Coffee & Design

COFFEE & DESIGN DESIGN METHODS & PROCESSES IN DESIGN FIRMS SHIPRA BHARGAVA Strategic Design Management 2006-08 National Institute of Design

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

3

ABOUT IDEASPICE DESIGN Pvt. Ltd. Ideaspice is a multidisciplinary creative brand strategy firm that specializes in marketing by design, creating effective solutions that create sustainable business value.

LOCATION Dubai Mumbai Bangalore (Upcoming) Delhi (Upcoming) TEAM The team comprises of communication, space & industrial designers & design strategists Dubai- 10 Mumbai- 5 Collaboraters & friends- unlimited IN EXISTENCE SINCE- 2002 PEOPLE Sajith Ansar- CEO Saurav Roy- Director Aditi Mukherjee- Designer, Mumbai Ashay Dorle- Junior Designer, Mumbai Santosh - Accountant, Mumbai Rajeshji- Incredible multitasker

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

INTRODUCTION

4

PROJECT BRIEF Ideaspice - as a design firm works with a certain design process. While this design process works across industries, each industry has its own specific needs which need to be reflected in the design process.

My initial project brief was to understand their design process - expand and detail it further for specific industries like Retail, Hospitality, Entertainment, Real estate etc. and then document and formalize the processes. However across all of these processes, I had to work towards creating a system that acts as a guideline for projects and not as inflexible systems that affect creativity.

While redefining the project brief I realized that design process is part of a larger system of design firms. It is this system which needs to be looked into to be able to deliver to clients. Apart from looking specific industry needs, it was important for me to look at overall structure of the firm, which facilitates to come up with strategic design solutions. Through the document ‘Coffee & Design’ I have tried to encompass my overall suggestions & observations for structure of Ideaspice. This document is the compilation of ways involved in becoming thought partners for clients- followed by Ideaspice & the ones recommended by me.

REDEFINED BRIEF Develop integrated systems & processes for IDEASPICE Design Pvt Ltd. with main focus on design processes, which are Expandable, flexible & paperless.

REASON FOR INTEGRATED SYSTEM & PROCESSES • • •

Maintain quality standards across all offices Develop guideline/ directions for all stakeholders of Ideaspice Move from design agency to strategic partners of clients

PEOPLE BENEFITING FROM THESE SYSTEMS

Shipra Bhargava

INTERNAL

EXTERNAL

Partners Designers Associates Collaboraters Employees

Existing clients Potential Clients Networks PRs

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

INTRODUCTION

5

THE PROCESS- timeline The application for the methods & processes had started from my project brief itself. The steps followed by me for my project is on similar lines as to what I have suggested in my document through ‘Art of making good coffee’.

I had divided the time frame of 15 weeks following phases

LIVE PROJECTS

FINAL STRUCTURE Compilation Templets Guidelines

Research areas Tools & Methods Parameter description Design directions

3 WEEKS

3 WEEKS

ANALYZING & STRUCTURING Process variables Process structure Research variables Research structure

DOCUMENTATION & FEEDBACK

3 WEEKS August ’08 RESEARCH PROCESS

3 WEEKS

May’ 08

About Ideaspice business Stakeholders Competition & benchmarks REFINING 2 WEEKS THE BRIEF

1 WEEK

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

INTRODUCTION

6

RESEARCH TOOLS SECONDARY RESEARCH Company websites- size, Practices followed Articles Journals Case studies by projects done by consultants PRIMARY RESEARCH Observational research Personal Interviews to stakeholders of Ideaspice Client meetings Information from designers & design managers working in other firms

Shipra Bhargava!

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

INTRODUCTION

7

RESEARCH PROCESS To understand the core idea of having design process, I had divided my research area into 3 part- WHO ALL to study, WHAT ALL to study & HOW to study. This research involved lot of interconnection between parameters, hierarchy & emergence of non-linear thought. I used ‘Personal Brain’ for visual mapping of these non-linear & random thoughts which helped me to see the emerging patterns .

WHO ALL

Shipra Bhargava!

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

INTRODUCTION

8

WHAT ALL

HOW

Broad information about the processes of other businesses was through secondary research. Finding about how other consultants work is a tricky part, as the authenticity of information gathered through internet, articles or books is limited. Though I had tried to gather some insights from people working in consultancy firms about nature of work & processes followed in their respective fields.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

INTRODUCTION

9

Major insights came from attending client meetings & working on ongoing projects. I feel any method or process is a function of the context in which it is applied. So to be able to follow any system it is important to know the concerns of the people for whom the system is being structured. Hence my focus was on understanding concerns of Ideaspice clients, employees, directors & collaborators.

I got insights from certain probing questions from the stakeholders of Ideaspice like PARTNERS 1. What is your main business? How did it begin?

2. Where do you place your firm in the larger environment?

3. What were important landmarks?(difficulties & success) 4. How does the business afford to operate?

5. What are your core competencies?

6. Who are your customers? Why do they choose to work with you?

7. How do you evaluate your customers? (decide whom to work with or not) 8. what all things affect your business?

9. who are your competitors? How do you compare yourself with them?

Please select 2 visuals depicting 1. Where Ideaspice is currently?

2. where do you intend to be?

Please explain why you have selected the visual? & what do you see in the visual.

DESIGNERS / other employees (working with other consultancies) Purpose: aspirations for a smooth working environment & methods 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

Your thought over your profession. Factors affecting your profession.

Where do you place yourself in the larger industry environment?

What is your core competency?

Why do you think your industry needs you?

What are the crucial moments in any design process?

Most important thing in a design process?

What is the ideal work environment you would like to work in? ( Zaltman if required) How do you keep yourself updated with the changing environment?

1 best & worst thing about your firm?

1 thing you would like to change about your firm?

For IdeaSpice designers- what do you feel about the working between two offices – Dubai & Mumbai (connectivity, influences etc.)

Zaltman- select 2 pics depicting-what do you think of your firm? What does your firm think about you?

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

INTRODUCTION 10 RELEVANCE OF PROJECT There is a wide range of services being offered by consultants globally - be it business, design, software. On one hand firms are working towards highly specialized service domain like typography design & on the other hand they are shifting towards becoming strategic partners for their clients . Ideaspice is in one of those phases of getting involved in strategy formulation for their clients.. The challenge for in becoming strategic partners is to blend design & business thinking. Here comes the application of Strategic Design Management which focuses on making design an important business function & how design thinking can bring in innovation.

SPECIALIZED SERVICES

IDEASPICE

STRATEGIC PARTNERS Involved from beginning of business, expansions, identifying new opportunities

Research, identity design, typeface design, product design, web-page design

In consulting firms, be it business, software or design, the basic parameters of firm’s architecture remains same.

These parameters form the basis of the structure of each organization which depends on the nature of their work.

The key for success & efficiency highly depend on the intangible dynamics - people, growth, open mindedness, risk taking ability, reading between the lines, humanized management - overall Firm’s PERSONALITY My project aims at collating practices & methods for design firms that are moving towards STRATEGIC DESIGN PARTNERS

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

INTRODUCTION

11

ECOSYSTEM of Ideaspice While studying the structure of other counsaltancies & talking to stakeholders of Ideaspice, lot of other parameters emerged which are crucial in running a creative business. Design process is one part of this whole system. These concerns are the basis for document ‘COFFEE & DESIGN” where I have tried to address the fact how these concerns facilitate creative firms like Ideaspice in moving from design firms to strategic partners of their clients.

REVENUE MODEL

DESIGN TOOLS & TECHNIQUES MARKET TRENDS & INNOVATIONS

COMPETITION & REFERENCE

EXPANSE OF WORK

PRODUCT OFFERINGS

CREATIVE BUSINESS RULES & GUIDELINES

IDEASPICE ASSOCIATES

CLIENT CONCERNS

THE TEAM

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Shipra Bhargava

CREATIVITY NETWORKS & FOSTERING NEW BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

DESIGN COLLECTIVE

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

INTRODUCTION

12

PROJECT SCOPE The design processes that I worked on focuses on the scope of work such as: 1. Creating design guidelines 2. Methods of research 3. Research analysis and strategic inputs 4. Research presentation templates and formats While working towards the design processes, it was very important for me to keep in mind the convenience & adaptability of other team members. Though the requirement of each industry is different, but the basic principles remain same- The variables, factors & their effect changes.

THE APPLICATION Projects that I worked on as part of application of the design methods & processes involve 1. Retail – MEGAMALL, Mumbai ZOOMIN (online photo sharing site), Mumbai SPORTS STADIUM ( Sports Retail outlet), Mumbai IMPELSYS (publishing content management), Bangalore 2. Hospitality SOUPER STAR (Soup Kiosk), Mumbai 3. Real Estate PRIME DEVELOPERS ( Real estate developers), Tirupur 4. Entertainment NEXTLIFE (virtual & real community building), Hyderabad NOTE: The excerpts of work done on these projects have been mentioned towards the end of the document

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

SYNOPSIS

13

THE OUTCOME- ‘ COFFEE & DESIGN’- Design Methods & Processes in Design Firms The document ‘ COFFEE & DESIGN” is an attempt to consolidate metaphorically the practices & culture followed by people in design business who want to move from design consultants to strategic partners of their clients . Though these are just a part of the whole, there lies immense ways to discover yet. Each situation give way to a different & efficient way to deal with it. Here is just a platform to begin thinking in that direction.

This document is the outcome of my findings, observation & suggestions for Ideaspice to have synchronized design processes & systems to facilitate strategic design thinking. Simultaneous application of these processes on the ongoing projects have helped me to improvise processes further.

Every design firm have their own design culture. Its important for the team to achieve desired result through this culture, rather then making fixed & rigid rules to follow. What differentiates each design firm from another is the common intent of the team & the efforts put in to achieve that goal.

Design schools provide environment to build the mindset, but in the real world along with mindset, performance matters a lot. This document is also attempted towards setting guidelines for the design graduates to be able to perform according to industry standards.

BENEFIT OF THE DOCUMENT Team members- Guidelines for design team members of Ideaspice to follow certain design practices & methods Students- Introduction & guide to practical industry scenario for students from design background Design consultants- A platform for other design studios to share & add their views on design practices Companies- Tell us your expectations & concerns!! all this is for you and your audiences!!!

The practices & methods mentioned here are just my experiences. they should not be taken as only ways of achieving creative solutions, but as starting points for improved & flexible ways.

