1. Design Council Future directions for design research Presentation to the Design Research Society AGM,11 Sept 2012 Ailbhe McNabola, Head of Policy Research

2. Agenda Who, why, what What we’ve done so far: the scoping study findings Next steps: follow up study on service design Discussion and feedback

3. Who, why, what

4. Partners

5. Why focus on design? Key strategic priority for DC and AHRC. We believe that design plays a key role in economic and social value creation. It is key to connecting R&D efforts with innovation thereby enabling the market implementation of new knowledge that is fundamental to delivering economic growth and contributing to social renewal.

6. To develop better evidence, and a more detailed understanding, of: – the value and economic and broader impact of design, – the connections between design practice and academic design research, – and levels of engagement between design research and business. Why focus on design research?

7. Scoping Study: To provide direction for future research council funding programmes or other activities in the area of design

8. Research Question What research is needed for measuring the role and value of design?

9. Key questions addressed by the research Demand side – use of design, value and impact of design for users across the private and public sector / Supply side – design providers, consultancies, education etc. What is the current state of knowledge and research on design, its role and value to a wide range of users? What academic design research is being engaged in at UK schools of design and other disciplines? What other design research is being engaged in at UK intermediary organisations (such as, but not limited to, DBA, Design Council / CABE)? What is the interaction between academic research, intermediary organisations and practice? What are the key policy frameworks that may influence design research and measurement? What is happening at an international level on measuring and valuing design? Who are key audiences and users of evidence about the supply of design, its role and value? What are the evidence needs of these groups? Where does current research fall short of meeting evidence needs? What are the priority evidence gaps and how can research fill these gaps?

10. Research methodology Desk research review within set parameters Event 14 th March to consult with design researchers Online consultation to gain more engagement Expert interviews to gain a wider view Agree scope 1 2 3 4 5 Month 1 (Feb)Month 2 (Mar)Month 3 (Apr)Month 4 (May)

11. Desk research – Gap analysis Economic well being Human well being Sustainability Confused picture of £ value of design investment and its benefits Low level of strategic use Potential for more application / valuation is e.g. health care e.g. Kings Fund Built Environment – lack of clear theory and guides to practice Environmental improvement agenda has design as an after thought

12. Consultation Findings Event with design researchers & policymakers No immediate consensus on areas for future development Limited engagement with concept of measurement General sense that any future funding programme needs to clearly articulate what it wants the material generated to achieve and who it is targeted at e.g. policymakers have different needs to businesses or design agencies

13. Online consultation with design industry and academics Open call supported but concerns that design might become sidelined Endorsement in general of academic work with business / policy makers General endorsement of a focused call and need for building evidence on value of design No real consensus on funding mechanisms, wide range of suggestions Consultation Findings

14. Expert interviews with a wide range of contributors Academia – Prof Tom Inns, Prof Rachel Cooper, Prof Nick Chater, Prof Bruce Brown Government – Dan Hodges, BIS World of design – Rab Bennetts, Deborah Dawton DBA Cultural organisations – Sir Mark Jones, Nigel Llewellyn Business – Joe Ferry, Herman Hauser Consultation Findings

15. Expert interviews Much more interest in what design achieves than in design itself Much more engagement with concept of valuation – Desire to see stronger evidence base for making the case for design, greater understanding of where that might be useful and how it could be used – Desire to see some more consistency on the fundamentals at micro and macro level– design’s role and value in the UK economy, and its role at firm level Consultation Findings

16. Expert interviews contd. Desire to see design engaged and learning much more from other academic disciplines e.g. social science More knowledge transfer with the industry Endorsement of multidisciplinary projects Funding needs to be broader than AHRC Concern over the capacity of creative disciplines to apply for funding – possible need for support with applications Consultation Findings

17. General response to sand-pits very positive Capacity building activities likewise endorsed, with lots of ideas how to make work / deliver Large collaborative grants, perceived to work well for multi /inter disciplinary work Long list of ideas for other funding mechanisms suggested e.g. fellowships, TSB models, DOH innovation centres etc. Reflections on Funding Mechanisms

18. Scoping Study Key Recommendations Mindful of the increased levels of activity in the design measurement space internationally, it could be unproductive to fund further research on developing evidence on the macro-economic value of design

19. Scoping Study Key Recommendations Area that is perhaps most neglected is the developing sector and discipline of service design -Area most regularly cited as in need of attention across all of the stakeholder research -Has the potential to make major contributions to innovation & to major challenges such as health and sustainability -We believe it is under researched, is still an emerging field of practice, and is an area that has the potential to deliver both economic and social value

20. Other recommendations and considerations Bring together economists, design businesses and design researchers in multi-disciplinary teams with design research as an equal partner Design researchers need support to get involved with Research Council calls; they need mentoring to lead bids if the real contribution that design can make is to be realised There is also an appetite for collaborative work with other stakeholders: business, (design buyers, design suppliers) user groups and policy networks In our view, the collaboration between the Design Council and AHRC represents an opportunity to do something inspiring in this space

21. Next Steps: Service Design

22. Research methodology Desk research review within set parameters Online consultation to gain more engagement Expert interviews to gain a wider view Agree scope 1 2 4 3 Month 1 (Aug)Month 2 (Sep)Month 3 (Oct)Month 4 (Nov)

23. What is service design and where does it occur? Is there a working definition? What are the main areas of activity in the service design profession currently? What are the main areas of activity in academic research in service design currently? What is going on internationally in service design both in academic and business spheres? What sort of demand is there for service design expertise (professional or academic) in the wider private and public sector businesses? To what extent, and in what fields, is there existing engagement between design professionals (or broader businesses) and academic researchers in service design? Where are the gaps in such engagements and opportunities for new collaborations? Research Questions: what’s happening now

24. In what ways does service design contribute to the sustainability of choice for customers and producers? How do service designers add value to business? How does service design help businesses to innovate and come up with new ways of working? Who else is talking about service design? What would the priorities be for any Research Council funding in Service Design? Research Questions: future priorities

25. Join our consultation Feed your views back to us today or complete our survey (accessible through the Design Council / AHRC / ESRC websites later this month) Our questions for you: Are you aware of service design and agencies working in service design? Do you see service design as a separate discipline or an ‘application’ of design? Does anyone have any case studies to share? If you were a Research Council what three key things would you do to support the development of service design?

26. Your questions for us?

27. Thank you for listening ailbhe.mcnabola@designcouncil.org.uk