This paper outlines a project that focuses on design management, which aims to identify the potentials and limits of adapting western models of design and team management in a Chinese context. Additionally it aims to propose and test distinctive models of Chinese design management. The research will involve a combination of ethnographic and action research methods as a means of studying processes of design team management in Chinese design firms. The overarching objective is to propose design management models that can equip design companies in China to more successfully meet the challenges and opportunities of the global commercial environment.
Design management merges the platform of creativity, technology, marketing, service and other design related areas in different types of organizations. Furthermore, design management can respond to the growing pressure for organizations to address government legislation, regulations and policies and changing attitudes around the world to the management of local and global resources. (Best, 2006). As China seeks to develop an entrepreneurial culture that is oriented to the needs of dynamic global markets, so the management of the design process becomes an acute issue for Chinese economic development. The examples of Japan, South Korea and Taiwan demonstrate how systems and methods of design management that are consistent with national cultural norms can contribute to industrial competitiveness.
Design management is a well-established field of academic inquiry and innovative management practices. However, the evidence suggests that it is relatively under-developed in China. As Liu and Zhan (2008) argue: "design management and its instruction is a recent phenomenon in China". Consequently there is a slender research base supporting design management in the country. Kim and Chung's (2007) recent survey of academic publication in the field of design management observed that 0.3% of all papers originated in China, from which they argue that "There are growing opportunities for design management to expand its sphere of influence in Asia in conjunction with the rapid industrialization of countries like China and India." The potential to transfer western models of design management to China is beginning to gain some attention, such as the transfer of design management education from the UK to China (Ashton and Ye Deng, 2008). However, there remains considerable scope to explore how design management can be more fully applied in China.
While the broad research theme has been decided as stated above, the specific research questions are in the process of being finalised. As a means of developing focus for the project, eight design companies based in China were selected, and exploratory interviews conducted to help scope the research. These companies represented different design disciplines, varied in terms of company size and ranged from local to international. The interviewees were asked about their educational backgrounds, general work process and the problems they mostly encountered, among other issues. By auditing the analysis from the interviews, one can see a ubiquitous state of affairs about the differing cultural and political conditions in China that provides a distinctive environment for considering the management requirements within design. Consequently there are significant distinctive research questions that can be considered, such as ‘how designers who have initially educated as designers could appropriately adapt in the management field as design managers’.
In conclusion, there is an opportunity to adapt some design management approaches developed in Europe and North America to the Chinese context. This paper will explain the context for project, describe the methodological challenges involved, explain how exploratory interviews have helped to refine the research focus, and present an agenda for the project through to its conclusion. It is envisaged that a set of design management research tools could be developed through the project that have widespread application in practice. The paper will conclude by suggesting how such tools will be developed and refined.