Coffee culture is an important ritual at Ideaspice. This ritual has inspired me to take coffee as a metaphor to explain methods & practices followed by design studios.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

THE PREFACE Do design, learn design, think design, create design, follow design!!! What is Design? Its only people from some creative background who are aware of the term ‘DESIGN ’, that too everyone has their own understanding of it. A layman is clueless of first what exactly design is and then what design firms are for.

Design is considered to be a glitzy field full of glamour. Even people who are from creative background, especially design students, have certain notions & myth about how design works in the reality. Design is often confused with product styling. It is not only the aesthetic appeal of the product, but a systemic process to bridge the gap between actual & the desired expectations of the users.

Design is contextual; there is no fixed rule to follow to become a designer. There are only situations which instigate design thinking, foster environment to think laterally. The journey of design thinking begins with individual’s ability & interest in doing something creative. Design colleges play a crucial role in providing environment, guidance, and understanding of basic design principles to promote & foster design thinking.

The application is in the practical scenario where design interacts with the user. This interaction happens through people who are engaged in design practices, it could be big companies like Google or a design consultancy firm or an individual.

In the pages to come you are going to read some attributes of a creative firm like Ideaspice which will bring in some insights from the practical world- how design is placed in the larger industry & how it helps in bringing value to businesses. These insights & excerpts from work are based on my experience & observation during 3 months in Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd. Through certain metaphors & analogies I have tried to express the complicated & non-linear structure of a creative firm. Through the references & situations in a branding & identity design firm, I have tried to reflect the scenario of other creative firm too.

Shipra Bhargava!

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

THE CONTENTS PART 1- WHAT ARE DESIGN FIRMS 15.

THE SCENARIO - Design economy

17.

COFFEE MAKERS - Design firms

20.

SECRET RECIPE - The ideology

PART 2- HOW DO THEY FUNCTION 23.

COFFEE MATTERS - Design firm & clients

26.

COFFEE CONVERSATIONS - Ideal client relationship

28.

COFFEE MENU - Product offerings

32.

COFFEE KIT - Infrastructure

37.

SECRET INGREDIENTS - People

PART 3- THE DESIGN PROCESS 42.

ART OF MAKING GOOD COFFEE - Design process

PART 4- DESIGN CULTURE 83.

COFFEE HOUSE - Design culture

87.

EVERLASTING AROMA - Experience extension by firms

89.

ROADS AHEAD - Future expansion plans

PART 5- EXCERPTS FROM THE PROJECTS

DONE AT IDEASPICE CASE STUDY- ‘SPORTS STADIUM’ ACKNOWLEDGMENT BIBLIOGRAPHY

Shipra Bhargava!

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

PART 1

WHAT ARE DESIGN FIRMS THE SCENARIO - Design economy COFFEE MAKERS - Design firms SECRET RECIPE - The ideology

THE SCENARIO DE ECO SIGN NOM Y

Stages in evolution of Design INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION Mass production, machine made products.

Focus on form & function.

1980 Professional designer expertise gained importance. Aesthetics & material exploration gained momentum.

1990- DESIGN LED INNOVATION Professional designers became key to innovation and always had input from idea stage.

2008- STRATEGIC DESIGN Design thinking has become essential driver of strategy and have input from a pre-project stage. Design is now a fundamental part of the organizational culture & is seen as an important part of business function.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management @006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

THE SCENARIO

18

Changing Role of Design In a globalizing economy based on mass production and commoditization, the business of design is more than ever the path to productivity and profit. Every industry, be it consumer goods, F&B, retail, automotives, fashion & lifestyle etc. is competing to win over its consumers. In such situation, advertising & marketing do help them in standing out, but the real credibility & differentiation is through design.

Design economy cannot be isolated from knowledge or manufacturing economy. It integrates all disciplines involved in creating products & services which people want. For any industry to innovate, it becomes crucial to follow design thinking, to create competitive advantage for itself. Designers & innovators then become the route which these industries take, to come up with radical products & services which appeal to their consumers. Companies either hire designers or team up with design consultants to carry out this part of business function.

Designers are exposed to a wide range of industries and have unique insight into the trends and developments in these industries. They are able to independently challenge the underlying assumptions and competitive position of proposed new products.

Designers are able to focus minds from across the business on the way in which a project might satisfy both the customer's needs and also the firm's strategic goals.

become the channel to gather consumer feedback & insights. It is these insights & ability to know consumers well that makes design team inevitable part of larger industry.

Design is now becoming an important business function which re-looks the vision of the organizations. Design thus becomes not only a value addition for the company but also an important part of their business function- to help them create differentiation & achieve their goals through strategic design interventions.

Companies or individual entrepreneurs have inhouse design teams or they partner with external design consultancy firms. For companies, most of the time it becomes difficult to manage design team. Inspite of having skilled individuals, using them for the strategic advantage remains unfulfilled. To partner with an external design firm is advantageous for the firm because they don’t have to worry about managing them and yet at the same time main focus remain on creative solutions.

Ideaspice partners with their clients not only in developing brand identity but as strategic partners wherein they are involved right from the conception stage of the business.

The design team facilitates in understanding the real problem & the need of the user & then through their imagination & skill, come up with ideas which bridge the gap between the actual & the aspired. In the process of understanding the gap, designers also

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

COFFEE MAKERS THE

DE FIR SIGN MS

From an individual to a Team The story of coffee begins from people who are involved in growing, plucking, selecting coffee beans, processing & finally brewing the coffee. Similarly the story of design firm begins, when an individual or a group of creative individuals come together to transform their creativity into product & service offering for users through other industries. These individuals might have started their career by working with another firm or organization to gain some experience in the field. Or may just have started to explore the reality as a freelancer. Prior work experience introduces one with the realities & complexities of business, before one ventures own business.

As the scale of work increases, more money flows in, more people & infrastructure is needed for efficient work & smooth flow of operations.

Shipra Bhargava!

Just as once the master coffee maker has established his flavor & art he would expand his workforce & infrastructure to grow more. It’s that team of creative professionals who work together along with equivalent mix of business instincts who then constitutes a creative firm

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

COFFEE MAKERS

20

Design firms Sajith Ansar conceived & established Ideaspice, followed by others who joined him to grow & expand in form of a creative firm. On the other hand Pentagram is a perfect example where individual designers come together to join hands on projects where multiple skills & talents are required. In a global and changing market place, Ideaspice help its clients stand out from the crowd with ideas that are simple and solutions that are powerful.

Product design, film design, ad agency, graphic design, animation design, web design..? What all comes under the domain of creative firms? In case of creative businesses, the offering becomes more important ,so the core strength of the firm becomes either product designing, interior designing, ad designing, graphic designing or a complimentary mix

of all depending on the mix of skill sets & networking the firm has. On one hand design firms are working in super specialized areas like CAD, signage design, typography design which make them pioneer in that field. On the other hand there are firms like which provide complete brand strategy services through collaboration & networking. In case of Ideaspice the core strength is formulating strategies for building & reinventing identities for their clients which are unique to them & their businesses.

N

INDUSTRIES

COMMUNICATION DESIGN

+

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

=

EXPERIENCE & VALUE

DESIGN FOR PEOPLE

Industries thrive to reach to their customers by creating differentiation through design- Communication & Industrial design. Design teams / Firms facilitate this process of reaching right consumer at right time.

They also become the channel to get feedback & insights from the users which helps in creating more value proposition.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

COFFEE MAKERS

21 THE FAMOUS IDEASPICE COFFEE ask for it each time

Idea Spice Design + Marketing Who are we Idea Spice Design is a specialized design firm that uses design and marketing to help our clients compete in an increasingly crowded marketplace.

What we do We work as thought partners right from the naming process, to the positioning, the USP, differentiation and an integrated identity that communicates this brand personality.

As a result, our clients have received a systematic and proven process that has assisted a multitude of companies to grow their businesses in leaps and bounds and have a distinct advantage over their competition.

Our team Our team now comprises of communication, space & industrial designers & design strategists who can handle projects of any aspect, nature and scale.

“THE BEST CURVE IN DESIGN IS THE RISING SALES GRAPH OF THE CLIENT�

The world famous Ideaspice coffee is a work of love. Hand beaten, hand made and handed over generations of team members.

The brew has been a magnet for clients, friends, poets, philosophers, thinkers and the strong hearted.

You are entitled to a lifetime supply of our coffee, friendship and brainstorming...

RAYMOND LOEWY

Our Location We work with as one office and two locations. With offices in Dubai and Mumbai, we are strategically positioned to handle projects across the globe - from africa to australia, north america to India.

maximize the interaction between the client and the design team. We believe that a small and specialized design team is more capable of delivering an innovative solution rather than a large cumbersome organization.

Our Process We believe that the key to a successful design project is a strong collaboration with the client. Our systems and processes are built in a way to

Our Clients Our clients range from diverse industries - from financial industry to retail to hospitality. We have worked across varying scale of clients - from entrepreneurs setting up their businesses to multinationals who are looking for a distinct creative edge in their products or services.

DUBAI WORLD TRADE CENTRE

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

SECRET RECIPE THE

IDE

OLO

GY

Soul of design teams A good cup of coffee has a secret recipe behind it which lies in the magic of hands of the coffeemaker. The goodness of the coffee depends on the knowledge & foresight of the people involved in the process. The secret mantra for the success of every creative firm is the ideology & values that the people in the firm follow.

This manifesto is just not written text shown to clients or used for induction of new employees but it forms some guidelines which help in everyday life at the firm. It is not imposed on, but ingrained by the team.

Ideaspice name suggests it’s approach- balance strategy with insights, cognition with intuition, the idea & the spice.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

SECRET RECIPE

23

HEART OF SPICE 12 simple philosophies that govern everyday life at Ideaspice

TO GROW TO WORK WITH PASSION TO PARTNER WITH CLIENTS TO HAVE FUN TO TWEAK TO DETAILS TO GAIN EXPERTISE TO WORK AT ANY SCALE TO IDEATE AS A TEAM TO OFFER FEEDBACK TO WORK AS A TEAM TO SERVE THE BEST COFFEE

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

PART 2 HOW DO THEY FUNCTION COFFEE MATTERS - Design firm & clients COFFEE CONVERSATIONS - Ideal client relationship COFFEE MENU - Product offerings COFFEE KIT -

Infrastructure

SECRET INGREDIENTS -

People

COFFEE MATTERS DES IG & C N FIRM LIE NTS S

The thought partners So when do you drink the coffee? When sleepy, when energy level goes down, falling short of new ideas or when you want a high!!!! People running big organizations & budding entrepreneurs also experience the similar situation before they partner with a team of creatives who can understand their business & give them out of box solutions.

