Volume_1_Ministry_of_Design_-_From_Cotta (2)

        Ministry  of  Design       From  Cottage  Industry  to  State  Enterprise          Colloquium  Proceedings       Volume  1            

               Ministry  of  Design  –  from  Cottage  Industry  to  State  Enterprise    Colloquium  Proceedings    28  –  29  May  2015,    St.  Augustine,  Trinidad        Editors  Lesley-­‐Ann  Noel    Michael  Lee  Poy      Proceedings  compiled  by  Lesley-­‐Ann  Noel      ©  2015  Department  of  Creative  and  Festival  Arts  and  the  Authors.  All  rights  reserved    Proceedings  of  the  Ministry  of  Design  –  from  Cottage  Industry  to  State  Enterprise  Symposium      ISBN    Published  by  Department  of  Creative  and  Festival  Arts    The  University  of  the  West  Indies    St.  Augustine  Campus      Trinidad    Conference  co-­‐chairs:  Michael  Lee  Poy  and  Lesley-­‐Ann  Noel    Cover  Design:  Melissa  Design  Conference  Graphic  Design:  Melissa  Miller  and  Joseph  Drayton    Coordinating  Team:    Lesley-­‐Ann  Noel    Michael  Lee  Poy  Melissa  Miller  Joseph  Drayton  Roberta  Quarless    Alex  Kelly       2    

      Table  of  Contents       5   Putting  Design  on  the  National  Agenda  by  campaigning  for  a  Ministry  of  Design   Lesley-­‐Ann  NOEL,  Michael  LEE  POY       Design  and  Policy     Design,   Innovation   &   Policy   2020   –   anticipating   trends   for   design-­‐driven   innovation   13   Anna  WHICHER,  Piotr  SWIATEK     Four  Areas  for  Scaffolding  a  Design  Mindset  Towards  a  National  Design  Policy   24   Dr.  María  de  Mater  O’NEILL     From  a  state  of  “old  talk”  to  a  National  Integrated  Design  Policy  and  Action  Plan  for  a   35   “Ministry  of  Design  –  from  Cottage  Industry  to  State  Enterprise”   Jalaludin  Ahmad  KHAN         Design  and  Government  Systems   45   Healthcare  Facilities  -­‐  Inefficient  by  Design?   Cilla  T.  BENJAMIN     A   conceptual   design   for   efficient   government   ministerial   allocation   in   Trinidad   and   63   Tobago   Daren  MAYNARD         Design  and  Small  and  Medium  Enterprises   84   Furniture  design  as  a  tool  for  social  inclusion   Angélica  Rodríguez  BENCOSME     Small  Business  Development  by  Design   91   Debbie-­‐Ann  ESTWICK     Designing  Strategies  for  Economic  Development  of  Women  Entrepreneurs   105   Sharon  WILSON       Design  and  Philosophy  Underpinning    Design  Practice     The  cooperative  as  a  solution  to  manufacturing,  production  and  isolation  for  fashion           111   designers  in  Trinidad  and  Tobago  and  the  Caribbean   Robert  YOUNG,  Cilla  BENJAMIN     DRAWING  TOGETHER  -­‐  Reshaping  our  world  through  Design  in  the  21st  century   126  

    Nigel  THOMAS       DDD  –  DESIGN    DIGNITY    DESTINY   142   Cosimo  DI  MAGGIO         146   Design  Standards   Trinidad  &  Tobago  Urban  Design  Vernacular   Alethea  MCINTYRE     Rebuilding  a  Nation  with  Design  Standards   157   Kriston  CHEN       Design  Education     Beyond   problem   solving:   A   framework   to   teach   design   as   an   experiment   in   the   170   university  environment   Dr.  Stuart  MEDLEY,  Dr.  Christopher  KUEH     Design  in  Education  as  a  Sustainable  Source  in  Trinidad  and  Tobago   181   Michele  LEACOCK     Design  For  Children   190   Shweta  NANEKAR     205   Theatre  of  the  Imagination®:  Blueprint  Exchange     Robert  PULLEY       Urban  Planning  and  the  Environment   228   The  Concrete  Jungle:  Urban  Stormwater  Design  in  Port  of  Spain   Christy  MAINGOT     Permaculture:  an  Ecological  Approach  to  Design   240   John  STOLLMEYER     Sustainable  Design  Catalysing  the  Transition  to  a  Green  Economy.   255   Neisha  MANICKCHAND       Design  and  Public  Projects     The   Tacarigua   Sculptural   PlaySpace   Project:   An   analysis   of   the   evolution   of   design   264   implementation   Dean  ARLEN     Port  of  Spain:  Creative  Design  District   276   Harry  HUNT,  Cosimo  DiMaggio         4    

     Putting   Design   on   the   National   Agenda   by  campaigning  for  a  Ministry  of  Design  Lesley-­‐Ann  NOEL1;  Michael  LEE  POY2    1  University  of  the  West  Indies  1  lesley-­‐[email protected];  [email protected]     Introduction     In  a  place  where  design  is  synonymous  with  art,  fashion,  graphic  design  and  Carnival,  how   do   we   get   a   nation   to   talk   about   design   related   to   manufacturing,   trade,  innovation,   and   planning   and   sustainable   development?   These   were   some   of   the  questions   that   we,   the   co-­‐chairs,   wanted   the   designers,   educators,   engineers,   other  professionals   and   the   public   to   discuss   at   the   Ministry   of   Design   forum   which   was  created   to   facilitate   this   type   of   discussion.   In   creating   this   forum   we   wished   two  address  two  fundamental  problems  related  to  design  practice  in  Trinidad  and  Tobago  a)  the  potential  impact  of  design  as  a  profession  or  industry  is  not  very  well  understand  in  Trinidad   and   Tobago   and   there   is   little   discussion   on   the   impact   of   design   on   economic  and   social   development   in   Trinidad   and   Tobago;   and   b)   there   is   a   dearth   of   written  literature   on   design   practice   in   Trinidad   and   Tobago   and   the   Caribbean.   We   developed  the  idea  of  the  Ministry  of  Design  colloquium  to  create  a  space  for  people  to  be  able  to  write   about   design   practice   and   come   and   discuss   design   issues   that   were   relevant   to  our   context.   We   invited   several   government   ministries   to   also   be   part   of   the   two-­‐day  event   to   encourage   discourse   on   design   at   a   ministerial   level.   We   asked   our   potential  contributors  ‘if  there  were  a  Ministry  of  Design,  what  would  this  ministry  do?’     Professionals,  educators  and  students  from  a  broad  range  of  design-­‐based  disciplines  such   as   architecture,   graphic   design,   engineering   and   project   management   and   the  general  public  were  invited  to  respond  to  our  call  to  participate  in  the  Ministry  of  Design  colloquium.     In   the   Call   for   Papers,   the   essential   question   was   asked,   “What   if   the  government   of   Trinidad   and   Tobago   directed   substantial   financial   investment   towards  design  initiatives  on  a  national  level?  If  there  were  a  Ministry  of  Design  in  Trinidad  and  Tobago,   how   could   this   Ministry   encourage   and   stimulate   design,   and   create   an  awareness   of   its   importance   among   the   general   population   and   other   Ministries?   The  two   key   questions   we   were   asking   were:   How   could   design   support   government   and  how   can   government   support   design?   Ultimately,   in   the   context   of   our   developing  nation  status,  how  can  design  add  value  to  our  nation?     To  our  surprise,  the  responses  to  the  call  for  papers   came  from  all  over  the  world:  The   United   States,   Jamaica,   the   United   Kingdom,   Australia,   Puerto   Rico,   the   Dominican  Republic,   Barbados   and   of   course   Trinidad   and   Tobago,   and   from   architects,   graphic  

LESLEY-­‐ANN  NOEL  and  MICHAEL  LEE  POY    designers,   design   educators,   environmentalists,   engineers,   among   other   professionals.  Over  40  abstracts  were  received,  and  22  papers  were  selected.  The  contributors  to  the  colloquium   ranged   in   experience   from   recent   graduates   of   the   Undergraduate  programme   in   Visual   Arts   at   the   University   of   the   West   Indies   to   very   experienced  professionals  and  educators.  We  organized  responses  into  8  themes.         The  Ministry  of  Design  Campaign     Since  2015  is  an  election  year  in  Trinidad  and  Tobago,  we  devised  a  creative  strategy  to   raise   public   awareness   about   design.   It   is   standard   practice   for   recently   elected  governments   in   Trinidad   and   Tobago   to   fabricate   new   ministries,   and   we   anticipated  that   a   new   Ministry   –   a   Ministry   of   Design   could   be   formed   after   the   September   7th  elections   in   Trinidad   and   Tobago.   We   wanted   to   root   the   Ministry   of   Design   in   an  academic  discussion  within  the  context  of  a  developing  Caribbean  nation  status.  For  our  ‘campaign’,   we   developed   a   ‘Ministry   of   Design’,   coat   of   arms   and   a   motto   in   Latin,  cognitans   a   melior   Trinidad   et   Tobago   (which   translates   to   ‘designing   a   better   Trinidad  and   Tobago’)   to   support   our   public   awareness   campaign   during   the   2015   election  campaign  season  in  Trinidad  and  Tobago.      Figure:  1.  Co-­‐Chair  Michael  Lee  Poy  discusses  the  concept  of  a  Ministry  of  Design  with  the   Opposition  Leader  Dr.  Keith  Rowley  on  the  left  at  the  Family  Day  of  the  People’s   National  movement;  and  with  the  Minister  of  Sport,  Brent  Sancho  at  the  5th   Anniversary  celebrations  of  the  People’s  Partnership  Government  at  Constantine  Park.   Both  events  took  place  on  24th  May,  2015.       The  campaign  was  developed  via  social  media  and  brand  identity  development  while  engaging   political   candidates   and   government   officials   by   attending   political   rallies   and  speaking   with   the   candidates   about   the   importance   of   design   and   inviting   them   to   our  colloquium.  We  shared  photos  with  the  candidates  showing  their  support  for  a  Ministry  of   Design   via   Facebook   and   Instagram   using   the   hashtags   #ministryofdesign   and  #uwidcfa.   Though   the   project   did   not   have   a   budget   for   traditional   advertising,   our  Facebook  and  Instagram  campaigns  led  to  the  traditional  media  outlets  finding   us  and     6    

Putting  Design  on  the  National  Agenda  by  campaigning  for  a  Ministry  of  Design    led  to  an  interview  on  a  morning  television  show  and  articles  by  in  the  local  newspapers,  helping   us   to   achieve   our   aim   of   creating   some   national   discussion   about   design   in  Trinidad  and  Tobago.  After  the  event  we  continued  to  receive  local  and  regional  media  coverage  and  we  continue  to  use  these  hashtags  and  therefore  social  media  enthusiasts  can   continue   to   track   our   posts   on   Facebook,   instagram   and   twitter   using  #ministryofdesign   and   #uwidcfa.   We   have   created   a   Facebook   page,   where   interested  parties   can   also   continue   to   keep   track   of   project   developments   at  www.facebook.com/ministryofdesigntt  .  Even  though  the  colloquium  took  place  on  May  28-­‐29  2015,  we  continue  to  receive  local/regional  and  international  interest  and  support  for  the  project.  Most  recently  design  historian  Victor  Margolin,  pledged  his  support  for  a  Ministry   of   Design   in   Trinidad   and   Tobago,   at   the   LearnxDesign2015   conference   in  Chicago.       Day  One  of  the  colloquium   The  four  themes  that  were  developed  on  Day  One  were  Design  and  National  Policy;  Design  and  Government  Systems;  Design  and  Small  and  Medium  Enterprise  and  Design  Philosophy  Underpinning  Design  Practice.     Design  and  Policy     Whicher  and  Swiatek  (pp  13  -­‐  23)  identify  design  as  a  factor  of  innovation  and  state  that   ‘Design   is   progressively   moving   up   the   policy   agenda   at   multiple   levels   of  governance   across   Europe’.   Several   countries   in   Europe,   including   Denmark,   Estonia,  Finland,  France  and  Latvia  have  developed  national  design  action  plans,  and  there  is  an  Action   Plan   for   Design-­‐driven   Innovation   launched   by   European   Commission   in   2013.  Whicher  and  Swiatek  identify  that  at  regional  and  local  levels  the  awareness  of  design  is  increasing   with   a   number  of  regions  integrating  design  in  their  innovation  policies   and  smart   specialization   strategies,   and   more   and   more   design   managers   innovating   public  services  within  local  public  authorities.  They  highlight  the  need  for  hands-­‐on  workshops  to  communicate  the  value  of  design  and  they  foresee  a  future  where  design  will  play  an  important   role   in   multiple   policy   domains,   such   as   health,   social,   environmental,   digital  and  transport  policy;  but  also  will  be  used  as  a  method  for  inclusive  policy-­‐making.     Maria  Mater  de  O’Neil  (pp  24  to  34)  examines  four  areas  that  should  be  researched  in   order   to   create   a   Ministry   of   Design   in   Trinidad   and   Tobago:   1.   Inquiry   about  contemporary   local   design   history   with   emphasis   on   the   business   aspect;   2.   Inquiry  about   current   local   design   education   approaches;   3.   Inquiry   about   how   people   relate  and   experience   culturally   with   their   mobile   technology;   and   4.   Inquiry   into   current  financial  issues  in  the  design  practitioners  and  their  business.  She  presents  findings  from  Puerto  Rico  of  similar  research.       Jalaludin   Khan   (pp   35   -­‐   43)   advocates   for   the   development   of   a   National   Integrated  Design  Policy  and  a  Design  Council  for  the  Republic  of  Trinidad  and  Tobago  that  balances  the   transformation   of   the   economic   growth   model   with   the   application   of   “sustainable     7    

