Design tools

This chapter describes design tools and their use in enhancing design capability of business and was commissioned from Inns by editors Bruce & Bessant & the UK Design Council. Writings are based on Inns' review of design tool literature, his research as Principal Investigator / Co-Investigator on 12 Teaching Company Scheme (KTP) programmes between 1995 and 2001 whilst at Brunel University (£1.1 million of funding) and his research that supported development of UK Design Council's Design Atlas audit methodology between 1999 and 2002 and design audit module for DTI small business service UK benchmarking index in 2001. In order to augment this chapter UK Design Council commissioned 30 page website from Inns in 2002 (£8,000 consultancy fee). This website describes Design Atlas and interventions that can be made to help improve the design capability of businesses. Complete version of audit methodology can be downloaded from the site as a pdf (6900 words authored by Inns). These interventions were distilled from research conducted by the author with 40 Design Counsellors from the Business Link network. Website is accessible from Design Council website www.designcouncil.org (40% visitors are overseas) and directly at www.designinbusiness.org.uk. Inns disseminates findings from this work widely. The book, chapter and website were favourably reviewed in the summer 2002 Design Management Review. Since 2004 Inns has led a taught postgraduate module based on this work at the University of St Andrews School of Management (ranked best Scottish management school in national tables 2005, 2006 and 2007). On 20.2.06 Inns gave keynote presentation on this work to Dean’s of UK business schools at invitation of Sir George Cox at ‘Can Creativity Save British Business’ chaired by Sir Christopher Fraying at UK Design Council.