A new design organization?

There is no try only do! I love your idea YO. I would be excited to be apart of this!

+Playing a little bit of devil’s advocate here, maybe, but this is how I felt as I was reading…

This is kind of funny, as I see Core77 Forums as serving many of the functions that are being described of the Design Club, as well as the medium that I am currently reading it in. A lot of these old organizations existed or came about to help organize and connect people because there was insufficient resources or technology to make connections and organize historically, but times have changed. Now it seems we are focused on trying to adapt the old to the new out of a sense of nostalgia (constantly trying to update IDSA’s website) rather than just embracing the new be it Core77, Behance, LinkedIn, etc or partner with these entities where it makes sense.

all this being said
I am an IDSA member and continue to be for as long as I still find it valuable, but this discussion is really getting me thinking.

I don’t think it’s practical for one organization to do it all. And it’s been pointed out that it’s hard to justify high fees when so much of this stuff is available for free. So let’s look at who does what well, and where that leaves the opportunity:

Core77 is great for:
News
Jobs
Portfolios
Forums, SIGs
Directory

IDSA is great for:
Conferences & in-person networking
IDEA Awards
Student programs

TED is great for:
Free virtual conference/online lectures

DMI is great for:
Case studies & publications

LinkedIn is great for:
Jobs
Networking
SIGs
Posting what you’re up to

Corporate Design Foundation is great for:
Advocacy
Case studies

UK Design Council is great for:
Advocacy
Case studies

PDMA is great for:
Certification (general Product Development)
Case studies
Local events

AIGA is great for:
Conferences
Awards
Catering to Experience Designers & new media

Unmet needs/opportunity for a New Design Organization:
Optional certification (like PDMA)
Pragmatic design awards
Mass-market design magazine (to replace ID)
Training/Education/Certificates

I agree with you CG. Although I think we can all agree that IDSA needs work, I do see the value. There needs to be a boots on the ground face to face networking organization for ID. I personally think the issue is that these organizations don’t collaborate enough. I don’t think we need a new organization, but rather make the ones we have work.

What needs are not being met by existing organizations? What are the greatest challenges facing designers and PD people? That seems like the place to start.

This is the same question I was asking. I posted a question of “What would your IDSA look like?” This is what I was getting at. I think if we take the animosity and hurt feelings away and try to think of this in a business manor we can look at what is not there, what we need, what is there that is working, and how do we work to fix them. Sounds like a tall order, but it can be done.

Don’t forget about the Innovations Magazine… it was probably the most tangible thing I felt like I recieved from having a membership and really enjoyed them. Was that done away with too? it was similar DMI reviews but a more accessible.

I don’t think it’s been mentioned, but many countries have a design policy group within the government. It’s hard to say how effective they are for the needs of individual designers, but I think that’s what funds the design council (which is free) and actively promote design to small businesses. Korea has one too.

Another design org in the UK is the MCSD (Member of the Chartered Society of Designers). I think it might not offer much though

Nope, the Winter 2010 Innovation is being finished up as we speak.

w

I think much better business content or business guidance is a need for a revamped IDSA or a new org. This outline represents a lot of the kind of content (by no means comprehensive) that always seems lacking, yet essential. This is an example of the kind of business content I think many designers could benefit from, especially coming out of school. Does this information exist? Sure, in 60 different places, and only if you know to look. If IDSA or other could consolidate this info in a concise and easy to follow way, it would be great.

I. Good business content
a. Legal aspects of business
i. Contracts
ii. Patents
iii. IP and confidentiality
iv. Applicable Tax law
v. Labor law
vi. Liability
vii. Risk management practices
b. Common development practices
i. Consumer

  1. Six sigma
  2. QFD/TQM
  3. Stage Gates
  4. Etc
    ii. Medical
  5. FDA and ISO and impact on design practices
  6. How to talk to doctors about design
  7. Etc
    c. Working with different kinds of organizations at different levels
    i. Publicly held
    ii. Privately held
    iii. Nonprofits
    iv. Inventor/startups
    v. As a client versus inhouse
    d. Consulting basics
    i. What needs to be in a design brief
    ii. What needs to be in a proposal
    iii. How to build project budgets

Excellent list. I totally agree that much of that information does exist in dozens of locations around the interwebs and that’s why I’ve been pushing the Professional Interest Sections to see themselves more as aggregators as opposed to generators of content. Sure, some of the Section activities my actually generate new content, bit all too often it comes down to knowing where to get that information.