LESLEY-­‐ANN  NOEL  and  MICHAEL  LEE  POY    design’’   philosophies   with   the   economic,   social   and   environmental   needs   for   The  Republic  of  Trinidad  and  Tobago  as  a  small  island  developing  state.     Design  and  Government  Systems     Cilla   Benjamin   (pp   45   –   61)   assesses   the   potential   for   linked   cell   design   within  primary  and  secondary  healthcare  facilities  in  T&T  as  a  means  of  reducing  patient  stress  and  discomfort  while  increasing  throughout  by  more  than  50%  and  enhancing  aesthetic  appeal. Daren  Maynard  (pp  63  –  82)  considers  a  ‘re-­‐design’  of  government  and  looks  at  the  establishment   of   14   permanent   ministries   and   supported   3   shared   services  organisations  with  the  aim  of  the  consolidating  the  myriad  of  ministries  that  have  been  propagated  in  the  past  and  current  administrations  in  Trinidad  and  Tobago.  This  design  uses   the   concept   of   super-­‐ministries   to   consolidate   like   areas   with   the   use   of   shared  services   organisations   to   drive   organisational   efficiencies   in   these   state-­‐sanctioned  organisations.     Design  and  Small  and  Medium  Enterprise  Development   Angelica   Rodrigues   Bencosme,   (pp.   84   -­‐   90),   a   PhD   Candidate   at   the   Institute   of  Gender   Studies,   UWI,   states   that   governments   should   direct   resources   “towards   design  initiatives   on   a   national   level”,   and   furniture   design   should   be   considered   as   a   tool   for  social   inclusion   given   that   it   can   be   easier   to   understand   than   other   branches   of   design  where   the   results   may   be   intangible.   She   notes   that   furniture   design   also   encompasses  several   aspects   of   interest   in   this   colloquium:   design   for   the   home,   for   social   good,   for  development,  urban  and  sustainable  design.       Debbie-­‐Ann  Estwick, (pp.  91  -­‐  104),  hypothesizes  the  role  of  a  proposed  Ministry  of  Design   to   wield   design   as   a   strategic   tool   for   innovation   and   economic   development   in  and   through   small   businesses   in   Trinidad   and   Tobago.   Her   paper   is   based   on   three  premises   that   she   identified   in   her   literature   review   that:   1)   designers   are   natural  innovators  and  creative  problem  solvers;  2)  that  design  thinkers  are  the  new  leaders  of  the   future   and   3)   that   collaboration   through   design   can   improve   the   competitiveness  and  viability  of  small  businesses,  engineering  and  manufacturing  industries.       Sharon   Wilson,   (pp.   105   -­‐   109),   discusses   strategies   for   the   economic   development  of   women   entrepreneurs.   As   a   business   owner,   she   makes   a   plea   for   The   State   to  contribute   in   rebuilding   existing   small   and   ‘sick’   industries   and   to   support   people   who  want  to  set  up  enterprises  by  offering  guidance,  encouragement  and  support.       Design  Philosophy  Underpinning  Design  Practice     Robert   Young   and   Cilla   Benjamin,   (pp.   111   -­‐   125),   question   the   solutions   often  proposed   by   technocrats   that   industry   participants   should   ‘design’   locally   and   have   the     8    

Putting  Design  on  the  National  Agenda  by  campaigning  for  a  Ministry  of  Design    clothing   produced   in   low   cost   manufacturing   countries   such   as   China   or   Colombia   and  suggest  the  cooperative  as  a  solution  to  manufacturing  challenges  for  fashion  designers  in  the  Caribbean.       Nigel  Thomas,  (pp.  126  -­‐  141),  says  that  “We  designers  habitually  research  the  major  challenges   to   life   and   the   various   responses   in   the   margins   while   creating   our   own  innovative  pockets  of  resistance  and  models,  that  could  benefit  the  future  of  our  Nation,  but   until   we   can   draw   together,   and   erase   the   perversion   of   anthropomorphic  projections   and   hubris,   nature   dies,   not   God(s)   in   this   new   enactment.”   His   paper  describes   a   ‘counter-­‐movement’   to   ‘nothingness’   and   argues   that   design   be   renamed  KIN   –   KINAESTHETIC-­‐INNOVATION-­‐NOW.   He   supports   his   argument   by   referring   to  philosophers  such  as  Nietzsche,  Plato  and  Socrates.       Cosimo   DiMaggio,   (pp.   142   –   144),   describes   the   indissoluble   relationship   between  design   and   dignity   and   reminds   the   public   that   the   primary   benefactor   of   design   is  humanity  while  design  is  about  the  people  and  that  the  relationship  between  design  and  dignity  is  the  genesis  of  human  destiny.     Day  Two  of  the  Colloquium     The   four   themes   that   were   developed   on   Day   Two   were   Design   Standards;   Design  Education;  Urban  Planning  and  the  Environment  and  Design  and  Public  Projects.     Design  Standards   In   her   paper,   Alethea   McIntyre,   examines   urban   design   vernacular   in   Trinidad   and  Tobago.   (pp.   146   -­‐   156)   and   presents   a   proposal   for   a   combination   of   theories   that  express   the   desire   and   intent   of   a   method   that   can   be   used   to   address   the   issues   of   a  dying  urban  language  and  be  a  proponent  for  encouraging  and  stimulating  urban  design  in  Trinidad  and  Tobago.   Kriston  Chen  (pp.  157  -­‐  168)  initiates  a  discussion  around  the  development  of  design  standards  and  community  building  and  for  advocates  for  the  promotion  of  good  design  via  education  and  outreach  at  the  community  level.     Design  Education     Stuart   Medley   and   Christopher   Kueh   present   improved   design   education   as   a  strategy   for   improving   infrastructure   and   government   policies   in   Trinidad   and   Tobago  and  share  an  alternative  model  for  design  education,  which  moves  away  from  the  linear  production  of  artefacts  towards  a  more  experimental  form  that  contributes  to  the  larger  community  issues  that  are  becoming  complex  (pp.  170    -­‐  180).     Michele   Leacock   gives   a   very   personal   account   of   her   experiences   as   a   teacher   of  Graphic   Design   at   Secondary   School   and   the   students’   impressions   of   the   subject   (pp  181   –   189).   She   shows   how   she   was   able   to   use   her   experience   as   a   professional     9    

LESLEY-­‐ANN  NOEL  and  MICHAEL  LEE  POY    designer   to   improve   student   outcomes.   She   also   suggests   that   a   Ministry   of   Design   can  help  fund  specialist  design  education  in  schools.       Shweta   Nanekar   asks   “How   do   we   modify   current   approaches   to   the   design   of  private   and   public   spaces   to   make   them   more   child-­‐friendly?”   (pp.   190   –   204).   She  reviews   available   literature   on   child-­‐friendly   environments   and   identifies   design  principles   to   guide   the   development   of   sustainable   and   child-­‐focussed   outdoor  environments.       Robert  Pulley  of  the  Royal  College  of  Art  in  London  examines  priorities  raised  in  the  Crafts   Council’s   manifesto,   ‘Our   Future   is   in   the   Making’  (2014)   and   proposes   in   his  paper   that   a   Ministry   of   Design   in   Trinidad   and   Tobago   could   facilitate   inspiring  collaborations   between   students,   academics   and   entrepreneurs,   with   the   Visual   Arts  Unit  of  the  DCFA  playing  a  leading  role  in  these  collaborations  and  in  promoting  learning  through  making.  He  suggests  that  an  international  research  centre  for  design,  education  and   enterprise   as   a   joint   venture   of   the   UWI   and   the   government   of   Trinidad   and  Tobago,  as  a  main  project  of  a  Ministry  of  Design.    (pp.  205  –  226)       Urban  Planning  and  the  Environment       Christy   Maingot   examines   the   impact   of   poor   storm   water   management   in   Port   of  Spain,  Trinidad  and  looks  at  the  social  and  economic  benefits  associated  with  low  impact  development   and   proper   urban   stormwater   designs.   She   proposes   solutions   that   she  suggests  could  be  become  a  model  for  sustainable  development  for  other  islands  in  the  region  (pp  228  –  239).       In  his  paper  (pp.  240  -­‐  254),  John  Stollmeyer,  provides  an  overview  of  permaculture  and   designing   for   ‘sustainable   settlement’.   He   promotes   the   use   of   permaculture   as   an  ethically-­‐centred   design   practice.   He   shares   some   of   the   results   of   permaculture   usage  in   Trinidad   and   Tobago   and   provides   clear   checklists   on   how   to   incorporate  permaculture  into  one’s  life.     Neisha  Manickchand  (pp.  255  -­‐  262)  proposes  that  a  Sustainable  Design  Department  within  a  Ministry  of  Design  could  support  and  promote  sustainable  development  in  the  country.   She   points   out   the   need   for   a   synergy   between   technical   and   creative  approached   in   developing   a   green   economy.   She   provides   insights   on   how   sustainable  design   can   be   applied   to   energy   production   and   consumption,   transport,   and   product  use  and  disposal.       Design  and  Public  Projects:       Dean   Arlen   recounts   his   experience   of   conceptualising   a   design   for   the   Tacarigua  Sculptural   Play   Space   Project   (pp   264   –   275).   He   links   community   projects   to   local     10    

Putting  Design  on  the  National  Agenda  by  campaigning  for  a  Ministry  of  Design    political   contexts   and   suggests   that   a   Ministry   of   Design   and   other   like   organisations  could   assist   designers   in   negotiating   bureaucracy   and   support   them   from  conceptualisation  to  installation.       Cosimo   di   Maggio   and   Harry   Hunt   suggest   that   Trinidad   and   Tobago   has   a   tiny  window   of   opportunity   to   become   the   design   capital   of   the   Caribbean   (pp.   276   –   283).    They  demonstrate  how  a  Design  District  in  East  Port  of  Spain  could  play  a  major  role  in  the   regeneration   of   Downtown   Port   of   Spain,   leading   to   great   economic   and   social  benefits.       Ministry  of  Design  Exhibition   In   addition   to   the   Ministry   of   Design   Colloquium,   we   hosted   a   Design   Exhibition   to  show   the   scope   of   the   design   industry.   Current   staff   and   former   students   of   the   Visual  Arts  Unit  of  the  Department  of  Creative  and  Festival  Arts  were  asked  to  participate  in  a  Design   Exhibition   to   show   the   variety   of   their   work   and   the   potential   of   the   design  industry.     This   exhibition,   which   opened   during   the   colloquium,   featured   some   of   the  best  design  work  done  by  students  and  faculty  members  dating  as  far  back  as  1999  and  included  graphic  design,  urban  design,  furniture,  musical  instruments,  editorial  projects  among  other  forms  of  design.       Conclusions   The   Ministry   of   Design   –From   cottage   Industry   to   State   Enterprise   colloquium,  provided   a   forum   for   discussion   and   networking   among   designers   in   Trinidad   and  Tobago   and   the   wider   region.   We   were   very   happy   with   the   participation   from   our  colleagues  from  around  the  region,  and  the  contributions  via  video  of  our  extra-­‐regional  colleagues.  In  planning  this  colloquium,  we  did  not  anticipate  a  300+  page  collection  of  articles   on   design   practice   in   the   Caribbean.   This   is   merely   a   start   and   we   look   forward  to  continuing  these  discussions  around  design  practice  and  design  education,  ultimately  leading  to  policies  and  legislation  that  could  support  and  promote  design  in  Trinidad  and  Tobago  and  the  Caribbean  region.       Lesley-­‐Ann  Noel     and     Michael  Lee  Poy     August  2015.               11    

                                                      Design  and  Policy

 Design,   Innovation   &   Policy   2020   –   anticipating  trends  for  design-­‐driven  innovation  Anna  WHICHER*,  Piotr  SWIATEK    PDR,  Cardiff  Metropolitan  University  *  [email protected]     Abstract:  European  Union’s  policy  ‘Innovation  Union’  from  the  year  2010  was  the   first  on  European  level  to  recognise  design  as  a  factor  of  innovation.  Since  then  the   landscape  for  design  in  Europe  has  changed  dramatically.  Design  is  progressively   moving  up  the  policy  agenda  at  multiple  levels  of  governance  across  Europe.  Not   only  is  there  an  Action  Plan  for  Design-­‐driven  Innovation  launched  by  European   Commission  in  2013  but  a  growing  number  of  countries  in  Europe,  including   Denmark,  Estonia,  Finland,  France  and  Latvia  have  developed  national  design  action   plans.  Also  at  regional  and  local  levels  the  awareness  of  design  is  increasing  with  a   number  of  regions  integrating  design  in  their  innovation  policies  and  smart   specialization  strategies,  and  more  and  more  design  managers  innovating  public   services  within  local  public  authorities.   The  SEE  Platform  project,  led  by  PDR  at  Cardiff  Metropolitan  University  and  funded   by  the  European  Commission,  has  significantly  contributed  to  these  changes.  SEE   Platform  is  a  network  of  11  European  partners  engaging  with  government  to  build   capacity  for  design-­‐driven  innovation  and  integrate  design  into  innovation  policies   and  programmes.  Between  2012  and  2015,  SEE  has  run  112  interactive  workshops   involving  over  1,000  policy-­‐makers  in  using  design  methods,  what  has  directly   influenced  18  policies  and  48  design  support  programmes.  Through  new  research,   case-­‐studies  and  policy  recommendations  SEE  has  built  a  bank  of  evidence  to   support  governments  to  integrate  design  into  policy,  programmes  and  their   mainstream  practice.  This  article  draws  on  the  experiences  of  SEE  to  present   emerging  trends  in  design-­‐driven  innovation  that  could  develop  in  coming  years.     Keywords:  design  driven-­‐innovation,  design  policy,  design  programme        

ANNA  WHICHER,  PIOTR  SWIATEK     Introduction   “Europe   faces   a   moment   of   transformation.   The   crisis   has   wiped   out   years   of  economic  and  social  progress  and  exposed  structural  weaknesses  in  Europe's  economy.  In   the   meantime,   the   world   is   moving   fast   and   long-­‐term   challenges   –   globalisation,  pressure   on   resources,   ageing   –   intensify.   The   EU   must   now   take   charge   of   its   future.”  (European   Commission,   2010a)   –   reads   Europe   2020,   a   strategy   for   smart,   sustainable  and   inclusive   growth   in   the   European   Union.   Governments   across   Europe   and   around  the   world   are   looking   for   new   drivers   of   innovation   to   enhance   national   and   regional  sustainable   economic   and   social   development.   As   a   part   of   a   paradigm   shift   from  technology-­‐focused   and   R&D-­‐driven   innovation   towards   user-­‐centred   methodologies  and   techniques,   design   is   increasingly   being   recognised   as   a   factor   for   innovation   in  small  to  medium-­‐sized  enterprises,  the  public  sector  and  society.  In  2010,  the  European  Commission   (EC)   included   design   for   the   first   time   as   one   of   ten   priorities   in   their  innovation   policy,   Innovation   Union:   “9.   Our   strengths   in   design   and   creativity   must   be  better   exploited.   We   must   champion   social   innovation.   We   must   develop   a   better  understanding   of   public   sector   innovation,   identify   and   give   visibility   to   successful  initiatives,   and   benchmark   progress.”   (European   Commission,   2010b).   Since   then,   the  design   policy   landscape   in   Europe   has   transformed   significantly.   PDR   at   Cardiff  Metropolitan   University,   as   a   lead   partner   of   the   SEE   (Sharing   Experience   Europe   –  Policy   Innovation   Design)   Platform   project,   has   taken   an   active   part   in   these   changes  and   observed   a   number   of   emerging   trends   in   design   policies   and   programmes   that  could  develop  in  the  build  up  to  2020.     Context     In   2010,   design   was   little   understood   by   government   –   in   fact,   the   public  consultation   on   design   revealed   that   the   greatest   barrier   to   better   use   of   design   was    a   lack   of   awareness   and   understanding   of   design   among   policy-­‐makers   (European  Commission,   2009).   Nevertheless,   it   was   a   milestone   year   for   design-­‐driven   innovation  in  Europe.  Innovation  Union  is  one  of  seven  flagship  initiatives  that  form  part  of  Europe  2020   and   among   34   commitments   included   in   it,   commitment   19   specifically   relates   to  design.   To   implement   the   political   ambitions   for   design,   in   2011,   the   European  Commission   appointed   the   European   Design   Leadership   Board   (EDLB)   to   make  recommendations  on  a  design  policy  for  Europe  and  launched  a  call  for  proposals  “  the  European   Design   Innovation   Initiative”   (EDII)   to   fully   exploit   the   potential   of   design   for  innovation.  As  a  result,  in  a  following  year,  six  projects  aimed  at  improving  the  impact  of  design   in   policies   were   funded   through   EDII   and   the   EDLB   presented   to   the   EC   twenty-­‐one   recommendations,   in   six   strategic   areas   for   design   action   developed   in   the   report  “Design   for   Growth   and   Prosperity”.   All   these   actions   led   to   the   launch   of   “the   Action  Plan   for   Design-­‐driven   Innovation   in   Europe”   in   2013.   Its   goal   is   to   accelerate   the  inclusion  of  design  in  innovation  policies  at  European,  national,  regional  and  local  levels  to   strengthen   European   economy:   “A   more   systematic   use   of   design   as   a   tool   for   user-­‐centred   and   market-­‐driven   innovation   in   all   sectors   of   the   economy,   complementary   to     14    

