from economic struggles, defining and meeting unmet needs and/or wars.
West Michigan is Design Centric
+ Higher number of industrial designers than other areas of U.S.
+ More packaging designers than other areas
+ Significant number of graphic designers
+ Growing number of digital interactive designers
+ Over 1,000 designers members of DWM
Michigan as a Design/Innovation Center
With the design and innovations from just the automotive and office furniture industries, Michigan has more greatly influenced the way people live and work than any other state.
Talking about Design
+ Understanding design depends on the exposure one’s had to designers and design thinking
+ Design is a noun, a verb, a process
+ It is not about just making something pretty
+ It is not the purvue of a select few
+ It is an intangible asset, hard to measure
Difference Between Art & Design:
Art is about self expression
Design is about serving others
Relationship Between Innovation & Design
Dental Floss
Design & Styling
Good Design Makes a Market Vs Responding to a Market
Issues in U.S./North America
• The two words that kill any new design and innovation are; “Prove It”
Roger Martin, Dean University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business
(Econ Club talk available on DWM web-site)• Whirlpool Duet Case study (DWM web-site)• Haworth HQ Case study (DWM web-site)• Landscape Forms Case study (DWM web-site)• www.designwestmichigan.com
So What?, Why promote Design?
Design Education in U.S.
Design Education in China
Design’s Importance to Business/Economy
“The dumbest mistake is viewing design as something you do at the end of the process to ‘tidy up’ the mess, as opposed to understanding that it’s a ‘day one’ issue and part of everything.”
— Tom Peters, author “In Search of Excellence”
“….design thinking converts need into demand”
— Peter Drucker
3 Major Regions for Industrial Design*
*www.coroflot.com
Rich with Design Experience
Historically Known for…
+ Automotive
+ Furniture
Other areas of Expertise…
+ Medical Design
+ Home Appliances
+ Housewares
+ Consumer Goods
+ Apparel
+ Consumer Electronics
Award Winning Design Studios
The New North
Tiger Studio
TWISThink
Sunberg Ferar
Fredricks Design
PTI Design
Thinklabs Design
and many more…
Stryker System 7
Industrial DesignMultiple Firms
Industrial DesignMultiple Corporations
Fertile Ground for Design Development
Engineering
87,000 Engineers
Prototyping & Manufacturing
14,000 Manufacturing sites
75,000 Skilled Tradespeople
Growing New Design Talent
Design Schools
Kendall College of Art & Design
College for Creative Studies
Cranbrook Academy of Art
Far Reaching Impact
Brand & Experience DesignCommunication / Experience / Interaction
Award Winning Firms
Auxiliary AdvertisingBrightly StudioConduit StudiosCynergy SystemsExtra Credit ProjectsMr. & MrsSquare One DesignThe ForestVisualhero DesignPeople DesignUniversal Mind
Human-Centered DesignMultiple Firms
Apple Retail User Experience
HealthcareDesign Research/Graphic Design
Amway - Research InnovationOpportunities Herman Miller – Customer Development
Graphic DesignMultiple Firms
Apple Retail User Experience
Universal Mind – Print Brochure Hudsonville Ice Cream – WebsiteJoe Coffee - Packaging
BrandingMultiple Firms
Apple Retail User Experience
Art Prize – Logo, Business Systems x-rite – Logo, Identity
Interaction DesignMultiple Firms
Apple Retail User Experience
HealthcareDesign Research/Graphic Design
Schoolview - Data Application Wolverine – Ecommerce Website
Architectural DesignCommunity Based Projects / Corporate Commitment / Revitalization
Local | Regional | National Award Winning Firms
AMDG ArchitectsC2AEConcept DesignCornerstone ArchitectsElevate StudioFTC&HGMB Architecture + EngineeringInter Active StudiosIntegrated ArchitectureIssac V Norris & AssociatesLott3 Metz ArchitectureLucid ArchitectureProgressive AETower PinksterVia Design
Community Based ProjectsGRAM | Rosa Parks Circle
GRAM entry facing Rosa Parks Circle Free summer concertsWinter ice-skating
Community Based ProjectsThe Rapid | Downtown Market
The Rapid Operations Center record setting 11.9 million rides in 2011
Grand Action Downtown Market year-round indoor/outdoor marketplace
Grand Action Downtown Market supports local famers and independent businesses
Community Based ProjectsJohn Ball Zoo | Bissell Treehouse
Overlooking downtown Grand Rapids Situated on one of Grand Rapids highest points
Interior space open for retreats, banquets, weddings
Idema Funicular
Corporate CommitmentSteelcase | WorkLab
Former warehouse opened up to campus Test environment for new product Connection to industrial designers space
Corporate CommitmentSteelcase | WorkCafe
Work Café stairs from lobby Informal meeting areas Outdoor lounge areas
Corporate CommitmentGordon Foods | Headquarters
Headquarters site Welcome / values / legacy area Lounge / meeting areas
Corporate CommitmentGrid 70
Creative talent from 6 major corporations – Meijer, Amway, Steelcase, Pennant Health, Wolverine World Wide, and Process Automation Concepts
RevitalizationGrand Rapids Brewing | Founders Brewing | Brewery Vivant
First USDA Organic Brewery in Michigan | GRBC First LEED Certified Brewery in US | Brewery Vivant 26 million expansion underway | Founders
Testimonial
“Newell Rubbermaid is excited to be moving our design group into the Kalamazoo area. We know of and embrace the Design Centric nature of West Michigan and look forward to being an active participant in the design future of the region”.
Chuck Jones, EVP, Chief Design and Technology Officer
Questions?
Thank You