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Design Council Magazine

Issue 1 Winter 2006

08/09

Imagine Coca- Cola without a logo. Imagine Apples iMac as a grey rectan gular box. Imagine Nike without its TV adverts. Desig n is intrinsically linked to the b ottom line.
Jim Hytner, group brand & UK banking marketing director, Barclays

10/11

In an increasingly competitive environment our creativity can give us the edge. One aspect of this is design. Good design does not automatically mean good business, but it certainly helps. Professor Sir Christopher Frayling, rector of the Royal College of Art and chairman, Arts Council ngland

Design surrounds us, inspires us and sometimes makes the impossible possible. As our need for good design and technology increases, so does the need for innovative and adventurous designers, engineers and scientists. James Dyson, product designer and chairman, Dyson

Too many people in this country have the idiotic idea that design is an addon when it should be fundamental to everything we do. It can cut crime, bring communities together, make life easier. If people paused and just thought how easy it is to incorporate good design into the everyday, wed all be better off. Ed Vaizey, M and member of arliamentary Design Group

Designing provides a context and approach that uses creative seeing, thinking and doing to explore potential futures in a systematic, purposeful way. The focus is on what works for people. Its most valuably deployed strategically in innovation contexts, with all their complexity and uncertainty, where there is no single answer. Design needs to be valued more for what it can achieve. Nick Durrant, interactive designer, lot founder

Innovation really is a must-do, unless we want to live in an environment thats commoditised and not unique, not differentiated. Sam Palmisano, chairman and chief executive, IBM

Design matters. It influences virtually all the choices I make as a consumer. Any business that wants to increase sales and any government body trying to protect UK plc from low-cost overseas competition cannot afford to ignore the importance of good design. Janet Walker, commercial director, Ascot Racecourse and council member of the Design Council

Design makes objects comfortable, equipment understandable, environments friendly, packaging clear and websites useful. Design it first and all your subsequent decisions will be easy and the end result more likely to be successful. Clive Grinyer, director of design, xploCentre, France Telecom

Design makes things look and feel better. It makes them easier to use. Quite often design makes quite mundane objects highly desirable. Design is the great differentiator. To use the jargon of our day: it adds value. Wally Olins, Saffron Brand Consultants
Design and desire are inseparable. Design is important as it is the holistic approach which produces the want to have factor. ighty per cent of customers buy the MINI due to its design, so designing a product with the want to have factor has certainly paid off in this case. Gert Hildebrand, head of MINI design, BMW
Design and business are completely interlinked; one cannot succeed without the other. Good design improves the economic viability of a product. A nation that does not recognise the importance of design and creativity, both to its economy and to the quality of life it brings to its citizens, will not survive. Terence Conran, designer

There is no aspect of the consumer world that is not becoming centrally affected by the designer. A new non-linear business model is evolving with open collaboration between designers and artists, and scientists and engineers. Alex McDowell, film designer

The difference

If something isnt properly designed, it goes straight in the bin. Nobody reads it. The money is entirely wasted. Mark Ellingham, founder, Rough Guides

between a LGO Fire Truck where the design is exactly on the mark and one where the design is a little off may seem subtle but it makes a big difference in terms of consumer perception, play value and sales. Henrik Poulsen, executive vicepresident for markets and products, LGO

Design Council Magazine

Issue 1 Winter 2006

12/13 If you belong to that substantial swathe of humanity that believes the glass is half full, the fact that four emerging economic powers Brazil, Russia, India and China now account for 35% of the worlds economic growth might seem more of an opportunity than a threat. But any Westerner brimming with entrepreneurial gung-ho should ponder the classic cautionary tale of the Ford car, the power windows and the Indian chauffeurs. When Ford decided years ago to enter the Indian market, they picked a model that cost 10,500 and told their design team to shave costs. All the designers could think of was to halve the number of power windows. In India, they decided, only the driver and passenger in the front seat

How far can they go?


Very soon, referring to Brazil, Russia, India and China as emerging economies will seem plain daft. Paul Simpson examines a tectonic shift that will change the world
Rebranding Russia: Alena Akhmadullinas outrageously floppy, curvy fashion might help change the image of Vladimir Putins Russia

would enjoy power windows. That cut costs but even so, only the top 1% of Indias population could afford these cars. As that top percentile sat in the back while their chauffeurs drove, only the hired hands ever had the satisfaction of pushing a button and watching the windows come down. Not entirely coincidentally, Fords first foray into the Indian market soon stalled. As Japan and Korea have shown, it is far easier to enter markets the other way around, from the bottom, with a low-cost offering and move up the value chain. While the public in the West may cling on to the comforting nonsense that Brazil, Russia, India and China will be content to focus on call centres, soft toys and cheap bras, business leaders and policy makers know otherwise. And the BRIC countries, a term coined by investment bank Goldman Sachs in 2001, are merely the most obvious threat. Just behind BRIC comes TVT Thailand, Vietnam and Turkey who have a combined population of 230 million, a collective GDP of 305bn, and are enjoying the kind of economic growth that must have the US Treasury secretary John W. Snow turning the colour of his national currency. The human race has an almost genetic tendency to overestimate change in the short term and underestimate it in the long term. It is easy too to be distracted by the headlines. The announcement that China, for example, is investing 8bn in innovation sounds ominous, while any trickle of call centre jobs back from India is seen as hugely cheering. To get an accurate fix on a global economy that is changing

Star Wars fans might be surprised to discover that the TV series of the blockbuster sci-fi saga featuring Yoda and co will be shot in Singapore

John McFall on the threat and opportunity that is globalisation


We underestimate the impact of globalisation. The belief that countries such as China and India are mass-producing lowtech goods is totally misplaced. On recent visits to both these countries I witnessed the most innovative, skilled practices, not least in the automotive and pharmaceutical industries. We have a five- to ten-year window of opportunity to face this challenge from many countries small and large in Asia and Latin America. The successful countries of tomorrow are already planning ten years ahead. Todays most successful products were designed a decade ago. Globalisation is a threat. But it can become an opportunity. In the past decade, globalisation has given us ever cheaper goods. It has subsidised US consumers and their massive spending spree, with China and other Asian countries buying dollars for their reserves. In China, 212 million people have been lifted out of poverty. But how can we make globalisation work for the benefit of all and ensure that we in the UK do not lose out? Part of the answer lies in education. Continual upskilling is an essential prerequisite. Investment in R&D will also increase our economys development. For example, Renishaw, a manufacturer of specialist measuring equipment with a turnover of 110m, is as hungry for new ideas now as when it started. It ring-fences 12% of sales for R&D and staff are given time to work on their own ideas and paid to go on degree courses. The company complements a robust defence of its intellectual property with the fostering of a sense of community. This is reflected in a staff turnover of just 2-3%. Or take Nokia. In the 1980s the company had interests in everything from steel to forestry. Management forced a rethink: executives were asked how Nokia would fit into the world of the future. The result is the Nokia you see today, a global leader in IT. Innovation has to be ongoing, and a cornerstone of strategy. The students of tomorrow must adapt. Studies must become multidisciplinary tomorrows engineers will need an understanding of art and culture. New educational centres need to establish cross-disciplinary capabilities. We have a sound base on which to build: already in London more people work in the creative industries than in financial services. At a business seminar last year, the principal of Washington University spoke about a meeting hed had regarding Singapore science and engineering students visiting his university. The principal was told that the students did not require refinement in their present disciplines: they were being sent for inculcation in culture and the arts. If tiny Singapore is ahead of the curve, why cant we be? John McFall is chairman of the Treasury Select Committee.

more rapidly than at any time since the late 19th century, it is crucial to focus on underlying trends. What is special about the BRIC countries economies is that they have the scale and the trajectory to drive the global economy. Between 2000 and 2005, they contributed roughly 28% of the worlds economic growth. Their share of world trade in 2005 was 15% (double what it was in 2001). They attract 15% of foreign direct investment (three times as much as they did in 2001) and use 18% of the worlds oil. When Goldman Sachss analysts revisited their BRIC projections in 2005, they found that the four economies had grown faster than expected. One small measure of their growing influence: the BRICs account for 3% of foreign direct investment, six times as much as in 2001. For the Chinese, 2050 cant come quick enough. In the 19th century, China and India were the two biggest economies in the world and then Britain discovered the steam engine and the power loom. By 2050, as the Chinese might see it, normal service will have been resumed. Barring economic mega-disaster, China will be the biggest economy in the world and India the third largest. This isnt to ignore the obvious challenges that all four BRICs and the TVT countries face (see p19 for a detailed assessment of nine emerging economies). Pollution costs China 105bn a year and that bill, as the economy grows, can only rise. In India rapid modernisation is exposing some uncomfortable gaps between ambition and reality, with high-tech citadels juxtaposed with illegal temporary shanty towns, built by people who have given up all hope of negotiating a way through the countrys arcane, labyrinthine planning laws. But these developing economies have adopted a tried and trusted industrial strategy. Take models, procedures and skills from other countries, adapt them while the domestic market
This isnt consumer waste, its a work of art satirising the city of Yiwu, Chinas capital of counterfeiting. The work is also a symbol of the pollution that plagues China as it grows

14/15

Anthony Hilton on why the West must shape up


A visitor to Taiwan ten years ago would have seen one of the worlds great modern production centres. The factory names were unknown but they produced the guts of almost every computer bought in the West under the brand names of Dell, IBM Compaq or Apple; about half the worlds now ubiquitous flat screens; most of the worlds microprocessors and almost 60% of its bikes. But on a return visit three years ago they would have found very little of this left. Almost the entire production base of the country had shifted to cheaper China. Taiwan, which could no longer compete in basic manufacture, saw its future in the more creative areas design at the beginning of the process, marketing at the end. Accordingly government and private enterprise are currently engaged in a major five-year plan to shift the emphasis of the economy towards innovation and design, and realign the education system to encourage creativity rather than learning by rote. Taiwans pace of change is remarkable, but the direction is not. In many ways the country is following a path trodden by Japan 25 years earlier when it sent its manufacturing overseas and put more effort into the design, branding and marketing which gave us the Sony Walkman and an endless flood of products since. Japanese cars have become some of the most stylish and despite experiencing a difficult decade economically, Japan is still the worlds second largest consumer market. The Japanese stress that, in assessing the modernisation of China, Westerners must learn to distinguish between products made in China and products made by China. It is the elliptical Japanese way of saying that currently the Chinese do the low-value manufacturing and assembly work. Not until they embrace innovation and creativity will products be made by China. China is not there yet, but thats how developing economies progress. They start with exports of raw materials and cheap basic manufacture like textiles and steel, then move

on to mechanical goods like motorcycles, cars and electronics, which are driven by exports and designed to Western market specifications. By the third stage they have their own growing middle class and the beginnings of mass affluence. This creates a domestic market for consumer goods which the market starts to cater for. Design is born in a market prosperous enough for consumers to afford choice. Technology transfer means China will reach this stage faster than previous developing economies. Even if China wanted to slow down it cant, because coming up behind it are the next wave countries like Vietnam. The idea that China, or its fellow BRIC countries Brazil, Russia and India, will remain trapped in their current roles as low-cost assembly lines is ridiculous. Outside Africa, a continent whose economic growth has been continually stunted by bad government, that just does not happen. Sir Martin Sorrells WPP media group recently published a booklet called Brand Building In The BRICs. In it he noted that the BRIC economies are united by their size and potential, but they are quite different in their economic and cultural backgrounds. They are also developing at different rates. In many ways Brazil is more sophisticated than Russia, but the oil boom has made the latter awash with cash. India has a bias towards software and the creative arts. But all are in hot pursuit of the West, in the firm belief that anything we can do they can do better. Time, perhaps, for us to run a bit faster. Anthony Hilton is City editor of the Evening Standard.

Singapore is inculcating its science students in the arts and culture. If theyre ahead of the curve, why cant we be?

Number crunching the BRICs and beyond

17

Years it took the Indian legal system to confirm that a company could fire an employee who had repeatedly slept on the job.

25%

The proportion of Silicon Valley firms started by Indian or Chinese entrepreneurs.

130,000 150,000

200 53p

The number of affluent Chinese consumers under the age of 30. The amount a Chinese company typically makes from exporting a cheap DVD player.

The number of IT staff employed in Silicon Valley. The number of IT staff employed in Bangalore.

11,000,000 1,700,000 19

10.50 46%

Jobs the Chinese economy will create in 2006. Jobs the American economy has created in the last year. The number of iF product design awards won by Brazilian companies in 2006.

The amount the foreign patent holder makes from the export of that same DVD player. The predicted annual growth in the value of the Korean design industry until 2010. By then, it is estimated the Korean design industry will be worth 2bn.

Lord of the rings: Rio designer Antonio Bernardo Herrmann won several categories in the 2006 iF product design awards with his jewellery

is protected to stimulate growth and exploit the competitive advantage of low costs. These economies evolve if they can do two things: stop relying on imported technology by investing in R&D and transfer this new competence into higher value-added products. But without a serious design capability the economy will struggle to turn technological possibility into reality. In the new emerging economies this transition has partly been financed by foreign money. But then this is an age when production has been globalised, the skills of returnees from abroad are a precious economic resource and the dynamics of the market have encouraged the globalisation of innovation. Some R&D centres in developed economies are, as cynics say, PR&D investments made for public relations benefits but many arent. China has used the lure of a massive domestic market and a pool of cheap, educated labour (China has roughly four times as many graduate engineers as the US) to persuade multinationals to invest in over 600 R&D centres. At the same time, China, India, Korea and Singapore have pumped billions into state R&D programmes, while Thailand and Vietnam have signalled their intent to raise their game. In the West, Americas federal spend on R&D in science has slipped as a proportion of GDP while the European Union looks set to miss its own target of spending 3% of GDP on R&D by 2010. China, India, Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan have all realised that design is core to their long-term plans to diversify economically (all have targeted the creative industries: China, with characteristic ambition, has planned for its creative sector to grow by 20% year on year), encourage innovation and develop more global brands or, in Chinas case, one global brand. For China, the need to master its own design is urgent: it is

The idea that China and India will be content to focus on call centres and soft toys is comforting nonsense

already losing manufacturing jobs to Vietnam. Although 600 million Chinese live on less than 3 a day, salaries on the coast have soared and some multinationals prefer to invest in Vietnam. China took roughly 272 years to build the Great Wall. Its dedication to design in all its forms is almost as impressive. While the aphorism about lies and statistics is especially applicable to China, reasonably reputable research suggests there may be as many as 400 design schools in China and, though this may sound incredible, as many as 200,000 industrial design students (compared to 4,000 in the US). Yet many Chinese designers feel, angrily, that their skills are disregarded as companies obsess over costs and chase short-term sales. That may change if the government puts a proper design policy in place. But attitudes are already shifting. Lenovo, the Chinese PC manufacturer built on IBMs old PC business, is trying to pull itself out of the doldrums partly by hiring Dell executives and partly by embracing design thinking in its broadest sense. You can read a lot of quasi-racist nonsense about how Chinas inherent inability to innovate dooms it to be the low-cost mass-market WalMart of the industrial superpowers. Yet the real question is not whether a nation that invented gunpowder, football and printing can think innovatively, its where that thinking will lead. Most countries with Chinas GDP per head have had to accede, to some degree, to popular demands for political involvement. How will the Chinese government react if that happens? Or will the populace be content to enjoy the rewards of economic growth even if those gains are inequitably distributed? These questions arent just relevant to China. Russian president Vladimir Putin has recently performed the public ritual obligatory for every head of state of a wannabe economic superpower get up on a podium and announce a government plan to make his country more innovative. But he must balance similar concerns to Chinas as he strives to remake Russias economy following, in a neat reversal of how things used to be in the Communist era, Chinas blueprint for success. Unlike China and Russia, India does have a national design policy, but in Indias case this doesnt really matter. Indias remarkable economic growth 7.5% a year from 2002 to 2006 has been achieved despite the state, not because of it. In the 1950s India suffered what is now jokingly referred to as the Hindu growth rate as economic growth was stifled by regulation. Among the more quixotic laws was the small-scale industry act which protected certain markets from big business. In practice, this meant that a company making pencils could never hire more than a certain number of staff, otherwise it would have to stop making pencils. In the 1980s such regulations began to be shredded as India was shaken by economic crises. Today a vibrant entrepreneurial culture has made India a world leader in certain sectors, notably IT, and with world leadership has