Design,  Innovation  &  Policy  2020  –  anticipating  trends  for  design-­‐driven  innovation    R&D,   would   improve   European   competitiveness”   (European   Commission,   2013).   Three  main  objectives  were  set  to  build  the  capacity  for  design-­‐driven  innovation  in  Europe:   1. Promote  understanding  of  design’s  impact  on  innovation   2. Promote   design-­‐driven   innovation   in   industries   to   strengthen   Europe’s   competitiveness   3. Promote  the  adoption  of  design  to  drive  renewal  in  the  public  sector.   Implementation   of   the   action   plan   is   delivered   through   the   European   Design  Innovation  Platform  which  started  in  January  2014  and  will  continue  for  three  years.       Design   Policy   Monitor   2015   (Whicher,   Swiatek,   Cawood,   2015)   shows   that,  apart   from   the   design   action   plan   on   the   European   level,   a   number   of   European   Union  Member  States  (EUMS)  including  Denmark,  Estonia,  Finland,  France  and  Latvia  have  also  developed   their   national   action   plans   for   design.   In   addition,   15   out   of   28   EUMS   have  design   explicitly   included   in   national   innovation   policy.   There   is   as   well   a   growing  number   of   regions   integrating   design   into   policy,   including   among   others   Flanders  (Belgium),   South   Bohemia   (Czech   Republic),   Central   Finland,   Central   Macedonia  (Greece)   and   Wales   (UK)   and   increasing   group   of   design   managers   responsible   for  innovating   public   services   in   local   governments   (e.g.   Lahti   –   Finland,   St.   Etienne   –  France,  Dublin  –  Ireland,  Katowice  –  Poland,  Kent;  Monmouth  and  Shropshire  –  UK).       The   SEE   Platform   project,   one   of   the   six   projects   funded   through   EDII,   is  a  network  of  11  European  partners  engaging  with  national  and  regional  governments  to  accelerate   the   take   up   of   design   into   policies   and   programmes.   SEE   was   highlighted   in  the   action   plan   as   an   initiative   that   is   already   achieving   the   objective   of   “advocating  design’s   role   to   policy-­‐makers   across   Europe”,   but   the   results   of   the   project   have  exceeded  the  expectations.  Between  2012  and  2015,  SEE  partners  have  run  112  hands-­‐on   workshops   involving   over   1000   policy-­‐makers   in   using   design   methods,   what   has  directly   influenced   18   policies   and   48   design   support   programmes.   New   investment   in  design  through  these  programmes  amounts  to  over  €8.5  million.  Through  new  research,  case-­‐studies   and   policy   recommendations   SEE   has   built   a   bank   of   evidence   to   support  governments   to   integrate   design   into   policy,   programmes   and   their   mainstream  practice.  But  how  exactly  did  design  become  integrated  into  innovation  policies  in  those  countries?   How   did   the   project   manage   to   convince   policy-­‐makers   to   such   a   difficult  concept  to  grasp  as  design?     Theory  and  Practice   Innovation  policy  is  based  on  an  analysis  of  the  Innovation  Ecosystem  -­‐  a  network  of  interconnected   organizations   (companies,   research   institutions   and   administration),  whose   cooperation   helps   to   increase   the   dynamism   and   efficiency   of   innovation  processes   what   brings   synergetic   benefits   to   its   actors   and   the   society   as   a   whole.   The  concept   of   national   innovation   system   was   introduced   in   the   mid-­‐80s   of   the   twentieth  century  by  two  economists  Christopher  Freeman  and  Bengt-­‐Ake  Lundvall.  Although  both  researchers   were   working   at   the   same   time,   sometimes   collaboratively,   it   is   widely  believed  that  it  was  Christopher  Freeman  who  used  the  term  for  the  first  time  in  1987  in     15    

ANNA  WHICHER,  PIOTR  SWIATEK    his   book   on   innovation   and   innovation   policy   in   Japan   in   the   post-­‐war   period.   Early  papers   in   this   subject   referred   to   ’the   innovative   capability   of   the   national   system   of  production’   or   the   handier   ’innovation   system’,   however   it   is   the   National   Innovation  System   that   gained   popularity   and   is   now   commonly   used   to   describe   the   concept  (Lundvall,   2007).   Both   Freeman   and   Lundvall   stress   also   the   fact   that   idea   itself   goes  back   to   1841   and   the   concept   of   \"The   National   System   of   Political   Economy/   National  System   of   Production”   developed   by   Friedrich   List.   He   proposed   a   broad   range   of  policies   designed   to   accelerate   industrialisation   and   economic   growth,   which   were  based   on   learning   about   new   technology   and   applying   it   (Freeman,   1995).   List   strongly  advocated   linking   industry   and   education   system,   but   what   is   most   interesting   in   the  context  of  design-­‐driven  innovation,  he  mentioned  as  well  ‘the  art  of  design’  in  his  work:  “There   scarcely   exists   a   manufacturing   business   which   has   no   relation   to   physics,  mechanics,   chemistry,   mathematics   or   to   the   art   of   design,   etc.   No   progress,   no   new  discoveries  and  inventions  can  be  made  in  these  sciences  by  which  a  hundred  industries  and   processes   could   not   be   improved   or   altered.   In   the   manufacturing   State,   therefore,  sciences   and   arts   must   necessarily   become   popular“   (List,   1841   as   cited   in   Freeman,  1995).     The  theoretical  construct  of  innovation  system  is  commonly  used  by  academics  and  policy-­‐makers   to   examine   the   interplay   between   actors   in   the   network   and   inform  targeted   policy   action   to   enhance   the   performance   of   the   system.   A   number   of  academics   have   proposed   that   systems   failure   theory   could   also   provide   the   economic  rationale   for   design   theory.   The   terminology   has   evolved   from   ‘Design   Infrastructures’  (Love,   2007)   to   ‘National   Design   System’   (Moultrie,   2008;   Raulik-­‐Murphy   and   Cawood,  2009;   Sun,   2010;   Swann,   2010;   Hobday   et   al.,   2012;   Whicher   et   al.,   2012),   to   ‘Design  Ecosystems’   (Finnish   Ministry   of   Employment   and   the   Economy,   2013;   Chisolm   et   al.,  2013)   to   what   this   research   is   calling   a   design-­‐driven   innovation   ecosystem   or   ‘Design  Innovation   Ecosystem’.   This   hinges   on   the   rationale   that   the   design   system   should   not  operate   in   isolation   from   the   broader   innovation   system.   In   the   policy   arena,   Finland  was   the   first   country   to   adopt   the   concept   of   a   National   Innovation   System   to   inform  innovation   policy   in   1992   (Sharif,   2006)   and   it   was   also   the   first   country   to   adopt   the  concept   of   a   ‘Design   Ecosystem’   to   inform   national   design   policy   in   2013   (Finnish  Ministry  of  Employment  and  the  Economy,  2013).  Theory  on  innovation  systems  is  well  established   for   informing   innovation   policy   so   can   Design   Innovation   Ecosystems   be   a  useful   concept   for   design-­‐driven   innovation   policy?   By   transferring   established   theory  on   innovation   ecosystems   to   design,   PDR   at   Cardiff   Met   has   developed,   tested   and  validated   the   concept   of   design-­‐driven   innovation   ecosystems   or   ‘Design   Innovation  Ecosystems’.   The   framework   was   tested   in   29   Design   Policy   Workshops   in   11   different  countries;   this   research   has   validated   the   theory   for   informing   practical   policy-­‐making.  During   the   workshops   design   stakeholders   (policy-­‐makers,   designers,   companies,  academics   and   third   sector   organisations)   collaboratively   map   their   Design   Innovation  Ecosystems  to  tackle  the  gaps  and  capitalise  on  the  strengths  in  nine  components  of  the  model:     1.  Design  users   2.  Design  support     16    

Design,  Innovation  &  Policy  2020  –  anticipating  trends  for  design-­‐driven  innovation     3.  Design  promotion   4.  Design  actors   5.  Design  education   6.  Design  research   7.  Design  sector   8.  Design  funding   9.  Design  policy     Figure  1  demonstrates  components  of  the  Design  Innovation  Ecosystem  framework.    Figure  1   Design  Innovation  Ecosystem   Design   can   be   a   difficult   concept   to   grasp   for   government   officials   but   by   involving  policy-­‐makers   in   using   design   methods   such   as   co-­‐creation,   visualisation   and  brainstorming,  they  benefit  from  a  hands-­‐on  experience  of  design.  During  the  workshop,  participants  focus  on  three  exercises:     1. mapping  design  stakeholders  and  initiatives  in  the  system;   2. identifying  the  systemic  strengths  and  weaknesses  and;   3. jointly   developing   policy   proposals   to   tackle   the   weaknesses   and   build   on   the  strengths.       The  workshops  employ  design-­‐led  techniques  to  engage  participants  in  constructive  dialogue  using  A1  posters.     17    

ANNA  WHICHER,  PIOTR  SWIATEK          Figure  2  Design  stakeholders  participating  in  a  Design  Policy  Workshop,  2014,  Dundee,  UK           18    

Design,  Innovation  &  Policy  2020  –  anticipating  trends  for  design-­‐driven  innovation     Results   Despite   the   unique   and   diverse   actors   and   initiatives   in   place   in   the   different  countries,   there   were   remarkable   synergies   between   the   strengths   and   weaknesses   of  the   Design   Innovation   Ecosystems   and   the   policy   proposals.   In   addition   to   similarities  between  the  strengths  and  weaknesses,  there  were  also  common  policy  proposals  that  emerged   from   the   workshops.   Table   1   presents   some   of   the   design   policy   proposals  often   recommended   during   the   policy   workshops.   Nevertheless,   there   were   also   policy  proposals  that  were  unique  to  each  region  meaning  that  Design  Innovation  Ecosystems  is   a   useful   tool   for   developing   policy   action   for   a   specific   territory.   For   example,   by  mapping   the   current   innovation   support   offering   for   SMEs,   government   can   identify  opportunities   to   integrate   design   into   existing   business   support   structures.   This   would  suggest   that   while   there   may   be   significant   synergies   between   Design   Innovation  Ecosystems   across   Europe,   there   are   also   unique   operating   conditions   and   therefore,  this  framework  and  method  can  be  replicated  to  support  evidence-­‐based  policy-­‐making  elsewhere.  Table  1     Examples  of  design  policy  proposals  from  the  workshops.   Collate  case  studies  on  design  in  different  sectors  to  feedback  to  Ministers.   Collect  statistics  on  how  the  private  and  public  sectors  use  design.   Pilot  service  design  as  an  approach  to  public  sector  innovation.   Train  government  innovation  specialists  in  the  value  of  design  and  service  design   methods.   Promote  design  in  innovation  support  programmes.   Establish  specialist  design  support  programmes  (focused  on  start-­‐ups,  high   growth,  export)   Appoint  designers  to  government  committees.   Develop  national  design  promotion  campaigns.   Provide  continuous  professional  development  in  service  design  to  designers.   Provide  peer-­‐to-­‐peer  mentoring  opportunities  for  designers.   Establish  occupational  standards  for  design.   Provide  design  apprenticeships  as  an  alternative  to  a  degree.   Establish  multi-­‐disciplinary  courses  and  competitions  for  students.   Train  design  teachers  in  design  as  problem-­‐solving.   Reinvigorate  the  design  curriculum  in  schools.   Host  design  workshops  for  children.   Set  up  academia-­‐industry  collaboration  programmes.   Appoint  design  managers  within  public  authorities.   Set  up  multidisciplinary  policy  units  within  government.   Adopt  a  design  approach  to  make  public  procurement  more  user-­‐friendly.   Use  design  as  a  method  for  policy  development.   Adopt  design  as  an  enabler  of  innovation  in  different  policy  domains  such  as   health,  social,  digital  and  environment.             19    

ANNA  WHICHER,  PIOTR  SWIATEK     Emerging  future  trends   Drawing   on   the   experiences   of   SEE   –   29   conducted   policy   workshops,   new   research  and   engagement   with   policy-­‐makers;   we   were   able   to   examine   future   trends   in   design  policies  and  programmes.     With   the   creative   industries   featuring   prominently   in   Smart   Specialisations  Strategies,   there   will   be   opportunities   to   make   design   a   powerhouse   for  competitiveness   in   Europe.   According   to   the   S3   Platform,   the   creative   industries  currently   feature   in   51   of   more   than   200   regional   strategies   and   design   is   explicitly  highlighted   in   Provincia   di   Bolzano   (Italy),   Swietokrzyskie   (Poland),   Dalarnas   län  (Sweden)  and  Central  Denmark  (S3,  2015).  Not  only  do  we  hope  that  design  will  feature  more   explicitly   within   S3,   regional   development   and   innovation   policies   but   we   might  expect  more  countries  and  regions  to  develop  dedicated  design  policies  and  action  plans  as  well  as  to  integrate  design  into  more  varied  policies  such  as  health,  transport,  social,  environmental,  research  and  digital.     There  is  also  a  drive  across  Europe  towards  digitalisation  in  the  public  sector  evident  in   examples   of   X-­‐Road   in   Estonia   and   gov.uk   in   the   UK.   Design   is   increasingly   being  adopted  as  an  approach  to  digitalisation  in  terms  of  ensuring  that  the  user  experience  is  consistent   across   different   government   services.   Designers   are   also   applying   their   skills  to   visualising   and   analysing   big   data   and   how   that   can   contribute   to   more   evidence-­‐based   policy-­‐making.   The   public   sector   is   the   biggest   market   in   Europe.   In   innovation  policies,   there   is   a   growing   emphasis   on   public   sector   innovation.   This   is   demonstrable  by   the   growing   number   of   multidisciplinary   innovation   units   within   government.   For  example,   in   2014,   the   Policy   Lab   was   established   in   the   UK   Cabinet   Office   and   the  Experio   Lab   was   established   in   Sweden   following   in   the   footsteps   of   initiatives   like  MindLab   in   Denmark   and   Helsinki   Design   Lab   (2009-­‐2013).   Similar   units   have   been  established   in   a   number   regional   governments   including   Design   Silesia   in   Poland,   the  Northern   Ireland   Innovation   Lab   and   the   Creativity   Team   in   Scotland   as   well   as   in   city  and   county   councils   such   as   Lahti   (Finland),   St   Etienne   (France),   Dublin   (Ireland),  Barcelona   (Spain)   and   Kent,   Shropshire   and   Monmouth   (UK).   These   units   use   design  methods   to   engage   citizens   in   public   service   renewal   and   policy-­‐making.   It’s   highly  possible  that  these  will  become  increasingly  popular  in  future  years.     In   addition   to   the   increased   use   of   design   in   the   public   sector   and   policy,   we  anticipate   that   design   will   increasingly   be   integrated   into   innovation   support  programmes   for   SMEs   as   business   development   agencies   increasingly   recognise   the  importance   of   user-­‐centred   innovation.   This   will   involve   widespread   training   of  innovation   specialists   in   the   value   of   design   and   design   methods   and   a   greater   up-­‐take  of   design   services   by   enterprises.   Integrating   design   into   broader   innovation  programmes  will  increase  SME  exposure  to  design.  In  addition  to  integrating  design  into  innovation   programmes,   we   could   witness   a   larger   number   of   specialist   design   support  programmes.   Design   support   programmes   have   traditionally   focused   on   enabling   SMEs  to   use   design   by   providing   mentoring,   assistance   in   writing   briefs   for   designers,   advice  on   procuring   design   and   guidance   on   managing   the   design   process.   More   recently,   an     20    

