• Describe the contextual conditions that make design a strategic resource.
• Assess the innovation portfolio of a firm and identify strengths and weaknesses in its design strategy
• Critically evaluate design processes and their role for corporate strategy.
• Analyze innovation strategies by using the frameworks provided in the course
• Explain how and why the presented link between design, innovation and strategy holds opportunities for entrepreneurship

Renowned companies, like Apple, Google, or BMW achieve a remarkable competitive advantage thanks to design, i.e. thanks to the capability to create products and services that perform well and are more meaningful to customers.

Design has been a part of the marketing and branding of products and services for long. In industrial organization, design was something that was added to the product towards the end, when the engineers were finished with their innovation work. The rise of the experience economy and the proliferation of services have given a new weight to this relationship, however. Design has moved from a necessary add-on to a vital resource for achieving competitive advantage.

Executives working in the field of innovation need to understand the role and potential of design languages, design methods, and design perspectives for their organizations, and how to build strong innovation capabilities around these.

In this course we will review the shifting market conditions, the rising importance of design for business strategy, the tools and strategic models that enable this shift, and the arising opportunities for a more entrepreneurial approach to business.

The first part of the course outlines the favorable market context and management tools making design a strategic resource for the organization (Class 1 – 4).

In the second part, we are looking at the connection between design and innovation, and how this relationship enables different strategic approaches for a business organization (Class 5 – 9).

In the third and last part we build upon the established relationship between innovation and design for business organizations, and show how this connects to the present concern for entrepreneurship in established organizations (Class 10 – 11).

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