16/17

Bangkoks shops have turned to old designs to woo buyers. Yet, while preserving traditions, Thailand has invested in a massive new design centre

Fingers on the buzzers: the globalisation quiz Convinced that BRICs etc is just a load of hype? Answer these ten simple questions and see if you change your mind 1) Which South East Asian country has just seen the launch of only the second foreign language edition of the glossy style bible Wallpaper*? a) Vietnam b) Indonesia c) Thailand 2) Which emerging economic power launched a 15-year plan in 2006 to make innovation a national buzz word and more than double the share of its gross domestic product spent on R&D? a) Russia b) China c) Turkey 3) Earlier this year British fashion designer Mark Eley oversaw the launch of a brand new fashion institute. What country was this in? a) Singapore b) India c) Russia 4) By 2010, where will the worlds largest digital movie archive be? a) Hollywood b) Beijing c) Singapore 5) By 2010, India will have 2.3 million people working in IT. But how great a shortfall will that leave the country with? a) 100,000 b) 250,000 c) 500,000 6) How many Fortune 500 companies have their own R&D facilities in India? a) 75 b) 100 c) 150 7) Within ten years, which country do experts predict will account for 30% of luxury goods sales? a) Australia b) China c) Russia 8) The Vietnamese Ministry of Industry set a new target for motorbike sales last year. How many does the country plan to export by 2010? a) 500,000 b) 1,000,000 c) 2,000,000 9) What nationality is the designer of Googles logo? a) Chinese b) Russian c) Korean 10) Which country has recently pledged to order one million specially designed Linuxbased laptops to distribute free of charge to disadvantaged children? a) Brazil b) USA c) South Africa

Answers 1 Thailand 2 China 3 Singapore 4 Beijing 5 500,000 6 150 7 China 8 2,000,000 9 Dennis Hwang is Korean10 Brazil

18/19
Working knowledge The bottom line on nine of the worlds most significant emerging economies Brazil Population 183.9 million GDP 318.9bn GDP growth 4.9% Foreign direct investment 9.6bn Literacy rate 88.6% Percentage of population using the internet 12 Percentage of population using mobile phones 26.4 Local knowledge In population and land mass, Brazil is one of the worlds biggest countries. So Paolo, the worlds fourth largest city, has a population of 18.3 million and an economy bigger than Argentinas. Some 80% of Brazilians live in urban areas, fuelling economic development and inequality: one in eight Brazilians lives on less than 53p a day. Living conditions are improving. Infant mortality fell by over a third between 1990 and 2000. Over 87% of Brazilians have access to an improved water source and after an aggressive health campaign, deaths from HIV/ AIDS have more than halved. Studies suggest that Brazilian industry needs to more than double its spending on R&D to boost innovation. Foreign investment in Brazil has doubled over the past 15 years and should grow as the power and banking sectors are privatised. But investment has fluctuated whenever crime or social unrest fill the headlines. The Brazilian government has promoted design abroad since 1995. It has launched a design exhibition in So Paolo and wants to increase its cache of awards. Strengths Brazil has ample natural resources: water, coffee, soya beans, tobacco, meat, pulp, wood, steel, iron and aluminium are in abundance. And labour costs are low. The 1990s saw a surge in foreign investment in manufacturing, especially in cars and consumer durables. This and sluggish domestic demand have made Brazil more export conscious. Trade with China is growing rapidly and the Brazilian company Embraer is one of the worlds largest aircraft manufacturers. The 26 million Brazilians who access the internet spend over 19 hours online a month more than Japanese users. Brazil has been slammed for the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest but after new laws, shrinkage was down by a third in 2004/05. Brazil are favourites to host the 2014 World Cup, which should be a massive boost to the nations infrastructure. Uniquely, Brazil generates over 95% of its electricity from hydroelectric power, but coal reserves in the south and natural gas in the north must be tapped to spread the economic miracle nationwide. Weaknesses Scepticism. In international development circles they quip: Brazil is an emerging country and always will be. In So Paolo a poor person might spend a fifth of their income on transport and take 2.5 hours getting to work. Pollution. Up to 40,000 tonnes of household waste a day 40% of the total isnt even collected in Brazil. Brazil is the industrial power where the gap between rich and poor yawns widest a burden on the public purse. In some states pensions account for half of public spending. Brazilians use the term custo Brazil for the red tape, fees, complex tax system and odd labour laws that ratchet up the cost of doing business. Brazil is much less open to trade than China. The Chinese tradable goods sector is eight times as large as Brazils. China Population 1.3 billion GDP 1 trillion GDP growth 10.1% Foreign direct investment 29bn Literacy rate 90.9% Percentage of population using the internet 7.25 Percentage of population using mobile phones 50 Local knowledge China is the worlds fastest growing major economy expanding by 11% in the first half of 2006. China is spending 20.6bn on the 2008 Beijing Olympics, improving urban infrastructure, reducing traffic and creating thousands of jobs. Beijings economy is expected to grow by 20% by 2008. China opened its first specialised design school only 23 years ago. Now it boasts more than 400. Beijings Tsinghua University is putting the finishing touches to a vast new design facility, while Guangzhous Academy of Fine Arts has the capacity for 3,000 industrial design students. Chinas massive capital investments mean that its factories are, on average, only 7.2 years old, compared to 16.9 in the US. Chinese women are unlikely to invest in fake tans. A bronzed look suggests they work outdoors or have arrived from a farm. They prefer the lighter skin tone of professionals. Strengths China has a vast pool of cheap labour. Manufacturers know they must improve products to export them, so China is experiencing a design boom. Hundreds of design consultancies are springing up around the country. By 2020 China intends to spend 59.1bn annually on R&D and invest 2.5% of GDP in science and technology. Almost 20% of Chinas exports are high-tech. Computers and office equipment are the biggest exports. Chinese computer maker Lenovo bought IBMs PC division last year. Direct foreign investment in China keeps growing. Fuelled by tax rebates to foreign investors, banking, tourism, health and education are being flooded with Western capital. Outsourced manufacturing is booming. Experts predict FDI will hit 31.7bn in a few years. Weaknesses Political uncertainty. How long can China offer economic but not political freedom? Pollution is costing the country roughly 10% of its GDP. Economic development is being hindered by a shortage of resources, a fragile ecological balance and poverty in rural areas. China has to manage growth carefully to ensure the economy doesnt overheat and ramp up inflation. China is in a race to get rich before it gets old. Its estimated that by 2050 a third of the workforce 432 million people will be over 60. Lack of protection of intellectual property deters many Western companies from doing business in China. India Population 1.1 billion GDP 365bn GDP growth 6.9% Foreign direct investment 2.7bn Literacy rate 61.0% Percentage of population using the internet 3.2 Percentage of population using mobile phones 2.5 Local knowledge Services account for half of Indias economy, the second fastest growing in the world. Google, IBM and Microsoft all have R&D centres in Bangalore or Hyderabad. IBM employs 39,000 staff in India. Thirty-six million Indians are unemployed but there are more middle class people 250 million in India than in either the US or Europe. Bollywood now makes more films than Hollywood. Strengths The IT sector is booming thanks to the rise and rise of

come the recognition that the design industry can no longer prosper simply by imitation. The government has identified that it wants India to become a global design hub, is committed to a network of centres of excellence and forecasts that design will be worth 56m to its economy by 2009. But that industry is fragmented and will need restructuring. Also, to the chagrin of its industrial designers, unlike China India doesnt have a booming manufacturing sector. Official recognition of the importance of design will help but, in India and Brazil, counts for less than the entrepreneurial verve of design firms. If you measure both countries by the industry awards they win, they have proved theyre not simply cheaper, they can be better. But both may fail if they dont get their support systems right. Compared to China, Brazil and India attract less foreign investment, spend less on R&D and train fewer graduates in science and technology. Much has been invested by emerging economies in the creative industries in general and in design in particular, but has this strategy really paid off? So far, the most spectacular gains have

come not in design but in the entertainment industry and digital media. Indias movie industry is looking beyond Bollywood. The fact that you can make an animated movie for 10m in India (compared to 50m in the US) has helped Indias animation industry grow by 30% a year. The TV series of Star Wars will be made by George Lucas in Singapore. Baidu, the fast growing internet company that looks set to shake off the tag of being the Chinese Google) has won a Nasdaq listing and, given that 38 new internet users log on in China every minute, its prospects dont look too grim. These economies may not have all the design capabilities they need. The investment in hightech facilities like Thailands impressively swanky design centre in Bangkok may smack too much of the Field Of Dreams if you build it they will come philosophy for some. Whats most impressive is not how far these countries have to travel, its how far they have already come. Dont be too surprised if, ten years from now, your car is made and designed in China, Toy Story 7 is made in India and the new Vivienne Westwood is Brazilian.

The Indian scrutiny: the challenge facing prime minister Manmohan Singh
Indias miraculous growth is not based on low-cost manufacturing and manual labour. Instead, Indias revvedup service sector is fuelling the countrys economy particularly its famed IT sector. Indian software and businessprocess outsourcing exports are predicted to reach 18bn by 2008. The IT sector is a shining example of the success of prime minister Manmohan Signhs reforms. As finance minister in 1991 he introduced sweeping changes to revive Indias ossified economy. A well-educated and able technocrat, Singh has sought to introduce a mixed economy to India. While that does not mean wholesale liberalisation, he does insist it means, getting government out of getting activities where we are not very efficient, and focusing on areas where we feel markets alone cannot provide what our people need basic education and healthcare and environmental protection measures. What this means practically is that many of the barriers to private sector growth have been removed from prohibitive trade tariffs, industrial licensing laws and protectionist barriers to foreign direct investment. Without these changes the countrys IT industry would not be where it is today, but paradoxically much of its success is due to the failures of the state. Firstly, Indians have a remarkable entrepreneurial spirit. Where the state has failed to provide, individuals have stepped in to deliver basic human requirements. These entrepreneurs are resilient, fighting off rivals and officious bureaucrats. Secondly, Indias muchvaunted educated classes, vital to the booming knowledge economy, were often privately educated. Few people have faith in national schools and even members of the most disadvantaged castes strive to send their children to one of the countrys many thriving private institutions. NIIT Technologies, for example, has 4,000 learning centres in India and has trained some four million students. Though widely credited with aiding Indias IT explosion, it has been refused government accreditation. Singhs task is to ensure the government is an active help not a hindrance to Indias industry. As well as further liberalisation, the government must invest in education, protect intellectual property more effectively and help spread the IT booms riches beyond Bangalore and Hyderabad. If, in his spare time, he could minimise the environmental damage Indias growth is causing, that would be nice too. But perhaps Singhs biggest challenge is to reconcile the two nations India is increasingly becoming. His is a country where, in Bangalore, an urban technogeek can juggle his iPod and mobile, while less than an hour away, in a small village, an elderly father is drawing water by hand from an empty well.

Government should get out of activities where were not efficient and focus on what the markets cant provide

Chinese manufacturers share of the world market for:

televisions computer monitors radios cameras air conditioners refrigerators

38 42 70 50 30 16

Local knowledge By 2050, 430 million Chinese will be over 60; Russia has 27 billionaires; a Vietnamese designer may earn 158 a month outsourcing: India expects to control 51% of the outsourcing market for software and backoffice services by 2008. Indias vast amount of English-speaking scientific professionals is second only to the US. A young workforce means that by 2020 it will have one of the best dependency ratios the balance between workers and dependents of any major economy. The new National Institute of Fashion Technology aims to promote Indian textiles and fashion goods worldwide. Pharmaceutical companies are booming as a result of making generic drugs. The giant Ranbaxy generates 80% of its revenues from overseas. Weaknesses Corruption deters foreign investors. High trade tariffs, restrictive investment, planning and labour laws hinder economic development. Indias government deficit was 7% of GDP in 2005. The economic revolution may leave many behind particularly those in rural populations and women. Indias boom, led by services and especially IT, relies on educated workers. Vocational training in basic trades such as plumbing is poor. Basic education, healthcare and drinking water have been woefully managed. Industrialisation has fuelled indiscriminate use of forests for energy, and drives towards food security have caused falling water tables and contamination by pesticides and fertilisers. High duties on new cars have kept older, dirtier vehicles on the road, which, coupled with Indias uncontrolled urbanisation, jeopardises air quality. Russia Population 143.8 million GDP 307bn GDP growth 7.1% Foreign direct investment 6.6bn Literacy rate 99.4% Percentage of population using the internet 11.1 Percentage of population using mobile phones 24.9 Local knowledge Russia is the worlds largest country, stretching over 11 time zones. It is the worlds leading producer of natural gas. Only Saudi Arabia pumps more oil. Rising oil prices have helped the country pay off most of its enormous debt. One hundred Russians die every hour. The United Nations predicted that at this rate Russias population will shrink by a third by 2050. In 2004 there were more abortions (1.6 million) than births (1.5 million). Economic reform has stalled and foreign direct investment remains comparatively low, though it is growing slowly. Russia has 27 billionaires more than any other country in the world apart from the US. Strengths High levels of education and science, engineering and mathematical expertise attracts American investors such as Xerox, IBM, and Intel. Russian engineers are renowned for their crossdisciplinary thinking. One million Russians work in R&D, the largest number in the world. A lack of materials and equipment has forced researchers to think outside the box to solve problems. Cheaper land and labour and high growth rates have attracted European investors. Weaknesses Russia has an uneven distribution of economic development. Technologically focused Moscow contributes to a third of the countrys GDP with a tenth of its population. The economy relies on the export of oil, natural gas, metals and timber and could be easily affected by fluctuations in world prices. The banking system is riddled with corruption despite attempts to normalise it. Russia struggles to shrug off the image that it is becoming a virtual autocracy and a haven for the worlds fastest growing mafia. Russia faces massive environmental problems. Singapore Population 4.2 million GDP 53.4bn GDP growth 8.4% Foreign direct investment 8.5bn Literacy rate 92.5% Percentage of population using the internet 57.1 Percentage of population using mobile phones 85.3 Local knowledge Singapore has one of the highest per capita GDP in the world and the fourth largest foreign exchange trading centre after London, New York and Tokyo. In 2005 the Economist ranked Singapore as top for standard of living in Asia and the 11th best in the world. Agriculture accounts for none of Singapores GDP. Instead, industry accounts for 35% and services for 65%. It has a huge potential market on its doorstep 2.8 billion people live within a seven-hour flight of Singapore. As part of a new Design Singapore initiative, the government wants to make the city-state a global design hub, attracting design departments from multinationals and major design agencies to the island. Strengths Recognising a need to strengthen innovation, Singapore has invested 4bn in the Science & Technology Plan 2010, which will bring investments in R&D up to 3% of GDP, and pumped 528m into its arts infrastructure. It has comparatively sophisticated industries in electronics, biotechnology and financial services. More than 3,000 multinationals from the US, Japan and Europe invest in Singapores economy, which is the worlds most business-friendly, according to the World Bank. Judged in terms of business tonnage, the port of Singapore is the busiest in the world. Weaknesses Shortage of labour in services and low-skilled jobs. Singapores corruption-free polity comes at a price. Many see the island as an illiberal one-party state. The islands reliance on exports can be severely hit by global conditions. SARS panic disrupted trade and tourism. Bird flu may yet do the same. Singaporeans have not always been encouraged to be flexible thinkers. Decreeing that they become creative overnight may simply not work. South Korea Population 48.1 million GDP 358.9bn GDP growth 4.6% Foreign direct investment 4.3bn Literacy rate 98% Percentage of population using the internet 65.7 Percentage of population using mobile phones 70.1 Local knowledge South Korea has the second highest number of broadband internet connections per capita in the world and boasts some of the most innovative online gaming companies. Internationally recognised brands Samsung, LG, Hyundai and Daewoo originated from the Korean chaebol large family-run conglomerates that have restructured themselves for a global market. South Korea has the lowest fertility rate in the world: 1.08. If that continues, there will be six million fewer Koreans by 2050. The World Bank ranks South Korea fifth in its knowledge economy table, which takes account of education, innovation and information infrastructure. Exports drive the South Korean economy but the agricultural sector remains heavily protected until 2014. Strengths Economic growth has been spurred by the export of quality electronic equipment such as computer games, mobile phones and semiconductors. South Korea has been promoting industrial design since 1993. By 2007 it hopes its design industry will compete with developed countries. Ironically, the expansion in design education the number of graduates rose by 27% between 1998 and 2002 has led some to worry the country may, in the near future, have too many designers. The economy could expand further as the country increases trade with China. Government is committed to a free-trade agreement with America, despite domestic protests. South Korea are bidding for the 2014 Winter Olympics. After attracting the Olympics in 1988 and the World Cup in 2002 (with Japan), the country is building its brand through high-profile events and investment. Weaknesses South Korea has restructured much of its economy since the economic crisis of 1997/98, but is yet to liberalise it fully. By 2050 the workforce will be one of the oldest in the world, with over half of the population being over 50. North Korea with whom the South has yet to sign a peace treaty almost certainly have a nuclear weapon, straining the republics relations with traditional ally America. The opening up of the rice market to foreign competition could be socially and economically traumatic. Protection of intellectual property remains an issue. Thailand Population 63.7 million GDP 85.4bn GDP growth 6.2% Foreign direct investment 740m Literacy rate 96% Percentage of population using the internet 11 Percentage of population using mobile phones 39.4 Local knowledge Thailand is the only South East Asian country never to have been colonised by