Design,  Innovation  &  Policy  2020  –  anticipating  trends  for  design-­‐driven  innovation    array   of   more   specialist   design   support   mechanisms   have   arisen   including   tax   credit  schemes,  subsidy  and  voucher  schemes  and  export  promotion  programmes  targeted  at  specific   sectors   or   high-­‐growth   enterprises.   A   combination   of   the   two   approaches  appears   to   be   effective   –   integrating   design   as   an   eligible   component   within   broader  innovation   programmes   as   well   as   more   specialist   design   support   programmes.   Many  parts   of   Europe   have   initiatives   to   support   design   but   they   operate   outside   the  mainstream  innovation  ecosystem  and  therefore  are  not  reaching  their  full  potential       Nevertheless,  with  growing  demand  for  design,  we  cannot  overlook  the  professional  design   sector   itself.   If   designers   are   to   meet   the   challenges   of   the   public   sector   they  need   to   engage   in   continuous   professional   development   and   perhaps   we   need  Occupation   Design   Standers   for   professionals   operating   in   Europe.   Increased   demand  should  naturally  stimulate  a  higher  quality  in  the  supply  of  design.     Conclusions   Since   design’s   inclusion   in   Innovation   Union   in   2010,   the   landscape   for   design   in  Europe   has   changed   dramatically.   With   the   increased   interest   in   design   at   multiple  levels   of   governance   across   the   EU,   there   is   an   opportunity   to   strengthen   the  performance   of   the   Design   Innovation   Ecosystem   for   the   whole   Europe.   By   2020,   we  could   indeed   see   more   widespread   use   of   design   within   the   public   sector,   policy   and  enterprises.     SEE   Platform   project   has   enabled   policy-­‐makers   to   experience   design   methods   and  benefit   from   peer-­‐learning.   Hands-­‐on   workshops   are   crucial   for   communicating   the  added-­‐value   of   design.   Just   as   the   convincing   case   studies   are.   The   project   has   built  a  bank  of  evidence  to  support  governments  to  integrate  design  into  policy,  programmes  and   their   daily   practice.   However,   we   need   to   be   better   at   capturing   the   economic  impact   of   design,   as   the   data   is   still   limited.   It   is   important   as   well   to   remember   that  design  never  operates  alone.  We  need  to  contextualise  design;  design  should  form  part  of   multi-­‐disciplinary   teams   examining   public   service   and   policy   challenges.   With    a  growing  awareness  of  design  role  in  innovation  process  among  policy-­‐makers;  we  can  anticipate   that   in   coming   years   design   will   not   only   play   an   important   role   in   multiple  policy   domains,   such   as   health,   social,   environmental,   digital   and   transport   policy;   but  also  will  be  used  as  a  method  for  inclusive  policy-­‐making.         21    

ANNA  WHICHER,  PIOTR  SWIATEK     References    Chisolm,  J.,  Mortati,  M.,  Villari,  B.  (2013).  DeEP  Glossary.  Describing  the  system  of   European  Design  Policy.  Design  in  European  Policy  project,  p.  11.  European  Commission  (2009).  Resulsts  of  the  public  comsultation  on  design  as  a  driver   of  user-­‐centred  innovation.  Brussels,  p.  6.  European  Commission  (2010a).  EUROPE  2020  A  strategy  for  smart,  sustainable  and   inclusive  growth.  COM(2010)  2020  final,    3.3.2010  Brussels.  European  Commission  (2010b).  Europe  2020  Flagship  Initiative  Innovation  Union.   SEC(2010)  1161,  6.10.2010  Brussels.  European  Commission  (2013).  Implementing  an  Action  Plan  for  Design-­‐Driven   Innovation.  SWD(2013)  380,  23.9.2013  Brussels.  Finnish  Ministry  of  Employmeny  and  the  Economy  (2013).  Design  FinandProgramme.   Proposals  for  Strategy  and  Actions.  Helsinki,  p.  21.  Freeman,  C.  (1987).  Technology  policy  and  economic  performance:  Lessons  from  Japan.   London,  Pinter  Publishers.  Freeman,  C.  (1995).  The  National  Innovation  Systems  in  historical  perspective.   Cambridge  Journal  of  Economics,  vol.  19,  no.  1,  pp.  5-­‐24.  Hobday,  M.,  Boddington,  A.,  Grantham,  A.  (2012).  Policies  for  design  and  policies  for   innovation:  Contrasting  perspectives  and  remaining  challenges.  Technovation  32,   p.  277.  Love,  T.  (2007).  National  Design  Infrastructures:  The  Key  to  Design-­‐driven  socio-­‐ economic  Outcomes  and  Innovative  Knowledge  Economies.  International  Association   of  Societies  of  Design  Researdch  (IASDR07),  Hong  Kong,  Novenber  12-­‐15,  2007,  p.  3.  Lundvall,  B.-­‐Å.  (ed.)  (1992).  National  Innovation  Systems:  Towards  a  Theory  of   Innovation  and  Interactive  Learning.  London:  Pinter  Publishers.  Lundvall,  B.-­‐Å.  (1997).  National  Systems  and  National  Styles  of  Innovation.  Paper   presented  at  the  Fourth  International  ASEAT  Conference  “Differences  in  ‘styles’  of   technological  innovation”  Manchester,  September  2-­‐4,  1997.  Lundvall  B-­‐Å.  (2004).  National  Innovation  Systems  –  Analytical  Concept  and   Development  Tool.  Paper  presented  at  the  DRUID  Tenth  Anniversary  Summer   Conference  “Dynamics  of  Industry  and  Innovation:  Organizations,  Networks  and   Systems”,  Copenhagen,  June  27-­‐29,  2005.  Lundvall,  B-­‐Å.  (2007).  Innovation  System  Research  and  Policy  –  Where  it  came  from  and   where  it  might  go.  Paper  presented  at  CAS  Seminar,  Oslo,  December  4,  2007.  Moultrie,  J.,  Livesey,  F.  (2009).  International  Design  Scoreboard:  Initial  indicators  of   international  design  capabilities.  Institute  for  Manufacturing,  Cambrigde  University,   p.  16.  Raulik-­‐Murphy,  G.,  Cawood,  G.  (2009).  National  Design  Systems  –  A  Tool  for  Policy-­‐ making.  Research  Seminar  –  Creative  industries  and  regional  policies:  making  place   and  giving  space.  University  of  Birmingham,  September  23-­‐24,  2009.  S3  Platform  (2015).  Eye  @  RIS  3.  Accessed  on  4  May  2015   http://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu  Sharif,  N.  (2006).  Emergence  and  development  of  the  National  Innovation  System  Concept.  Research  Policy  35,  p.752.  Sun,  Q.  (2010).  Design  Industries  and  Policies  in  the  UK  and  China:  A  Comparison.     22    

Design,  Innovation  &  Policy  2020  –  anticipating  trends  for  design-­‐driven  innovation    Design  Management  Review,  21(4),  p.74.  Swann,  P.  (2010).  The  economic  rationale  for  a  national  design  policy.  BIS  occasional  paper  2,  London,  p.4.  Whicher,  A.  (2014.)  Design  Policy  Monitor  2014:  Reviewing  Innovation  and  Design  Policies  across  Europe.  SEE  bulletin  11,  PDR,  Cardiff  Met.,  p.3.  Whicher,  A.  &  Cawood,  G.  (2012).  European  Design  Systems  and  Innovation  Policy.  SEE   Policy  Booklet  5.  SEE  Platform  /  PDR  –  Cardiff  Metropolitan  University.  Whicher,  A.,  Swiatek,  P.,  Cawood,  G.  (2015).  Design  Policy  Monitor  2015.  Reviewing   Innovation  and  Design  Policies  across  Europe.  SEE  Platform  /  PDR  –  Cardiff   Metropolitan  University.     23    

       Four   Areas   for   Scaffolding   a   Design   Mindset  Towards  a  National  Design  Policy  Dr.  María  de  Mater  O’NEILL  Rubberband  Design  Studio,  LLP  [email protected] Abstract:  In  the  Caribbean,  both  Puerto  Rico  and  Trinidad  and  Tobago  seem  to  share   a  social  context  that  has  led  to  the  lack  of  a  design  discourse  and  to  a  limited  design   culture.  This  awareness  has  provided  the  author  with  opportunities  to  develop  a   contextual  set  of  strategic  resilience  thinking  operations,  and  design-­‐led  approaches   and  skills  to  assess  the  situation.  The  four  areas  of  inquiry  that  the  author  proposes   to  focus  on,  in  order  to  propose  ideas  toward  the  creation  of  a  Ministry  of  Design  in   Trinidad  and  Tobago,  are:  1.  Local  contemporary  design  history,  with  an  emphasis   on  its  business  aspect;  2.  Current  local  design  education  approaches;  3.  How  people   relate  to,  and  experience  their  mobile  technology  within  their  cultural  context;  and   4.  Current  financial  issues  among  design  practitioners  and  their  businesses.  The   understanding  of  the  author  is  that  inquiries  in  these  four  areas  are  needed  for   scaffolding  a  design  mindset  that  could  foster  an  effective  national  design  policy.   This  paper  presents  the  author’s  findings  and  insights  regarding  these  four  inquiries   through  the  means  of  four  case  studies  in  her  native  Puerto  Rico;  three  stemmed   from  her  design  studio,  and  one  from  the  Government  of  Puerto  Rico.  This  method   could  provide  actionable  roadmaps  concerning  the  creation  of  a  National  Design   Policy  in  Trinidad  and  Tobago.     Keywords:  Design  Policies,  Design  Discourse,  Design  Culture,  Critical  Design,   Design  Thinking.          

Four  Areas  for  Scaffolding  a  Design  Mindset  Towards  a  National  Design  Policy     Design  Practice  and  the  Caribbean     It   is   an   exciting   time   for   design   practice.   In   many   communities   globally,   it   has  become   less   client-­‐oriented   and   expert-­‐driven   and   more   people-­‐centred,   allowing   a  more   participatory   approach.   Designers   are   increasingly   becoming   empathisers,  behaviour-­‐pattern   identifiers   and   systems   creators,   thus   proving   to   be   extremely  resourceful  in  approaching  intangible  social  issues  like  an  ageing  population,  community  empowerment,  or  designing  lean  artifacts  for  catastrophic  events,  among  others.  In  the  international   community,   one   sees   designers   who   are   comfortable   working   with  transdisciplinary   teams   and   engaging   directly   with   issues   of   policy,   business,   and  healthcare.   As   for   designers   practicing   in   the   Caribbean   (and   likely   other   regions  enduring  similar  financial  restraints),  to  paraphrase  Charles  Dickens,  it  is  also  the  worst  of  times,  the  age  of  wisdom  and  foolishness,  and  the  epoch  of  hope  and  hype.   The   opportunities   of   participating   in   critical   design   dialogues   from   a   Caribbean  perspective  have  always  been  —and  continue  to  be  —  quite  rare.  So  when  the  call  was  made   by   the   Visual   Arts   Unit   at   the   University   of   the   West   Indies   to   discuss   the  possibility  of  a  Ministry  of  Design  for  Trinidad  and  Tobago,  the  author  could  not  miss  the  opportunity   to   share   her   experience   as   a   Caribbean   designer   and   artist   from   Puerto  Rico,   where   craft-­‐based   design   and   applied   aesthetics   continue   to   be   strong   models.      The   reality   is   similar   in   Trinidad   and   Tobago,   according   to   Lesley-­‐Ann   Noel,   the  coordinator   of   this   colloquium   Ministry   of   Design   -­‐   From   Cottage   Industry   to   State  Enterprise,   who   states   that:   “the   general   public   often   understands   design   to   relate  primarily   to   fashion,   Carnival1  and   graphic   design   [and   the   government]   has   no   design  policies   and   programs   though   there   is   a   focus   on   innovation   and   competitiveness   in  national   policies.”   (Noel   2015).   In   a   parallel   way,   design   in   Puerto   Rico   is   often   still  perceived   as   if   our   society   still   belonged   to   semi-­‐industrial   times   (it   does   not)   when  designers,  if  any,  would  have  participated  exclusively  in  the  last  stages  of  the  production  line.   Now,   however,   contemporary   designers   can   indeed   assist   in   shaping   business  paradigms   and   actionable   roadmaps   for   business   to   grow   in   a   sustainable   manner.  Currently   in   Puerto   Rico,   and,   it   seems,   in   Trinidad   and   Tobago,   there   is   still   a   lack   of  design   culture   and   discourse,   and,   in   the   case   of   Puerto   Rico,   at   least,   there   is   also   the  aggravating   factor   that   the   island’s   designers   are   under   a   perfect   storm   of   economic  national  default.   Recommendation  for  Inquiries  in  Four  Areas   The   question   posited   by   the   organisers   of   the   West   Indies’   colloquium   is   how   to  articulate   the   roles   that   design   can   actively   play   in   economic   and   social   development,  and  how  to  convey  this  in  a  clear  manner  to  both  government  officials  and  the  general  public.   That   very   same   question   has   been   on   the   author’s   mind   for   a   long   time,   being                                                                                                                    1  It  is  held  annually  on  the  Monday  and  Tuesday  preceding  Ash  Wednesday  in  Trinidad  and  Tobago.     25    

