Design is well positioned as a driving force in many business organizations, large corporations especially, codified in roles like Chief Design Officer or Head of Design. Design is directly involved in, and often leading, the process of shaping the vision and the strategy of a company. Still, design is often intended more as a practice—at different levels, from new product development to design thinking—and less as a systematic, both fundamental and applied, research approach, thus limiting its potential for long term, radical innovation.

In this bonus episode of Design As you’ll hear Lee Moreau in conversation with Jadlia (Jada) Britto, Mahsa Ershadi, and Susan Fabry discussing: What is a working definition, and a potential role, for design research, or research through design, in the business context? How can universities, research centers, companies and other organizations partner to shape meaningful, viable, sustainable, and socially relevant innovation?

This audio was recorded live at the Design Research Society 2024 Conference hosted in Boston in June 2024.

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A full transcript of the show can be found here