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Design Versus Innovation:

The Cranbrook / IIT Debate


Scott Klinker
Cranbrook Academy of Art | sklinker@cranbrook.edu

Jeremy Alexis
IIT Institute of Design | alexis@id.iit.edu

interactions

Januar y + Februar y 2009

Twenty years ago a seminal article


appeared in ID magazine that contrasted two approaches to design
and design education: the methodsdriven and scientific approach
described by Chuck Owen of the
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)
and the experimental and semantic
approach advocated by Mike McCoy
of Cranbrook Academy of Art. These
two separate methods evolved into
what are today simply known as
innovation (or design thinking)
and design, and each has built its
own culture within the design profession. Yet some confusion surrounds
these concepts, especially about how
these two methods interact to deliver
products. By examining the two
approaches, we can highlight some
of the most critical issues shaping
American design. In a debate format,
two new voices revisit and update
the argument.
Q: Whats the position of your
school in the original article?
What has changed since then?
Jeremy Alexis (IIT): $IBSMFT
-0XFO XIPTUJMMUFBDIFTBU
**5 IJHIMJHIUFEUIFSBUJPOBM 
computer-supported approach
to design he was pioneering at
the time. He believed that design
could help businesses and government with the planning of
large-scale systems.

*OUIFNJET DPNQVUFST
XFSFCFDPNJOHNPSFVCJRVJUPVT 
and suddenly a tremendous
amount of processing power was
BWBJMBCMFUPEFTJHOFST$IVDL
wanted to harness this new
power to help draw connections
between research insights and
design concepts. He did not want
the computer to replace the
EFTJHOFS CVUSBUIFSGPSJUUPTVQport the design process.
/PXXFBDUVBMMZSFMZPODPNputers less than we did when
$IVDLXSPUFUIFBSUJDMFJOUIF
T8FTUJMMCFMJFWFJOBSBUJPOBM QSPDFTTESJWFOBQQSPBDI 
CVUNVDIPGPVSXPSLIBT
shifted to facilitating the transGPSNBUJPOPGPSHBOJ[BUJPOT8F
do not teach our students how
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XFUFBDIUIFNIPXUPSVOXPSLTIPQT NBLFEFDJTJPOTJOMBSHF
UFBNT BOETQSFBEJEFBTUISPVHI
an organizational culture.
Scott Klinker (Cranbrook): The
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EFTJHO1PTUNPEFSOJTNUPPL
BDSJUJDBMMPPLBUiGPSNGPMMPXT
GVODUJPOuBOEBTLFE i%PFT
UIJTSFBMMZNBLFTFOTFGPS
PVSUJNF u5XPNBKPSNPWFNFOUTSFTQPOEFE.FNQIJT 
which embraced the energy of
GBTIJPOJOEFTJHO BOE1SPEVDU
4FNBOUJDT XIJDIBQQMJFEQPFUJD

interface metaphors to the new


electronic appliances that were
FOUFSJOHPVSMJWFT.JLF.D$PZT
$SBOCSPPLTUVEFOUTXFSFBQQMZing methods from literary theory
EFDPOTUSVDUJPO
UPQSPEVDUGPSN 
giving sculptural expression to
the mysterious functions housed
JOTJEFUIFiCMBDLCPYuPGFMFDtronics. Both movements called
for a poetic approach to design.
The result was a new era of
iUIJOHTXJUIBUUJUVEFu"UGJSTU
UIJTDSFBUFEBNBSLFUSFTFSWFE
GPSUIFEFTJHODPHOPTDFOUJ CVU
now nearly every consumer
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BUUJUVEFu%FTJHOFSTOPUPOMZ
TPMWFGVODUJPOBMQSPCMFNT XF
BMTPNBLFQSPEVDUTiTQFBLuUP
TQFDJGJDDVMUVSBMBUUJUVEFT BOE
XFEPJUXJUIGPSN JOUFSGBDF 
and experience design. Defining
and shaping attitude is a whole
new discussion requiring new
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POMZSBUJPOBMPOFT/PUBMMEFTJHO
problems raise questions of attiUVEF CVUBU$SBOCSPPLXFMJLF
the ones that do.
Q: Whats the current approach
of your school?
Scott (Cranbrook): If the world
JTGJMMJOHXJUIiUIJOHTXJUIBUUJUVEF uUIFOXFFYQMPSFiUIFBUUJUVEFPGUIJOHTuJOGPSNFECZB

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Photo by Molly Riley.

IAXVI_1.indb 53

! CranbrookCode-generated Silverware. Richard Nelipovich writes programming code and is a metalsmith. Here he combines the two,
writing algorithms that generate a useful and oddly beautiful form for a mass-customized future.