DR.  MARÍA  DE  MATER  O’NEILL      that   Puerto   Rico,   in   general,   has   a   lack   of   understanding   of   contemporary   design  practice   and   its   societal   role.   In   order   to   create   a   seismic   shift   in   the   way   design   is  perceived   in   Puerto   Rico,   the   author   has   repeatedly   tackled   these   issues   as   a   design  studio  owner,  producer,  educator,  strategist,  and  facilitator.       To   scaffold   a   design   mindset   towards   building   a   national   design   policy,   the   author  has   explored   four   areas   of   inquiry   in   her   design   studio,   and   wishes   to   share   them   with  the  Trinbagonian  community.  These  are:     1. Inquiries   into   contemporary   design   history,   emphasising   on   its   business   aspects   2. Inquiries   into   pedagogical   approaches,   and   what   is   being   taught,   in   design   education,  emphasising  on  the  educators’  context     3. Inquiries  into  cultural  experiences  with  mobile  technology   4. Inquiries  into  economic  statistics  relating  to  local  design  practice     To   cite   some   examples:   eight   graders   (Third   Form   students)   rapidly   learning  nanoscience   concepts   and   teaching   them   to   others;   cancer   patients   sharing   resilience  strategies;   doctors   learning   that   architectural   spaces   have   the   potential   to   interrupt  their   technical   operations;   food   store   owners   verifying   that   their   servi ce   systems   work;  mothers   arriving   on   time   to   their   children’s   basketball   games   using   the   map   from   the  league’s   webpage   (avoiding   frustrations);   these   are   some   of   the   results   from   the  author’s  design  studio  practice  using  design  as  a  social  tool.   As   a   relevant   footnote   to   this   approach,   an   essential   element   in   the   process   of  creating   a   Ministry   of   Design   for   Trinidad   and   Tobago   must   be   the   inclusion   of  participatory   activities   that   involve   different   stakeholders,   especially   the   citizens  themselves.     The   aforementioned   areas   are   based   on   previous   independent   inquiries   in   Puerto  Rico;  three  stem  from  the  perspective  of  design  itself,  and  one  from  the  perspective  of  the   creative   industry   as   a   whole.   Three   of   the   inquiries   were   forged   in   the   author’s  design   studio,   Rubberband,   LLP,   using   people-­‐centred   and   evidence-­‐based   approaches.  Rubberband   is   a   micro   business,   operating   in   Puerto   Rico   since   2008.   The   fourth   one  belongs  to  a  study  (2015)  by  the  Cultural  Development  Commission  (CODECU),  a  Puerto  Rican   government   temporary   taskforce   designed   to   study   the   economic   impact   of  cultural  industries,  including  design.    Why  these  four  areas  for  scaffolding  a  design  policy?   1.   Local   design   history:   Documenting   Puerto   Rico’s   (and,   surely,   Trinidad   and  Tobago’s)   design   history   is   of   foremost   importance,   in   order   for   design   studios   to  understand  which  successful  business  operations  and  unsuccessful  strategies  have  been  utilised   in   the   local   context.   There   is   no   documented   design   history   in   Puerto   Rico  (except   for   the   field   of   architecture).   On   the   island,   mostly   in   the   capital   of   San   Juan,  there   is   a   current   wave   of   entrepreneurship   among   industrial   designers   and     26    

Four  Areas  for  Scaffolding  a  Design  Mindset  Towards  a  National  Design  Policy    technological   startups,   with   the   latter   relating   more   to   the   coding   aspect   than   to   the  designers   specialised   in   those   areas.   In   view   of   this   situation,   Rubberband   set   out   to  register   the   design   work   —   and   analyse   the   business   and   design   management   —   of   a  local   firm,   Graf   Design   (1982-­‐2002),   the   first   visual   communication   studio   on   the   island  to   break   the   $1M   (USD)   ceiling   back   in   the   1990s.   Rubberband   managed   to   bring   on  board   other   collaborators   for   this   task,   and   eventually   helped   ensure   that   the   Graf  Design   collection   was   acquired   by   the   National   Archive   of   Puerto   Rico   (figure   1).   The  Graf  collection  is  the  first  contemporary  visual  communications  collection  to  be  acquired  as  national  patrimony.     Figure  1   Going   over   the   Graf   Collection   Registry,   from   left   to   right:   Dr.   Yara  Maite   Colón   Rodríguez,   Dr.   María   de   Mater   O'Neill,   Mary   Anne   Hopgood   Santaella  (Owner  of  Graf)  and  Archive  Director  Karin  Cardona.  Source:  O’Neill  (25  Oct,  2014).   2.   Local   design   education:  It  is  very  important  to  inquire  how  new  generations  are  being   educated,   and   to   also   understand   the   design   educator’s   context.   This   is,   to   our  understanding,   the   backbone   of   any   national   design   policy.   It   is   crucial   to   understand  how  both  educators  and  design  schools  currently  approach  the  teaching  of    21-­‐century  skills   among   other   sets   of   skills   needed   for   collaborations   in   distributed   cross-­‐cultural  teams   in   real   life   projects.   The   author   organised   a   colloquium   around   this   topic;   six  participants  were  chosen  via  a  peer-­‐to-­‐peer  review  so  they  could  present  their  teaching  models.   3.  Local  digital  literacy:  How  regular  citizens  experience  mobile  technology  as  digital  citizens.   This   is   an   important   factor   in   an   interconnected   world,   and   refers   to   the  cultural   approach   of   people   using   mobile   technology   vis   à   vis   their   sociocultural  experiences.   It   is   essential   to   understand   the   importance   of   digital   literacy   in  order   to  approach   effective   digital   mobile   solutions.   Designing   a   digital   application   does   not  necessarily  guarantee  the  general  public  will  embrace  it.  In  the  case  of  Puerto  Rico,  this  is  due  to  the  fact  that  mobile  technology  is  mainly  perceived  as  a  form  of  entertainment;  one  of  the  findings  (and  a  major  insight)  was  that  most  participants  distrust  technology,  and  culturally  prefer  to  solve  conflicts  in  a  face-­‐to-­‐face  fashion.     27    

DR.  MARÍA  DE  MATER  O’NEILL       4.   Local   design   industry   and   its   financial   health:   A   statistical   inquiry   into   both   the  economic   impact   and   designer   profiles   allows   us   to   understand   the   actual   financial  situation   of   the   businesses   and   their   practitioners.   In   order   to   have   a   National   Design  Policy,  the  government  needs  to  make  a  comprehensive  assessment  of  its  impact  on  the  Gross   National   Product   so   it   can   create   an   ecosystem   that   will   allow   design   businesses  to  have  better  opportunities  and  thus  be  able  to  contribute  to  the  economy  in  general.   Inquiries’  Findings  and  the  Author’s  Insights   Comparison     The   following   are   brief   comparisons   with   the   objective   of   establishing  interconnections   between   the   four   inquiries   (tables   1,   2,   3   and   4).   It   is   important   to  understand  the  dynamics  of  design  practice  in  peripheral  countries  (Bonsiepe  1985)  like  our   Caribbean   islands.   The   reader   (or   audience)   would   benefit   from   understanding   the  context  of  the  current  economic  situation  of  Puerto  Rico  to  have  a  better  understanding  of  the  implications  of  the  inquiries’  findings  and  this  author’s  insights.  The  numbers  are  staggering.    
In   the   first   9   months   of   2014   there   was   a   net   loss   of   15,   865   jobs   in   the   private  sector  (García  Pelatti  2015).    
Puerto  Rico's  unemployment  rate  as  of  March  2015  was  11.8%,  and,  of  that   percentage,   35.3%   referred   to   heads   of   families   (Statistics   Institute   of   Puerto  Rico,  2015).  
The  government  has  a  current  debt  of  $73  billion  USD  (Editorial  Board,  New   York  Times,  2015).    
From  2000  to  2010,  300,000  Puerto  Ricans  left  the  island  (Rodríguez  2014).   In   2013   alone,   as   many   as   45,764   Puerto   Ricans   migrated.   This   trend   is   continuing:   “The   population   has   been   falling   at   an   annual   rate   of   1%   over   the  past  three  years”  (García  Pelatti  2014)2.    
45%  of  Puerto  Ricans  are  at  poverty  levels  (Acevedo  2013)  and  only  40.3%   are  working  (Statistics  Institute  of  Puerto  Rico  2015).    
The   cost   of   living   in   the   metropolitan   areas   of   Puerto   Rico   is   13%   higher   than   the   United   States   average   (Anon.   2014)   and,   at   the   same   time,   the   ‘median  household  income  was  $19,518  during  the  post-­‐recession  period  of   2010  to  2012,  statistically  unchanged  from  2007  to  2009’  (Anon.  2014).       HISTORY:  Graf  Design  Studio  exemplifies  how  imported  business  models  from  centre  countries   might   not   be   flexible   enough   in   the   context   of   emerging   economies   that  undergo  volatile  cycles  (Table  1).  Its  story  should  be  a  cautionary  tale  in  the  use  of  out-­‐of-­‐the-­‐box   methodologies   that   are   not   contextualised   and   harmonised   with   local   ways  of  doing.  That  said,  the  firm  enjoyed  20  years  of  existence,  which  responded,  in  part,  to                                                                                                                    2  Puerto  Rico  is  a  territory  belonging  to,  but  not  part  of,  the  United  States,  and  Puerto  Ricans  have  US  citizenship.     28    

Four  Areas  for  Scaffolding  a  Design  Mindset  Towards  a  National  Design  Policy    the  fact  that  the  business  was  incorporated.  Still  today,  Graf  owns  a  milestone  that  very  few  others  have  achieved,  since  up  to  2013  only  3%  of  design  businesses  in  Puerto  Rico  had  surpassed  the  over  $1M  USD  sales  mark  Graf  had  achieved  (Table  4).  One  important  lesson  learned  from  Graf  is  the  importance  of  focusing  on  the  opportunities  rather  than  the  adversities.  Table  1     Quick  comparison  on  the  four  inquiries:  History.  Area   Inquiry  Findings   Author’s  Insights  History:   1.  Graf  Design  Studio  was  configured   1.  Freelance  operations  tend  to  limit  the  Rubberband  inquiry  about  Graf  Design   as  a  semi-­‐horizontal  organisation   growth  (both  of  businesses  and  in  terms  Studio    (1982-­‐2002)   very  early  on,  and  had  strong  visual   of  design  maturity  overall)  in  contexts  of     knowledge  of  the  work  of  past  artists   weak  design  cultures.  Corporate  “A  Central  Paradigm  in  the   and  designers.     structure  strengthens  design  practice  as  Periphery:  The  Rise  and  Fall  of  a     well  as  design  culture.  Graphic  Design  Business”  (O’Neill,   2.  They  worked  using  what  was  Asseo,  Hopgood  2013)   available  locally,  trained  people,   2.  The  importance  of  using  models  that     engaged  in  strong  collaboration   address  the  dynamics  of  socio-­‐economic   processes,  and  were  able  to  export   instability  and  relate  to  the  experience   their  services.       of  a  peripheral  country.     3.  Although  Graf’s  model  was   3.  The  importance  of  a  deep   adapted  to  the  peripheral   understanding  of  local  cultural   practice,  it  was  still  centre-­‐based;   knowledge  in  order  to  create  cultural   Graf’s  Axiological  Model  became   capital  in  a  sustainable  manner.   too  rigid  and  lost  its  focus.         4.  Focus  on  opportunities  rather  than   4.  Graf’s  designers  focused  on   adversities,  as  in  a  “two  hand”   adversity  rather  than   operation:  one  deals  with  the  current   opportunities  when  the  firm  was   problems,  while  the  other  continues   hit  by  the  loss  of  a  major  client.   with  the  main  plan.     5.  The  importance  of  collaboration  and   participatory  creative  processes  that   promote  a  proactive  environment   among  design  teams  with  the  users,   clients  and  vernacular  designers.         29    

DR.  MARÍA  DE  MATER  O’NEILL       EDUCATION:   There   are   parallels   between   the   education   and   economics   contexts   (Table   2).   Neither   practitioners   nor   educators   enjoy   job   stability   (Table   4).   Although   there  is  an  awareness  of  the  needs  to  teach  management  and  business  in  design,  most   educators   who   are   practitioners   are   not   business   owners.   But   the   most   important   insight   is   the   lack   of   Systems   Thinking-­‐minded   design   schools.   There   is   a   lack   of   understanding   of   macro   and   micro   operations.   This   understanding   is   required   for   administrative   development   policy   operations   and   for   programme   development,   which   would  ideally  be  both  student  and  faculty-­‐centred.  This  is  important  because  education   is  a  springboard  for  economic  growth  and  social  stability.     Table  2     Quick  comparison  on  the  four  inquiries:  Education  Area   Inquiry Findings Author’s  Insights   1.  Design  education  seems  to  be  lacking  Education:   1.  There  is  disappointment  in  the  practice   locally  conceived  Systems  Thinking-­‐Rubberband  colloquium     itself.   minded  schools.  Such  model  would     2.  The  present  design  curriculums  are  an   allow  a  leap  forward  both  pedagogically  “Views  and  Reflections  on   obstacle.   and  business-­‐wise.  Design  Education  from  a  Local   3.  The  working  situation  of  adjunct    Perspective”  (O’Neill  2015)   educators  is  precarious.   2.  Educators  and  students  seem  to  be  on   4.  There  is  a  need  to  teach  the  business   their  own.   side  of  design.     5.  Practitioners  who  teach  do  not  hold  a   3.  Job  instability  does  not  support   permanent  job  at  a  design  business,  or  own   growth  of  pedagogical  knowledge.   one  (with  the  exception  of  architects).   6.  Participants  of  the  Rubberband’s   colloquium  are  keeping  in  touch  with  new   processes,  some  with  a  reflective  practice   mindset.           30    

Four  Areas  for  Scaffolding  a  Design  Mindset  Towards  a  National  Design  Policy     MOBILE  TECHNOLOGY:  Although  it  was  a  success  for  Graf,  cultural  awareness  (Table  1)  in  the  digital  realm  has  been  abandoned  (Table  3).  Table  3  Quick  comparison  of  the  four  inquiries:  Mobile  Technology  Area   Inquiry  Findings   Author’s  Insights  Mobile  Technology:   1.  Lack  of  trust  in  technology  and   1.  There  is  a  need  for  further  Rubberband  inquiry  about   cultural  habits  and  values.  The   contextual  research  in  the  Caribbean  in  Digital  Literacy   participants’  behaviour  can  compromise   the  following  areas:     the  multiliteracy  skills  needed  to   -­‐Cross  and  inter-­‐cultural  design,  and  its  “Digital  Illiteracy  among  Puerto   navigate  critically  other  social  domains   impact  on  digital  literacy.    Rican     through  digital  communication   -­‐User  Experience  (UX)  designers’  role  in  Middle  Class  Smartphone   technology,  both  as  workers  and  as   digital  literacy  (their  beliefs,  Users”  (O’Neill,  Asseo  2013)   citizens.  Therefore,  they  might  be  more   motivations,  cultural  habits,  and  how     vulnerable  to  coercion  and  manipulation   those  interfere  with  their   by  unethical  business  and  dubious   methodologies).   political  ventures.  This,  in  turn,  makes   -­‐Correlations  between  digital  literacy   them  even  more  distrustful  of   and  social  inclusion  as  a  way  to   technology.   strengthen  the  social  contract  in  post-­‐   capitalism  (Drucker  1993)  societies.   2.  Local  (Puerto  Rican)  designers  are  not     taking  into  consideration  cultural  habits   2.  There  is  a  need  for  a  balance   and  digital  gaps  concerning  technology.     between  international  standards  and     inter  /  cross-­‐cultural  approaches.  To  be   3.  The  lack  of  contextual  research  —   competitive  in  today’s  global  market,   Puerto  Rico’s  industry  or  Government   failing  to  successfully  incorporate  the   only  uses  quantitative  research,  so  they   Mobile  Web  Best  Practices  can  be   might  have  been  wrongly  led  to  believe   detrimental  to  an  app’s  success.   that  access  is  equal  to  comprehension.   Successfully  negotiating  glocally  can  be     a  challenge  by  itself.   4.  Cultural  habits  and  values  can  make     some  aspects  of  digital  literacy  optional   3.  The  role  of  value-­‐driven  designers  is   (not  being  perceived  as  required  skills  to   very  important  when  establishing  the   be  part  of  the  community).   scaffolding  of  a  network  society  that     may  strengthen  liberties  and  rights.   5.  Digital  Design  (User  Experience  &   The  responsibility  of  digital  literacy   Human  Computer  Interface)  can  be   education  that  takes  into  account   dissonant  to  local  users’  cultural  habits,   cultural  behaviours  is  not  exclusively   beliefs  and  motivations.   the  designer’s,  but  one  to  be  shared   with  clients,  users  and  all  members  of   the  community.           31    