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Projected GDP in 2050
bn

Brazil China India Russia UK US

4,244.1 25,677.6 14,398.1 2,357.6 2,678.7 19,912.6

a European power. Between 1983 and 1993, Thailand was the worlds second fastest growing economy behind China. Thailands economy relies heavily on exports. High-tech exports are worth 18.5bn. Donna Karan, Neiman Marcus, Gumps, Saks Fifth Avenue and Armani Casa have all sourced homeware accessories from Chiang Mai city. Princess Siriwanwaree Mahidol has had her fashion designs shown at Milan. The 2006 coup was the nations 18th in 60 years. Strengths Relatively good governance despite the recent coup. Ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatras Keynesian-style Thaksinomics helped stimulate the economy and run a balanced budget. The governments 26.4bn Mega Projects public works scheme should improve the nations infrastructure. After the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the government set up the Orwellian-sounding Office of Knowledge Management and Development to transform Thailand into a knowledge economy. Bilateral trade agreements with China are increasing exports to that vast market. Thailand has explicitly prioritised design, establishing a design centre and branding Bangkok a Design City. Weaknesses The tsunami cost Thailand over 37m and hit tourism 5% of Thailands GDP very hard. The number of passengers at Phuket Airport halved in 2005. A shortfall of skilled engineers could hamper productivity and creativity. Thailand should produce more high-tech items: a surge of machinery, vehicle and electronic equipment imports suggests it is falling behind. While Bangkok has basked in economic growth, the north remains crippled by poverty, though the poverty headcount fell by 10% from 2000 to 2004. Stories about sex tourism,

drugs, coups and the longrunning civil war in the south have marred Thailands image. Turkey Population 71.7 million GDP 159.9bn GDP growth 8.9% Foreign direct investment 1.4bn Literacy rate 97.7% Percentage of population using the internet 14.3 Percentage of population using mobile phones 39.4 Local knowledge Turkeys traditionally volatile economy is enjoying sustained growth after market-oriented reforms lowered inflation. In 2005 GDP growth was 7.5%, a contrast to 2001 when the economy shrank by 7.5%. Turkey is still trying to enter the EU. Cyprus and the countrys human rights record are barriers. Last year Turkey established its first interior design award, the Design Turkey: Interior Design Award, to recognise excellence in design and architecture across public, private and civic projects. Textiles account for 7.6bn of Turkeys exports. A law introduced in 2005 makes insulting a Turk, the Republic or the Turkish National Assembly a criminal offence punishable by three years in prison. The authorities are now reconsidering this law after an international outcry. Strengths The Turkish Research Area was recently established to promote R&D, increase the number of researchers by 42% to 40,000 by 2010, raise science and technology awareness and support development of a space programme. Governmentallocated funding to R&D rose considerably in 2005 and 2006. State-owned alcohol, tobacco and oil refining companies are all being privatised, after the successful sale of some banks. Foreign direct investment is finally soaring: up to around 5bn in 2005 and 2006.

Turkey has a large, cheap and flexible workforce. The public sector has, financially, begun to puts its house in order, with realistic budgeting and accounting. Weaknesses Turkey faces tough domestic issues, including the threat of Islamic fundamentalism within its borders and conflicts with Armenians and Kurds. Weak enforcement of intellectual property rights has led Turkey to underperform in patent applications. Unemployment is at 10%, though this may not reflect reality. Half of employment isnt registered, narrowing the countrys tax base. Businesses can pay over the odds for gas, electricity and telecoms services. The agricultural sector is backward employing 30% of the workforce and supplying only 12% of GDP and needs reforming, though the political will to do so is lacking. Vietnam Population 82.2 million GDP 27.7bn GDP growth 8.4% Foreign direct investment 1.3bn Literacy rate 90.3% Percentage of population using the internet 7.1 Percentage of population using mobile phones 3. 4 Local knowledge Vietnam has proportionally fewer people living on less than $1 a day than India, China and the Philippines. Exports soared by 25% in 2006. The country will soon export more rice than Thailand and already sells tea to India. That boom hasnt been fuelled by high-tech exports. Yet. Foreign investors include Intel, Hutchison Telecom, Nike and MTV. In 2005 foreign investment was 49% higher than in 2004 with shoes, textiles and electronics benefiting most. There are probably 1,000 firms that specialise in publishing, advertising and design. A designer can expect

to earn 158 a month. Foreign companies especially in Japan have begun to use Vietnamese design but many of Vietnams small and medium-sized businesses prefer a DIY approach to design. There has, as yet, been no massive investment in design centres. Tourism is an emerging sector. The city of Da Nang is benefiting from a 422m input into its tourist business. Strengths Cheap and comparatively well-educated labour. Every year 1.5 million new job seekers enter the labour market. Vietnam also has a good location for the South East Asian market. The Vietnam Communist Partys new ruling triumvirate recognises that economic growth depends on the privatisation of thousands of state firms. The population seems happy to accept the current regime as long as it delivers improved public services and economic prosperity. The country already has a massive crude oil industry and is now investing in refining capacity. Sustainability is already part of government policy. The state is on course to meet targets to increase forest cover by a third from 1998 to 2010. Weaknesses Even after reforms, complex rules and procedures for foreign investors deter many companies. The government is racing to invest in improving its dodgy infrastructure especially power stations, roads and railways to maintain economic growth. Investment could be delayed by any global recession and side effects of entry into the World Trade Organisation. Industrial relations arent great there was a wave of strikes earlier this year. The government, despite making the right noises, hasnt really tackled copyright piracy.

Design Council Magazine

Issue 1 Winter 2006

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Todays essential creative tool isnt a pencil or laptop its the Post-it note

Innovative design relies on teamwork, not technology, and the guts to risk failure. Here are ten teams that prove the point
Article by Vici MacDonald

Which of these three images most accurately defines design: a) a pen and sketch pad; b) a computer and mouse; or c) a wall plastered with Post-it notes? Non-designers usually waver between pad and computer (depending on their opinion of hand-crafting versus technology). But for anyone involved in design, the most accurate visual metaphor is the wall full of Post-it notes. The non-designers choice is understandable. It portrays design as a solo activity, a slick piece of graphics or a sexily sleek gadget. This stereotype of creatives as maverick lone wolves, brilliant but highly-strung egotists, is ingrained in our culture: from Leonardo da Vinci and his visionary but unworkable sketches to those IKEA ads featuring a beret-clad designer incensed that IKEA is making good design available to the masses. Theres one small problem with this stereotype. Its rubbish. The clich suggests a selfish process, in which the designers taste is foisted on the client, and reduces designs role to prettifying. In truth, the most innovative designs are the fruit of inspired, objective teamwork, with wellresearched solutions founded on a solid understanding of the end-user leaving little scope for hissy fits from IKEA-style drama queens.

But what about that undisputed lone genius Leonardo? Renaissance princes didnt, alas, assemble multidisciplinary R&D departments, so he struggled on with his myriad ideas alone. Many of his inventions would take an experienced team years to develop, even today so its no wonder most never left his sketchpad. If hed collaborated with a talented, dedicated team of specialists, how much more might he have achieved? Like most designers, Leonardo was a problemsolver. Imaginative problem-solvers can analyse their underlying assumptions, structures and processes and rethink, from first principles, whats needed to make them function better. Form follows function. This principle which applies to everything from teapots to transport systems adds far more value than mere styling. So, just what do the Post-it notes stand for? On a practical level, theyre reminders of the ideas and responsibilities a designer must bear in mind. Creatively, theyre brainstorming tools. Metaphorically, they represent the concept of teamwork. Turn the page for ten case studies that show the power of imaginative collaboration, teamwork and process-driven thinking.

Aston Martin Design: In-house Aston Martin may be 93 years old but the marque remains futuristic enough for James Bond and trendy enough to feature in a Pussycat Dolls song. Underpinning this success is the companys proprietary VH (vertical/ horizontal) architecture, a strong, light aluminium and carbon fibre platform that allows design flexibility and rapid development. The engineering and design teams work closely together, allying leading-edge technology with traditional hand-assembly to create sinuous lines that would be simply impossible with mass production. Body shapes are honed in a wind tunnel before being viewed under varying lighting conditions. Practicality is valued as much as beauty; the famous swan wing doors allow better kerb access, while the trademark grille has been resculpted to improve stability.

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Cycloc Design: Andrew Lang Product Design Framestore CFC Design: In-house If the companys name isn't familiar, its mind-blowing digital illusions will be. Europes biggest visual effects and animation studio has won nearly 100 awards including 13 Emmys and two Oscars for work such as the BBCs Walking With Dinosaurs series, the Harry Potter films and Troy. The team is as diverse as its work: backgrounds range from fine art to computer science. Framestore revels in developing software tools which become industry standards. And most of it happens in a Soho HQ resembling a colourful caf. Fed up with bikes in his hall, industrial designer Andrew Lang set about improving on the unsightly two-hook storage. Realising a bike could support its own weight from a single point, he invented the awardladen Cycloc surely the coolest way of hanging a bike from a wall. This D&AD-awardwinning design holds all frame angles. Lang teamed up with Inspired Recycling part of the governments London Remade initiative which assisted with everything from tooling to promotion and introduced Lang to recycling experts. The 100% recycled plastic black model is very popular. The Cycloc is a minimalistic triumph of form, function and social awareness.

Anglepoise task lamps Design / redesign: George Carwardine / Kenneth Grange The name may now be generic for articulated lamps but theres only one true Anglepoise, still made in Hampshire by the family firm that invented it in 1933. Its pivoting arm, based on the constant tension principle, gives it flexibility with stability. In 2001, as modern versions languished in budget office catalogues, the company asked industrial design legend Kenneth Grange to step in. He revised two iconic models, repositioning the lamps as practical classics. Anglepoises fortunes swiftly improved. The range has been imaginatively expanded and you can now buy eco-friendly kits to rewire the original 70-year-old lamps.

Boots to phones

Motorola RAZR V3 Design: In-house engineering and design teams Motorolas supermodel-slim RAZR (pronounced Razor) mobile phone turned the American company around. It was intended as expensive, low-volume window-dressing until the adventurous development team set about secretly inventing the worlds thinnest mobile. A new executive recognised the models brilliance, resulting in sales nearly matching Apples ubiquitous iPod.

How does a company best known 40 years ago for its Wellington boots become a world leader in mobile phones? Easy, says Mark Mason, Nokias head of design culture: by innovating Nokia have driven innovation in the mobile phone industry. In 1992 we were the first company to bring the GSM portable telephone to market now it is the worlds most popular standard for mobile phones. We created changeable covers, spawning the accessory covers industry, and introduced SMS messaging, which is now in every competitors product. In 2001 we put cameras in phones, and Nokia became the largest manufacturer of digital cameras. Innovation is extremely important. Thats why our design teams are multidisciplinary, drawing on people from industrial design, graphic design, colours and materials and experts from the fashion and car industries. Some focus on user experience, others dig deeply into trends. This keeps innovation focused. To stay innovative, you must take risks. Nokia has always done that, most recently with our Nseries nextgeneration multimedia devices. Packing so much into product could be seen as a risk but because we research with people, the risk is calculated. We use study groups and look at behaviour patterns around devices. We recognise that capturing photos and videos is fun and has a social aspect of sharing with friends. Innovation is a buzz word and innovation consultants are springing up everywhere, but you cant become an innovative company overnight. Companies should identify which groups can contribute towards innovation. At Nokia the design group is valued in the corporate structure, working with brand, retail and R&D. Company culture ensures teams talk the same language. Nokia doesnt try to create an ivory tower or an advance think tank with innovative concepts. Its a collaborative approach within the business.

Grand Theft Auto Design: Rockstar North/ Rockstar Games Britain had a head start in computer games, thanks to Sir Clive Sinclairs affordable design classic, the Spectrum. Grand Theft Auto the worlds biggestselling game series was the brainchild of Edinburgh team Rockstar North, whose parent company Rockstar Games is an affiliation of development studios in Europe and the USA. While controversial for its sex and violence, this technically and visually brilliant saga of dangerous driving and petty larceny is incredibly addictive thanks to beautiful cityscapes, wry scripts voiced by Hollywood actors and its immense freedom of choice for players.

Alessi Design: Carlo Alessi among many others Famed for its funky, design-led stainless steel homeware, Alessi was founded by meticulous metal worker Giovanni Alessi in 1921. His son Carlo, an industrial designer, pioneered its concern with aesthetics. Carlos son Alberto, the current MD, likens the firm to an industrial research lab in the applied arts field. Philippe Starck, Jasper Morrison and Zaha Hadid have all designed little masterpieces for the company. High-profile but unsuccessful collaborations include Philippe Starcks Hot Bertaa kettle.The minimalist kettle needed an instruction manual to use. But for Alberto, failure is integral to innovation. The firm expects at least one major fiasco a year. Without them, he says, Alessi would lose its design leadership.

Decathlon Quechua 2-Second Tent Design: In-house This multi-award-winning tent is self-erecting: toss it in the air and two seconds later its open on the ground, ready to peg down. Its big enough for two, yet swiftly folds up into a neat carry-sack. Its simplicity and modest price have opened camping up to all, creating new markets and triggering huge sales. Novel ideas abound, from the fibreglass spring hoops that make it work to its hip mySpace web page. Its just one of many innovations from Decathlon, a French sporting goods company whose design team has grown from ten to around 100 in the last decade. The multidisciplinary crew develops all products in-house via the highly collaborative Imaginew brainstorming programme which consults a multitude of clients and employees to come up with a blizzard of radical concepts with built-in wow factor.

Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Suite Design: Virgin Atlantic in-house design team / Pearson Lloyd / Softroom / Design Q / DHA Virgins D&AD-award-winning Upper Class Suite features a free bar, spa and revolutionary armchairs that become jumbosized beds at a touch. Cubicles are arranged in a sociable herringbone configuration likened to a poolside lounge and have moveable partitions. Virgin Atlantic, one of the few airlines with an in-house design team, collaborated with external teams on this bold 70m project. Following Virgins brief of natural glamour, futuristically-inclined architects Softroom developed the overall design. The leather seats were developed with transport experts Design Q. The Suite has boosted passenger numbers and the high-end expertise will enhance future economy travel.

Poland Branding: Saffron If anyone can rebrand an entire country, its Wally Olins CBE. Famed for his work at corporate ID giants Wolff Olins, in 2001 he set up the much smaller Saffron. Around 20 in-house specialists consult with experts such as psychologists, economists and even theatre performers. Clients include social agencies, think tanks and Poland. According to Olins: Poland was seen as poor, grey and inhabited by peasants. To change this perception, Olinss strategy calls for inspiring architecture, a revival of the Polish film industry and for the country to become famed for exporting products, not people.

Design Council Magazine

Issue 1 Winter 2006

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Smile. Be spontaneous. And more innovative.


Singaporeans are used to being told what to do. But can Fusionopolis, a super-sized futuristic high-tech temple, make them creative? And, asks Erica Goodey, is it the best way to make cities more innovative places?

Life would be simpler for Singapores leaders if they could pass a law making all 4.3 million citizens more innovative. This is a state that, ten years ago, gave immigration officers small mirrors so they could check they were smiling enough while on duty. The mirrors symbolise 40 years of state micro-management. Another time, citizens were urged by officialdom with no irony intended to be spontaneous. Sci-fi novelist William Gibson, visiting in the 1990s, sniffed: If IBM had ever bothered to actually possess a physical country, that country might resemble Singapore. Theres a certain white-shirted constraint, an absolute humorlessness; conformity is the prime directive and the fuzzier brands of creativity are in short supply. Imagine an Asian Zurich operating as an offshore capsule at the foot of Malaysia; an affluent microcosm whose citizens inhabit something that feels like Disneyland with the death penalty. Prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, son of the states founding father Lee Yuan Kew, knows that, to remain viable, his country must shake off that image and become globally famous for innovation and creativity. The most powerful symbol of his ambitious national rebranding is Fusionopolis, a 158m centre bearing an eerie resemblance to New Yorks Twin Towers, that is designed, so the projects spin doctors say, as a playground for the creative,

Fusionopolis may look futuristic but its based on an old-fashioned, technologyfocused view of innovation

innovative and visionary. Fusionopolis is the third super-sized government-backed project (all branded with the Greek word polis) in a 490-acre development near the centre of Singapore called one-north. These futuristic-looking projects the first two were Biopolis (the biotech centre) and Infopolis (IT) have led some wags to quip that Singapore is becoming a polis state. But Fusionopolis is no joke. It is the shiny hub of Singapores bid to move up the value chain to protect its economy from low-cost neighbours, become one of the worlds ten most competitive design hubs and take its rightful place as a great media city like London, LA and New York. By the end of 2007, phase one a 120,000m2 tower designed by the Japanese architect Dr Kisho Kurokawa will house 3,000 scientists, IT experts and creative types (including the Media Development Agency tasked with doing what the name suggests) in what the makers call a living testbed packed with offices, labs, incubators, seminar rooms, experimental spaces and more cutting-edge technology than was ever imagined in the collected works of Jules Verne. The hope is that small businesses which Singapore doesnt have enough of will move in to what Kurokawa calls an official bohemia, a concept that, anywhere else in the world, would be regarded as a stupendous contradiction in terms. Many staff will live nearby in chic condominiums, using the shops, restaurants, fitness club and theatre that are all designed, in the vein of that famous Be spontaneous campaign, to encourage the kind of off-the-cuff encounters that have been crucial to human creativity since Athenss golden age in 500-323 BC. The Fusionopolis towers the second should be complete in 2009 are the epicentre of

By 2008, Fusionopolis will be more than a sketch by architect Dr Kisho Kurokawa. But can this 158m scheme inspire Singapores entrepreneurs?

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Capital gains: beyond 2012 Should Londoners worry about a rise in Council Tax or can the Olympics be designed as value for money in the long term?

Singapores multi-billion-pound 2010 Science and Technology Plan (STP2010) which calls for Singapore to invest 3% of its GDP in R&D by 2010. Loong is chairing a new Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council (RIEC), supported by a National Research Council, while four other state agencies have the arduous task of making sure local manufacturing industry does the 3 Gs grow, glow and globalise. There is a small irony in all this. To improve access to one-north, the state bulldozed part of a lush, tranquil district around the old Portsdown Road which had housed a little bohemia of artists, musicians and creative types. To critics, the interventionism, the showpiece projects, the fiveyear plans, even the bulldozer, all smack less of futuristic capitalism than of old-school Stalinism. The government is aware of the contradiction. Lee Kuan Yew says: We cannot create entrepreneurs, we can only facilitate their emergence. The root of the problem is an East Asian reverence for scholarship. A scholar, a farmer
How Asia is gearing up for the digital race 3

and a worker are all, in traditional values, more esteemed than an entrepreneur. We have to start experimenting. The easy things getting a blank mind to take in knowledge we have done. To get literate and numerate minds to be more innovative requires a different set of values. Yet after ten years of state investment and exhortation in IT, Singapore has produced just one globally famous high-tech start up: Creative, makers of the Soundblaster PC card. In the context of the global innovation in IT since the mid-1990s, thats about as impressive as Liechtensteins contribution to the history of naval warfare. Biopolis, which opened in 2000, has increased biotech output by 23% annually but not yet nurtured a crop of homegrown biotech firms. But Singapore isnt giving up, hoping that interventionism, by deepening the countrys expertise, will ultimately create growth from the bottom up. John Thackara, a director of Designs of the time (Dott 07 see p56) and of Doors of Perception, a knowledge network devoted to
1 Digital Media City, Seoul Due for completion in 2010, this high-tech utopia (with eco-friendly lighting and electric personal transporters) is 1.7 times as large as Canary Wharf and will become a hub for animation, music, online content and R&D (MIT will have a lab here), creating 270,000 jobs and generating 6.3bn of revenue. 2 Fusionopolis, Singapore This city within a city is expected to stimulate smallbusiness growth. 3 Beijing, China The city is booming ahead of the 2008 Olympics with its own silicon valley which has increased revenues by 30% a year, a massive investment in digital film and a huge digital Olympics project.

Neale Coleman, the Mayors Director of Business Planning and Regeneration, is hoping Londons Olympics success will extend beyond the business of counting medals. 2012 can transform the capital, he says. When were designing new facilities and buildings, the Olympic Delivery Authority looks at Londons post-2012 needs, then retrofits for the games. Similarly, many transport schemes for the games, including the East London Line and the transformation of the North London Line, are ones we've wanted for years 2012 just makes them possible.

Rejoice, rejoice: the 2012 Olympic team celebrate a victory that could transform London in the long run

Three of the ten developing creative hubs identified by Creative London the strategic agency for the capitals creative industries are in the east. Such as Lower Lea Valley, which, Coleman says, has some of the worst deprivation in the country. But after 2012 it will have 40,000 new homes and tens of thousands of new jobs. People forget about this part of London but its actually as close to Trafalgar Square as Earls Court is. After 2012, the Olympic Park will become the largest urban park created in Europe for 200 years. A 92,903m2 press centre in Hackney will turn into offices

bringing high employment opportunities. Coleman knows London must plan effectively: Athens didnt we dont want to invest in venues that will be boarded up. Some say Athens made a loss but they include spending on new airports and underground systems and transforming air quality which made Athens an international city with booming tourism. Londons approach is more like Barcelonas a conscious strategy to drive regeneration. Coleman says: We link the delivery of the games to giving the city a better quality of life.

Artistic impressions of the creative playground. A layered, glass-roofed walkway runs between the three towers. At the top of each, solar roof panels allow some light through to the trees in the roof gardens beneath

design and innovation, isnt convinced. Innovation needs to be situated in reality, not segregated from it. Projects like Fusionopolis which I call Confusionopolis look futuristic but are based on an old-fashioned technology-focused understanding of innovation. The inmates of these ivory towers are disconnected from the people wholl use their applications and are not enriched by everyday experiences. The thing that always motivates people is the question that they have to deal with. Thats why you see such a variety of innovation taking place in shanty towns or normal streets of Asian cities, says Thackara, citing a small town in India whose residents collaborated to transport food more efficiently across difficult terrain. On a project like Fusionopolis, he says: So much development money is sloshing around, the inmates are fated to become inward-looking and self-referential. Thats when innovation stops. The defining example of this tendency, he says, is Interval Research, an R&D centre created by Microsoft tycoon Paul Allen in 1992 that burned through 60m but, being isolated by smoky mirrors up a Palo Alto hill, produced no innovations the world wanted. In 2000, after much R and precious little D, Interval shut down. Interval and Fusionopolis are fruits of the largely unproven belief that if you shove a load of creative types into a building they will, almost by osmosis, become still more creative, even though studies by Harvard Business School suggest any employee of normal intelligence can come up with ideas out of left field if encouraged to do so. To Western eyes, Fusionopolis seems an anomaly in an era when many cities have become more creative organically, albeit supported by government, rather than being willed into creativity by force of legislation and investment. But this top-down approach, typified by such

budget-busting mega-projects as the Seoul Digital Media City (see the box on the left) and Singapores polises is the Asian style. Fusionopolis will acquire totemic significance as the symbol of a vision which, though defined by politicians and bureaucrats, has heeded many of the lessons learned as the twin concepts of the creative city and creative clusters have seized the imagination of urban leaders worldwide. The rise of these buzz words can be traced back to Charles Landrys book The Creative City (2000) which was intended as a tool kit for urban innovators. Landrys work inspired Richard Floridas bestseller The Creative Class which envisaged a class of nowhereians roaming the earth looking for a city characterised by the three Ts (talent, technology and tolerance) to work in. It sounds simplistic but his three Ts, as tested by a cynical economist, best explained the emergence of Austin, Texas as a hub of innovation. A creative cluster can be bigger than a city and industry-based like Silicon Valley or housed within a city, like Austins IT sector, which the council began investing in back in 1983. A creative city is harder to define though the tag has been applied to Barcelona, Vancouver and Amsterdam. Creative cities are usually, but not always, a focus for the creative industries. Fusionopolis must work if Singapores plan to double the creative industries contribution to its economy to 5-7% of GDP (which would put the industries on a similar footing to the UK and US) is to work. The other thread that unites Vancouver, Barcelona and Beijing and may yet benefit London is the use of iconic sporting events especially the Olympics to rebrand cities and act as the catalyst for hefty investment in infrastructure. For Florida, Creativity is organic, you cant plan for it, you can only give it room and freedom to grow. Singapores leaders have read Florida

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Creative capitals: the organic approach Barcelona Barcelona switched the creative lights on with risk-taking civic projects in the run-up to the 1992 Olympics. Reclaiming car-choked public spaces, re-orienting the city towards the sea and commissioning audacious public sculpture were just some of the ways the city capitalised on its architectural heritage and Catalan identity. Almost 8% of municipal budget is allocated to culture. You can see the results in smaller innovations like street furniture and major projects like the MACBA contemporary art museum which opened in 1995 in the citys red light district. High-profile theme years such as 2002s Gaudi year, events such as SONAR, the new media and electronic music festival, and a star-studded continent-conquering football team help make Barcelona shine. Helsinki The Finnish capital has rebranded itself using its climactic disadvantage long dark winters as the hook for a world famous festival of light. Taking advantage of one of the most educated workforces in the world, and driven in part by Nokias leadership, the city has been even more ambitious in the IT sector. As well as becoming a world-class centre for IT and scientific innovation, Helsinki, which accounts for a third of Finlands GDP, now leads Scandinavia as a centre of design, strengthening links between government, universities and business. A five-year plan to boost Finlands design culture culminated in Design Year 2005, and the creation of a designated Design District which has, at its core, the Design Forum, the Design Museum and the Museum of Finnish Architecture. Freiburg Freiburg, a town in southern Germany with a population of 220,000, has become famous as a pioneer of ecological urban development. The pilot eco-city gave Germany its first experimental solarpowered house in 1978. The citys Fraunhofer Institute, which researches renewable energy, attracted such like-minded organisations as the lo-Insitute and the International Centre for Local Environmental Initiatives. Freiburg is still at the forefront of green innovation, pioneering strict building regulations (only low energy housing has been permitted on public land), recycling schemes (more than 62% of rubbish is recycled) and a scheme in which residents can buy shares in solar panels and recoup dividends when the energy is sold to the citys grid. Vancouver Hollywood North, as Vancouver is also known, is at the heart of British Columbias new media boom. New media employs some 15,000 people in the region. The Canadian city is a global hotspot for digital gaming, visual effects and post-production, with a ready supply of graduates from 11 universities and colleges. Over 80% of the regions new media firms produce new intellectual property, which has prompted British Columbia to spend 18.7m on a new digital media graduate course. Consistently listed as one of the cities offering the best quality of life of the planet, Vancouvers traditional role as a location for film and television production and its unofficial status as the world's computer-gaming capital has fuelled the knowledge economy.

