Abstract
The aim of this paper is to contribute to knowledge about design by reflecting on an action research project where the author tested ideas explored in recent literature, including those concerning design leadership (the opportunity and necessity for designers to shape conversations about strategy; the ability of designers to frame unframed problems in challenging contexts); design thinking (the idea that design problems are indeterminate and that there are ‘designerly’ ways of knowing, thinking and acting); and that design-led approaches can help produce engaging information and communication technologies. These ideas were used to respond to an opportunity in which design played a key role in developing a place for public engagement with digital media in a new cultural venture called Rich Mix in London’s East End, where the author took a part-time role as lead designer. The working paper presents some of the initial findings from this research based on a case study of the project. These findings examine the limits of design leadership and design-led approaches in a complex, multi-disciplinary project in which the design problem was not initially framed.
Keywords
Design leadership Design management Design thinking Inter/multidisciplinary collaboration in design Interaction design, and specifically new media, mixed media and interactive visualization
Citation
Kimbell, L. (2006) Design leads us where exactly? Leading by design at Rich Mix, a new cultural venture in London, in Friedman, K., Love, T., Côrte-Real, E. and Rust, C. (eds.), Wonderground - DRS International Conference 2006, 1-4 November, Lisbon, Portugal. https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conference-papers/drs2006/researchpapers/103
Design leads us where exactly? Leading by design at Rich Mix, a new cultural venture in London
The aim of this paper is to contribute to knowledge about design by reflecting on an action research project where the author tested ideas explored in recent literature, including those concerning design leadership (the opportunity and necessity for designers to shape conversations about strategy; the ability of designers to frame unframed problems in challenging contexts); design thinking (the idea that design problems are indeterminate and that there are ‘designerly’ ways of knowing, thinking and acting); and that design-led approaches can help produce engaging information and communication technologies. These ideas were used to respond to an opportunity in which design played a key role in developing a place for public engagement with digital media in a new cultural venture called Rich Mix in London’s East End, where the author took a part-time role as lead designer. The working paper presents some of the initial findings from this research based on a case study of the project. These findings examine the limits of design leadership and design-led approaches in a complex, multi-disciplinary project in which the design problem was not initially framed.