DR.  MARÍA  DE  MATER  O’NEILL       ECONOMIC:  These  findings,  an  x-­‐ray  of  the  challenging  context  for  the  Puerto  Rican  designer  (Table  4),  should  be  addressed  by  design  schools  revising  curriculum  and  losing  opportunities   in   mobile   technologies   (Table   3).   All   the   sectors   are   interconnected,   but  there  are  no  strategies  to  set  them  up  within  a  national  system.  It  should  be  noted  that  the   category   of   Design   seems   to   sometimes   include   related   production   businesses,   so  the  data  is  not  conclusive.    Table  4     Quick  comparison  on  the  four  inquiries:  Economics  Area   Inquiry Findings Inquiry InsightsEconomics:   1.  In  2013,  24%  of  the  businesses  did  not   1.  Design  services  had  declined  by  Cultural  Development   report  design  services  sales;  45%  reported   2012.  The  economic  damage  to  Commission  (CODECU)     sales  up  to  $100,000  USD;  22%  reported  up   Puerto  Rico’s  design  industries  is     to  $500,000;  6%  reported  up  to  $1M;  and   clear.“Inquiry  of  the  Puerto  Rico’s   3%  reported  over  $1M  (p.16).  (It  should  be    Cultural  Ecosystem”   noted  that  these  numbers  include   2.  The  average  profile  of  the  design  (Hernández  and  Quintero   architectural  services.)   practitioner  is  one  of  someone  who  2015).   2.  From  2007  to  2012,  employment  in   works  on  their  own,  lacking  labour   design  services  (fashion,  graphic,  industrial,   protection  and  retirement  and   architectural  and  interior)  had  contracted   healthcare  plans.   to  -­‐63%.  That  means  that  from  824  persons   employed,  the  total  went  down  to  304  in       only  five  years.  In  2007  they  were  105   design  businesses,  and  by  2012,  there  were   only  80  left.  Only  bookstores  endured  a   higher  contraction  (-­‐70%)  (p.16).   3.  The  design  business  volume  went  down   dramatically  from  $70,729,729  (2007)  to   $26,094,463  (2012).  This,  in  contrast  to  the   arts,  which  generated  $91  million  (p.21).   4.  There  was  a  total  of  $95,822,534  in  the   gross  income  of  individuals  in  2012  (tax   data),  which  represents  a  27%  reduction   from  2008  (p.24).  Similar  numbers  applied   to  corporations,  with  a  reduction  from   $395,078,338  (2008)  to  $265,823,196   (2012)  (p.25).  It  should  be  noted  that  the   tendency  is  self-­‐employment,  since  the   report  identified  that  36%  were  individuals   and  6%  corporations  (p.24).   5.  In  2012,  1.90%  ($1.3  million)  of  the  Gross   National  Product  ($69,462  million)  came   from  the  Creative  Industry  (p.25,  p.34).     6.  At  the  time  of  the  study,  67.6%  of  the   creative  industry  as  a  whole  reported  not   having  employees  (p.14).   7.  The  average  annual  income  is  $20k  for   designers  working  as  independent   contractors.         32    

Four  Areas  for  Scaffolding  a  Design  Mindset  Towards  a  National  Design  Policy     Final  Reflections   Had   the   government   of   Puerto   Rico   requested   proposals   for   design   policies,   using  the  four  inquiries  shared  with  this  colloquium  as  case  studies,  an  assessment  of  possible  actionable  roadmaps  could  have  been:      
To  create  a  business  environment  for  design  diversification.    
To  promote  incorporation  among  designers;  this  would  have  strengthened   business  growth  in  a  precarious  design  industry.  
To   promote   that   the   State’s   design   schools   adopt   a   Systems   Thinking   paradigm  to  incorporate  the  teaching  of  21-­‐century  skills.  
To   create   awareness,   in   both   local   business   people   and   digital   designers   alike,   of   people’s   cultural   behaviour,   in   order   to   promote   digital   citizens.   And  to  request  user-­‐centred  designers  for  digital  developing  projects.     As   for   the   creation   of   a   Ministry   of   Design   for   Trinidad   and   Tobago,   this   paper   has  attempted   to   illustrate   ways   for   the   government   and   the   general   public   to   see   the  potential   use   of   design   as   a   transformation   tool;   a   tool   to   explore,   problematise   and  change   the   rules.   The   four   areas   that   the   author   proposes   for   Trinidad   and   Tobago   in  this   colloquium   would   incite   the   design   community   of   Trinbago   to   come   up   with   their  own   findings   and   insights   in   the   local   context,   which   could   in   turn   result   in   actionable  roadmaps  concerning  a  national  design  policy  for  the  Sister-­‐Isles.     Acknowledgements:  The  author  wishes  to  acknowledge  Dr.  Jossie  O’Neill,   Mariana  Parreño-­‐Rubio  and  José  Roa  for  their  critical  reading;  Javier   Hernández  and  Dr.  Mareia  Quintero  Rivera  in  their  assistance  with  the   National  Creative  Industries  Economic  Statistics,  and  lastly,  Sara  Marina   Dorna  Pesquera  and  Taí  Fernández-­‐Toledo,  for  their  editorial  services  and   insightful  comments.     References    Acevedo,  D.  (2013,  11  December  2013).  Puerto  Rico  tiene  la  brecha  entre  ricos  y  pobres   más  grande  de  todo  EEUU.  Noticel.  Retrieved  2  May,  2015,  from   http://www.noticel.com/noticia/152787/puerto-­‐rico-­‐tiene-­‐la-­‐brecha-­‐entre-­‐ricos-­‐y-­‐ pobres-­‐mas-­‐grande-­‐de-­‐todo-­‐eeuu.html  Bonsiepe,  G.  (1985).  El  diseño  de  la  periferia:  debates  y  experiencias.Gustavo  Gili.  Drucker,  P.  (1993).  Post-­‐capitalist  Society.  New  York:  Harper.  Editorial  Board  (2015,  29  April  2015).  Puerto  Rico  on  the  Brink.  New  York  Times   Retrieved  2  May,  2015,  from  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/30/opinion/puerto-­‐ rico-­‐on-­‐the-­‐brink.html?ref=topics&_r=0  Hernández,  J.  Quintero,  M.  (2015)  “Estudio  sobre  el  ecosistema  cultural  de  Puerto  Rico”.   Comisión  para  el  Desarrollo  Cultural  (CODECU).  San  Juan,  Puerto  Rico.     33    

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       From   a   state   of   “old   talk”   to   a   National  Integrated   Design   Policy   and   Action   Plan   for   a  “Ministry   of   Design   –   from   Cottage   Industry   to  State  Enterprise”  Jalaludin  Ahmad  KHAN    *Corresponding  author  e-­‐mail:  [email protected],  [email protected]       Abstract:  Design  is  an  integral  aspect  of  today’s  21st  century  economy  and  key  to   our  quality  of  life.  Good  design  is  aesthetically  pleasing,  functional  and  is  a  viable   strategic  tool  for  innovation,  productivity,  competitiveness  for  economic   development,  cultural  identity  and  environmental  stewardship.    Good  design  means   competitive  business  advantage  and  is  a  powerful  catalysis  of  sustainable  growth.  It   is  the  foundation  for  the  private  sector  to  be  competitive  and  is  a  critical  tool  for  the   public  sector  to  develop  a  clear  set  of  public  design  thinking  and  policies  if  Trinidad   and  Tobago  to  position  itself  to  be  innovation  and  competitive  for  further  strategic   growth.  The  application  of  design  can  address  socioeconomic  and  social  public   needs  to  addresses  development  sustainability.       This  paper  discusses  a  proposal  for  the  development  of  a  National  Integrated  Design   Policy  and  action  plan  within  the  context  of  North  American,  Asian  and  European   examples  of  national  design  policies  which  are  mainly  about  developing  national   economic  competitiveness.  The  paper  proposes  an  Integrated  Design  Policy  and  an   implementation  Design  Council  for  the  Republic  if  Trinidad  and  Tobago  that   balances  the  transformation  of  the  economic  growth  model  with  the  application  of   “sustainable  design’’  thought  with  economic,  social  and  environmental  needs  for   The  Republic  of  Trinidad  and  Tobago  as  a  small  island  developing  state.   Keywords:  National  Design  Policies            

JALALUDIN  AHMAD  KHAN       Introduction     The  term  design  is  understood  in  many  ways  such  as:   The   French   Agency   for   the   Promotion   of   Industrial   Creation   (APCI)   describes   design  in  the  following  way:   Design   is   a   creative   activity   whose   aim   is   to   establish   the   multi-­‐faced   qualities   of  objects,  processes,  services  and  their  systems  in  whole  life  cycles.  Therefore,  design  is  the  central   factor   of   innovative   humanization   of   technologies   and   the   crucial   factor   of  cultural  and  economic  exchange.       The  UK  Department  of  Trade  and  Industry  (DTI)  said  the  following  about  design:     Design   is   a   structured   creative   process.   Design   is   readily   associated   with   industrial  product   design   for   manufactured   products   —   specifically   the   ‘look’   of   a   product.  However,  the  application  of  design  is  much  broader,  for  example  designing  for  function;  for   aesthetic   appeal;   for   ease   of   manufacture;   for   sustainability;   and   designing   for  reliability   or   quality   and   business   processes   themselves.   Service   design   affects   how  customers   will   experience   the   delivery   of   a   service,   such   as   a   bank   or   a   fast   food  restaurant.   Elements   of   design,   particularly   graphic   design,   will   form   part   of   product,  service  and  company  branding  and  advertising  strategy.     The   government   of   New   Zealand,   the   New   Zealand   Design   Task   Force   2002   defines  design  as  follows:     ‘Design   is   an   integrated   process.   It   is   a   methodology   (or   a   way   of   thinking),   which  guides   the   synthesis   of   creativity,   technology,   scientific   and   commercial   disciplines   to  produce  unique  (and  superior)  products,  services,  and  communications.     Swedish  Industrial  Design  Foundation,  SVID,  defines  design  as:   As   a   working   process   with   elements   of   innovation,   functionality   and   aesthetics.  Design   is   a   working   process   to   develop   solutions   in   a   deliberate   and   innovative   way   in  which  both  functional  and  aesthetic  requirements  are  include  with  the  point  of  departure  in   the   needs   of   the   user.   Design   is   used   for   the   development   of   goods,   services,  processes,  messages  and  environments.     Emerging   economies   such   as   India   and   Brazil   have   adopted   design   policies   to  enhance   their   individual   economies   while   many   western   European   countries   have   long  established  formal  policies.  Countries  such  as  the  United  Kingdom,  Denmark  and  Finland  actively   promote   design   on   a   national   level,   while   Wales,   Mexico,   Costa   Rica   and  Australia   (and   many   more)   have   all   publicly   announced   plans   to   make   their   design  agendas  to  be  of  national  interest.     Design  is  an  integral  aspect  of  today’s  21st  century  economy  and  key  to  our  quality  of  life.   Good   design   is   aesthetically   pleasing,   functional   and   is   a   viable   strategic   tool   for  innovation,   productivity,   competitiveness   for   economic   development,   cultural   identity  and  environmental  stewardship.         36    

From  a  state  of  “old  talk”  to  a  National  Integrated  Design  Policy  and  Action  Plan  for  a  “Ministry  of  Design  –  from  Cottage  Industry  to  State  Enterprise”     Good   design   means   competitive   business   advantage   and   is   a   powerful   catalysis   of  sustainable  growth.  It  is  the  foundation  for  the  private  sector  to  be  competitive  and  is  a  critical   tool   for   the   public   sector   to   develop   a   clear   set   of   public   design   thinking   and  policies   if   Trinidad   and   Tobago   to   position   itself   to   be   innovation   and   competitive   for  further  strategic  growth.  The  application  of  design  can  address  socioeconomic  and  social  public  needs  to  addresses  development  sustainability.       This  paper  discusses  a  proposal  for  the  development  of  a  National  Integrated  Design  Policy   and   action   plan   within   the   context   of   North   American,   Asian   and   European  examples   of   national   design   policies   which   are   mainly   about   developing   national  economic   competitiveness.   This   paper   proposes   an   Integrated   Design   Policy   and   an  implementation  agent  via  a  Design  Council  for  the  Republic  if  Trinidad  and  Tobago  that  balances   the   transformation   of   the   economic   growth   model   with   the   application   of  “sustainable   design’’   thought   with   economic,   social   and   environmental   needs   for   The  Republic  of  Trinidad  and  Tobago  as  a  small  island  developing  state.       Methodology         The  information  used  in  this  paper  are  based  on  secondary  data  derived  from  review  of   subject   from   various   online   design   policy   reports   and   organizations.   This   was  gathered   by   searching   multiple   internet   databases   and   organizations   where   this  information   has   been   published.   This   served   for   a   literature   review   of   the   national  design  policies  within  the  context  of  North  American,  Asian  and  European  as  examples,  which  focuses  on  developing  national  design  economic  competitiveness.       Findings     Design   is   an   approach   to   problem-­‐solving   that   can   be   used   across   the   private   and  public   sectors   to   drive   innovation   in   products,   services,   society   and   even   policy-­‐making  by  integrating  user  needs.  Design  can  have  an  impact  at  both  the  micro  level  of  the  firm  (cottage   industry   level)   and   as   a   driver   of   growth   at   macro   level   (lager   national  economy).   Design   can   act   as   the   bridge   between   technological,   service,   user-­‐centred  and  social  innovation  because  at  its  core  design  is  a  human-­‐centred  process.       Rafiq   Elmansy   2014   in   the   article   -­‐   \"Leading   Economy   Through   Design:   Applying  National   Design   Policies\"   gave   a   comprehensive   overview   of   the   subject   and   has   been  used   as   a   primary   source   for   this   discourse   which   identified,   in   the   world   of   competing  economies,   nations   are   always   in   search   of   strengths   that   can   help   its   economy  stand  steady  in  front  of  emerging  markets.  Elmansy  identified  that  the  need  for  design  policies  is  based  on  a  number  of  factors  that  influence  countries  to  adopt  design  policies,  such  as  rising  competency,  better  life  for  citizens,  and  a  switch  to  sustainable  solutions.       The   most   significant   factor   that   can   convince   governments   to   invest   in   design   is   to  improve   their   competitiveness   and   move   up   in   rank   among   the   world’s   economies.  Design   and   innovation   can   contribute   to   the   success   of   not   only   companies   but   also  domestic  economies.  Applying  design  as  a  nationwide  strategy  can  increase  this  impact,     37    