Clients approach design firms when.....

The traditional approach of working with a design firm is similar to that working with a vendor- Give the requirement & design will be delivered in assigned time. But that’s old story, now its best when the firm become thought partners for their clients.

This not only brings in alignment of vision between the two but also it leads to much more clarity in communication. It then becomes very important to work with the decision making person in the firm rather than intermediateries, which creates information loss at each level.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

STARTING NEW BUSINESS Setting vision, mission, goals. Getting right mix of people. Setting up infrastructure. gaining share in consumer’s mind space EXPANDING EXISTING BUSINESS Finding new opportunities. Mapping consumer aspirations & perceptions

REINVENTING THE BUSINESS New image. New perspectives. New identity

COMMUNICATION DESIGN Internal, external communication & mediums, collateral, brand extensions

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

COFFEE MATTERS

26

Client decision making process @ Ideaspice IDESPICE WORKS AS THOUGH PARTNER WITH ITS CLIENTS

Start business Expand business Reinvent business

Need identity strategy / logo/name

Ask PRO/friend/ lawyer/printer

Client Needs

Who? Where?

Who else?

Website?

How? How Much?

Need Strategic Designer

use existing agency/ contact

yellow pages/ website/ad/top of mind recall

Check site Call for presentation Speak on phone

Attached case study Ask for quotation proposal

Search Process Buying Process Client concerns Ideaspice influencers

Shipra Bhargava

Coffee ritual Office rituals Case studies Visiting card Brochure

See work Meet team members Visit office

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

I want my company to look like that..

These guys are not for me...

Will they be expensive?

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

COFFEE MATTERS

27

Client decision making process @ IDEASPICE

Ask for quotation proposal time frame

Parallel Quote

Credentials?

Portfolio?

VFM? Turn around time?

Results?

Negotiate

Refer to friend

Discount?

Satisfaction...

Good deal?

Something free?

Ponder on need? postpone?

Analyze options? necessity?

ROI? Good deal?

Cheaper alternatives?

Better payment

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Is this the best?

Speak to them...

Are they good?

Other options?

THO PAR UGHT TNE RS

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

COFFEE CONVERSATIONS IDE A REL L CLI E ATI ONS NT HIP

Marriage between client & design firm Financial size of the client dosent matter as much the like mindedness. Apart from meeting the desired outcomes it’s very important for both the client & the firm to be able to work in coherence. If the client is not open to new ideas, it’s difficult for firm. If firm doesn’t understand clients vision well then it’s difficult for the client.

This ideal situation of finding like-minded clients may not re-occur every time. You may not find right companion always to drink coffee with! In such cases clients can be segregated in terms of profitability & the business relationship that the firm enjoy with them

LARGE ORGANIZATION & LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP LARGE ORGANIZATION & SHORT TERM RELATIONSHIP SMALL ORGANIZATION & SHORT TERM RELATIONSHIP SMALL ORGANIZATION & LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

COFFEE CONVERSATIONS

29

Client profitability Profitability while working for a client depends on numerous factors like time, efforts, turnaround time, resources involved etc. Ideaspice prefers working with clients who understand the process of design and are looking for thought partners not vendors.

Entrepreneurs who are starting up or businesses who have reached or need to reach the next level. Their ideal client is extremely ambitious with a clear vision and goals. The client is looking at having fun while working. They are sharp, pushing to do better and is completely clued into the process. The client is a great listener, open to new ideas and willing to take risks and try new ways of doing business.

Depending on its stage of growth, the firm can decide what mix of clients & in what proportion will it be profitable to work with. For eg. In the initial years of establishment the aim would be to work with as many clients as possible even though it may not be so profitable. While in the years of maturity of the firm, the aim would be to get to work with profitable clients for long run. Design studios are not bound to do every work that they get. Sometimes it gets necessary to say no to the client- the reason could be less profitable premise, slack communication from client side or even lack of business ethics. The same is true for clients too for saying no to work with any design firm- BE careful about whom you have coffee with!!!

The firms can face following situations while dealing with the clients. Best decision can come by evaluating the pros & cons of working with the client. This evaluation is also based on prior experience & intention of the design firm.

LARGE ORGANIZATION (unprofitable)

+ PROS

Shipra Bhargava

LARGE ORGANIZATION (profitable)

CONS

+

SMALL ORGANIZATION (profitable)

-

PROS

+

CONS PROS

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

CONS

SMALL ORGANIZATION (unprofitable)

+

-

PROS

CONS

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

COFFEE MENU PRO OFF DUCT ERI NG

Bouquet of services Enriching the taste of coffee by adding flavors & brewing techniques gives the smell, the taste, the caffeine lift and the shared experience of coffee. Selection of this flavor depends on what mood you are in- adventurous, romantic, fun, naughty‌..

Depending on the profile & requirement of the client, the design firms design the flavors of their offerings. In Ideaspice Comprehensive Corporate Identity Program is like the bouquet of different flavors of coffee which combine together to give complete identity to a brand. These other flavors can again be classified on the basis of re-fineness & time involved to prepare each one. Every add-on costs extra Though the offerings vary according to client preference but the basic platform which is the initial thought process, strategy formation, ideation remains same for all. This initial process is the most crucial & time consuming irrespective of the fact that it is not quoted as a cost to the client.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

COFFEE MENU

31

COMPREHENSIVE CORPORATE IDENTITY PROGRAM

CAPPUCCINO

LOGO DESIGN- stationery design, business design, letterheads, envelopes, email templates, facsimile formats, basic billing formats (invoice/ payment & reciept voucher), powerpoint template

Shipra Bhargava

CAPPUCCINO

CAPPUCCINO

with cookies

with cake

CORPORATE IDENTITY- brochure, website along with logo design

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

INTEGRATED CORPORATE IDENTITY PROGRAM- along with corporate identity , brand personality, identity strategy, interior design

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

COFFEE MENU

32

The Expertise Strabucks & Barista are famous for the magic of their expertise in processing & brewing coffee. This expertise of the hands which grow process & brew the coffee is specific to different brands of coffee. Thats what makes them different!!! Expertise of design firm is a variable of its team, network, creative quotient, business sense, 360 degree perspective, delight quotient. The more extensive is the mix, the more refined is the experience of working with the design firm.

Expertise builds with experience & the energy of the design team. Ideaspice uses design along with marketing technique to assist & enable their clients to compete with larger companies. They partner with clients to create differentiation & identity in a crowded & increasingly difficult market. This is not a simple task to do until the client also has faith in their design partners. Expertise is not the ‘design style’ of the firm.

Its better if the firm dosent stick to one design style of working. Visual look & style is unique to each client.

Versatility of flavors makes coffee houses famous.

STRATEGY 80%

EXECUTION 20%

Another strength of Ideaspice is the project turnaround time. The time taken to complete 1 project is less which makes it possible for them to handle more than projects at a time. Less turnaround time is not at the cost of quality of work. Various factors like multitasking, project management and clear communication lead to it. I will further discuss each in detail.

Mix of strategy & execution- as mentioned earlier, with design emerging as an important business function, major part of design project include strategizing than the execution. According to 80-20 rule, 80% of the time should be devoted in finding out what needs to be done & 20% in actually doing it. This not only reduces the chances of flaws & failures but also helps to get strong hold on the situation & hence a convincing brand idea.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

COFFEE MENU

33

The Revenue model Price tag is the one of most important decision making parameter in any business. As mentioned its best for design firms to become thought partners of the clients, this partnering also affect the way design firms work out their revenue structure. Every coffee is exclusively made for each client. What is charged is a cumulative estimate of the efforts involved. Revenue model differs for different design firms depending on the nature of the service offered. For eg. In Identity Design firm like Ideaspice though there is no material cost involved but time Vs efforts are the most important parameters. Execution & development calls for extra cost. Product designing exercise calls for additional material & prototyping costs too.

There cannot be an exact estimation of the cost involved. Its with experience that firms decide how to structure their revenue models. Its time that one is able to figure out the fixed & the variable costs involved in any business. During Initial phases design firms operate at low operating costs so the pricing is also less & portfolio is varied. But once it start growing in size & experience not only operational cost increase but also the expertise calls for higher premium on work. Premium coffee commands premium price too!

Ideaspice works on 3 types of models a) PROJECT BASIS- Project proposal involves project brake up in phases & costing is done according to time & effort involved in each phase. This works when the client is not regular or is new.

b) RETAINERs- Monthly fixed amount is charged from the client & regular meetings are held to discuss new business opportunities, brand maintenance, expansion, maintain current identity, promos for regular activities. This model is beneficial for regular clients which involve designing business strategies regularly.

c) BARTER- In lieu of products or services from the client

d) EQUITY- Acquiring equity in business of their clients. No More client but PARTNERS!! the entertainment center

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

National Institute of Design

COFFEE KIT INF

T RAS HE TRU CT

URE

Brewing the perfect solution Just the thought of making good coffee is not enough, it requires proper planning & infrastructure too. Master coffee-maker doesn't do all tasks all by himself sitting in one place. Once the team starts to grow, more work is generated, it becomes crucial for the design firm to plan out its operational & organizational layout.

Design firm’s infrastructure supports the perfect brewing of a creative solution.

Core Infrastructure in a design firm include LOCATION OF THE FIRM SIZE OF THE FIRM ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

National Institute of Design

COFFEE KIT

35

Infrastructure LOCATION Initially firms starts their work from one office, one location. As they grow financially & in experience, it becomes important to make global presence too. This not only makes it easy for clients across border to work with the firm but also adds knowledge about global market & consumers to the firm’s profile. The rationale behind expansion is also to tap opportunities in growing markets. The number of office may

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increase as much firm wants to expand but the overall quality standard should remain same. Geographical factor should not influence the work quality.

Ideaspice works from 2 design offices- Dubai & Mumbai. Through these 2 offices they are strategically positioned to handle work across the globe-from Africa to Australia, from North America to India

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

COFFEE KIT

36

Infrastructure SIZE OF THE FIRM This is a very crucial decision which any design firm has to make in their maturing stage- to work with smaller set up & less no. of employees or increase the infrastructure & hire more employees. Usually a firm goes through following stages during expansion.