A scholar, a farmer and a worker are all more esteemed than the entrepreneur. We have to change values

they even quote him but have, of necessity, ignored that dictum, while methodically putting into place many schemes other cities have used to brand themselves as innovative and creative. Singapore has already developed some, like Gibson, say over-developed its downtown, and one-north may evolve into the kind of 24-hour downtown found in Denver, Colorado. Many cities still focus on office and retail space but cyberdistricts like Seattles downtown and onenorth are more likely to drive urban growth in the 21st century. Each Singaporean polis is focused on an industry, backed by high-tech investment (Hewlett Packard has already agreed to site R&D at Fusionopolis) and integrated into a support network feeding off local universities. One of Floridas other mantras is that The university is perhaps the single most important institution of the creative age. In this instance, Singaporean policy makers have taken him at his word as they plan to make Singapore a global schoolhouse. Since 1999 the government has attracted exactly the right kind of academic brand names: MIT, Johns Hopkins University and the

Chicago Graduate School of Business to the citystate. INSEAD, the European Institute of Business Administration, has founded its first campus outside France in Singapore. By 2016, when the 20m institute nestles against Fusionopolis and Infopolis, it will be almost as big as INSEADs campus at Fontainebleau. Singapore has long held its own in the global labour market, wooing the best professionals to fill key skill shortages, and its 70,000 foreign residents now make up roughly a quarter of the population the kind of sizeable, imported professional class usually found only in rich Gulf emirates. Singapore has invested in amenities (one-north is a haven for exclusive private schools and colleges), tried to spice up its cultural life (using water as a theme for development and recreation by, for example, building a reservoir to host Formula 1 boat races) and spent millions to woo tourists and conference delegates. The country marked its hosting of an International Monetary Fund meeting in July 2006 with an online mural of photographs of beaming locals, but the effect was spoilt by a row after 27 activists were barred from entering the city-state for the meeting. Will Singapores gamble work? Or is Fusionopolis as Thackara insists proof of the regimes confusionopolis? Landry identified six prerequisites for a creative city: Creative people, will and leadership; human diversity and access to varied talent; an open-minded organisational culture; positive and strong local identity; urban spaces and facilities; and opportunities for networking. Ideally, he says, creative cities should be made more by a jazz jam session than a symphony and should be funky and edgy. Benchmarked against these criteria, Fusionopolis and Singapore score well on leadership, urban space and networking but badly on the touchy feely stuff open-mindedness, human diversity, even strong local identity (the physical past, Gibson complained, has almost completely vanished,) and funkiness. Yet Landrys one-size-fits-all approach to the making of creative cities itself lacks a certain creativity. Singapores transformation may be orchestrated, not improvised, but does that mean its doomed? Theres more than a little at stake here. Investment by multinationals has long driven Singaporean economic growth. The flow of foreign direct investment has, post 9/11, shifted from South East Asia to China. Singapores proximity to the largely Muslim nations of Malaysia and Indonesia has deterred some American investors. Chinas surging economic power may, as prime minister Loong hopes, boost

Singapore but it could, just as easily, hoover up the funds the city-state needs to reinvent itself. Yet Singapores creative industries are already growing fast: by an average of 13.4% between 1988 and 2000, faster than the economy as a whole. If Loongs plans work, the J-pop phenomenon in which Japanese popular culture becomes a valued global export will be followed by S-pop. What is being tested now in Singapore, China and Korea is whether Asian governments can reach their desired destination by a route Landry hasnt envisaged or whether, as Thackara insists: Anything that encourages the propensity of professionals to talk to each other rather than to get out into the world and see what needs to be done can never foster long-term innovation. Singapores founding father Lee Kuan Yew says that Westerners shouldnt be too dogmatic about the future for East Asia. We are agricultural societies that have industrialised in one or two generations. What happened in the West in 200 years is happening here in 50 years or less, so there are bound to be dislocations and malfunctions. When Karina Robinson, a writer from the International Herald Tribune, visited Singapore to interview Loong she couldnt help but notice the book on her taxi drivers dashboard: Strategic Management: Concepts And Cases. With that kind of dedication, Singaporeans might just surprise Landry, Thackara and Gibson.
The Wellington makeover How Peter Jackson made his hometown a creative hub Local boy turns hometown hero is a movie clich Peter Jackson, the New Zealand filmmaker behind The Lord Of The Rings, is living. He says: With the allure of the Rings, I knew Id attract a diverse array of creative talent from all over the world to Wellington. Jacksons Weta Workshops is the largest of the regions 2,510 film and creative companies which generated 205m (4.3% of local GDP) in 2003. New studios could contribute another 220m to the local economy in the next decade. The benefits dont stop there. City mayor Kerry Prendergast says: Tourism, business and migrant attraction have all leveraged off Wetas profile. Chris Lipscombe, deputy chief executive of economic development agency Positively Wellington Business, says:

The Rings films enabled New Zealands finest to work with world-class practitioners, upskilling the local industry and increasing production spend. Jamie Selkirk and Richard Taylor, directors and Jacksons co-owners of Weta, say: Wellington is geographically remote, but digitally its almost in the same room. Weta had the talent, but not the numbers. Wellington became a creative zone for Peter Jacksons dynamic vision. Digital technology enabled this vision to be transformed into incredible product, delivered instantly to the other side of the world.

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Only one company can be the cheapest. Everyone else must use design
Article by SimonCreasey The fact that business and design misunderstand each other isnt an amusing quirk, its a failing that is costing the UK millions. Experts from both worlds discuss how business can make the most of design

The panel DCM invited a panel of business leaders and design experts to join a virtual round table to discuss the relationship between design and business. Those taking part were: Harry Rich Deputy chief executive of the Design Council William Owen Principal at the emerging service design specialists W. Owen Associates James Davenport Financial controller at drinks firm Innocent Ltd Nicholas Green Chief executive of digital solutions experts Tangent Communications.

The cultural gap between business and design is symbolised sartorially: in clich, the businessman lives in a pinstripe suit, while the stereotypical designer flaunts a black polo neck sweater. The chances of suit and sweater having a meaningful conversation arent improved by the many differing definitions of design. In 2003 a Danish study identified four levels of design awareness among businesses: nondesign (where the process is an inconspicuous part of product development, often done by people who arent designers); styling (where design is seen as offering an aesthetic finish); process (where design is used early on in a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to product development) and innovation (where design collaborates with management to innovate across the business). In the study, firms that saw design as a process or used it to innovate increased their sales by 50% more than the norm. Worryingly, given the economic importance of design and innovation, these businesses are a minority in the UK. The Design Councils research shows that just 28% of British firms use design in product development, while only one in seven call on design to help form strategy. It doesnt have to be this way. When the Korean giant Samsung pitches for funds from its investors, its designers do most of the talking. In this virtual conversation, our experts reflect on the business of design and design in business. Do businesses and designers know how to communicate with one another? R  ich If you generalise about all designers and all businesses, the answer is no. Most growing, successful designers can talk to business. But many designers tend to talk about creativity without backing this up in business language and benefits, such as return on investment. Many businesses work well with designers, but

Design can help keep customers engaged so innovation is critical. A business scared of change is likely to be scared of design    JamesDavenportInnocent Ltd
many are afraid. They often dont know enough about design and its place in business to ask intelligent questions. That said, there is evidence that more companies understand design is a strategic activity, which places the onus even more on designers to show the impact they can have on performance. Owen As a rule, designers and their clients in business communicate badly with each other it would be surprising if they did not. These are two entirely different cultures: one carries sketchbooks, the other calculators; one uses instinct, the other logic; one values fame (or truth or progress), the other money; one is messy, the other ordered. Design schools and management schools foster opposing ethos, attitudes and working practices. If designers and business managers were not dissimilar they would have little to offer each other, but if that difference is valued they can combine well. Green Good businesses have a vision of how they want to be perceived by customers. For me, the designers job is to interpret this vision. This is not always easy, but clarity in understanding your customers and explaining your objectives are key. Designers should do as much as they humanly can to understand the brand. This could be one persons vision or a company vision but designers should

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Herman Miller If the story of Herman Miller, the famed American furniture company, has a lesson, its trust design. In the 1930s the firm braved recession with risk-taking design, ditching historical reproductions for modern furniture. In 2001 the company was faced with a similar crisis as sales of its Aeron chair, an icon for the dotcom generation, slumped. The business slashed costs and invested more in R&D and blue sky ideas, leading, five years later, to its biggest ever range of new products. For Herman Miller, the plunge in sales was a catalyst. Looking ahead, with growing competition from China, management felt they had to be more daring and expand the core business. Design has helped the company do just that with award-winning products for the home and workplace.

The stock market shows there are tangible benefits to design and innovation. If I were a fund manager Id use design as a reason to invest    HarryRichDesign Council
research the customers perception of a companys brand, consider the values and core elements that make up a company and its long-term goals. What are the financial considerations for businesses using design? Green Keeping a fresh identity. Not changing everything all the time but revisiting the principles that created the design and cost effectively examining refreshes. Rich Businesses usually make investment decisions based on a financial argument; design investment is no different to any other kind. Its up to designers supported by evidence of the kind gathered by the Design Council to argue persuasively that design works. The case is compelling, especially in a competitive market where design can differentiate your product. Owen Inexperienced businesses, focused on narrow ROI calculations and easily quantifiable results, view design expertise as an expensive luxury. They cut costs up front and pay the price in project delays and over-runs and by making things their customers dont want. The cost of failure can be two or three orders of magnitude greater than the cost of hiring the right designer, but knowing this takes experience and foresight. Could the government and academia do more to help businesses use design? Green Not really its down to business leaders at the end of the day. Rich I agree. In the end it is up to businesses to equip and run themselves properly
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consumers. Design must move with the times so they go hand in hand. There is a fine line between keeping a classic design and not refreshing something often enough so it looks stale and tired. Design can help keep consumers engaged so innovation is critical. A business scared of change is likely to be scared of design. Owen Its hard to innovate successfully without thinking holistically about customers, systems, processes, products, services and brand communications. You should consider the entire system of activities and relationships involved in delivering a product or service to a customer, across multiple channels or touchpoints. Design comes into every aspect of that. Rich The stock market shows there are tangible benefits to design and innovation. Our study of 61 British companies who won the most design awards between 1994 and 2004 showed they outperformed the FTSE-100 by 200%. If I was a fund manager Id use design as a reason to invest. What brands have, in your view, best used design to boost their bottom line? Green Apple, Innocent and Red Bull have all proved that design can encourage innovation, change the market and drive business forward. Davenport Dorset Cereals took consumer feedback seriously and refreshed its packaging. Its new look is fresh, innovative and suits the brand. Owen The supreme example of integrated service, product and brand development by designers, engineers and business innovators working together is Apples iPod and iTunes. This striking convergence of product invention and design, customer interaction design, complex commercial plans, automated royalty disbursement, customer data management, clever brand communications and packaging launched Apple into a commanding position. But what does bad design do to business performance? Owen Design should become a set of goals rather than a process or practice. The value of design diminishes rapidly if its practice and goals are not incorporated at the start of innovation. Green Design is the key to illustrating to your customers without conversation what your business is about but it probably wont make your business perform poorly thats down to people and service. But bad design is hardly going to help your business grow, is it? Davenport At Innocent, we know good design helps us perform better. The labels on our drinks stand out from everything else on the shelves and more people buy them. As to whether or not bad design can have an adverse effect, look at the Cillit Bang cleaning products theyve boosted Reckitt Benckisers sales by 15%. We may not personally agree with the design aesthetically, but something is working. Rich Its often said, especially with high-tech products, that differentiation relies just on branding. But if the only thing that distinguishes a product from the competition is the badge, customers will ultimately be smart enough to start choosing on price. Suddenly the product becomes a commodity with ever reducing profit margins. As Rodney Fitch, designer and chairman of the multinational design company Fitch & Co, said: Only one company can be the cheapest. All the others must use design. What do you say to the quarter of UK firms who dont use design at all, many claiming they cant afford their own design resource? GreenThere are a lot of small design companies that can help businesses get started. Whether they are from the Top 100 or Yellow Pages,making the mental leap to engage with a design business is the important step. Davenport As a business you have to decide the things that are going to be most important for your company and invest in them. As with anything beer, for example you can usually find the money for things that matter. If you dont think you have the money for design, perhaps you need to reprioritise your budget and not spend so much on fancy office chairs.

Of UK businesses surveyed, what percentage believed design

Increased market share Increased turnover Developed new markets Increased profit Increased competitiveness Contributed new services Increased employment

46 44 42 42 38 37 26

and invest their funds in core activity, such as design. Government can have some impact, for example through its funding, mostly through the business support networks of the Design Councils Designing Demand [see box, right] programme which helps businesses invest effectively in design. Owen Why dont design schools and business schools collaborate more? The results should be fascinating and instructive to students who meet as professionals. How vital is design for a successful business? Davenport Fundamental. We have regular feedback from consumers on how much they love our packaging, from the design to specific copy. When weve tweaked the packaging, sales have increased. For example, when we launched our gold standard strawberries and bananas smoothie we made it very clear that there were more strawberries inside by drawing the exact number on the bottle. We got very positive feedback and our sales increased. Rich Growing businesses report that design is integral to their growth. But its not just about good and bad design its about appropriateness. Owen In a mature, stable, well-defined, strategically secure business (a lucky monopoly-operating utility, for example) design may not add much. But design is integral if your business faces disruptions such as media and technology convergence, the internet, social networks, more demanding customers, globalisation, new rivals... in other words, if youre in any other kind of business. Rich If youre an entrepreneurial company, youll always be looking for new opportunities and be open to the opportunities design brings to you. Davenport An entrepreneurial business is quick thinking, flexible and listens to

The next step For businesses wanting to know how design can help them be more innovative, productive and competitive, the Design Council has created a new national support programme. Designing Demand provides mentoring and support to help businesses realise the potential of design to drive competitiveness and improve performance, and help them seize design opportunities. The programme aims to support all small and mid-sized UK businesses whether its an established company or a new high-tech venture make design a deep-rooted and ongoing part of their decision making. Designing Demand will be available across the country by 2008. For more information visit the website at www. designingdemand.org.uk.

Get your feet off my desk, get out of here, you stink and were not going to buy your product
Thats what Atari told Steve Jobs (right) in 1976 when he asked them to invest in his personal computer. Such cautionary tales may, says Paul Simpson, explain why more companies dont innovate more often and more profitably
If history corporate, political, technological and human teaches us anything it is that, as Hollywood scriptwriter William Goldman famously observed, Nobody knows anything. Those three words explain why Atari boss Joe Keenan couldnt wait to kick would-be Apple founder Steve Jobs out of his office, why movie mogul H.M. Warner famously asked, Who the hell wants to hear actors talk? and why Chester Carlson, the man who invented the photocopier, reluctantly decided that his idea of a pen that had a ballpoint rather than a nib was a complete non-starter . These arent the kind of tales that motivational speakers sprinkle through their talks evangelising the importance of innovation. But they may explain why, at a time when more than 2,050 business books with the iword in the title are listed on Amazon, innovation isnt soaring like a bullish stock market index. No company ever cut its way to greatness and the pace of corporate life is now so relentless only 26% of companies in Fortune magazines top 100 companies in 1980 were in the same list 20 years later that the phrase innovate or fail has

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42/43 convinced themselves that Star Wars, automobiles and television would never catch on. To minimise such gaffes, managers need to think differently. Mat Hunt, director of design consultants IDEO, says The best way to start innovation is with a beginners mind, remove your preconceptions and prejudices. He makes the point that emerging economies like Thailand and India have realised this. Free of Western corporate prejudices, he says, they recognise that world-class design is now the basic cost of entry into the world market. Such seismic shifts dont come easily, which is why Keeley and Seymour say firms should hire what they call anthropologists and others, like Hunt and Roger Martin, dean of Torontos Rotman School of Management, call designers. What these employees are called is less significant than the fact that, Keeley insists, there is a desperate need for them. Innovation is a new field with its own methodology, complexity and professional demands. As Keeley is an innovation strategist, the immortal remark by Profumo scandal starlet Christine Keeler Well he would say that wouldnt he? might spring to mind. But Keeley has statistics on his side. Most companies accept that if 4.5% of their innovations succeed theyre doing well. Is there any other field of corporate endeavour, he asks, where failing 19 times out of 20 is accepted as the norm? Innovation is starting to give up its secrets, he says, and companies can increase the effectiveness of their innovation by nine to 17 times the norm if they understand the subject. One step in the right direction, he says, is to read the literature on innovation most of which is based on lore and myth very sceptically indeed. Where Keeley uses the iword, Martin uses the dword. For him, the message is clear: Firms are realising that they can jump-start growth by becoming more design-oriented. But its not as simple as hiring a chief design officer and declaring that design is your corporate priority. To get the full benefit, you must embed design in your business, not append it onto your business. In his article Embedding Design Into Business he identifies five cultural differences that, if ignored, will sabotage a companys attempt to become more design-oriented. 1 Flow of work In most big corporations, this is organised around permanent jobs and ongoing tasks. Designers are more likely to work in ad hoc teams on projects. 2 Style of work Traditional corporate roles are clearly, territorially defined and individuals work away singly at their responsibilities, perfecting a task before presenting it to peers or bosses. Designers operate more collaboratively, with less rigid hierarchies, and work iteratively, prototyping rather than waiting for something to be perfect. The architect Frank Gehry is famous for this, says

Why innovations dont take off Every organisation thinks of itself as innovative. But the acid test comes when an employee suggests a new idea, no matter how large or small. Even if management try to encourage innovation, the language a manager uses when discussing an initiative may give off the wrong signals. If you hear many of these phrases around your workplace, maybe youre not as thrusting and dynamic as youd like to think. 1 Sounds interesting, but Ill need a cost/benefit matrix before I can take it any further 2 If our customers wanted something like that, theyd have told us by now 3 Thats an interesting idea 4 We tried something like that last year and it didnt work 5 Id like to give this idea the consideration it deserves but Im just too busy. Remind me when I get back 6 That markets too big/small for us 7 If this is such a good idea, how come nobody has thought of it before? 8 You know, if this doesnt work, itll be my neck on the line not yours 9 For what its worth Im with you, but the decision is out of my hands its all down to the chief innovation officer 10 If only youd come to me last week; weve just finalised our budgets for next year 11 Lets park that idea until our next brainstorm in six weeks time 12 Our rivals know that market better than us. Why havent they done it already?