JALALUDIN  AHMAD  KHAN      especially  with  the  support  of  governments  that  are  able  to  facilitate  design  services  for  small   and   medium-­‐size   enterprises   (SMEs).   Design   is   not   only   used   for   new   product  development  (NDP)  but  also  to  solve  social  problems  through  innovation  and  creativity.  Development  of  National  Development  Design  Policies  growth  started  in  the  late  1990s  and   2000s,   when   nations   began   applying   design   strategies   that   over   time   have   been  proven   successful,   as   in   the   cases   of   the   United   Kingdom,   Japan,   South   Korea,   and  Finland.     The  competitive  nature  of  today’s  global  market  pushes  countries  to  differentiate  by  strengthening   and   developing   their   competitive   assets.   Design,   understood   as   a   key  element  in  innovation  and  value  creation,  plays  an  important  role  in  strengthening  these  assets   by   promoting   the   development   and   marketing   of   new   businesses,   products   and  services  inside  and  outside  a  country.  The  objective  through  this  is  for  countries  to  gain  competitive   advantages   in   regional   and   global   industries   in   order   for   the   nation   to  progress  socially  and  economically  and  remain  competitive  on  a  global  scale.   Even  though  there  is  a  demand  for  design  policy  development.  In  2005  the  Institute  of   Directors   Business   Opinion   conducted   a   survey   that   shows   a   number   of   barriers   to  innovation,   both   real   and   perceived.   These   barriers   are   listed   below   based   on   the  number  of  respondents:  
Cost  
Lack  of  in-­‐house  design  or  creative  skills  
Lack  of  customer  demand  
Manufacturing  or  development  issues  
Access  to  external  design  or  creative  skills  
Regulatory  issues  /  government  bureaucracy  
Design  is  not  important   Sir   George   Cox   in   his   paper   “Cox   Review   of   Creativity   in   Business:   Building   on   the  UK’s  Strengths”;  Cox  reformed  the  latter  results  based  on  the  scope  of  the  review  in  the  following  three  barriers:  
A  limited  understanding  of  where  and  how  greater  creativity  could  be  used  to  a   business’  advantage.  
A   lack   of   confidence   that   the   investment,   in   terms   of   time,   money,   and   disruption,  will  provide  a  return.  
A  lack  of  knowledge  about  how  to  go  about  it  or  where  to  turn  for  help.   While   these   three   barriers   focus   on   knowledge   and   an   SME’s   understanding   of  innovation   and   creativity,   many   enterprises   may   have   this   understanding   but   do   not  have   the   funds   or   understanding   of   their   customers   to   achieve   it,   as   reflected   in   the  Institute  of  Directors  Business  Opinion  survey  noted  above.     Mapping  countries  with  national  design  policies     A   global   overview   of   the   countries   with   design   policy   and   promotion   have   been  developed   by   the   European   Commission   under   the   SEE   platform;   a   network   of   11  European   partners   engaging   with   national   and   regional   governments.   The   SEE   platform  has   develop   a   map   (see   Figure   1)   and   text   summary   of   design   into   innovation   policies     38    

From  a  state  of  “old  talk”  to  a  National  Integrated  Design  Policy  and  Action  Plan  for  a  “Ministry  of  Design  –  from  Cottage  Industry  to  State  Enterprise”    and  innovation  programmes  showing  the  global  distribution  of  countries  with  a  national  design   policies.   This   map   gives   you   a   global   perspective   on   the   growing   number   and  increasing   maturity   of   design   policies   and   promotion   programmes   by   country.   The  countries   shown   have   adopted   design   policies,   are:   Argentina,   Australia,   Botswana,  Brazil,  Canada,  Catalonia  (Spain),  Chile,  Columbia,  Costa  Rica,  Croatia,  Denmark,  Estonia,  Finland,   Flanders   (Belgium),   France,   Germany,   Greece,   Hong   Kong,   Iceland,   India,   Italy,  Ireland,  Israel,  Kenya,  Latvia,  Mexico,  Poland,  Qatar,  Slovenia,  South  Africa,  South  Korea,  Taiwan,   Turkey,   United   States,   Venezuela   and   Wales   (UK).   One   can   access   the  interactive  map  at  http://www.seeplatform.eu/map              Figure  1  Design  Policy  and  Promotion  Map.Source:  Sharing  Experience  Europe.   http://www.seeplatform.eu/map     Elements  of  design  policy     Countries   are   applying   national   design   policies   at   different   levels   and   with   different  implementation   methods   based   on   the   service   provided   and   the   involvement   in   the  economy.   Elements   of   design   policy   as   model   on   by   Gisele   Raulik-­‐Murphy   and  supported  by  Mette  Bom:  
Design  support  programs  that  target  companies.  
Design  promotion  programs  that  target  the  public  sector.  
Design  education  programs  that  target  design  education  and  training.  
National  design  policy  applied  at  the  government  level.   Developing   a   Design   System   according   to   Gisele   Raulik-­‐Murphy's   research,   support,  promotion   and   education   are   the   main   axis   for   fostering   the   use   of   design   for  competitiveness.   However   to   gain   maximum   advantage,   the   implementation   of   these  schemes  should  be  determined  by  strategic  plans  or  government  policies.  The  following  diagram     Figure   2.   illustrates   the   links   with   the   support   for   design   linked   to   promotion  and  education  as  a  policy  and  strategy.       39    

JALALUDIN  AHMAD  KHAN          Figure  2.  Design  policy  and  strategy.  Source:  Gisele  Raulik-­‐Murphy   India  design  policy  case  study   India   is   one   the   few   countries   to   have   formulated   and   adopted   a   National   Design  Policy   and   Action.   It   recently   constituted   an   India   Design   Council   to   implement   the  major   provisions   of   National   Design   Policy   and   Action   plan   see   Appendix   1.   The   India  design   policy   model   developed   their   Design   Policy   2007,   which   identified   that   India  seeks  to  archive  the  strategic  role  of  design  for  national  and  industrial  competitiveness,  which   is   now   universally   recognized.   India   sees   design   creating   value   addition   through  innovations  in  designs  which  can  play  a  pivotal  role  in  enhancing  the  competitiveness  of  both  manufacturing  and  service  industries.  Realizing  the  increasing  importance  of  design  in   economic,   industrial   and   societal   development   and   in   improving   the   quality   of  products  and  services,  the  Government  of  India  had  initiated  a  consultative  process  with  industry,  designers  and  other  stakeholders  to  develop  the  broad  contours  of  a  National  Design   Policy.   The   strategy   to   achieve   this   vision   is   focused   on   strengthening   quality  design   education   at   different   levels,   encouraging   use   of   designs   by   small   scale   and  cottage  industries  and  crafts,  facilitating  active  involvement  of  industry  and  designers  in  the   development   of   the   design   profession,   branding   and   positioning   of   Indian   design  within  India  and  overseas,  enhancing  design  and  design  service  exports,  and  creating  an  enabling  environment  that  recognizes  and  rewards  original  designs.       The   Indian   National   Design   Policy   announced   by   the   Government   of   India   on   8th  January  2007,  the  Central  Government  has  constituted  the  India  Design  Council  on  2nd  March   2009.   The   council   is   presided   over   by   Mr.   Anand   Mahindra,   Chairman   and  Managing   Director   of   Mahindra   &   Mahindra   Ltd.   Prof.   Pradyumna   Vyas,   Director   of  National  Institute  of  Design,  Ahmedabad  is  the  member  secretary.  The  council  is  formed  by   22   eminent   people   from   the   field   of   design,   academia,   industry   organizations   and  academia.   A   review   some   of   the   key   features   of   the   India   National   Design   Policy   and  Action  Plan  Appendix  1  and  Design  Council  Appendix  2.   The  objectives  of  the  India  Design  Council     Design  Awareness      Design  Promotion     40    

From  a  state  of  “old  talk”  to  a  National  Integrated  Design  Policy  and  Action  Plan  for  a  “Ministry  of  Design  –  from  Cottage  Industry  to  State  Enterprise”    
Creating  public  awareness  on  quality  design      its  effectiveness:  Use  of  design  as   strategic  element  for  business  excellence  and  as  a  key  factor  for  innovation,  to   improve  people's  quality  of  life.  
Promoting   design   awareness   and   effectiveness   programs   in   private       public   sectors-­‐Country   based   Brand   building   -­‐   Design   Promotion/   Exhibitions/   Conferences/  Seminars.  
Promoting   Design   as   a   tool   for   innovation,   productivity   and   economic   competitiveness  in  business  and  industry.  
Encouraging   Micro,   Small       Medium   industries   to   follow   the   best   design   practices.   Promoting   the   concept   of   environment   friendly   designs   and   promote   designers   and  industry  to  work  towards  environment  friendly  design.     Design  Development  
Promoting   design   investment   in   Industry       research   organizations   -­‐   work   towards  tax  benefits  for  design  research.  
Assisting   industries   in   appreciating   the   importance   of   quality   and   effective   design   management   in   product   manufacturing   to   upgrade   market   competitiveness  
Initiating  Educational  Institution  -­‐  Industry  Partnerships  -­‐to  impart  both  design   knowledge  and  business  knowledge  such  as  marketing/entrepreneurship  
Promoting  best  design  practices      innovation  in  Design-­‐  India  Design  Mark  
Promoting   design   investment   in   Industry       research   organizations   -­‐   work   towards  tax  benefits  for  design  research.  
Encouraging  Design  Research  and  Establish  National  Grants  for  design  research.  
Building   a   common   platform   for   integrating   design   resources   of   the   government,  the  manufacturing  and  academic  circles.  
Acting  as  a  primary  knowledge  management  body  for  design  in  India-­‐  integrate   domestic  cultural  and  creative  design  information,  building  a  platform  to  share   and  exchange  knowledge,  exploring  creativity  -­‐  Operate  a  design  database.  
Undertaking   awareness   programs   in   IPR   in   the   Design   Industry   -­‐   Provide   workshops  on  Intellectual  Property  management  and  design   Positioning  India  as  a  Top  Design  Destination  
Setting  up  a  museum/design  centre  to  showcase  the  role  of  design  in  everyday   life  to  visitors  from  India  and  abroad.  
Building   a   smooth   mechanism   and   channels   of   international   cooperation,   promoting  exchange  of  Indian  design  and  Indian  designers.     Discussion  and  Conclusion       As   Trinidad   and   Tobago   moves   forward   into   the   Post-­‐2015   future,   the   United  Nations   Development   Agenda   aims,   help   define   the   future   global   development  framework   that   will   succeed   the   Millennium   Development   Goals.   The   Draft   UN   Post-­‐2015  Development  Agenda  Goal  number  12  states  “  To  Ensure  sustainable  consumption  and   production   patterns”   which   speaks   to   the   integration   of   design   in   production  patters   to   ensure   sustainability.       Where   each   country   has   primary   responsibility   for   its     41    

JALALUDIN  AHMAD  KHAN      own   economic   and   social   development   and   the   role   of   national   policies,   domestic  resources  and  development  strategies  cannot  be  overemphasized.  Developing  countries  need   additional   resources   for   sustainable   development.   There   is   a   need   for   significant  mobilization  of  resources  from  a  variety  of  sources  and  the  effective  use  of  financing,  in  order  to  promote  sustainable  development.  If  Trinidad  and  Tobago  wishes  to  be  “design  competitive   nation”   there   is   the   needs   to   establish   a   National   Integrated   Design   Policy  which   can   be   implemented   by   the   model   of   National   Design   Council   which   can   act   to  integrate   a   design   component   into   the   economic   growth   model   with   the   application   of  “sustainable   design’’   thought   and   processes   with   economic,   social   and   environmental  needs   for   the   Republic   of   Trinidad   and   Tobago   as   a   small   island   developing   state.   The  Government  of  Trinidad  and  Tobago  development  policy  of  seven  interconnected  pillars  for   sustainable   development   seek   to   transform   the   current   economic   development  model  and  are  designed  to  engineer  a  significant  policy  shift  with  positive  consequences  for   the   sustainable   development   for   the   country.   One   of   the   essential   factors   to  achieving  Economic  Transformation  is,  the  formulation  of  the  National  Innovation  Policy  and   the   development   of   the   National   Innovation   System   which   a   national   design   policy  should  be  a  co-­‐supporting  policy.       The   government’s   National   Policy   Framework   for   Sustainable   Development,  recognize   trade   and   industry   as   the   lifeblood   of   the   economy,   but   the   economic  development  model  seemingly  deployed  is  that  of  an  inclusive  growth  approach,  which  implies  that  for  economic  growth  to  be  sustainable,  it  should  be  broad-­‐based  across  all  competitively  viable  sectors  and  inclusive  of  a  large  part  of  the  country’s  labour  force.  It  is  within  this  National  Policy  Framework  for  Sustainable  Development  that  development  of   a   national   integrated   design   policy   can   be   anchored   and   implemented   as   part   of   an  Enabling   Competitive   Business   (ECB)   Strategy.   The   lead   government   agents   to   lead   this  process  can  be  Ministries  such  as  Planning  and  the  Economy  (MPE),  Trade  and  Industry  (MTI)   and   Labour,   Small   and   Micro-­‐Enterprise   Development   (MLSMED)   are   policy-­‐making  bodies.     The  challenge  we  face  now  is  convincing  a  key  stakeholders  and  the  commitment  of  the   political   will”   to   lead   and   implement   actions,   to   especially   to   lead   our   government  audience   of   the   need   and   potential   of   which   developing   a   national   design   policy   and  culture  to  foster  innovation  in  small  to  large  companies  and  deliver  innovative  solutions  for  products,  services,  society  and  the  widest  application  of  a  design  policy  both  within  the  private  and  public  sectors.    If  not  we  will  be  “stuck  in  old  talk”  and  not  action  for  for  a  “Ministry  of  Design”  more  development  and  implementation  of  a  National  Integrated  Design  Policy  and  Action  Plan.               42    