LARGE &HIGHLY EFFICIENT

LARGE & UNMANAGEABLE

SMALL & HIGHLY EFFICIENT

SMALL & STILL GROWING

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In the expansion phase it becomes very crucial for the firm to analyze continuously its productivity & profitability Vs. operational costs. Increasing the size of team & adding more infrastructures doesn’t always result in increased productivity. Most of the time bigger office spaces, more employees add to operational costs which become difficult to manage. The energy of the employees also gets diluted & environment looses the thrust. A firm can remain small in size, maintain its energy, provide inspiring environment for its employees & yield high quality work. Sagmister.Inc is one of the design studios who believe in maintaining small business & maintain high quality work, whereas IDEO is a larger design studio which work on larger scale yet deliver quality work. Ideaspice belief is also to maintain a small yet impactful & efficient team size.

One disadvantage of maintaining small business is that sometimes bigger clients want to work with bigger design firms in assumption of getting better service & security. Thus its very important for design firms to work with those clients who believe in actual quality of work and not driven by the size of the firm.

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

COFFEE KIT

37

Infrastructure FIRM’S STRUCTURE Client’s prior concern is maximum creativity, efficiency & results. Design studios can perform best when their organization structure is minimum layered. More transparency & less hierarchy results in better performance of design team leading to reduced turnaround project time. The structure is then the function of responsibilities.

More horizontal the structure is much better work environment becomes.

IDEASPICE ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

PARTNER

DESIGN DIRECTOR

SENIOR DESIGN MANAGER

SENIOR DESIGNER

DESIGNER

JUNIOR DESIGNER

DESIGN MANAGER

FINANCIAL MANAGER

JUNIOR DESIGN MANAGER

ACCOUNTS + ADMIN.

DESIGN ASSISTANT

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

COFFEE KIT

38

Infrastructure PROJECT MANAGEMENT This term may sound very technical & non creative.

As work in design firms expand, there arise the need to manage & handle projects efficiently. Internal & external communication needs to be more precise & prompt. Design firms use various tools & platforms for managing projects in various phases. Ideaspice uses an online project management tool calledBASECAMP. It helps the creative head to set project deadlines, upload work files, share research, brainstorming with all team members, communicate

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with people working on the project efficiently. It becomes easy not only to track project progress internally but the client can also view the progress simultaneously. Once the project is finalized, client is given a username & password to access their respective project on BASECAMP. Thereon all communication happens through this medium. No hassle of mailing heavy files, follow up through unnecessary phone calls, confusion over who is handling which project, wasting time in meeting to discuss work.

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

SECRET INGREDIENTS PEO

PLE

Act. Connect. Interact Till now I have mentioned varied aspects of a design firm, but what makes it a firm from an individual visionary is its PEOPLE! In a design firm people with special skills & talent join to perform certain tasks but eventually it’s the dynamics of the whole team together which brew the final solution.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

SECRET INGREDIENTS

40

Act. Connect. Interact THE TEAM Firm’s brand energy is generated by the characteristics of its team. People at IDEO are Tshaped: broad and deep. Broad in their skills and interests and able to work with a wide range of people. Deep in their knowledge and experience in one or more disciplines.

The advantage of being a small team at Ideaspice shows in the versatility & multitasking by each team member. Designers handle project at any required stage irrespective of whether it’s their idea or not.

This not only reduces the dependence of the project on an individual but also prevent “My baby syndrome”- obsession towards any idea.

In any organization, selecting right people to join the bus towards success is very important. Mix of Industrial designers, communication designers, anthropologists, engineers result in a rich knowledge bank for the team.

Skills & knowledge of the designer is no doubt basis for selection but softer skills becomes primary incase of successful firms like McKinsey, IDEO. The attitude of people towards learning & growing helps the firm to grow too. If there is stagnancy in even an individual’s growth it affects the overall energy of the team. If measured in terms of HR there need to be high returns per employee then only its profitable to work with him.

In design studios like Ideaspice performance of its team members is evaluated at regular intervals.

This becomes a channel for the team members to align their individual growth along with firms’ & a platform to interact openly with the seniors.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

SECRET INGREDIENTS

41

Act. Connect. Interact COLLABORATORS

“Generative ideas emerge from joint thinking, from significant conversations, and from sustained, shared struggles to achieve new insights by partners in thought” CREATIVE COLLABORATION by Vera John-Steiner

Have you ever wished you could acquire all the skills in the world & become a masterpiece by doing everything on your own!!! Well you may have wished & by nature of your passion might have been able to get few also but doing things out of one’s knowledge domain is not always efficient. Creativity is a challenge to pull out an idea from the depth of one mind & bring it in light to the larger audience which is acceptable is a big task.

Creative firms are continuously engaged in accomplishing this task but not in isolation. In a competitive, creative and technologically sophisticated field as design, real innovation requires the coordinated contributions of many talented people. Collaboration with other like-minded experts is value creation for a design firm-more innovation, improved quality and knowledge sharing. The core competency of Ideaspice is to create brand identities. By collaborating with other firms like Xische (Interaction Design), The Busride (space design consultants), Xsis (retail consultants), they are able to give complete branding solution to their clients. In the process tremendous knowledge

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sharing happens which brings in more innovation for all.

Collaboration should not be confused with outsourcing.

As design firms become thought partners with their clients for mutual benefit, collaborators are also partners in the design process & project management.

The selection of collaborators is not a forcefeit decision ; it works best when people who share similar thought process & working style come together. It’s a mutually beneficial where each learn from others design process without any conflict of individual interest too.

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

SECRET INGREDIENTS

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Act. Connect. Interact ASSOCIATE NETWORK Associates are like support structure for any organization. In order to provide high quality solutions, design studios have network with various reliable vendors like printers, packaging manufacturer, POP / display panel manufacturer. In some cases the firm themselves get the final production done through these vendors, while in other cases firms just give reference of vendors directly to the clients. The latter is better for the design studio as it hassle free, less co- ordination required & moreover no conflicts over margin negotiations. Though design studio can supervise the production work for the client. Evaluation of a vendor is quality Vs. cost factor. Once again working style plays important role in the selection. Its very important for vendor to understand studio/ clients requirement properly & able to give efficient solutions on time.

A good mix of these ingredients can definitely ensure high quality of the coffee!

SPICE NETWORK (ONLINE DIRECTORY OF STRATEGIC ALLIANCES) FIELD • • • • • • • • • • •

Advertising agency Printers Web programmerswebsite developers Event management agencies 3D visualizers/ renderers Creative writers Packaging firms Digital studios Law/ IPR firms Research agencies HR agencies

DESIGN COLLECTIVE • • • • • • • • • •

Animators Product designers Digital interface Designers Interior designers Exhibition designers Architects Lighting experts Professional photographers Web designers Brand strategists

LOCATION INDIA • Mumbai • Delhi • Bangalore • Hyderabad DUBAI

SPICE AFFAIR- AGREEMENT / GUIDELINES FOR COLLABORATORS & ASSOCIATED TO WORK TOGETHER SMOOTHLY.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

PART 3 ART OF MAKING GOOD COFFEE Design process

ART OF MAKING GOOD COFFEE

DES PRO IGN CES S

The organic process Here lies the heart & strength of every design firm. The process through which a coffee bean goes through till it becomes coffee determines its taste, aroma, quality, purity & of course the premium. The uniqueness of a design solution also depends on the process through which the project has gone- How well the beans have been selected, roasted, grinded & brewed.

Every design studio has their own structure of design process which they follow. Unlike a coffee making process design process is not always linear rather organic in nature.

Rather in reality its like a ping pong ball which dosent go a linear path. Its path is governed by the pressure with which it is thrown. Similarly in a design process though the basis might be linear but actual path followed is non-linear.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

DESIGN PROCESS

45

Coffee ritual is an important characteristic at Ideaspice. Every phase of the design process explained here has been represented through coffee making process just as an analogy & to add fun element. Actual work in a design studio should not be confused with step by step coffee making process in real.

STEPS INVOLVED IN DESIGN PROCESS

1. KNOWING CLIENTS’ BUSINESS 2. DE-HUSKING- Decoding the real problem 3. ROASTING- Research & Insights 4. GRINDING- Synthesis & Analysis 5. THE FLAVOR- The idea 6. BREWING & PRESENTATION-Final execution 7. COFFEE CUPPING- Maintenance & Measurement

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

DESIGN PROCESS

46

The Organic Process Idea might come in the beginning as soon as the client brief comes or it can even come in a refined way towards the end of the project. Research need not to be done only after the design brief has been decoded it begins right from meeting the client for the first time.

In some cases the designers instincts might be powerful from the market research. But these instincts come only through experience.

Design thinking is organic when where what idea can come cannot be controlled. Design process becomes a systematic way of generating innovative ideas which have power of generating value for the client.

Design Research & other brainstorming tools are just some forms which can give leads & make one be in a situation when one can think laterally & not linearly.

Usually in consultancy firms potential clients are identified & the pitch is made by the business development department. Beside the portfolio of the firm, word of mouth marketing works best incase of design consultants. New client references come from existing clients, acquaintances & friends. The decision to take on the project is depend on Client’s requirement, profitability, and scale of involvement.

Once its finalized to go ahead with the project

THE STORY OF DESIGN PROCESS @ IDEASPICE BEGINS WITH...

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

DESIGN PROCESS- UNDERSTANDING THE BUSINESS

47

KNOWING CLIENTS BUSINESS Before beginning to make the coffee, it’s necessary to know what client’s taste is. Its called Engagement where Ideaspice engage with its clients to know more about their business & their ambition. This phase is very crucial to extract as much information from the client about their aspirations & needs. The purpose of doing the design exercise for the client should be clear for both so that the focus of the project remain intact throughout. This is the time when synergy begins to develop between the firm & the client.

CLIENT AUDIT Comprehensive Identity program- when the firm is involved with strategizing overall image & identity of the client then they need to probe the client as much as possible to know more about them.

Questions to ask should include: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

What is your main business? How did it begin?

Where do you place your company in the larger environment?

Which activities generate maximum profit- details about their product/ service category What are your core capabilities and strengths?

Who are your customers and how do you identify which ones provide most income- target customer review Why do your customers do business with you?

What are your customers’ needs (in addition to what you offer them)?

Who are – and how do you compare to – your competitors- details about the market size & competition Factors influencing your business- legal, technological, economical?

IDENTIFY SWOT- strength, weakness, opportunities & threats faced by the company

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

DESIGN PROCESS- UNDERSTANDING THE BUSINESS

48

CLIENT AUDIT Corporate reinvention program- In this case the client’s requirement is to go for a complete image makeover- new internal & external strategies, logo, communication..

Questions to ask should include: 1. What is your main business? How did it begin?