12/15/08 1:28:24 PM

Enabling The Pursuit Of Different Goals

UIJTBiUSBEJUJPOBM BSUTCBTFE
NPEFMuPGEFTJHOFEVDBUJPO8F
simply call it design.
Design should be mastered
as a liberal art before it is conTJEFSFEBCVTJOFTTUPPM(SFBU
design comes from an artistic
PSDVMUVSBMJNQVMTF OPUGSPNB
GPDVTHSPVQ(SFBUEFTJHOTUBSUT
by creating meaningful stories
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CVMMFUQSPPGCVTJOFTTDBTF(SFBU
EFTJHODSFBUFTOFXDVMUVSF OPU
KVTUDMFWFSOFXVUJMJUJFT(SFBU
EFTJHOJTBCPVUNFBOJOHGJSTU 
UIFNBSLFUTFDPOE8FXBOUUIF
next great generation of designFSTXIPLOPXIPXUPFYQFSJ
NFOUXJUIGPSNBOENFBOJOH 

not the next generation of


strategists who churn out 8.5x11
rationalized reports on busiOFTTPQQPSUVOJUJFT8FXBOUUP
FMFWBUFUIFCFTU"NFSJDBOEFTJHO
talent on the international radar.
Jeremy (IIT):"UUIF**5*OTUJUVUF
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should be human centered and
improve organizational perforNBODF#ZIVNBODFOUFSFE XF
mean design should be based
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not the whim or personal belief
PGUIFEFTJHOFS8IFOXFTBZ
improve organizational perforNBODF XFNFBOUIBUEFTJHO
should create and deliver value

interactions

Januar y + Februar y 2009

DSJUJDBMMPPLBUNPEFSODIBOHF
"TQBSUPGBOFYDFMMFOUHSBEV
BUFBSUTDIPPM $SBOCSPPL%JT
a laboratory for experimental
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our students already have some
professional experience and have
returned to a research setting
to develop a unique voice within
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QMJOFTIFSF GSPNQBJOUJOHBOE
sculpture to jewelry and archiUFDUVSF XFFYQFSJNFOUXJUI
new connections between form
BOENFBOJOHCZBDUVBMMZNBL
JOHUIJOHT"EFTJHOFSTDSFBUJWF
autonomy and authorship is
FRVBMUPBQBJOUFSTPSBDFSBNJ
DJTUT*OOPWBUJPODVMUVSFDBMMT

! IITChicago Bike Federation Clear Air Challenge. Kristy Scovel and Jessie Gatto, Spring 2008. The project recommended transforming
the once-a-year, week long commuter challenge (companies compete to see how many of their employees ride to work) into a year-long
competition that highlights mentoring to increase the number of commuters on bicycles.

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12/15/08 1:28:27 PM

FEATURE

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PVSTUVEFOUTUPFYQFSJNFOU CVU
UPEPTPMJLFTDJFOUJTUT VTJOH
IZQPUIFTFT CVJMEJOHPOQBTU
XPSL
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Q: What is the role of design
in innovation? Or innovation in
design?
Scott (Cranbrook): Innovation
NBLFTTUSBUFHZ%FTJHONBLFT
form. They are completely difGFSFOUNFUIPET XJUIEJGGFSFOU
priorities. To exaggerate the
EJGGFSFODF XFDPVMEDBMMJUCVTJ
ness innovation versus cultural
JOOPWBUJPO%FTJHOBU$SBOCSPPL
TFFLTDVMUVSBMJOOPWBUJPOUP

offer emotional responses to


modern change and manifest
UIPTFQPTJUJPOT UIPTFWBMVFT 
with specific form. Business
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does not drive them.
Design culture already pracUJDFTTPNFPGUIFTPDBMMFEiOFXu
strategy that innovation culture
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analyze research from many
EJTDJQMJOFT UIJOLTUSBUFHJDBMMZ 
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i%TDIPPMTuQSPNJTFBOFXLJOE
PGEFTJHOFS TQFDJGJDBMMZUSBJOFE
JOTUSBUFHJDCVTJOFTTUIJOLJOH
without a deep foundation in
form giving and communication

interactions

Januar y + Februar y 2009

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OFTTFT JUNFBOTJNQSPWFEQSPG
JUTBOENPSFMPZBMDVTUPNFST
GPSOPOQSPGJUTPSHPWFSONFOUT 
it means more effective ways to
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believe that design should not
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XPSLJOHUPEPDVNFOUEFTJHO
NFUIPETJOPSEFSUPNBLFUIFN
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and scalable.
8FBMTPUFBDIUIBUHPPE
design starts with a clear point
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BMPUBCPVUDVMUVSF CVUXFUIJOL
design should be based on an
FYJTUJOHDVMUVSF OPUDSFBUFOFX