Rejected by every major TV network, Desperate Housewives is now one of the top five shows in the US and is being remade for audiences in South America

ceased to become a mantra and sounds like life-saving advice. As a buzz word, innovation is so hot it is the new black (as Business Weeks Bruce Nussbaum notes in his Q&A on p44), and so trendy that it made it on to the agenda for the 2006 World Economic Forum in Davos. But many companies you might even say most arent very good at it. Annual polls ranking the most innovative companies invariably feature the usual suspects Nike, Apple, Toyota, 3M, Philips, Google who are often associated with simple, high-profile, sexy products. Larry Keeley, the president of the Doblin Group, an American company that advises on innovation (his list of innovation myths is on p44), says theres a good reason for this. When people think about innovation, they think product. But there are other types of innovation that affect how you make money, interact with your customers, design your offerings. Truly successful companies like Dell or Google practice seven or eight types of innovation at once. That is probably why many managers think spending on R&D is a guarantor of innovation. There is no right way to innovate, no sure-fire how to manual, not even a list of seven habits of highly innovative people. But most experts agree that any company that defines innovation narrowly in terms of new product cannot maintain creativity. Serious innovation has a broader, cultural dimension. One of the most famous product wars of the 1970s the video format battle between Sonys Betamax and JVCs VHS was won not by the more innovative technology but by the company with the most creative approach to licensing. Richard Seymour, co-founder of the design company Seymour Powell, says Einstein observed that a problem cannot be solved from within the context in which it was created. The most intractable issues usually require a shift in viewpoint before they yield to an enquiring mind. If, in reality rather than in rhetoric, companies see innovation as an incremental advance on the past, they may fall foul of Goldmans rule. Thats why managers have, over the years,

Albert Einsteins theory of relativity was dismissed as scientific dadaism. His belief that the atom couldnt be split shows that even a genius can be wrong

44/45 Martin. When his first design goes public, it is typically greeted with a firestorm of protests for its inadequacies, making clients nervous because they cant imagine he is only beginning. Gehry is famous enough to endure the firestorm but in some firms this cultural gap can prove disastrous. Managers, presented with a prototype, judge it as if it were a final product, and decide the designer isnt up to it.
Myths about innovation Innovation guru Larry Keeley identifies six myths that stop firms being more creative 1 Innovation is about creating a hot new product New products are soon copied and rarely enjoy sustained profits. 2 Innovation comes from being creative It is far likelier to come from being disciplined. 3 Innovation is expensive Failure to innovate costs more. 4 Create hundreds of ideas because of high failure rates Fewer, bolder ideas based on your company capabilities and unmet customer needs you discover will work best. 5 Financial analytics are key Guessing cash flow in year four for something unprecedented wastes months and is usually wrong. So why not build prototypes instead? 6 Internal competency is the key driver of innovation Capabilities are important but the met and unmet needs of customers and non-customers are the real drivers.

3 Mode of thinking Many managers strive to prove through observation that something works. Others deduce, often on the basis of an engrained theory such as if we get market share first, profits will come later, what action they should take. Either way, the question Can you prove that? is inevitably raised and, if raised too early, is impossible to answer in the affirmative. Designers may use what some call abductive reasoning the logic of what might be to imagine products and services unconstrained by customer research or technical difficulties. Sometimes, as with Herman Millers Aero chair, a company has to make a leap of faith. No customer could ever have described that product. At other times, says Seymour, companies get behind a technology and push it forward like a boulder. Working out what something should be and pulling the technology towards that goal invariably works better. In a world of commercial over-supply, Hunt says design can differentiate a company or a product but much more significantly, it can be used as a thinking tool to reframe commercial opportunities, to drive innovation at the most strategic level. Not just asking what would make this toothpaste different? but what should the future of oral healthcare be? 4 The status game In many firms, if a manager boasts about their status, theyll specify how many people report to them or how big a budget they control. Designers are more likely to boast about problems theyve solved through design. 5 The constraint challenge In some firms, managers see constraints budgets, timescales as the enemy. Designers regard them as a challenge. They magnify the problem to be solved and, ergo, the status of the designer who solves them. Design may not be the same as innovation but the appropriate use of design can stimulate innovation. To non-designers, the idea that a discipline as opaque as design can change companies may sound like a self-serving manifesto for designers to take over the corporate world. Hunt admits that the emphasis on

Quizzing Bruce Nussbaum, innovation editor, Business Week Why is everyone talking about innovation at the moment? The commoditisation of knowledge has led to the outsourcing of a growing segment of the economy to China and India. There is little value left in competing on quality or cost. Innovation is the new central business value and the only way to maintain revenues and profit margins in a global economy. What marks innovative companies out from those that arent innovative? Innovative companies have innovative culturesthey think and behave differently. They innovate in all aspects of their business, from the products and services they offer their customers to their accounting and legal departments. Just as the quality movement meant improving quality in all aspects of a company, so does the innovation movement. The single most important thing a corporation can do to try to innovate is to demass and open itself upto open source many of its functions. Why then do so few companies behave innovatively? The most common failing of a company trying to innovate is not replacing its CEO and top managers. Innovation must be led by people who understand it and embrace it. They must reward risk and failure. Design thinking is based on iteration trying out ideas very quickly. Fear of failure stifles ideation and creation. So does perfection. Attempts to get it perfect slow innovation down. What does the innovation boom mean for design? Design is quickly moving to the centre of corporate culture. Thats across all markets. In advertising, innovation is the new black. Small business lags behind. But 2006 has been a tipping point for design. Firms are hiring hoards of designers and bringing design in-house as a core competence. Does size or sector influence a companys ability to innovate? No. The size and market sector of a company matters much less than the age of its leaders and managers. Google is a huge company but is truly innovative.

Groups of guitarists are on their way out. Thats why Decca turned down The Beatles in 1962. By 1972 the group had sold 545 million records

innovation puts the onus on design thinkers to demystify their process. But, he adds, those who argue that design can never have a major impact on a companys bottom line are thinking of design only in the form-giving sense. Even there, I would argue that it can help companies provide consumers with what they actually want, rather than what the companies think they want. Sounds simple, but its very hard to do without a designer. IDEO, for example, practises what it calls empathic listening. That sounds jargonistic but the emphasis on personal knowledge offers a useful alternative to the data-driven approach many firms are more comfortable with. Just because data has been entered in a database and put through a series of statistical equations devised by a PhD student, that data doesnt become a higher form of truth. Hunt says: For an example of the effect of design thinking, just look at the financial results of Procter & Gamble. Their margins are increasing rapidly as they bring design thinking into the company. They are lifting themselves out of commoditisation. Design is a rich source of inspiration if you ask it to resolve big questions, you will get big answers. Bigger margins, distinguishing a company or a product so that it can be sold for a premium these are goals that the most hard-headed finance director can see the point of. Alan Lafley, president of Procter & Gamble, says: Design, not price or technology, is the ultimate competitive advantage in the 21st century. Thats why weve set out to become the best consumer design company in the world. In the past, our innovation process was sequential and it usually started with a consumer insight or a technology. Where we consciously involve design at the front end, we generate more repurchase and more sales. Why? Because we delivered delightful consumer experiences. Im not doing this because Im a frustrated liberal arts major, Im doing this because its serious business.

Bruce Nussbaum believes: 2006 has been the tipping point for design. Firms regard design as a core competence

T
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one day all designers may be this shape

The T-shaped designer sounds like another hunk of American business jargon but, says Rhymer Rigby, if designers, educators and business leaders dont pay heed to it, the UK could lose a crucial competitive edge

In an age when management buzz words come and go so fast that by the time they have been run up the flagpole the world is already saluting something else, the idea of a T-shaped designer sounds like a jargonistic conceit. But there is a meaning behind the mantra, as Lesley Morris, head of skills at the Design Council, explains: The stem of the T is the depth of knowledge in their specialist subject while the horizontal cap of the T represents the breadth their ability to make their method, skills and thinking work in a different context. Like 97% of such buzz words, the T-shaped designer originated in America, where design consultancies like IDEO and Jump have identified a need for, in IDEOs words, specialists with a passion and empathy for people and for other subject areas. The T motif taps into another of the hottest management trends in America: design thinking or, to put it another way, the use of design processes and methods to foster innovation and grow businesses. There is some debate about whether design thinking is simply an extension of traditional design skills or a new discipline. The best designers, from

Jamie Hewlett, the award-winning designer of the cartoon rock band Gorillaz, to Ralph Gilles, the creative genius behind Chryslers ber-saloon the 300C, have often driven innovation and added financial value. But the application of design thinking to an array of corporate and social problems does represent a cultural and educational challenge to British designers, to the system that educates designers and to British industry. As Morris says, The idea that design is a way of thinking about a problem and not a purist skill hasnt caught on in Britain as much as it has in the US. There is some concern among designers that this new breed of polymaths or hybrids will dilute what makes design distinctive. One mans polymath is anothers jack of all trades and master of precious little. Some designers wont want to broaden out, says Morris, theyll be happier remaining in their specialism. Jonathan Ive, the British designer behind the iPod, is of this school. The world of MBAs and general management didnt suit him. Yet this attitude hasnt stopped him joining the

Apple board as senior vice president of product. But design thinking and the idea of the T-shaped designer has led some American business schools to broaden their curriculum, some American design schools to change their approach and even inspired b-schools and d-schools to collaborate. The French business school INSEAD is now allied with the Pasadena design college, Art Center. Design thinking has begun to influence design education in some of the UKs EU rivals, with design academies in Eindhoven and Helsinki pioneering this approach. This poses something of a dilemma for the UK because and lets have no false modesty here when it comes to the quality of design education Britain is a world leader. Equally, complacency isnt an option note the use of the word still. The trouble with being near the top of the pile at anything is that, if you sit back, theres only one way to go. Britain has a proud and productive tradition of producing design purists people who are great at design, wonderful craft-based solo specialists. British designers are among the worlds most famous. Apart from Ive, the most famous include IDEOs president Tim Brown and Fords head of design, Peter Horbury. All three now work in America, a fact that has caused some patriotic agitation. But their Atlantic crossing seems as inevitable as Michelangelos move to Rome, once he had decided he wanted a chapel ceiling to paint. Strong as the system that trained them is, this doesnt obscure the fact that, says Morris, the Americans are better at the broader picture where design and design thought fit into innovation. Strengthening the link between design and innovation was at the heart of last years Cox Review.

The report, from Sir George Cox, chairman of the Design Council, proposed a network of regional centres of excellence that offer multidisciplinary courses combining management studies, engineering and technology with design and the creative arts. The word centres conjures up images of actual buildings but, Morris says, they could vary from new types of courses possibly in design or design management to creating virtual or physical centres that use multidisciplinarity as a driver of innovation. To make sure that Britain was up to date with the best practice in multidisciplinary education and assess how relevant and adaptable these models were to the UK, Morris led a fact-finding delegation of staff from UK design and business schools to America in September 2006. On their five-day trip the delegation visited Stanford Universitys well-known d.school (led by David Kelley, the co-founder of IDEO), the Illinois Institute of Technologys Institute of Design in Chicago and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, all of which have successfully combined design and business. So what did they learn? For some, the spectre of gifted designers being turned into mediocre T-shaped hybrids receded. Professor Penny Sparke, pro-vice-chancellor (arts) at Kingston University, was convinced that the UK should learn from what the delegation saw at Stanfords d.school, which takes students from the universitys other masters programmes. We need to introduce a much more multidisciplinary approach in design schools. In Stanfords d.school, design isnt a single discipline. We need to train specialists, but we need to teach them to have their feelers out. It isnt necessarily about training people in all disciplines. Its more

about being sympathetic and sensitive to the needs of those who work in them. In IDEOs view, vertical specialist depth was acquired at undergraduate level while the horizontal understanding of other disciplines and professional contexts could often be developed in a post-graduate, masters-style course or through early experience in the workplace. Martin Binks, professor of entrepreneurial development and director of the Institute for Enterprise and Innovation at Nottingham University, favours a model where design becomes part of what youre working on, which, he says, gets students out of their comfort zone and allows the transfer of tacit knowledge, so you get something akin to the Stanford approach but in three dimensions. The basic part is that tacit knowledge is a threedimensional activity and thats where the future lies. The focus is on trying to do that on a larger scale. Entrepreneurship is very close to creative design. The danger, he admits, is that multidisciplinarianism can be taken too far. Some American courses try to give you both an MBA and a full design qualification. John Miller, director of design at University College Falmouth, believes that the UK has always produced skilled collaborators. But he does concede that places like Stanford do a better job of communicating this through such concepts as their T-shaped people. The Institute of Design in Chicago has deliberately set out to demystify design to bring it into mainstream business practice. The failure of communication, Miller believes, may even extend to the graduates themselves. Designers need to learn to speak a different language which is neither design-speak nor the sort of

In the specialism of design, our schools are probably better than Americas But theyre better at the broader picture where design thinking fits into innovation Lesley Morris, head of skills, Design Council

A snapshot of life at Stanford Universitys d.school, where design thinking is considered the glue that binds multiple disciplines together. This approach has begun to find favour in the UK

T
The Stanford view George Kembel, executive director of Stanford Universitys d. school, on why we need a different way of learning. Why is the d.school important? In the 21st century, it will be impossible to run innovative businesses without being more human-centred and prototype-driven. Universities, businesses and countries are all hungry to figure out how to be more innovative and are very receptive to the idea that design thinking can help create an innovative culture. How do students learn? By doing. The students do most of their work in interdisciplinary teams, get out in the field, make observations and iterate prototypes. Students are guided by industry executives and experts. We want students to leave confident in their personal innovation process and with greater empathy with different disciplines. What type of projects do you work on? Real-world messy problems where solutions are not obvious, such as lighting for developing countries or water systems for rural farmers.

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Are there disagreements within the multidisciplinary groups? Yes then the students must decide whats important and how to move forward. This helps create future innovators who will be breakthrough thinkers and doers.

Lessons from America: Apples Jonathan Ive, top, thinks designers should be designers, while David Kelley, IDEO cofounder, believes in combining design and business at Stanford Universitys d.school

T
Changing spaces One of the less expected themes that recurred throughout the UK educators fact-finding mission to the US was space. In essence, educators and designers felt that having the right space the kind of informal area that has made Starbucks increasingly popular with American teenagers was key to creativity. For James More, dean of design at Northumbria University, the type of accommodation at the schools and agencies visited strongly affected the process of innovation. The d.school, which moves to a new building in 2009, is planning to incorporate sofas, coffee tables, large tables, common areas, flexible spaces (walls on wheels) and breakout spaces. Collaborative, non-territorial space is easier to legislate for in a land as vast as the US but its a lesson British educators would do well to heed.

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Creative thinking in action at the Illinois Institute of Design. But is British business ready to welcome a generation of design thinkers, as opposed to technical purists?

