Category: Design Tools


Jay Peters

Design with Intent


Jay Peters, November 2nd, 2010

As design is becoming more and more user focused, it is more about the use and experience and less about “beautifully” designed things. Of course, we always strike for a balance between the two, but beyond just visually desirable and basic functional design, how can design influence the intended behaviours or results of your user? Can you engage users to act accordingly to a predetermined action?  By asking the right questions, you may be able to do just that.

Inspired by IDEO’s Method cards and the Russian problem-solving, analysis and forecasting tool TRIZ, Dan Lockton, during his PhD tenure …

Read & comment »

Marjolein de Wilde

Managing design for usability


Marjolein de Wilde, October 1st, 2010

Recommendations on usabilty

Many companies are struggling with the question about how to integrate the aspect of usability into product development. An interesting research is written by Jasper van Kuijk, who is just about to finish his PhD-thesis on product usability at the TU Delft, Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering. On his blog, he publishes recommendations which are an integrative part of his thesis, with the working title “Managing Product Usability – how companies deal with usability in the development of electronic consumer products.

The ‘Recommendations for industry, or how I would do it’ is his personal statement …

Read & comment »

Jay Peters

Business Model Innovation: Identifying the WHY!


Jay Peters, August 3rd, 2010
Business Model Canvas, Osterwalder, Pigneur & al. 2010

Business Model Canvas: nine business model building blocks, Osterwalder, Pigneur & al. 2010

Recently my colleague and I delivered a great workshop on business model innovation for new services. We used the Business Model Canvas developed by Alexander Osterwalder published under the creative commons license, which does an excellent job at explaining the WHAT.

However, what is left a bit undefined is the WHY?

Granted, we all know that companies need innovate business models to stay fresh and competitive in today’s changing landscape, but generating ideas based on assumptions of what the consumers (don’t know they) need is a …

Read & comment »

Sorena Veerman

How to get your message across?


Sorena Veerman, June 18th, 2010

This video[1] is a great example showing how combining various design techniques, like storytelling and visualisation skills, delivers a presentation that holds your attention and makes you wondering what comes next.

So, need to convince your management? Use the creative strength of your designers to charm your audience and get the outcome you need!

And for those who can’t get enough, here’s another example: a great visual summary of a book.

[1] http://www.fastcompany.com/1646337/science-shows-that-bigger-bonuses-create-worse-performance

Read & comment »

Marjolein de Wilde

The call for Service Design Management


Marjolein de Wilde, July 18th, 2009

service design toolsWe’ve just received an email from one of our PARK relations Roberta Tassi. She’s been writing her graduation thesis at the Politecnico in Milan on service communication, and identified tools & guidelines that can help a service designer to focus his or her communication strategies. The site www.servicedesigntools.org is a great initiative, which shows that not only the design of (tangible) products require design management, but that the service industry can benefit extensively as well from the proper design management of their offer.

With consumer expectations spiraling upwards and good services having proven to be good business, companies realise that …

Read & comment »

«12