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12/15/08 1:28:29 PM

Enabling The Pursuit Of Different Goals

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iEFTJHOUIJOLFSTuEFMJWFS
Jeremy (IIT): Innovation is the
SFTVMUPGHPPEEFTJHO8IFOXF
successfully identify an unmet
need and then develop a new
QSPEVDU DPNNVOJDBUJPO PSTFSvice that solves that need and
NBLFTNPOFZGPSUIFDPNQBOZ 
we are innovating. I would also
suggest that form is the tangible
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them different methods or an
BQQSPBDIJTOPUDPOTUSVDUJWFJU
serves to further highlight the
VOGPSUVOBUF BOEPGUFOPOMZQFSDFJWFE
HBQCFUXFFOiEFTJHOFSTu
BOEiCVTJOFTTQFPQMFu

interactions

Januar y + Februar y 2009

Q: Is design being led astray by


too much business thinking?
Jeremy (IIT): Design is not being
led astray by too much business
UIJOLJOHJOGBDU *XPVMETVHHFTU
that designers need more busiOFTTUIJOLJOH"U**5 XFUSBJO
EFTJHOFSTUPXPSLXJUIDMJFOUT 
not patrons. This is a critical disUJODUJPOXFCFMJFWFEFTJHOOFFET
to create value for both the user
BOEUIFPSHBOJ[BUJPO XIJDI
requires designers to have an
JOUJNBUFLOPXMFEHFPGBOPSHBOJ[BUJPOTCVTJOFTTNPEFMBOEJUT
capabilities.
This issue continues to polarize
UIFEFTJHODPNNVOJUZ*OGBDU 
the thought leader who defined
what the Institute of Design is
UPEBZ +BZ%PCMJO XBTPGUFODSJUJDJ[FEBTBiDPSQPSBUFEFTJHOTIJMMu
He did not mind this criticism.
I would rather have a designer
say to me that I am too corpoSBUFUIBOB$&0UFMMNF*EPOPU
understand his or her business.
Scott (Cranbrook): .PTUNBSLFUT
BSFOPXEJWFSTF DPNQMFY BOE

TQFDJGJD/JDIFDBOCFBTTVDcessful as mass. Defining niche


values and attitudes does not
require design-by-committee. It
SFRVJSFTB107"TL"QQMF
Innovation culture is different from design culture. I
admire innovation culture for
TQFBLJOHUIFMBOHVBHFPGCVTJness and gaining a seat at the
table. But rational propositions
are the most obvious ones.
$VMUVSBMQSPQPTJUJPOTBSFGV[[Z
BOESFRVJSFBTQFDJGJD107XJUI
BTQFDJGJDGPSN*OUIJTDBTF 
design becomes more aligned
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hype in the business press about
this fascinating thing called
innovation has led to an artless
EFTJHODVMUVSFIFSFJO"NFSJDB
when an artful approach might
CFUIFNPTUOFFEFE"NFSJDBO
NVTJD GJMN BOEGBTIJPONBZ
be considered some of our most
important creative exports.
"NFSJDBOEFTJHOJTOPU*TJOOPvation to blame?
Q: Is design thinking useful
without design making?
Jeremy (IIT): I do not want to say
UIBUNBLJOHJTOPUJNQPSUBOU JU
is what generally distinguishes
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CVUEFTJHO
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It is especially helpful for organizations that are trying to change
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PSBOZUIJOHOFX HFOFSBMMZQJDL
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"NBOBHFSUSBJOFEJOEFTJHO
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previously identified. This is how

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responsible for training management on the nature of design
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results to expect.
Scott (Cranbrook): 4USBUFHZ
without form is an empty conUBJOFSUIFTFEBZT8IBUXFTBZ
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things puts form on the table for
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against content and context.
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can be considered and achieved.
-FBSOUIFCBTJDTPGNBLJOHBOE
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higher levels of actualization.
$SBOCSPPLJTDPODFSOFEXJUI
UIFDSBGUPGUIBUGPSNHJWJOH 
with the assumption that the
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more disciplines as the designer
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this maturity is inevitable as the
informed designer engages the
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Q: What is the role of intuition
in design?
Scott (Cranbrook): 4PNFPG
the best design happens when
designers simply respond to
UIFJSPXOOFFET5IJTEPFTOU
NFBOUIBUCMVFTLZGBOUBTJFT
UBLFPWFS&BNFTIBEBGBNPVT
diagram that showed the inter-

