The Business of Design

This module explores how designers in a variety of contexts act entrepreneurially to negotiate a range of economic, social and environmental factors that impact their practice - especially within business.

Students will explore and develop capabilities in leadership, by comparing how different businesses operate, focussing on the skills, mindsets, and capabilities of leaders, how challenges are defined and the design-based strategies developed to address them.

Students will then reflect on this knowledge and use their existing experiences as a base to formulate a plan for their own personal and professional development.

Principal Aims

The aim of the module is to equip students with an understanding of how businesses operate across contexts and how designers and design teams operate within these structures. Through an exploration of these ideas, and reflections on their own skills, the module will support students to transition from academic study to the wider world of work in a variety of roles.

Principal Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Explore how design within business operates in a variety of contexts, and why it does so.
• Analyse the skills, mindset, and capabilities of the people, or teams, that lead these businesses.
• Identify the personal and professional challenges that leaders and businesses face.
• Reflect on this knowledge and create a plan for their own personal and professional development.
• Present and explain a personal business and design proposal for defined target audiences.

Syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

The syllabus will include:

• Business models for design within businesses.
• Case studies of design within business & their operation.

• Case studies exploring business owners, their mindsets, skills, and capabilities.

• Specific content exploring mindsets and capabilities in the context of entrepreneurial design ventures.

• Negotiating new pathways through storytelling.

• Reflective practice.
• Personal development planning.

Research element

Research is expected to infuse the entire module as students will be finding their own examples of entrepreneurship in design.

Interdisciplinary

The module draws on context from both business and design disciplines.

International

The module will examine design within business from an international perspective and draw on examples of businesses from across the world.

Subject specific skills

Business models and business modelling.

Transferable skills

Entrepreneurial skills, mindset and capabilities, reflective practice, personal development planning. Research methods and ethical approval processes.

Indicative reading list

• Sinclair, D. (2019) Lead Designer's Handbook: Managing Design and the Design Team in the Digital Age
• Best, K. (2015) Design Management: Managing Design Strategy, Process and Implementation
• Von Stamm, B. (2008) Managing Innovation, Design and Creativity

Please note: Module availability and staffing may change year on year depending on availability and other operational factors. The School for Cross-faculty Studies makes no guarantee that any modules will be offered in a particular year, or that they will necessarily be taught by the staff listed on this page.