2. Where do you place your company in the larger environment?

3. What were the important landmarks (difficulties and successes)?

4. What is your turnover and how profitable is your business?

5. What are your core capabilities and strengths?

6. Who are your customers and how can you identify which ones provide most income?

7. Why do your customers do business with you?

8. What are your customers’ needs (in addition to what you offer them)?

9. Who are – and how do you compare to – your competitors?

10. What is the business strategy company is pursuing- price? Quality? Value environmental correctness?What is business strategy driven by- acquisitions, partnerships or alliances?

11. Are there any legislative, technological, market or cultural trends that will impact on your business?

METAPHOR ELICITATION* Select 2 visuals depicting 1. Where your company is currently?

2. Where do you intend to be?

These questions should not be confused with sending a questionnaire to the client, but as leads & cues to probe the client. Ideaspice follow a collaborative process of probing their clients by constantly interacting with them .

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

DESIGN PROCESS- DE-HUSKING

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DE-HUSKING Once the information beans from the client has been gathered, the husk of stated problem need to be removed to get the real problem underneath & critical aspects related to it. The brief given by the client needs to be translated into the actual design brief by the design manager for the team to work on. Problem is always not the problem.

Clients requirement may be to go for a logo change but the real problem & reason might be something else which even client might not know himself unless design team decodes it. Knowing the problem properly before starting to work on it gives directions for further process.

This stage include

• Project breakdown by the design manager in terms of stages, resources, networks, collaboration & cost involved • Project proposal to the client defining- project scope, project breakdown, time plan, cost estimates, discount plans, other legal requirements. Project scope should be well estimated. Overpromising should be avoided. It’s better to under promise & over deliver. It maintains the “WOW” factor for the client.

• Uploading the project on basecamp- with client details & team working on the project • Debriefing form for the internal design team as reference • Drawing an initial hypothesis on the basis of prior experience & client insights. Though it may not be true but helps to create maps that lead to ideal solution. Design team should be careful while drawing hypothesis. It should not prime and bring in rigidity in anyone’s mind. Designers have to be open to every kind of insights till the end of the project.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

DESIGN PROCESS- DE-HUSKING

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THE PROPOSAL TO THE CLIENT INCLUDE

1. Defining the project scope- project breakdown 2. Defining the phases of the project a. Identity Strategy b. Positioning Strategy & Logo c. Print collaterals d. Space concept & mood board * e. Corporate communication f. Identity extension g. Marketing communication h. Brand identity manual 3. Plan- time line (Basecamp) 4. Refinement- checking with client, target audience* 5. Production 6. Measurement- evaluating overall brand performance after identity change* 7. Project estimate 8. Discount plan- Retainer payment plan 9. Other legal requirements

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

DESIGN PROCESS- ROASTING

51

ROASTING This is the real grilling phase of the process. All the parameters & issues related to the project are listed down.

These issues should be Mutually Exclusive Collectively Exhaustive- i.e each issue or aspect listed should be exclusive form each other and together it should cover all the aspect. This phase defines what I call ‘Ecosystem’ of the context in which one needs to design. This Ecosystem allows one to bring as many facts as possible on the surface & create situation in which these facts can be converted into aroma of opportunities & insights.

This is what is called ‘DESIGN RESEARCH’ which helps in bringing the unconscious behavior of consumers on the surface, investigating behind the actual scene, study contexts. Marketing research gets more of quantitative insights which gives idea what will sell, how much will sell, who will buy etc., which are also required at times but design research get qualitative insights which states needs, desires, problems & dreams of consumers that work as front-end methods for development of product at concept stage . These insights are difficult to get mainly because of the circumstances in which research is conducted & the ability of the researcher to synthesize the insights collected. Nowadays companies are more & more interested in getting the deep underlying unconscious behavior & aspirations of the consumers so as to design product according to them instead finding out ways of persuading them to buy what they have produced. Design research supports branding, marketing & advertising functions in the company.

These issues broadly need to cover design research - WHO is the target audience for the product/ service & their features - WHAT is the nature of the product - WHAT ALL factors affecting / influencing the problem or the product- competition, future trends, environment etc.

- WHO ALL are the stake holders of the project & their characteristics- customers, employees, shareholders,

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

DESIGN PROCESS- ROASTING

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ENVIRONMENT INFLUENCE TECHNOLOGY COMPETITION REFERENCE

TRENDS & INNOVATIONS RULES & REGULATIONS

TOUCH POINT

SPORTS STADIUM

PRODUCT MIX

FRANCHISEE

CONSUMER STUDY

EMPLOYEES

SERVICE RITUAL OPERATION LOGISTICS SPACE &

INVESTOR

PROMOTION MIX DESIGN STUDY & CHANNEL COMMUNICATION

Ref: ECOSYSTEM of a sports retail store This ecosystem enables the design team to understand the interaction of the tangible & intangible factors with the product. This not only outlines the current scenario but helps to predict what the future of the product / service is going to be. This becomes crucial not only for the design team interms of design direction but is equally crucial for the client to become aware of the future trends & future competition.

Each factor need to be roasted under ideal circumstances & in sufficient timing so as to generate

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the apt roasted beans of clear direction. Usually awareness also comes from experience of working with various industries. But to keep up with the latest doing research should become a habit. To carry out this roasting process, design firms usually have a team of 4-5 people (depending on the firm size) who are continuously involved in getting valuable insights & analyzing them in defined time frame. These set of people though need to be aware of the design context & tools of getting right insights. These insights should not be confused with the traditional market research.

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

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Ecosystem variables Depending on the level of involvement in the project, the priority of variables of Ecosystem changes. Lets see each variable in detail.

CONSUMER The success of any business depends on how well it understands its customer & his preference. Focused efforts on customers’ expectation & aspiration can become competitive advantage for businesses.

Consumer becomes the focus of the ecosystem as all other variable are directly affected by the nature of the consumer or the audience.

Though there are many ways of studying consumer behavior, for designers it become important to choose parameters which generate maximum consumer insights, according to nature of the project, with given resources. Whatever ways one uses for consumer study the ideas is to get 360 degree perspective of consumer needs & aspirations. While designing products & services, the categories & levels described below, play important role in listing the attributes & features for the product mix. Pricing , positioning, communication mix, distribution channel decision are also governed by which level of consumer is being targeted. These are basic ways to study but one can build around it more to do specific study depending on the nature of the product. I have listed down here

1. THE BASIC & MOST COMMONLY USED METHOD TO SEGMENT CONSUMERS IS

GEOGRAPHIC BASE

• • • • •

Nation or country State or region Urban or rural areas Density Climate

DEMOGRAPHIC BASE

• • • • • •

Age, race, gender Income, education Family size Occupation Religion, nationality Social class

PSYCHOGRAPHIC BASE

BEHAVIORAL BASE

• Lifestyle • Personality • Core values

• • • • •

Occasions Benefits expected Usage rate Readiness for change Brand loyalty status

Ref: Consumer segregation for SPORTS STADIUM

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

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Ecosystem variables 2. MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

networking services, Emotional Branding of products cater to this level of need.

Dr. Abraham Maslow, a clinical psychologist, formulated a widely accepted theory of human motivation based on the notion of a universal hierarchy of human needs. This theory identifies five basic level of human needs , which rank in the order of importance from lower- level to higher level needsIndividuals seek to satisfy lower-level needs before higher-level needs emerge. Though there are some overlap between each level , as no need is ever completely satisfied

SELF ESTEEM This reflect an individual’s need for self acceptance, success, independence & personal satisfaction, prestige. The premium desire to “show off ” one’s success & achievement, to live a high end lifestyle , to own as many materialistic possessions, become priority at this level. Premium real estate properties, high end automotives aim towards this need.

PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS First & most basic level of human needs necessary for existence. products & services promoting physical health appeals to this level of the need hierarchy SAFETY NEEDS After first level of need is satisfied, security & safety becomes driving force behind individual’s behavior.

Saving accounts, insurance policies, education, health care are all means to satisfy this level need

SELF-ACTUALIZATION This level is achieved when the feeling of selffulfillment arises. So do you wish to design just because you want to do some good to the society & not for money?… here you are at the level of self actualization. Teach India is one of the initiatives by Times of India which triggers motivation of people to look beyond their profession & join hands for imparting education to underprivileged. Services & promotions like this cater to self actualization level of individuals

SOCIAL NEED Needs such as love, affection, belongingness & acceptance. After the two levels next need is to coexist in the society & environment. People seek warm & satisfying human relationship with their family, friends, peers. Community building services,

SELFACTUALIZATION

SELF ESTEEM SOCIAL NEED SAFETY NEEDS PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

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Ecosystem variables 3.

VALUE GROUPS

4.

Apart from demographic & need distinction ,psychologically we operate at 4 levels which again affect the way we make decisions & interact with surrounding: eg. while buying a mobile phone lets see how these levels emerge.

PHYSICAL

At this level all goods & services are perceived because of some sensory characteristic attached to them like smell, taste, touch, sight, sound. The form, look, color, ringtone of the mobile will affect the person with more bent towards physical quality INTELLECTUAL

At this level people process learning & skills, evaluate preferences, appreciate excellence & strive for mastery. An intellectual user will be more concerned about the user interface, features, new technology than the form & aesthetic appeal of the phone.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC CLASS

In addition to value group, Indian households can also be segmented according to the occupation and education levels of the chief earner of the household (the person who contributes most to the household expenses). This is called as Socio-Economic Classification (SEC), which is mainly used by market planners to target market before launching their new products. SEC is made to understand the purchase behavior and the consumption pattern of the households. This classification involve accurate statistical data over various geographic areas. For eg. car manufacturers use this while launching new cars for different segments.

1. Sections A & B refer to High-class- constitutes over a quarter of urban population 2. Sec C refers to Middle-class-- constitutes 21% of the urban population 3. Sections D & E refer to Low-class-- constitutes over half the urban population

EMOTIONAL

People who are more inclined towards sharing & recognizing love, friendship, nurturing themselves & others. Those phones which are promoted as a way to connect with family & friends are more preferred by this value group SPIRITUAL

Beauty, art, creativity, selflessness- all reside with a person with spiritual inclination. Either this value group will not prefer keeping mobile or will buy for other’s benefit.

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DECISION MAKING PROCESS • What are the triggers of purchase?

• What are the stages involved in purchase process?

• What inputs are sought in each of these stages?

• Who plays what kind of roles in each stage?

• Approximately how much time is taken in each stage?

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

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Ecosystem variables PRODUCT

LOCATION

Apart from the consumer behavior, the nature of the product category also gives design direction to work on. For example while opening an exclusive soup kiosk, understanding the market of soup & nature of soup is very important. This is crucial in listing the operations, logistics, supply chain management which goes behind.