We need multidisciplinary environments where design becomes part of what youre working on. Entrepreneurship is very close to creative design Martin Binks, professor, Nottingham University

Best of British: Jamie Hewlett, who designed Gorillaz (top), and Burberrys Christopher Bailey have scooped up awards and, unlike such compatriots as Tim Brown and Jonathan Ive, have not had to leave the UK to prosper

consultancy-speak coming out of Stanford or the IITs Institute of Design. Miller agrees with the Cox Review that designers need to interact with businesses of all sizes. Our graduates need to be able to go into companies with 50 or 100 employees, understand their needs and show how design can address them. Professor Clare Johnston, head of the textile department at the Royal College of Art, admits: Theres still something of a problem with how business and design interact. Rather than being seen as a craft, it needs to be seen as part of the division of labour. At the moment, design seems to see itself just in terms of creativity. We need to take it one step further without taking the pizzazz out of it. The intricate way higher education and business are entwined in America may, to some extent, be a cultural thing. An MBA is a prerequisite for many jobs in the US in a way that it still isnt in the UK. America is blessed with a large number of multinationals and wealthy individuals with the means and the will to sponsor schools and universities. The scale of sponsorship is so vast and continuous that some programme leaders actually refer to their industrial sponsors as their clients and their students as their product. For Miller, such sponsorship is not the main aim of collaboration but he does admit, We need to be smarter about attracting this sort of funding. The absence of such strong links in the UK isnt necessarily the fault of designers or their educators. The MIT Media Lab has an intriguing sponsorship model. Companies donate around 100,000 as part of an industrial consortium sharing intellectual property and have access to the MediaLabs pool of talent. Innovative as the MIT model may be, the institute has found it harder in Europe, where fewer

multinationals have such deep pockets and business culture is more inward-looking and secretive. In Britain, where the Design Councils research suggests that eight out of ten businesses dont see design as a strategic advantage, design thinking is almost as much of a challenge to business as it is to designers. Many business executives might agree with the US design agency who said that watching designers give business advice was like watching a cat bark. The irony here is that IDEOs Tim Brown, the poster boy for design thinking, learned his craft in the British design education system. But his gospel is yet to spread through British boardrooms. The obvious danger here is that, even if Britain did groom thousands of Brownalikes, they would, like Brown, have to cross the Atlantic to make their mark. If design thinking is really going to sharpen Britains competitive edge, T-shaped designers have to find kindred spirits in T-shaped business people. In an economy where, according to a survey by the Work Foundation, 57% of employees think their bosses lack vision (and where even the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development concluded, this year, that British firms were hampered in the global market by a dearth of effective leaders), finding business leaders who can see beyond their vertical strength in manipulating Excel spreadsheets might prove more problematic than in the US. British business will soon be put to the test. The Higher Education Funding Council for England is currently studying proposals from various parties to fund varying kinds of centres of excellence. Some of what Cox stipulated is already happening, says Sparke. Were seeing the Royal College of Art linking up with Imperial College. Other projects

notably the ambitious redevelopment of Northumbria University are steps in the direction that Cox outlined. At the same time, the Design Council is reviewing basic design education to examine how that too needs to change. Looking at design education as a whole at school and further and higher education level Morris says, We dont have the option of maintaining the status quo. Johnston believes that the UK must not lose the depth for which it is world-renowned just add the breadth offered by rivals. The specialisation of British designers is a global draw. Thats why so many young designers come from overseas to study here. Johnston says: The quality of what we offer explains why some businesses are almost obsessive about hunting for UK graduates. But after touring the US, Johnston thinks there is one lesson that British educators need to heed. One of the things that struck us is the extraordinary confidence they have in the system and the amazing PR and gloss. This is not, she says, intended as a criticism: it is simply an observation that the traditional British approach of dissembling, blushing and trying above all not to draw attention to yourself may not be the best way to do business in a global economy where others are perfectly happy to shout. Ultimately, the driving force behind the need for change is the global economy, especially the massive investments in design now being made by China, India and Korea. But, as educators in China and India privately admit, too many of their young designers are taught to ask how and not why. The ability of British designers to ask why and for that question to be heard in a broad business context could prove a serious competitive advantage.

Design Council Magazine

Issue 1 Winter 2006

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Thirteen small steps to a significantly better world


How simple ideas can save lives on Taiwans roads, make street lighting energy efficient in France and convince Brazilian children they really must go to the library

59N, 18E Sweden Rewarding recycling Reverse vending machines are a simple, convenient way to keep your country tidy. Stick your empty can or bottle in a reverse vending machine and a special barcode identifies what material it is, then the machine recycles it and pays you roughly eight pence. Operated by not-for-profit companies, there are 2,650 reverse vending machines in Sweden, many sited at supermarkets. There are 6,500 other redemption points throughout the country where you can return bottles and cans not covered by the deposit scheme for cash. 52N, 5E Holland Let there be more light Keen to try alternatives to energy-guzzling street lighting, the council in Noord-Holland is using hard-wired flushmounted intelligent road studs to depict bends on the rural N200 dual carriageway. Spaced so drivers think they're constantly illuminated, the studs offer ten times as much visibility as traditional cats eyes, which only light up as far as a cars headlights reach. The new cats eyes give drivers more time to react, reduce light pollution and use 90% less energy than lighting.

45N, 93W Minnesota, USA Free trade Minnesotas governing bodies realised that a) many people are too lazy or too busy to lug their unwanted sofa to the nearest tip and b) we all like to get something for nothing. So they launched a website to swap unwanted Christmas presents and unloved household goods. Its free to list your unwanted goods and everything on the site will cost you... zilch, zip, nada. The Free Market has 75,000 users, more than 13,000 freebies have been snapped up and 2,000 tonnes have been diverted from landfill and recycling.

41N, 74W New York, USA 311, the kinder, gentler 911 Imagine if the council could help with such vague requests as: Can you recycle stereos? and When does the free concert in the park start? Im a bit worried about some yobs hanging around and deal with it in any of 170 languages. Thats what 311, New Yorks alternative hotline to 911, does. Through an elaborate tracing system, 311 helps identify what services are required where and sharpens the councils focus on such localised problems as vandalism. After complaints about anti-social behaviour, the city has launched a big noise-reduction scheme, improving quality of life for millions of New Yorkers. Geomapping software displays streets with chronic pothole troubles and blocks battling graffiti all integrated into custom dashboards on city officials laptops. Mayor Michael Bloomberg often calls in to report potholes.

51N, 1W Kent, UK Helping the ageing A mob may conjure up images of an unruly group of teenagers but Kent County Council, working with the Design Councils RED team, has created a mob to promote healthy and independent ageing. The mob is a group of friends that regularly does a joint activity together, such as dog walking or gardening. Tight social groups and an activity based on current interest mean participants are more motivated and enjoy better mental health. Welly mob is the name for the dogwalking group which, once it attracted six members, was given a free personal trainer.

41S, 175E Wellington, New Zealand The clever parking meter SmartPark, now used in 45 cities, started in New Zealand, where you buy or rent a handheld meter for around 2.70 a month. You type in the area code on the meter, press OK and leave the machine on your dashboard or hanging from the rear-view mirror, switching it off on your return. You only pay for the minutes you are parked, so you dont have to guess how long that meeting will last or panic if youre stuck in a shop queue. You just buy a card rather like a pre-paid payphone card and stick it in your meter until it runs out and needs replacing. The machine only charges when the zone isnt free for parking.

38S, 144E Australia The butts stop here Over 20 billion cigarette butts are discarded in Australia every year 58% of all public litter. One in ten gets washed down drains into oceans and river systems. Fisherman Gary Marshall was so fed up catching butts he invented the Enviro Pole, a steel pole with a swing butterfly opening big enough for butts but not rubbish. The pole is filled with water, so every butt is properly extinguished essential in a country that has its own bush fire season. They are cleaned using a vacuum extraction system connected to standard street sweeping machines.

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If the worlds urban lighting produced 2% more luminosity per unit of energy, the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere would be reduced by six million tonnes. Thats 1% of the reduction laid down in the Kyoto protocol George Zissis, project coordinator, the European Union project NumeLite

53N, 1W Sheffield, UK Reinventing the bus shelter Dank, often vandalised and a haven for muggers its a miracle bus shelters were ever a venue for romantic assignations.The South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE) wanted shelters where passengers could see and be seen. With design firm Abacus, SYPTE devised a shelter with floor-toroof glass and a transparent polycarbonate barrel roof with illumination strips built in just above the roof base frame. The stops location is displayed on the side of the roof. Proper seating encourages teenagers to use the shelter as a miniyouth club. The shelters are already being used by other British councils. 44N, 2E Albi, France Bright lights, small city Albi has halved the energy used for its urban lighting by using new metal halide lamps, with ceramic archtubes that efficiently produce white light. These lamps sit in fixtures designed to improve the lights distribution while minimising its pollution. To save more energy, the system is adapted to suit the characteristics of the human eye, which at night is sensitive to wavelengths shifting toward blue. The system produces more luminosity per unit of energy than conventional lighting. If this ratio improved by 2% in urban lighting across the globe, six million less tonnes of CO2 would be released into the atmosphere.

25S, 49W Curitiba, Brazil Libraries get a makeover Often described as the most innovative city in the world because of its environmental initiatives and novel transport system, Curitiba has come up with another new idea a chain of libraries known as the Lighthouses of Knowledge. These brightly coloured, 52ft-high, lighthouse-shaped libraries contain about 7,000 books and are the first public terminals to offer internet access in Brazil. On the top of each lighthouse theres a night-time watchtower with space for a light and a policeman, the idea being to keep the neighbourhood safe for children. The aim is to have a Lighthouse of Knowledge within walking distance of every childs home.

40N, 4W Madrid, Spain Street-smart furniture The Richard Rogers Partnership (RRP) is designing a range of origami-inspired street furniture that should be easy to clean and maintain. Among the more stylish objects is a bus shelter, now being prototyped in Madrid. Photovoltaic cells in the roof store enough energy to light the advertisement panels and timetables, while the seating materials can cool down or heat up waiting passengers. RRP has designed telephone boxes, litter bins, water fountains and bus shelters in a consistent style to avoid the usual municipal mish-mash. The furniture uses such new materials as polycarbonate-laminated panels to reduce wear and tear.

25N, 121E Taipei, Taiwan The green crossing code Pedestrians and drivers have less excuse for living dangerously in Taiwan. The lights at crossings tell pedestrians how many seconds they have left to cross and the green man stays still when motorists have priority and walks when pedestrians have right of way. The new lights, now used throughout the Taiwanese capital Taipei, have calmed the citys somewhat chaotic traffic. At first, an urban myth that the green man fell over every 20,000 paces led to many Taiwanese hanging around on street corners in the forlorn hope that they would see the iconic figure stumble.

22N, 114E Hong Kong, China The most versatile card ever? Nineteen ninety seven was a memorable year for Hong Kong. The British colony became part of China and a new contactless smartcard, the Octopus, revolutionised lives, inspiring Londons Oyster card. The Octopus started life as a simple way to pay fares and cut queues on public transport. Today around 95% of 16- to 65-year-olds own a card, making nine million transactions a day on them. You load up the card with cash then wave it in front of an Octopus processor. The builtin microchip deducts money each time you use it. The card is now used in fast food restaurants and convenience stores, accepted as an ID pass for offices and integrated into watches and mobile phones.

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Design Council Magazine Issue 1 Winter 2006

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The prime numbers

For every pound spent solving a problem in product design, it would cost 10 to tackle in development and 100 to rectify after the product had been launched.

1.00
% %

The amount Yellow Pages saved on production costs every year after redesigning its directory.

1.5m
%

The return a design-led company gets on every 1 invested in design.

2.25 75/5 33 50

The 80/20 rule is old school. Now its 75/5: innovative companies estimate that 75% of business comes from products or services launched in the last five years.

39 14

The proportion of rapidly growing British companies who say design is integral to their business. Just 6% of firms who arent growing say the same.

The market share Vitacress Salads achieved in just 20 months after its identity and packaging were completely redesigned.

6.3

The increase in market share that design-led companies in the UK attribute to use of design.

1in 4
%

The proportion of British companies in which design plays no part whatsoever.

Thats the percentage of users who fill in the Post Offices redesigned change of address form correctly, whereas 87% filled in the old form wrongly. Revamped council tax forms in the London borough of Lambeth led to a stunning 80% rise in households who paid their bills on time.

The increase in the speed of recovery for an NHS patient being treated in an environment designed to be therapeutic.

The sales growth that corporate training company The Mind Gym enjoyed for five years running after using design to change its strategy.

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Design Council Magazine

Issue 1 Winter 2006 When banks start opening stores instead of branches, its a sure sign they are ditching 19thcentury tradition for 21st-century design. And, in the process, transforming how we bank. Umpqua Bank, a small local chain in Americas Pacific Northwest, was an unlikely pacesetter for a design-led revolution. But the Oregon company has inspired me too rebranding throughout banking. Founded in 1953 to provide banking to lumberjacks, Umpqua had by 1994 become a trusted, modestly successful chain of six community branches, with assets of 74.3m. When long-time president Ron Culberston retired that year, the board was unsure whether to sell up or appoint fresh blood. Taking a risk, Umpqua appointed consultant Ray Davis as president, with the remit to introduce wholesale change to create shareholder value. To differentiate Umpqua, Davis focused on making its delivery unique. By conceptualising financial services as products, Davis asked himself: How do you sell products well? Answer: by being a service-driven retailer. This meant looking to the likes of Starbucks and Ritz-Carlton, not US Bank, for inspiration. Umpquas vice president of creative strategies, Lani Hayward, puts it simply: We had to give customers a reason to drive past two or three other banks to get to us. Umpquas store concept was born and put into practice in 1995 with a brand new 2.1m bank in Roseburg, a town of 20,000 people that had become the companys home. love seeing how customers respond and use the space, says Hayward.

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Case study 1

Meet Umpqua, the bank that became No1 by thinking like Starbucks

After three years the Roseburg store went from third to first in market share, moving over 53m of deposits. A branch near the flagship store thrived and further stores opened in Eugene, Portland and Salem. The Salem store acquired twice the predicted deposits for the entire year in its first 90 days of opening. Umpquas innovation was paying off, fuelling rapid growth through mergers and acquisitions. By 2002, with competitors imitating this approach, renewed effort was required to maintain Umpquas innovative lead. A new generation of stores was required. Together with Thompson Vaivoda Architects, Ziba Design designed a breathtaking new store in Portlands Pearl district, concentrating on comfort to coax customers into staying longer and taking action on their finances. Never had a bank looked more like a plush hotel lobby. To encourage users to get the most out of banking, large displays productise their services, signs tell customers to sip, read, surf or bank and floor-toceiling windows entice passers-by to investigate. The next generation store opens in the evenings for book clubs, poetry readings and movie nights. When it opened in March 2003, the Pearl store attracted 1.3m in deposits in its first month. Within nine months this figure had soared to 15.9m doubling expectations. By the end of 2004, Umpqua had 65 stores and assets totalling 1.6bn a far cry from the humble chain Ray Davis took charge of just ten years earlier. With 127 stores, Umpquas risk-taking has paid off. Hayward says: Without creativity we wouldnt be where we are today. Creativity drives vision and fuels implementation. Never settle, even when youre doing great go so far as to seek out criticism. You must have a culture that thrives around innovation. One or two innovative thinkers will die a quick death particularly in banking. For Umpqua, the next challenge, says Hayward, is toapply a Starbucks strategy to banking. Multiple stores in close proximity, smaller in size, embedded in the neighbourhood next to the favourite grocery store. All built from permit to opening in 48 days, and all with the Umpqua allure. Integrating design thinking into its business has driven Umpquas growth. The banks greatest asset is its innovative culture but, says Davis,Without the design, it wouldnt work.

