Featured Article
May 21, 2009
(11 comments)

What Role does Design Play within Your Organization?

Designers often wonder or whine about how their work is not recognized, accepted or even respected in their organization. What many designers don’t realize is how they or their designs are treated has to do with how the discipline of design is viewed within their organization. In this article I will frequently reference Design Management methodology in organizations that have in-house design teams, however most of the topics we will cover today can also apply to consultancies working with businesses that buy design services.

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Design Leadership
Jul 03, 2009
(3 comments)

Why are Businesses so Interested in Design Thinking and the Design Process ?

I have been watching ”Design Thinking” very closely for a long time now, often amused on how it is unfolding in both the design and non-design industries. At this time I’m curious it is evolving, and having strong suspicions on how it can be an element to bridge the “language gap” between Design and the Business.

Interestingly, since I started watching this topic in 2006, everyone who is anyone (including yours truly) jumped with their $0.02 cents worth in trying to figure out just what this is all about. However many posts never seem to get the idea of Design Thinking right, and the definition and objectives for Design Thinking never clearly expressed.

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Industrial Design
Jul 03, 2009
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Reinventing the Coffee and Tea Cup

coffee03
c8- h10- n4- o2 by Gilad Davidi

Beautiful work by the students from The Shenkar College of Engineering and Design, Ramat Gan. They were tasked by their lecturers to re-invent the Coffee (and Espresso) or Tea Cup by “deep diving” into our coffee culture and understanding the coffee drinking rituals involved.

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What I figured out after Meditating in the Mountains!

Sorry friends. It has been a while since I made contact with anyone via this blog. It was partly due to the fact that I got pretty sick and sadly I still am. It’s one ailment after another in never ending vicious cycle. I cannot seem to shake it off completely. I must be a germ magnet!

Fortunately during my sick leave, I had the opportunity to do some serious thinking and reflection. In particular, what I wanted to do with this blog and it’s role in my life.

Early in January this year, I announced the launch of Design Sojourn Version 4.0. It was a good revamp of the site and as well as refocusing its content. Particularly important was that I shared a new blog description and focus which was “How to master the business of strategic industrial design”.

However at the back of my mind I still could not decide what I wanted to get out of this blog. As it is now 6 months since the last update, I thought it might be a good time to share with you how I see my blog going forward.

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Designer Lifehack
Jun 18, 2009
(5 comments)

Which Design Student are You?

Chuck Dillion, a lecturer at The Hussian School of Art in Philadelphia, has sketched a cartoon of the different Design students he has encountered in his 10 year teaching career. Great Stuff! Here are my favorites:

dirty

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Design Articles
Jun 10, 2009
(7 comments)

Did you have your Sustainability Discussion Today?


Image by: tamachanhaazarashi.

Designers these days face a lot of pressure to not only do good design, but also to do the right thing. Indeed the importance of sustainable and environmentally friendly products cannot and should not be underestimated. However, while Designers are central to the creation of these products, it takes a lot more than just having the “Will” to do it.

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About Design Sojourn

Design Sojourn is about a Design Translator's adventures in Design Leadership and the business of Strategic Industrial Design. DT is an award winning, multi-disciplinary industrial design leader that specializes in strategic product realization programs that drive successful brands and businesses.
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