These factors along with consumer behavior, determines the pricing strategy for the product also.

“Right product at right price at right place”. Product may vary as

In any business location is often the most important strategic decision made by the investor because i.

It is one of the prime considerations in a customer’s choice ii.

Location decision can be used for long term strategy- competitor cannot copy the location iii. Location decisions involve huge investment so are harder to change

• Perishable goods Vs. non perishable- food Vs. consumer goods • Tangible products Vs. intangible services- beauty products Vs, beauty salon • High involvement product Vs. low involvement – buying a car Vs. buying a toothpaste • Profitable Vs. break even margins- jewelry Vs. motor parts Eg. In case of soup, product parameters will include • Market size of soup • Consumption pattern- regular, occassional • How it is targeted as by current players • When does it sell more • Where can one find good soups- books, restaurants, packaged, kiosks • Affordability of each option

In case of residential apartments, location selection is the most important decision as the benefits proposed are on the basis of the location.

Factors affecting the location decision i. ii.

iii.

Demographics & lifestyle of people Business climate- employment scenarios, growth of market in that particular area Competition in the area

Ref: Location reference for SOUP KIOSK project

Ref: Product/ Activity nature in SPORTS STADIUM

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

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Ecosystem variables COMPETITION & REFERENCES

ENVIRONMENT INFLUENCE

New products & services are always measured against existing options by consumers. Study of direct, indirect & future competition is inevitable. Parallel study of products & services across different categories also give reference of what’s happening in other industries which affect consumer decision. For eg. Consumers’ preference in food & beverage will be affected by his preference in automobiles, consumer appliances, fashion etc. So study of competition for F & B industry will also include study of parallel industries too.

People, product, and businesses- all co exist in certain environment. This environment has effect on each which affects them mutually. These factors influence the way consumers perceptions & aspirations things & hence the way companies place their products. It also helps companies to gauge threats &opportunities that they might face in coming future due to these factors.

These factors can be classified as PESTEM • Political • Economical • Social • Technological • Environmental- global warming, energy saving, • Media

COMPETITION AUDIT

• Who are the major players in the market? Their market share • How have they positioned themselves?

• How well are they selling?

• How are they perceived by consumers?

• Visual design audit • Why are they doing good- pricing, value, elegance, availability or combination of all?

• How are competitors using design as competitive advantage

Ref: Research documents for NEXTLIFE, SPORTS STADIUM

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TECHNOLOGY Study of technological influence indicate the apt use of latest technology in any business. If virtual / online activities are influencing people’s behavior then it indicates that retailers also need to use virtual technology to enhance retail experience. Technology study is also a way to map future trends. If some scientists come up with some technological advances like nanotechnology then it gives an indication of how it would affect various fields like fashion, automobiles, F & B, consumer durables, entertainment etc. again cross category study becomes helpful here.

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Ecosystem variables STAKE HOLDERS

MARKET TRENDS & INNOVATION

Just like a design firm is formed when people with different skill set come together, similarly business are composed of people involved in running it. Investor himself, employees, shareholders, distributors, franchisee, associates- all have their interests linked to the business. It then becomes essential to align the vision of the business with the vision of all the stake holders.

This is a macro study of all the events, interactions between consumers & various products. These keep changing with times. These trends are a just indicator of what all is happening in various realms. These might be directly related to the product or may not be. The study of trends gives design & planning cues, used as strategic advantage in new product development or in expansion of businesses.

Trends for a photo sharing & printing would include

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Ecosystem variables COMMUNICATION EXPERIENCE & SPACE DESIGN How does businesses reach to target audience with their offerings? Any business communicate to existing & potential customers through advertising, sales promotion, website, physical space experience, publicity, word of mouth communication. This experience is important as it becomes face of the company.

COMMUNICATION happen at B to B- business to business B to C- business to consumer Selection of the communication mix depend on - Target audience - Kind of Message - Flexibility - Cost factors

Communication essentially facilitates in• GAIN ATTENTION- Informing the target customer about the product & service. Build brand awareness & Brand promise • HOLD INTEREST- This include educating customer about the new offering over the existing one. Occupying mind space of consumer. Brand association • AROUSE DESIRE- persuade to buy. Product promise • ELICIT ACTION- when consumer actually consumes the offering • LEAVE REMINDERS- to ensure repeat consumption & loyalty through constant support, assurance & added features. Brand recall

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Ecosystem variables- communication forms IDENTITY- Logo COLLATERAL- visiting card, letterheads, envelops BROCHURES WEBSITE POST CARD MENU BOARD PACKAGING

CLIENT- THE CITY DELI INDUSTRY- Hospitality

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Ecosystem variables SPACE DESIGN This is the actual platform where the consumer interacts with the product or service. Be it in retail space, a hotel, café or movie hall. Usually this term is used for physical space design but here I’m using it as MIND SPACE design which includes both real & virtual spaces to connect to the consumers. This mind space design should ignite multiple senses of the consumer through multiple mediums. Space layout & website also become communication tools besides giving a memorable experience to the consumer. A study of design parameters & principles is done with reference to the product to be designed & related products.

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FACADE INTERIORS LAYOUT ENVIRONMENTAL GRAPHICS SIGNAGES CUTLERY / PLACEMATS

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Ecosystem variables- Promotion & advertising mediums BELOW THE LINE ADVERTISING

1.Use of pamphlets, leaflets 2. Articles about the product in business press 3. Press kit 4. Follow-up launch, articles about product performance 5. product manuals for sales force to use for target market, product features

INTENSIVE SELLING

1. Intensive efforts made by sales force to promote the product 2. Cross-selling 3. Fairs & trade shows 4. Indoor advertising

ABOVE THE LINE

1.

2.

3.

4.

Television advertising Radio advertising Newspaper advertising Magazine advertising

DIRECT MARKETING THROUGH INTERNET

1.Internet marketing 2.Direct mails 3.Selling through internet

DIRECT SALES FORCE

1.At point of sales 2.At customer site 3.Training seminars for sales force

TELEMARKETING/ MOBILE MARKETING

Making telephone calls to customers Sending SMS

VIRAL MARKETING

Encourages people to pass along a marketing message.

BUZZ MARKETING

Creating buzz activity word of mouth communication

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Official presentation about product- press conference, reception, product launch

OUT of HOME ADVERTISING SALES PROMOTION

1. Hoarding, neon sign boards, videos, commercials 2.Product endorsement through opinion leaders Free offers, discounts, contests

Ref: Co-branding document for ZOOMIN

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Ecosystem variables SERVICE & OPERATIONS

RULES & REGULATIONS

A brilliant product needs brilliant service attached to it. Sometimes a good product can also fail if it is not offered properly. Front end employees are the ones who directly bring the product to consumer’s reach. CEO of the company dosent sells the product.Therefore service design should be insync with product design for a priceless experience. How food is served in a restaurant differentiate it from its competitors. How bill is given to the customer, makes the shopping experience memorable. Customer service in any business can be broadly divided into Pre- transactional- information aidsbrochures & booklets, touch points, convenient timings Transactional- personal interaction, sales service, user interface Post-transactional- feedback, reminders, assurance

Government policies & economic reforms effect not only consumer preferences but also determines how favorable any business would be to operate.

1.

How rules laid by government need to be incorporated in business plan. Like use of private property for commercial purpose is illegal.

2.

Government norms & conditions to be followed- food manufacturers have a limit of using preservatives in food products. Going beyond that is illegal.

3.

Tax regulations- Income tax, VAT, service tax 4.

Benefits for small & medium enterprises (SMEs) 5.

HRM norms

PRICELESS EXPERIENCE Just like every home has its own ritual to welcome guests similarly every business can differentiate itself on the basis of it’s service ritual. The aim should be to convert all ordinary experiences into PRICELESSconvert all sacrifices made by consumers into rewards.

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RESEARCH METHODS

QUALITATIVE

QUANTITATIVE

The aim is to probe into subconscious feelings of the people

The aim is to classify features, count them, and construct statistical models in an attempt to explain what is observed

Researcher himself is the data gathering instrument.

Researcher uses tools, such as questionnaires or equipment to collect numerical data.

Data is in the form of words, pictures or objects.

Data is in the form of numbers and statistics.

Subjective - individuals’ interpretation of events is important ,e.g., uses participant observation, in-depth interviews etc.

Objective – seeks precise measurement & analysis of target concepts, e.g., uses surveys, questionnaires etc.

Cost effective

Time consuming &Costly practice

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Research methods A mix of qualitative & quantitative is better for holistic data collection. Limitation of quantitative data is that it might not always give true picture, as the person filling the questionnaire or during survey might not reveal his true feelings towards the product. This dilutes the purpose of doing research. While quantitative data deploys tools which help in getting true behavior of the consumer in natural surroundings, quantitative technique has to struggle to capture interviewee in right frame of mind to take the survey QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH TECHNIQUES Questionnaires, online data collection QUALITATIVE RESEARCH TECHNIQUES 1. Ethnography- Research process that produces a detailed, in-depth observation of people’s behavior, beliefs & preferences by observing & interacting with them in a natural environment. It is like becoming Sherlock Holmes with all senses directed towards getting as many cues & hidden insights. The challenge here is the way ethnographic research is conducted & interpreted.

This technique is new & few established design firms have adapted & adopted this new discipline - Cheskin, The Doblin Group, E-lab, Fitch & IDEO. Ethnography can be done in various ways which generate exhaustive insights a) Field ethnography- people are observed by the researcher in their normal lives. How they act, interact, communicate, their responses

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are noted without any prior bias by the researcher. b) Digital ethnography- digital tools like camera, voice recorder, laptops are used to speed the process -record, transmit & document the observations c) Photo ethnography- a person is given a camera or digital device to capture images of his or her own life in the real context & describe them with accompanying notes.

These images when returned to the researcher, helps him to review & learn from the images & accompanying notes. This approach is highly useful when it is not feasible or cost effective for the ethnographer to be present in the actual situation- like while bathing, travelling, distant activities etc.

Interpreting images captured by someone else, need experience to understand the real meaning behind it. d) “Real world” ethnography- Reality shows!!!!

This approach builds an environment for a person or people to act & interact & then they are monitored within that. This method is mainly used by technology, product design companies to understand how user interacts in the presence of various devices. This includes high budget & time.

Ref: ethnographic research for MEGAMALL

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Research methods 2.