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FEATURE

Q: What is the future of


American design?
Scott (Cranbrook): 8IJMFXPSLJOHBU*%&0 *FYQFSJFODFEQSPKects that integrated the efforts
PG$SBOCSPPLiEFTJHOFSTuBOE**5
iJOOPWBUPSTuXJUIJOUIFTBNF
team. It was a friendly balance
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approach to design process will
represent the new state-of-theBSUJOUIF"NFSJDBOQSPGFTTJPO
4VDDFTTGVMUFBNTXJMMCFDPNGPSUBCMFXJUIUIFHJWFBOEUBLF
between design and innovation.
Understanding the line where
design ends and innovation
begins will be an ongoing question. Experts in both methods
will continue to be in demand.
"TiUIJOHTXJUIBUUJUVEFuDPNF
UPDFOUFSTUBHFJONPSFNBSLFUT 
"NFSJDBOEFTJHOXJMMOFFEB
more sophisticated way of discussing connections between
form and attitude to build
meaningful products and brand
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needs more laboratories for
FYQFSJNFOUBMUIJOLJOHBOENBLJOH"TBQSPGFTTJPO UIFiBSUuPG
design must be supported and
encouraged as much as the business of design. Designers with a
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"NFSJDBO BOEHMPCBM EFTJHO
Jeremy (IIT):*BHSFFXJUI4DPUUT
vision of the balanced approach.
8FSFDPHOJ[FUIBUJGXFPWFSSBUJPOBMJ[FUIFEFTJHOQSPDFTT 
we will miss out on the cre-

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that often leads to great design
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recognize our role in the future
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CSBOET HSFBUGJSNT BOEHSFBU
schools. But our position in the
future is not a given. There is
an amazing amount of design
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,PSFB $IJOB BOE5BJXBO5IFZ
have sent students to our best
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home countries and improve
both practice and education.
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have national design policies
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not want our role to have been
only to educate these competing
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collaborate with them to build
"NFSJDBOCVTJOFTT
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Product designer and educator
Scott Klinker heads the graduate
3D design program at Cranbrook
Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills,
Michigan, where he also received
his MFA in 1996. He has worked
in-house for IDEO (Palo Alto) and
Sony/Ericsson and later chaired the design program at
the Kanazawa International Design Institute in Japan.
He currently runs Scott Klinker Product Design, developing licensed designs for contract furniture, household goods, and toys, with clients including Steelcase
and Burton Snowboards. In 2006 he was featured as
one of Newsweeks annual Design Dozen, a selection of the best new designers.
Jeremy Alexis is an assistant professor and assistant dean at the
IIT Institute of Design. He holds
both a bachelor of architecture
and master of design from the
Illinois Institute of Technology. He
currently teaches the research
and demonstration (yearlong capstone) class, as well as classes on economics and
design, concept evaluation, design decision making,
and problem framing. Before IIT, he worked for
Doblin, Gravity Tank, and Archideas. He has worked
with clients such as Unilever, Motorola, Citibank,
Pfizer, American Express, and Target.

DOI: 10.1145/1456202.1456216
2009 ACM 1072-5220/09/0100 $5.00

Januar y + Februar y 2009

Jeremy (IIT): If designers just


EFTJHOGPSPUIFSEFTJHOFST XF
will end up with an oversupQMZPGCFBVUJGVM FYQFOTJWF 
and mostly useless products.
Overvaluing intuition leads to
UIFTUBSEFTJHOFSQIFOPNFOPO 
which is bad for the profession.
8IFOUIFSFBSFBGFXIJHIQBJE
designers who are admired for
their seemingly infallible intuJUJPO XFFOEVQXJUIBMPXFS
class of designers left to implement their ideas for much lower
pay. This income distribution
resembles the music industry
BOEUIFDSBDLEFBMJOHJOEVTUSZ
new recruits are lured by a
few successful examples but
XJMMMJLFMZOFWFSBDIJFWFB
living wage.
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and methods that deemphasize
JOUVJUJPO XFDSFBUFGFXFSTUBS
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more designers who can operate
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environment alongside marLFUJOHBOEGJOBODFGPMLT8JUI

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PVSXPSLCFDPNFTFBTJFSUPQMBO
GPS BOEUIVTFBTJFSUPCVZGPS
managers.

interactions

TFDUJPOTPGUIFEFTJHOFSTDPODFSOT UIFDMJFOUTDPODFSOT BOE


TPDJFUZTDPODFSOT5IFEFTJHOFS
DBOXPSLXJUIDPOWJDUJPOBUUIF
PWFSMBQPGUIFTFDPODFSOT5IJT
is called informed intuition. The
important part here is that the
designer starts with his own set
of subjective concerns and is not
simply a corporate mercenary.
8BTUIFJ1IPOFDPODFJWFE
UISPVHIiVTFSPCTFSWBUJPOu 
Doubtful. Designers lead the
public imagination with new
proposals. Designers provide visions of what could be.
Informed design experiments
NBLFTFOTFPGNPEFSODIBOHF
BOEBSFSJTLZCFDBVTFUIFZQSPQPTFOFXCFIBWJPST OPUKVTU
DBUFSUPPCTFSWFE FYJTUJOHPOFT

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