You must have an innovation culture. Lone innovators will die a quick death, especially in banking LaniHaywardUmpqua
Working with retail consultancy Stern Marketing, Umpqua designed a new space and customer experience. Our store model created an open invitation for customers to browse displays, have a cup of coffee, read the papers and check their email. We evolved into a community centre as much as a bank, says Hayward. The self-effacing slogan used to launch the store, Pretty cool for a bank,was well earned. Universal associates replaced tellers and, after training with respected retailers, were given decisionmaking authority and offered incentives to improve service. They love working in the stores, and they

Design Council Magazine

Issue 1 Autumn 2007

64/65 drive system for cars, he says. That led to us showcasing some futuristic thinking in the 1977 Sports 800 gas turbine hybrid. This imaginative approach to environmentalism created the concept that evolved into our Hybrid Synergy Drive. Plenty of car manufacturers had invested in hybrid technology but Toyota beat them to market by breaking with its own corporate culture in its determination to innovate. The day after the Oscars, newspapers are usually full of stories about frocks or sobbing actors. But in 2004 a new star hogged the front page: the Prius. Toyotas energy-efficient hybrid car made headlines as Hollywood husband-and-wife team Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon stepped from the vehicle on to the red carpet. Since then various celebrities Leonardo DiCaprio, Sheryl Crow and Google co-founder Sergey Brin to name but three have driven these fashionable hatchbacks . Toyota Prius, the first vehicle to offer a viable commercial alternative to the internal combustion engine since 1924, when a steam-powered model called the Stanley Steamer ran out of puff, was first introduced in Japan in 1997. And for Toyota, traditionally regarded as a reliable, risk averse company where process epitomised by its legendarily efficient production system normally triumphs over trailblazing product, the fact that the Prius ever made it to market is a corporate miracle. Using the Hybrid Synergy Drive, the Prius combines a petrol engine and electric motor for power, minimises emissions and is so fuel efficient that you can drive 600 miles on one tank. At that rate, even the most absent minded motorist would find it hard to lose their petrol cap. A process called regenerative braking turns the kinetic energy generated when braking into electrical energy. This energy is then stored in the cars battery. And this means the Prius emits up to 90% less smog-forming emissions than conventional cars. Though the Priuss glamorous debut made it seem like an overnight success, Mark Hall, Toyotas UK marketing director, says the car was the fruit of 40 years of R&D. In 1965 we started investigating the feasibility of using gas turbines to power an electric
World beater: how Prius global sales have soared Date Japan N. America Europe Others Years sales 1997 323 1998 17,653 1999 15,243 2000 12,513 5,788 709 1 19,011 2001 11,003 15,975 2,320 161 29,459 2002 6,697 20,329 841 216 28,083 2003 17,040 24,938 859 325 43,162 2004 59,767 58,419 8,136 1,420 125,742 2005 40,510 101,149 17,363 2,023 161,045 Total 180,749 224,598 30,228 4,146 439,721

Case study 2

The eco-friendly Prius is a technological marvel so hip it has a page on MySpace

When the Prius was launched, such a small volume of vehicles were produced that cynics said it was generating more column inches than actual sales. But production has quickened since Toyota introduced a second model in 2004. This vehicle was roomier, had better handling and used second-generation Hybrid Synergy Drive technology. Other new features included a Smart Key for added security. Hall says the evolution was absolutely essential: Design is a key factor when consumers buy cars and the Prius is no exception. The first Prius, a saloon, was not particularly attractive. The secondgeneration car has much stronger styling, looks modern, technologically innovative and has grown from a saloon to a bigger hatchback. The models Hybrid Synergy Drive engine has won awards for offering the best fuel economy in its class. These and an array of awards for the engine have established the cars credibility in a market where buyers can be sceptical of futuristic technology that might prove unreliable or rapidly depreciate in value. Some environmentalists have questioned how ecofriendly the Prius really is. But in California, Florida and New York the vehicle is deemed green enough for it to be driven alone in car pool lanes. By April 2006 global sales of the car had topped 400,000. The launch has made Toyota market leader in hybrid cars, even as rivals introduce new competing technologies into their models. Toyota is introducing Hybrid Synergy Drive into more vehicles as part of a long-term plan to double the number of models with hybrid drivetrains. In 2007 the company will launch flex-fuel vehicles in Brazil that run entirely on ethanol. Currently advertised as Mean but green, the Prius has made its mark in history. Its not every car that earns the ultimate 21st-century pop cultural accolade of having its own page on MySpace.

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15,243

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66/67 Like many British companies, knife-maker Harrison Fisher saw design as a distress purchase. But four years ago, the Sheffield business, founded in 1838, was in distress, losing business to cheap foreign competition. So the company joined the Design Councils Designing Demand programme, inviting a team of designers, led by Jonathan Ball, to examine every facet of the business. To them, the crux of the problem was clear: Harrison Fisher lacked a distinctive design agenda and was letting buyers from supermarkets and department stores plot its course. Managing director Alastair Fisher knew that change was inevitable if his company was to survive: Its easy to become insular. When youve been at it so long you think you know all the answers. At the heart of the rethink was Harrison Fishers Taylors Eye Witness consumer brand, which faced stiff competition from cheap supermarket own-brand products. The design team changed the packaging and developed the product range, marrying contemporary style with Harrison Fishers core values of tradition and quality. Local consultancy Ledgard Jepson designed a new logo and a new packaging range was unveiled at Spring Fair 2004, the UKs leading gift and home trade event. Designers with retail experience refined the packaging so that designs targeted lifestyle instead of price range, as in the past. The range of packaging sizes shrank from 30 to six, cutting costs and improving efficiency. Redesigning the product range was the final piece of the jigsaw. The company brought in up-and-coming designer Sam Hecht, who works for Muji among others. Ball says: We wanted a signature designer someone like Phillipe Starck but didnt want the signature to overwhelm the brand. We wanted a thoughtful and capable designer whose work would reflect the companys values. Hechts first commission was a redesign of Harrison Fishers Chantry knife sharpener. His smart, understated piece won a design award at the 2004 Ambiente trade fair. A new range of high-quality kitchen knives followed, tailored by Hecht to the companys production strengths and informed by Fishers industry knowledge. The launch piqued the interest of House of Fraser and prompted American kitchen retail chain Crate & Barrel to court the Sheffield company. Alastair Fisher is in no doubt that the companys 80,000 investment in design since 2002 was money well spent: We had been under a lot of pressure and

Case study 3

Sheffield steel, the north of Englands most famous export, is back

Its easy to become insular. When youve been at it so long you think think you know all the answers AlastairFisherHarrison Fisher
were losing business. The Design Council programme helped us get ahead of the competition instead of playing catch-up. By exploiting government tax incentives on R&D spending, the company even managed to recoup half its development costs. Fisher admits If wed done nothing our business wouldnt be here today.In 2002 he was worrying about how his company could avoid being undercut by low-cost competition from eastern Europe and Asia. Today, after spending 80,000 on design, he runs a confident company that can compete, on quality and design, with German rivals.

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68/69 How do you sell potential? This was the conundrum facing Owlstone Nanotech, a company formed by researchers at Cambridge University who had the seed of a fantastic product on their hands a way of using nanotechnology to manufacture small buttonsized sensors capable of detecting minute concentrations of airborne chemicals. The challenge was to identify markets for their groundbreaking technology and turn laboratory systems into a viable product. The solution began with Owlstone joining the Design Councils Innovate programme, working with design mentor Oliver King. Owlstone and King faced the kind of problems many high-tech start-ups experience. They needed to explain their technology, communicate its competitive advantage (to partners, investors and customers), attract investors and high-quality staff and design a strategy for market entry. Says King: Owlstone had an amazing piece of technology, but they needed to stop talking about its technical specifications and start showing how it could help people, how it could make the world a better place. An initial consultation with King highlighted the need for Owlstone to broaden its target markets to generate investor interest. What was initially conceived as a military product could have benefits for healthcare and the pharmaceuticals industry. Owlstone soon saw the sense in this. Theyre a very smart and progressive company, says King. They were very open to trying out new ways of doing things, to find ways of communicating without resorting to jargon. With Kings help, the business recruited some top design graduates to work on applications for the sensors. Models and mock-ups were built to capture the imagination of potential investors and customers manufacturers who could incorporate the sensors into their own products. The models created a buzz in the press by showing, for example, how Owlstones sensors in military uniforms could detect chemical weapons, or how they could sense illegal drugs when used in cargo containers. Working on branding and understanding its own identity helped Owlstone integrate its product, target markets and culture. With this base, issues such as key appointments could be confronted effectively. Owlstones embrace of design has proved a major fillip, helping to attract 1.1m of investment from US company Advance Nanotech. In October 2004, Owlstone also won a small business innovation research award from the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency. And in May this year the company shipped its first products, turning chemistry into cash. The success comes as no surprise to King: Design is a process by which high technology can really connect to people, he explains. It allows you to produce things they truly need or desire, at a level that does away with the complexity.
Venture capital invested in nanotechnology, in millions

Case study 4

Nanotechnology firm Owlstone uses design to show buyers what it does

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

78.1 130.9 173.0 154.7 219.9 265.8

King says Owlstone is a good model for other hightech companies who could grow their business by applying some of the same principles. Focus on the customer experience, not the technology be user-centred, he insists. Remain incredibly aware of what your market is, why they might want what youre doing. Finally, he adds, Dont fall in love with the first idea often high-tech companies are spun off from very specialised research and can get lost in the technology. Its not until you connect that to the market that it really becomes innovative. Remember its not about the technology, its about the application of technology and how it can benefit real people.

Design Council Magazine

Issue 1 Autumn 2007

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Case study 5

How to design your way to


789% sales growth: the rise
and rise of Green & Blacks

very own special Pantone brown colour. The shade of brown communicates the taste intensity of the product, says Butler. We created that specific tone because it is virtually the colour of the chocolate. The flavours in the range are indicated by coloured bands on the packaging, while layered type communicates quality and luxury. The organic mark is used as a supporting message, indicating good taste and premium appeal, rather than defining the brand as it once had. Butler says that this shift in focus posed the biggest challenge of the redesign. Theres a danger when a designer is asked to make a brand look slick and luxurious that you can lose its personality. Maintaining a balance was the biggest challenge. That was at the forefront of my mind when working on the project making sure that we retained Green & Blacks authenticity. As Green & Blacks product range has grown to include biscuits, drinking chocolate and ice cream, the distinctive design has been successfully and coherently transferred. For Butler, this has been one of the strengths of Pearlfishers work with Green & Blacks: Designers always want to design an iconic brand with rigid rules. But in the future youre going to have to break some of those rules. The trick is knowing which ones to break, in order to make the brand exciting without losing any of its personality. Since Pearlfishers work for Green & Blacks, sales have increased by some 789%. In part, this has been helped by the brands greater presence in supermarkets: Tesco now stocks 15 variants of the companys bars, where once it sold just three. In less than four years, Green & Blacks has seen its marklet share soar from 1% to 7.4%, such a boom that the brand was recently snapped up for around 25m by confectionary giant Cadbury Schweppes.

How hard can it be to sell chocolate? After their 1991 launch, Craig Sams and Josephine Fairley, the husband-and-wife team that founded organic chocolate company Green & Blacks, found it surprisingly hard, pigeonholed as a niche product and hidden in specialist health stores. But after a redesign of its brand four years ago by design consultants Pearlfisher, the chocolate makers sales grew by 61% a year, in a market which was growing by just 1.8%. When Green & Blacks approached Pearlfisher in 2002, the companys virtuous credentials (it sourced cocoa beans for one of its chocolates under FairTrade agreements with such countries as Madagascar and the Dominican Republic) as an organically produced brand appealed to the ethical shopper, but didnt help in the mainstream market.

A redesigned brand can lose its personality. Keeping it authentic is the biggest challenge SarahButlerPearlfisher
Pearlfishers brief was to reposition Green & Blacks so the brand was seen as luxurious and premium, rather than merely worthy. Pearlfisher predicted that the organic tag would evolve, with values like luxury, quality and tastiness coming to the fore. Sarah Butler, Pearlfishers deputy creative director, explains: The plan was to lead with the taste of the chocolate. From our research, we chose the themes that would influence our design: purity, authenticity and the idea of organics evolving meaning. The design team felt the new packaging needed to emphasise Green & Blacks sophisticated cocoa-rich taste. So their design put the products intense chocolate hit centre-stage, creating Green & Blacks 07

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Case study 6

Smaller but perfectly formed: how The Guardian shrank yet grew in stature

In an age when most business bestsellers stress the importance of being first, the redesign of The Guardian is proof that being third can have its advantages. Watching rivals The Independent and The Times shrink from broadsheet a page size encouraged by a 1712 British law taxing newspapers according to their pagination to tabloid, a size hitherto regarded as sensationalist and down market, The Guardian, says marketing director Marc Sands, decided it had to do something different. This newspaper has always prided itself on being different and for us merely to do what everyone else did would have been wrong. Although we had to engage in a damage limitation exercise while we remained broadsheet and two rivals went tabloid, the delay helped focus our thinking. With both The Independent and The Times, we saw that their front pages had become dominated by a single story. The Times seemed to lose character while The Independent now gives you its opinion on the news on its front page, before telling you what the news is. We felt that, even with news on television and the internet, readers still wanted to be presented with the news before they were given our opinion. The British media defined the choice facing The Guardian as one of following the herd into tabloid size or persisting with a cumbersome format that, on commuter trains, tested the readers origami skills. Yet, as Sands says, everyone in the British newspaper industry knew there was a third way. The Berliner format, offering a page size of 470 x 315mm shorter than a broadsheet and slightly taller than a tabloid was very popular in mainland Europe in the early
National newspaper sales in UK quality daily sector

page and across the gutter. Until then, colour pages had had to be shared out between the editorial and advertising departments, says Sands. While the factory that makes The Guardian was overhauled, the paper was redesigned by editor Alan Rusbridger and creative director Mark Porter. Their challenge was to shrink the paper without losing its personality. Designing a paper for a time-compressed world, where people are bombarded with information, wasnt easy. Porters maxim was: If everyone else is shouting louder and louder, the only way you can be heard is by talking in a normal tone of voice or even whispering. The new Guardian is restrained, even calm, relying on the quality of the colour printing to make each page and each picture sing. To make the paper look as distinctive as possible, Porter created his own typeface family, Guardian Egyptian, which is used, in 96 different variations, exclusively throughout the paper. In all, he developed 250 possible versions of the front page. The decision to change the masthead, created by David Hillman in 1998, was kept secret so as not to distract the industrys chattering classes. Most of the industry thought The Guardian had lost the plot when it announced its move to Berliner but the gamble has worked. Since the new look arrived in September 2005, the paper reaches an average of 25,000 extra readers a month. A shift to the same format has proved a tonic for sales of the papers Sunday stablemate, The Observer. Meanwhile, hidden in his office, Sands has a stack of dummy tabloid Guardian papers which, in years to come, will become artefacts of the newspaper industrys secret history.

Daily sale in August 2006 (percentage change)

The Daily Telegraph The Times Financial Times The Guardian The Independent

899, 693 (-1.03) 664,712 (-2.74) 439, 871 (+3.75) 375,212 (+3.79) 251,968 (-2.93)

20th century (though, ironically, it is no longer the preferred format for papers in Berlin) and was used, on the continent, by such iconic titles as Le Monde and La Repubblica. Every national newspaper in Britain looked at the Berliner format, says Sands, but nobody could figure out how to make it work. To make it work cost The Guardian 80m, though the project was completed in 18 months, roughly half the time consultants had originally forecast. Although national newspapers have had colour since Today launched in 1986, The Guardian invested in the most advanced printing presses which made it the first British national to be able to print colour on every

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