From  a  state  of  “old  talk”  to  a  National  Integrated  Design  Policy  and  Action  Plan  for  a  “Ministry  of  Design  –  from  Cottage  Industry  to  State  Enterprise”     References   Rafiq   Elmansy   2014.   Leading   Economy   Through   Design:   Applying   National   Design  Policies  http://www.designorate.com/leading-­‐through-­‐design-­‐policies/     Mette  Bom  2008.  “National  Design  Policy  Improves  Competitiveness”.  Mind  Design,  Volume  No.  12.       India  Design  Council  report.  www.cii.in/webcms/Upload/a2.pdf       Enabling   Competitive   Business   Strategy   2011   –   2014   Report  http://www.molsmed.gov.tt/Portals/0/Enterprise%20Development%20Division/Enabling%20Competitive%20Business%20(ECB)%20Strategy%20DOC.pdf         43    

                                                  Design  and  Government  Systems

Ministry  of  Design  -­‐  From  Cottage  Industry  to  State  Enterprise   University  of  the  West  Indies,  St.  Augustine  Campus,  Trinidad  &  Tobago   May  28  –  29th,  2015                Healthcare  Facilities  -­‐  Inefficient  by  Design?  Cilla  T.  BENJAMIN  Department  of  Mechanical  and  Manufacturing  Engineering,  The  University  of  the  West  Indies  [email protected]   Abstract:  Healthcare  provision  in  Trinidad  and  Tobago  (T&T)  is  dominated  by  the   public  sector  at  great  cost  representing  a  sizable  proportion  of  the  country’s  annual   budget.  Subsequent  Ministers  of  Health  have  argued  healthcare  provision  in  (T&T)   has  been  increasingly  related  to  chronic  diseases,  such  as  hypertension  and   diabetes,  and  complications  related  to  these.    A  study  of  the  route  taken  by  patients   accessing  free  medical  care  at  state  institutions  for  these  types  of  illnesses  show   that  despite  the  standardized  methods  of  treatment  by  medical  professionals,   services  like  blood  work  and  diagnostic  imaging  may  sometimes  become  bottlenecks   as  they  are  provided  in  special  departments  to  all  the  patients  of  the  hospital,  as   necessary.    Furthermore,  considerable  batching  is  practiced  at  every  stage,  thereby   lengthening  the  time  each  patient  stays  in  the  system.  This  scenario  presents  the   ideal  case  for  Industrial  Engineering  intervention,  to  drastically  reduce  costs  and   assure  quality  within  the  public  health  institutions.   It  is  proposed  that  local  healthcare  institutions  be  re-­‐engineered  to  specifically   address  the  most  problematic  areas  by  utilizing  special  purpose  units  in  the  same   manner  as  the  linked  cells  characteristic  of  the  Toyota  Production  System.  While   there  may  be  concerns  regarding  the  cost  of  duplicating  equipment  and  services,   these  should  be  circumvented  by  the  benefits  of  drastically  shortened  hospital  visits   facilitated  the  smoothly  flowing  activities  and  the  elimination  of  long  waiting   periods  for  auxiliary  services.    A  case  may  be  made  for  the  top  complaints  which   overwhelm  the  health  sector  and  affect  the  level  of  service  delivery  to  these  patients   as  well  as  all  other  patients  presenting  themselves  for  unrelated  services.  With   reference  to  the  Pareto  Principle,  a  linked  cell  design  for  the  treatment  of  the  top   issues  should  solve  health  care  efficiency  issues  for  80%  of  patients  using  the  public   institutions,  with  benefits  redounding  to  the  other  20%  in  terms  of  available  beds   and  services  and  decreased  waiting  times   Keywords:  Healthcare,  Toyota  Production  System,  Performance,  Trinidad  and   Tobago        

CILLA  T.  BENJAMIN       1.  Introduction   In  Trinidad  and  Tobago  (T&T),  the  government  is  the  major  stakeholder  in  the  health  care  industry  and  the  question  never  formally  arises  as  to  how  much  care  an  individual  is   entitled.   Government   funded   healthcare,   however,   is   at   a   considerable   cost   to   the  state,  commanding  the  3rd  highest  allocation  of  yearly  national  budget  allocations,  after  education   and   national   security   (MOF   2014).   The   option   to   disqualify   costly   patients  from   care   is   not   formalized   in   T&T   where   hospital   care   is   primarily   provided   by   state  institutions.     In   T&T,   citizens   who   access   care   at   public   institutions   are   not   charged   for  services  or  medication.     In   a   market   driven   system   such   as   exists   in   the   United   States   of   America   (USA),   the  private  sector  in  the  form  of  insurance  companies  are  actually  the  ones  who  pay  for  the  services,   with   public   institutions   serving   primarily   the   poor.   This   is   different   to   T&T  public   institutions   continue   to   be   the   main   service   providers   for   the   majority   of   births,  for   example,   both   natural   and   Caesarian   sections.   There   is   the   perception   among   the  populace   that   complicated   births   are   better   handled   by   the   state   hospitals   which   are  better   equipped   to   deal   with   them.     Health   insurance   coverage   remains   relatively   rare  and  private  hospital  care  still  remains  out  of  the  reach  of  a  large  portion  of  middle  class  citizens   due   to   the   cost.   Notwithstanding   the   former,   it   is   interesting   to   note   that   even  in   the   market   driven   health   industry   that   exists   in   the   US,   where   the   emphasis   is   on  costs,   there   is   opportunity   for   improvement   since   it   is   estimated   that   the   waste   within  that  industry  is  in  the  vicinity  of  765billion  US  dollars  annually   (Wayne  2012).    This  has  led  to  a  number  of  healthcare  institutions  adopting  the  Toyota  Production  System  (TPS),  recognizing  its  worth  in  reducing  costs  and  improving  the  quality  of  service  delivery.     In   T&T,   births   and   pre-­‐,   ante-­‐,   and   neo-­‐natal   services   are   dealt   with   in   special   units  within   the   public   hospitals,   however   these   fall   short   of   being   real   ‘cells’   since   auxiliary  services   are   still   required   from   departments   and   equipment   which   service   the   entire  hospital  and  public  at  large.  In  the  2014-­‐2015  National  Budget  report  there  was  mention  of   a   National   Diabetic   Retinopathy   Screening   and   Treatment   Service   within   four   (4)  years  (MOF,  2014).  This  special  treatment  centre  would  be  most  effective  if  it  does  not  share   diagnostic   equipment   with   other   ‘departments’.   The   vision   for   the   highly  anticipated   National   Oncology   Centre   is   more   along   the   lines   of   the   linked   cells  characteristic   of   the   Toyota   Production   System   (Fraser   2013).   Donated   imaging  equipment   would   be   incorporated   into   the   unit   so   that   required   tests   may   be   done  immediately   without   the   patient   exiting   the   system   for   re-­‐entry   at   another   time   (OPM  2014).     What   if   the   entire   public   health   system   was   arranged   into   linked   cells   with   the  corresponding   systems   adapted   from   the   TPS?     Is   this   something   that   could   be   cost  effective  for  the  government  while  delivering  superior  care  to  the  people  of  T&T?     2.  Literature  Review   Communicable   diseases,   with   few   exceptions,   have   declined   or   been   entirely  eradicated   in   T&T   (MOH   2006).   Heart   disease,   strokes,   diabetes,   malignant   neoplasms     46    

Healthcare  Facilities  -­‐  Inefficient  by  Design?    (cancer)  and  other  non-­‐communicable  diseases  are  becoming  expensive  burdens  on  the  public  healthcare  system  as  the  lifestyles  of  the  citizens  of  T&T  change  and  more  closely  resembles   those   of   developed   countries   such   as   the   USA   (MOH   2006).   Caring   for  patients   with   these   diseases   are   costly   burdens   on   the   state   and   advantages   of   TPS   in  terms  of  cost  and  quality  of  services  delivered  may  be  desirable.  The  top  diseases  in  T&T  according   to   estimated   years   of   life   lost   are   shown   in   Figure   2.2.   This   does   not  necessarily   indicate   that   these   would   be   the   diseases   on   which   a   patient   centred  healthcare   system   should   focus,   since   other   factors   relating   to   frequency   and   ease   of  detection  and  treatment  as  well  as  quality  of  life  would  need  to  be  considered.   Years o  f  Life L  ost  201040000 199035000 20103000025000200001500010000 5000 0  Figure  2:  Years  of  Life  Lost  2010.  Source:    GBD.  (2010).  The  Global  Burden  of  Disease  Study.   Seattle:  Institute  for  Health  Metrics  and  Evaluation.  Retrieved  from   www.healthmetricsandevaluation.org   The  Toyota  Production  System     The   Toyota   Production   System,   ‘Lean   Production’   or   ‘Linked   Cell   Production’   was  developed   by   the   Toyota   Motor   Company   post   World   War   2   (WWII).   Facing   the  predicament   of   lacking   financial   resources   for   technology   upgrade   to   the   moving  assembly   lines   with   which   all   the   leading   plants   in   the   United   States   of   America   were  outfitted,   they   needed   a   solution   (Womack,   Jones   and   Roos   1990).   Subsequently,  development   of   TPS   occurred.     It   was   based   on   economies   of   scope   and   enabled   by  rapid   changeovers   as   compared   to   the   incumbent   mass   manufacturing   systems   which  were  based  on  economies  of  scale  and  facilitated  by  the  standardization  of  parts  (Black  and  Hunter  2003).     The   original   Toyota   Production   System   is   based   on   five   key   principles   which   were  outlined  by  Womack  and  Jones  (2003).    They  include  defining  value  based  on  customers’  wants   and   needs,   analysing   how   values   flows   through   the   organization,   creating   the  conditions   to   have   value   flow   smoothly   through   the   organization,   operating   only     47    

CILLA  T.  BENJAMIN      according  to  what  is  required  by  internal  and  external  customers  and  ensuring  that  the  system  is  well  established  and  that  mechanisms  exist  for  non-­‐stop  improvements  to  be  made   (Womack   and   Jones   2003).   Focusing   on   the   internal   and   external   customer   is  particularly   crucial   (Goldratt   and   Cox   2004).   This   study   is   concerned   with   adaptation   of  TPS   in   the   health   sector,   however   and   the   results   and   challenges   associated   with   this  approach,   particularly   where   the   redesign   of   facilities   and   services   is   concerned.     The  next   section   examines   the   adoption   of   TPS   in   the   healthcare   industry.   Following   these  principles  result  in  a  close  focus  on  delivering  only  what  the  customer  needs,  at  the  time  and   quality   it   is   needed.   This   results   in   minimal   waste   within   the   system   and   a   much  reduced  need  for  cash  resources.     The  Toyota  Production  System  has  since  been  widely  adopted  within  manufacturing  industries.    Netland  (2013)  studied  customized  production  systems  closely  linked  to  TPS  in   thirty   (30)   multinational   manufacturing   companies.   Mention   is   made   of   adapted   TPS  systems  aimed  at  improving  cost  and  quality  performance  such  as  the:  Aluminium  Metal  Production  System  (by  Norwegian  aluminium  company  Hydro),  Audi  Production  System,  Electrolux  Manufacturing  System,  Ford  Production  System,  Hyundai  Production  System,  John   Deere   Production   System,   Lego   Production   System,   Mercedes-­‐Benz   Production  System,   Nestle   Continuous   Excellence   programme,   Opel   Production   System,   Siemens  Production  System  and  Volkswagen  Production  System  (Netland  2013).     The  Toyota  Production  System  in  Healthcare   The  T&T  situation  is  similar  to  the  United  States  of  America  (USA)  from  the  viewpoint  of  the  chronic  diseases  that  plague  the  healthcare  system.    These  include  heart  disease,  malignant   neoplasms,   and   diabetes   mellitus   (Cosgrove,   2014;   MOH,   2006).   In   the   USA,  Virginia   Mason   Medical   Centre   in   Seattle,   led   the   way   in   the   implementation   of   Lean  Healthcare  systems  which  applied  all  the  principles  of  the  Toyota  Production  system  to  successfully  achieve  favourable  cost  reduction.  A  brief  overview  of  the  incorporation  of  TPS  into  selected  healthcare  systems  follows:   Virginia   Mason   Medical   Centre.   Based   in   Seattle,   under   the   leadership   of   Gary  Kaplan,   this   institution   pioneered   the   use   of   TPS   to   reduce   costs   and   deliver   a   better  quality   of   service   to   patients.   All   the   principles   of   TPS   used   in   manufacturing   were  adapted   for   use   in   Virginia   Mason.   Collaborative   care   and   inclusion   of   all   stakeholders  within   the   organization   in   innovative   problem   solving   also   featured   prominently   in   the  improved   system.   Results   directly   attributed   to   the   implementation   of   TPS   at   Virginia  Mason   include   between   50-­‐90%   reduction   in   lead   time,   inventory   and   scrap,  respectively;   up   to   50%   reduction   in   required   space   and   costs;   and   over   50%   average  increase   in   throughput   and   productivity,   respectively.     They   have   termed   their   system  the  Virginia  Mason  Production  System  (AAMC-­‐VMMC  2014).   The   Cleveland   Clinic.  This  institution  has  implemented  the  principles  of  TPS  into  its  operations   with   the   emphasis   on   teamwork,   collaborative   care,   innovation,   continuous  improvement   and   just-­‐in-­‐time   service.     Through   its   network   of   healthcare   institutions  which  specialise  in  specific  area,  patients  can  receive  best  in  class  care  within  an  hour  of  presenting  themselves,  even  if  they  have  to  be  airlifted  to  the  special  purpose  unit  most  relevant  to  their  care  (Cosgrove  2014).     48    

Healthcare  Facilities  -­‐  Inefficient  by  Design?       3.  Methodology   The   research   is   mainly   based   on   secondary   sources   of   information   because   of   the  new   nature   of   the   concept   in   the   local   context   and   the   time   available   which   made  seeking   formal   permission   though   the   health   sector’s   ethics   committee   impossible.   As  such   the   case   analysis   is   conducted   from   the   viewpoint   of   ordinary   patients   who   have  visited   the   public   health   facilities   for   treatment   for   a   selected   disease.   The   study  comprised   desk   research   on   facilities   which   have   incorporated   the   use   of   the   Toyota  Production  System  into  their  operations.     A   case   study   analysing   the   path   of   patients   seeking   treatment   for   a   major   illness   at  the   hospital   was   the   main   area   of   empirical   research   conducted.   It   then   goes   on   to  review   vital   statistics   and   statistics   related   to   the   use   of   Public   Health   Care   services   in  T&T  at  various  facilities.  Ths  information  was  obtained  from  the  Central  Statistical  Office  (CSO)   and   the   Ministry   of   Health.   Recommendations   regarding   redesign   inspired   by  linked   cell   production   and   the   selection   of   top   areas   for   special   attention   through   TPS  complete  the  paper.  Desk  research  on    ‘lean’  facilities  in  the  U.S.  Case  analysis  of  traf�ic  of  selected  patients  through  the  system  Analysis  of  local  vital  statistics  Analysis  of  healthcare  usage  Recommendations  regarding  redesign  inspired  by  linked  cell  production    Selection  of  the  top  areas  for  special  attention  through  TPS      Figure  3  Summary  of  activities             49