There is a growing and urgent need for design-led innovation in Australia, according to Good Design Australia.
While businesses such as Deloitte, Boston Consulting Group, Accenture and PwC have begun integrating design thinking into their business processes and strategy, Dr Brandon Gien, CEO of Good Design Australia and president of the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design, said design needs to be a number one priority for any modern business to remain competitive in today’s tough market.
“A design-based approach in business offers many capabilities including creativity, problem-solving, deep questioning and most importantly, a framework to drive innovation,” said Dr Gien (pictured). “At the heart of it, designers are really good at asking the right questions to get to the core of the problem and then offer a range of solutions based on a customer-centric approach. They are always looking for alternative and better ways of doing things. Business leaders with a focus on design belong in the boardrooms and advisory boards across the globe.”
Good Design Australia is promoting cutting-edge design and innovation through the annual Good Design Awards, and this year has introduced two new categories to promote the expanding role of design in business and society – a new Award for Social Innovation and Business Model Design.
“Together, these new categories hope to promote businesses that are using design strategically to help drive positive change and market success,” Dr Gien said.
Maureen Thurston, principal of design thinking at Deloitte Australia, believes that design is making the journey from the fringes to the centre of business.
“Design and innovation is about exploring opportunities and challenging traditional ways of thinking to make the client experience better. Businesses that integrate design as a strategic tool understand that it is so much more than just designing a better product or service, they see design as a core differentiator to their entire business model and overall strategic direction,” Ms Thurston said.
Entries to the 2015 Good Design Awards close on 20 March 2015. Visit http://www.good-design.com/ for more information.