Som e Inter rules to view a ing & ssist in Prob ing

Personal interview (probing/ laddering)-

Learning exactly how each person feel, perceive,expect & aspire about a product or service. Unlike usual interviews, probing enables participants to respond in multiple , often unexpected ways. It also gets the deviant of behavior & consumers who might be or might not be potential customers. But this deviance gives useful insights for new business strategies.

Laddering is a method used by business developers.

Laddering refers to an in-depth, one-on-one interviewing technique used to develop an understanding of how consumers translate the attributes of products into meaningful associations with respect to self. Laddering involves a tailored interviewing format using primarily a series of directed probes, typified by the “Why is that important to you?” question, to identify link between range of attributes (A), consequences (C), and values (V). This becomes useful incase of reframing HR policies or formulating new course structure

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• Before moving out for interview collect all the secondary information- to avoid overlap / repetition/ wastage of time & efforts • Identify right set of people to interview- age group, profession, income group • Don’t go with any assumptions- OPEN MINDEDNESS. Avoid making interviewee speak what you want to hear • Interviewee should be in relaxed mood else NO GENUINE INSIGHTS • Avoid asking direct question in the beginning. Slowly move to direct questions. eg. to know insights about new mobile features start by asking how would they prefer getting in touch/ connected to people/ friends/ family • Probing tool can include asking off beat questions or challenges that can put participant in an unusual state. This first make them feel unstable but then they often express a more deeply held idea. Like P & G group asked about ‘mother’s attitude towards their babies bowl movement’ to understand their purchasing decision for diapers.

• Listen & listen & listen • Avoid putting your own words in interviewee’s mouth • Take cues to probe further from what interviewee has mentioned. eg. ‘He finds eating ice cream playful’- probe what does playful mean to him.

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Research methods 3. Focus group Gathering set of 10-12 consumers who are led into a controlled discussion by a moderator, usually in defined time limit.

4. Bodystorming This is a technique sometimes used in interaction design or as a creativity technique. The idea is to imagine what it would be like if the product existed, and act as though it exists, ideally in the place it would be used. For eg. Apart from observing, interviewing a salesperson on the shop floor, more experiential learning would be to behave like one in the real scenario- face the challenges, queries, odd behavior of customers & learn from it. This methods is quiet experiential & exciting though need some inputs of anthropologist also.

5. Zaltman’s metaphor elicitation Technique (ZMET)- formulated by Harvard Business School Professor Gerald Zaltman, the Joseph C. Wilson Professor of Business Administration and Co-director of the Mind of the Market Laboratory . it provides fundamental understandings of consumers, by identifying a broad set of meanings, at several levels of experience. It helps understand how unconscious and conscious processes interact to: (1) Create needs (2) Influence the criteria for satisfying them, (3) Shape the experience of satisfying needs, and (4) Spawn judgments about those experiences.

These understandings are necessary foundations for building effective marketing strategies.

6.

Product testing

Through numerous forms, including questionnaires and telephone interviews, personal interviews

Zaltm a Elicit n Metap h ation Techn or ique ZMET uses visual and non-visual "images" gathered and/or generated by consumers to elicit and probe the metaphors that represent consumers’ thoughts and feelings about a topic or product. Images are important units of analysis for marketing managers. When augmented by consumers explanations during careful probing by an interviewer, the images provide a clear idea of what consumers really think and feel. Almost invariably these insights are far deeper and clearer than the insights to be gained from verbal discussions alone.

Although many images are visual, images may take other forms (tactile, olfactory, auditory, etc.). Whatever the form (technically, every image is a neural activation), an image represents a thought or feeling consumers have about, say, privacy, treating heartburn and indigestion, or the meaning of art in their daily lives, or what they think a company thinks of them. For this reason, these images are referred as metaphors.

A metaphor is the representation of one thing (a thought, feeling, action) in terms of another thing (a picture of someone screaming, a swimming pool, the color blue, the sound of a breeze). During a ZMET interview, verbal descriptions of the thoughts and feelings, represented by the images, help to understand their meaning. Interviewer should be pro enough to understand the underlying meaning of the images. It is not a miracle to understand the images, cross checking with the user should be done while interpreting what they see & what they mean. Those who practice ZMET claim , these verbal descriptions are far more complete and far more useful in making product & marketing strategies.

Ref: ‘’’How Customers Think’’’- Gerald Zaltman

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Research methods SECONDARY RESEARCH (also known as desk research) involves the summary, collation and/or synthesis of existing research, where data is collected from, for example, research subjects or experiments.

• Newspaper • Articles • Journals • Online product reviews (wize.com) • Online reports by industry specific sites ( eg fnbnews.com) • Archival & document collection • Consumers blogs ( eg.mouthshut.com, ) • Visit to trade fairs, exhibitions • Tie up with research firms1. Delloite, Bangalore 2. MindScape, Technopak ( Delhi, Bangalore)

RESEARCH METHODS

SECONDARY

QUANTITATIVE

PRIMARY

QUALITATIVE

PRIMARY RESEARCH (also called field research) involves the collection of first hand data from the users that does not already exist. it involves getting insights from the users directly.This can be done using quantitative or qualitative techniques

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Research methods MARKET RESEARCH & DESIGN RESEARCH Study of ECOSYSTEM, mentioned earlier, is combination of market research & design research.

The traditional method & goal of marketing research has primarily been finding ways to persuade the consumer & sell the product. Though market research finds out who all will buy what, when but seldom does it uncover why people prefer something over otherWhat are their dreams, desires, problems, needs, expectations, aspirations? There is a usually a gap between what customers say & what they feel.

Customers typically can’t tell for themselves what they want & what they could want. Apart from questionnaires, surveys, traditional interviews, the tools like ethnography, probing, ZMET helps to uncover the hidden meaning in consumers actions, which helps in developing innovative & out of box products & services.

Research happens at macro and micro level simultaneously. As I had mentioned earlier, the challenge in conducting the design research is first to know exactly what to find, how to find & then synthesize the findings. Primary research is time consuming & expensive as compared to secondary research. So before plunging into primary research its important to collect all the available contextual information beforehand. This lays the basis for conducting primary research like where all places to go, whom to interview, what exactly to ask them.

Secondary research gives lot of information which pertains to different contexts which can be used as

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reference. But to know the new possibilities about the product / service, contextual primary research needs to be done.

Exclusive R&D methods & data synthesis create differentiation for any design consultancy. It places them as strategic thinkers in the overall scenario for their clients. Landor uses Brand Asset Evaluator to measure its clients brand health, growth, energy, positioning, opportunities etc. on the basis of consumer perception. RKS design studio uses Psycho-Aesthetics design strategy which helps them to convert design into brand experiences for their clients. This methodology blends environmental and cultural components with various philosophies including Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and the Hero's Journey. Products designed using this proprietary methodology invite interaction, deliver stimulation, and provide self-affirmation for everyone who interacts with them. These methods need to be integrated with the work culture of the design firm so as to get maximum consumer insights before ideation begins. Collaboration with design research agencies like Delloite, Mindspace (Technopak) can also be of great help. Though collaboration with external research agency will be cost & time effective & will be able to generate accurate findings but still internally these findings need to be validated by the internal design team.

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GRINDING- SYNTHESIS & ANALYSIS Roasted beans are grinded down into fine powder to convert them into drinkable form. Once all the issues related to the project have been gathered & listed down the next step is to extract insights from them & convert into design directions which give brand positioning parameters. The fineness & innovativeness of the final strategy depends on the way huge pool of data & observation have been synthesized & analyzed. This analysis is usual done through brainstorming session along with multidisciplinary team to add multiple perspectives.

Documenting & presenting these insights is another art. Instead of putting these insights into some stacks of paper, visual representation of the data is always better. Maps & charts help in presenting the complex data so that one who refers to them can easily see areas which need attention & could lead to differentiation. There is no fixed rule how to map the insights. Every time design team can map them in innovative ways. That calls for effective data visualization skills where data is presented graphically and is easily interpreted also!!!

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Analysis & Synthesis Some ways of interpreting data

TECHNOLOGY ROADMAP

TREND EXTRAPOLATION

Technology roadmaps are used to forecast technology development, to project opportunities and needs of future market, and to help envision the necessary steps towards meeting user’s needs through new products or services.The roadmap document visualizes opportunities, requirements and dependencies for the short to mid-term future (2-10 years)

Forecasting trends which builds on the assumption that certain social, economic or technological trends or patterns identified in the past will manifest themselves in the future and new patterns will emerge in future.

SCENARIO DEVELOPMENT These scenarios are generated both for demonstration purposes and for assigning values to visions of cultural innovation. In both cases, they are tools that help manage the technological innovation at different levels of project development. They are helpful to create cohesion around innovation perspectives, by appealing to shared cultural values and user requirements.

OPPORTUNITY MAPPING On the basis of perception & aspiration PERCEPTION MAPPING- as compared to other players 1. Define the competitors in the market 2. When to go for new design.

3. Decide the parameters & plot them

HIGH QUALITY

QUALITY HYGIENE

LOW

HIGH PRICE

LOCATION

SERVICE

PRICE

TASTE LOW

RESTAURANT A

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AMBIENCE VARIETY

RESTAURANT B

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GRINDING

Analysis & Synthesis ASPIRATION MAPPING Aspirations of people change with the environment around them. People from various segments get affected by different environment factors. One way to map aspirations is to plot behavior & insights from people of various segments against environment factors . This gives an idea of how people will get affected with changing environment influences, which helps in coming up with ideas catering to desired expectations. For eg. increasing real estate prices will affect behavior & aspirations of people from all value groups. By gaining insights from people of these value groups through various research methods, one can identify what to offer them so as to create maximum value.

POLITICAL

ECONOMICAL

This mapping should not be done based on assumptions but after gaining as many consumer insights.

SOCIAL

TECHNOLOGICAL

ENVIRONMENTAL

MEDIA

PHYSICAL EMOTIONAL INTELLECTUAL SPIRITUAL

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GRINDING

Analysis & Synthesis OPPORTUNITY MAPPING Based on perceptions & aspirations of people opportunity areas for brand positioning can be identified based on:

• Credibility- brands need to build loyalty among its customers. Identifying area where in a brand can pair its core competency, R &D, values with customer insights & develop a believable proposition.

• Relevance- refers to brand connection with the customer. Meeting their functional, emotional needs & desires. Bridging the gap between perceptions, aspirations & the existing products & services.

• Stretch- apart from being relevant to, brands needs to foster continuous innovation & bring in new products & extensions. Integrating stake holders to achieve brand stretch.

• Differentiation- evaluating strengths, weakness, future competitive landscape to identify opportunities that will make brand stand out from its competitor.