Also, I noticed that a lot of list actually matches up pretty closely to many of the Sections we do have. if you’re not familiar with the Professional Interest Sections, you can go here: Sections - Industrial Designers Society of America Also, I created a guide to help explain what the Sections are and how they are supposed to plug into IDSA. That guide can be downloaded from here: http://www.idsa.org/content/content1/story-connexx

As always with a volunteer-driven organization, the challenge is finding folks willing to participate and contribute to this aggregation of content. If anyone out there is interested in helping out, please drop me a note.

~w~

Sections should be changed to Resources, or break it down at that top level to Design Resources, Business Resources, etc. As is it sounds like a subset of local chapters - the word choice, not the layout. Also, Resources content doesn’t seem to load (the individual tabs), but everything else does. I assume it is under construction?

I think your observation regarding the name "Sections’ is an interesting one. There should be a part of the website dedicated to your idea of “resources”, but what I believe the Sections represent is slightly different. I think that perhaps there’s been some different ideas regarding the core purpose of Sections with regards to content. From my perspective ans as the Section VP, I don’t necessarily see the Sections as the primary generators of content specific to their Sections. Rather, I see them as possible aggregators of content (“Hey, where can I go to find info on X?”), but more importantly I see Sections as the creators of community and networking oriented around an area of interest as opposed to a geographical area like the Chapters. That’s why I don’t necessarily agree that Sections should be renamed to be merely Resources, although I agree IDSA should provide those as well.

I think you will find that some members join IDSA to plug into their local design community–which is tremendously important. But others are looking to connect with like-minded designers who share a particular interest or expertise. Furniture designers like to talk about furniture, UX designers have their own language and interests, same goes for folks involved in medical products… That’s what the Professional Interest Sections are intended to provide.

In addition, I see the Sections as ambassadors of design and IDSA’s message as those Section members engage other groups (like the medical product development community, or business community, or materials and manufacturing community). They have the opportunity to represent and be the voice of Design in the broader business community. That outreach is happening, but obviously not at the pace and scale that I would like.

BTW, which “Resources” aren’t loading? Send me the link that isn’t working and I’ll check it out.

FYI, anyone is welcome to submit their critiques of the website (e.g., what doesn’t make sense, what doesn’t load, what you can find, etc.)… Despite some of the broad swipes made at the website (it is a work in progress), we’ve received very little comprehensive and constructive design and UX reviews which are actually useful.

~w~

bcpid and I want totally different organizations. He wants to mix it up with business types, I do that all day and it’s the last thing I want from a design organization. I think the issue is more that the current organization tends to try to be all things to all people satisfying none.

Do you really want to learn about six sigma from a design organization. I do not. I want it to be about design, for design, by design. Curating our past, explaining our present, and shaping our future. My list is simple:

1)Past: History of design, major players, how it effected culture from the industrial revolution to today, how that relates to what we do now

2)Pressent: How to hire designers, how to build design into an integral part of your organization, design firm start up kit (contracts, legal stuff, blah, blah), design awards, design networking, PR for design as a creative discipline that has massive cultural impact

3)Future: defining design education, student mentorship program, thought leadership

before anyone says IDSA already does this, if it really did, I wouldn’t have had to write this.

Good list, Michael. Anytime you’re up for helping us make that list a reality, we’d love to have you aboard.

w

I’d be more interested in starting a new organization that does what I’m looking for than trying to continue to fix the current org. I think it would be better. Time for the clean sheet of paper in terms of mission, goals, name, and people.

Then that’s what you should do. At least then you’ll be happy and have exactly what you’re looking for.

Let me know when it’s up and running, maybe I’ll join.

I also want the content yo suggests, but I think it is equally important to include business/best practices content. I assume the traditional design content will be addressed no matter what. It doesn’t have to be either/or. Both/and. IDSA shouldn’t overlook the fact that Industrial Design is fundamentally a value added business service.

I know through our surveys that many designers are looking for “ammunition” that they can use with their clients, bosses, boards, etc. to demonstrate the value of design within business. In general, we see the younger designers asking for more of what Yo wants (design-centric content and discussion) and what you want (design as a driver of business). I think in time we can do both, but again we need everyone’s help to do it. There’s not enough paid staff to take that stuff on at the scale our members are asking for.

w

Just a reminder, this is the “a new design organization” thread.
Let’s continue to share thoughts on what a new design organization would look like.

Good point. Thanks for the reminder.