RELEVANCE

CREDIBILITY

Opportunity

STRETCH

BRAND POSITIONING DIFFERENTIATION

Ref: Gen X- positioning process

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THE FLAVOR- THE CORE IDEA Its the time for deciding the real taste of the coffee. This is the idea generating stage where the real flavor of the final design solution is generated. This idea is the basis of the innovation which is then applied across overall systems. Strategic design happens only when the idea can be applied not only to one part but to whole system.

Brainstorming with the group helps to bring in the experiences & vast knowledge of all team members for effective ideation BRAINSTORMING SESSION AT IDEASPICE FOR THE SERVICE DESIGN PROJECT- ’ NEXT LIFE’

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Brainstorming techniques LATERAL THINKING / 30 MIN BRAINSTORMING It asks that people come up with crazy ideas and thoughts without any filter of it being practical or not.

The danger of brainstorming is that it might land up in a time consuming process, to avoid that the time frame is set for 30 min. so whatever thoughts come in first 30 min., can be changed and improved into ideas that are useful, and often stunningly original.

RANDOM INPUTS Random Input is a lateral thinking tool. It is very useful when you need fresh ideas or new perspectives during problem solving. This is a technique for linking totally distinctive thinking pattern into the one we are using.

For eg. To come up with innovative concepts for soup retail concept, thinking of totally unrelated field like ayurveda, bollywood, chemical laboratory, can generate ideas like Souperveda, Souper star, soup lab LATERAL MARKETING It is a work process which, when applied to existing products or services, produces innovative new products or services that covers needs, uses, or targets not currently covered and, therefore creating new categories or markets. The basis of lateral marketing is generating gap which than leads to lateral ways of bridging the gap.

• Substitute – removing one/several elements of the product & changing them. Eg Huge desktops to portable laptops • Invert- saying the contrary or adding “no” to one/ several elements of the product or service. Inverted packaging of lotions, shampoos etc.

• Combine- adding one or more elements to the product or service , maintaining the rest. Mobile with camera, GPS navigation • Exaggerate- exaggerating upward or downward one or several elements of the product. Exaggeration of 1 ltr. water bottle to 50 ltr. Lead to disposable water containers with taps • Eliminate- removing one or various elements from the product or service. Removing CD ROM from Mac book Air • Reorder- changing the order or sequence of product or service elements. Booking movie tickets before reaching the theatre. Bacardi breezer- rum mixed with juice before opening the bottle

The only way of generating a gap is by interrupting logical thinking temporarily like

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Brainstorming Techniques 6 THINKING HATS- "SIX THINKING HATS" This is a powerful technique that helps to look at important decisions from a number of different perspectives. It facilitates & create situations to understand full complexity of a decision or an idea, and spot issues and opportunities which otherwise might remain unnoticed White Hat With this thinking hat, focus is on the data available. It involves compiling all the information collected and see can be learnt from it. Helps in finding gaps in the knowledge, and either try to fill them or take account of them.

This is where one analyzes past trends, and try to extrapolate from historical data.

Red Hat Looking at the decision using intuition, gut reaction, and emotion. Also trying to think how other people will react emotionally, and try to understand the intuitive responses of people who do not fully know the reasoning.

Black Hat When using black hat thinking, look at things pessimistically, cautiously and defensively. Try to see why ideas and approaches might not work. This is important because it highlights the weak points in a plan or course of action. It allows to eliminate them, alter the approach, or prepare contingency plans to counter problems that arise.

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Black Hat thinking helps to make plans tougher and more resilient. It can also help to spot fatal flaws and risks before you embark on a course of action. Black Hat thinking is one of the real benefits of this technique, as many successful people get so used to thinking positively that often they cannot see problems in advance, leaving them under-prepared for difficulties.

Yellow Hat The yellow hat helps to think positively. It is the optimistic viewpoint that helps to see all the benefits of the decision and the value in it, and spot the opportunities that arise from it.

Green Hat The Green Hat stands for creativity. This is where one can develop creative solutions to a problem. It is a freewheeling way of thinking, in which there is little criticism of ideas.

Blue Hat The Blue Hat stands for process control. This is the hat worn by people chairing meetings. When running into difficulties because ideas are running dry, they may direct activity into Green Hat thinking. When contingency plans are needed, they will ask for Black Hat thinking, and so on.

While using this technique, the heads should keep changing the hats so that everyone gets to see the decision from different perspective & not making one thinking way their pattern. So what color hat you want to wear???

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Brainstorming techniques EDWARD DE BONO TECHNIQUES

Reframing matrix

PMI This include listing down Positive, Minus & Interesting facts about any idea. Then analyzing & deciding which one to go ahead with- weighing pros & cons.

This helps to look at business problems from a number of different viewpoints. It expands the range of creative solutions that can be generated

C&S Measuring Consequences & Sequel of any decision.

Like what consequences& sequel will follow introducing automatic parking feature in a car. This helps in reviewing the features & making changes for better performance

PRODUCT PERSPECTIVE

PLANNING PERSPECTIVE

• Is it aesthetically appealing?

Is the target market right?

• Is it priced well?

Is positioning strategy right?

• Are features working well?

• Is it convenient to use?

Is communication strategy right?

POTENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

PEOPLE PERSPECTIVE

-

How could the sales be increased?

Who are potential clients & how can they be approached?

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How do people perceive the product?

-

Why are they looking for other options?

What else do they want in the product?

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Brainstorming Techniques SOME TIPS TO REMEMBER WHILE BRAINSTORMING •

Brainstorming sessions should preferably be headed by a mentor who can control the environment & channelize raising energies.

•

During brainstorming sessions there should therefore be no criticism of ideas.

•

Ideas should only be evaluated at the end of the brainstorming session - then explore solutions further using conventional approaches.

•

Simplicity and Scalability: Ideas that survive the test of time are ideas that can be explained using the elevator test.

•

The big idea is also the one that can be scaled easily, across platforms and across applications.

•

Its beneficial to take reference from other businesses while generating ideas. Ideas from one industry can sometimes be applied to another industry.

Getting client involved in the ideation process can create win win situation for both

There are lots of brainstorming techniques & lots can be made by each team conducting brainstorming.

The idea here is not to list down as many but to create situations to come up with as many by practicing.

This practice fosters the design culture in the design studio & vice versa. Its only by doing , that one can define own tools & techniques. Once again context of the situation commands the process followed.

Similarly which tool to use also depends on the nature of the problem.

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BREWING & PRESENTATION- FINAL EXECUTION Once all the ingredients, equipments have been prepared & gathered together, it’s time to brew the perfect cup of coffee. The quality & final form of the project will depend on how skillfully it has been executed. Now is the real test for the designer to give physical form to the ideas with a mix of skill & creativity. Design involves the entire process right from the idea to getting it executed within time frame. Once the core idea has been rolled out, it calls for giving it tangible form .

At Ideaspice this step can be broken down as A. Internal process B. Refinement C. Brand structure D. Execution

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Execution A. INTERNAL PROCESS • All solution are bases on the main idea . Without the idea they are just graphic solutions & not strategic.

• Planning the work before designing helps to direct time & energy efficiently.

• making moodboard and taking references before heading towards nay design direction helps in making design elements, colors, texture, overall feel of the product • Starting to design with one idea, might give way to various visual interpretations. But each interpretation is a direction and not options created for the sake of making options • Sharing the work with colleagues, friends , clients helps to evaluate the solution continuously

Testing various concepts with audience along with dummy/ prototype. Testing its compatibility with the audience for whom it has been made helps in getting feedback at initial stage.

B. REFINEMENT Presentation to the client for getting confirmation over one solution. This presentation is usually made by the creative head or the design manager who is aware of all the variables throughout the project & understands clients’ requirement very well. Along with all the options & directions, it’s better for design firm to recommend one from their side which they feel will work the most. This does not mean getting possessive about the solution!!! Though getting clients’ confirmation over an idea can be a stretched process sometimes. Usually all design studios face this speedbraker. Due to multiplicity of reasons some clients take unusually more time to give their remarks and confirmation over the final ideas. In such situation not only the execution gets on hold but the costs also get distributed over time resulting in overall unprofitable situation for both.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

DESIGN PROCESS-BREWING & PRESENTATION

81

Brand structure BRAND PROTECTION BRAND EXPERIENCE BRAND IDENTITY Environment Products & Service

BRAND PLATFORM BRAND POSITIONING

People & Behavior

BRAND IDEA

Culture

BRAND OPPORTUNITY

Communication Ritual

Brand architecture- is the structure of brands within an organizational entity. It is the way in which the brands within a company’s portfolio are related to, and differentiated from, one another. The architecture should define the different leagues of branding within the organization; how the corporate brand and subbrands relate to and support each other; and how the sub-brands reflect or reinforce the core purpose of the corporate brand to which they belong. Eg brand

Shipra Bhargava

architecture for GM include brands like- Chevrolet, Buick, Pontiac, Cadillac, GMC, Hummer, Saab, Saturn. There are three types of relationship which sub brands share with main brand Product Brand-e.g. Unilever’s Omo, Geisha, Sunlight, Knorr, Close Up, etc.

Endorsing Brand- e.g. Pontiac by GM. Branded house - Eg Mecedes, BMW

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

DESIGN PROCESS- BREWING & PRESENTATION

82

Brand Identity Incase of a lounge bar

ENVIRONMENT

PEOPLE & BEHAVIOR

PRODUCTS & SERVICE

COMMUNICATION

CULTURE

RITUAL

PRODUCT AND SERVICES • Diversity of cuisine • taste/ look/ • presentation • price • exclusivity/ customization • add ons

ENVIRONMENT • space design • furniture • propping & details • music • cutlery &accessories • materials & palettes • lighting • functional planning • smell & textures

PEOPLE & BEHAVIOR • servers • hostess • language &attitude • uniforms & badge • customer approach • knowledge about product

COMMUNICATION • logo & stationery • color pallete & visual language • environmental graphics • signage • menus/ takeaway/ foodboards/ coasters etc.

• informational graphics • marketing communication

RITUALS • serving food • welcoming guests • special occassions • taking orders • food specific rituals • after sales- surprises/ freebies • delivery & takeaway

CULTURE • language • local produce/ international setting • supporting craftmen

D. EXECUTION As soon as this platform has been laid out, it needs to be given tangible form. This involve steps like • Setting deadlines for final execution. In case of integrated projects, timelines for collaborators too .In Ideaspice it happens through Basecamp.

• Dummy printouts for color & quality reference for the client & the vendor • Making Brand extension manuals for internal communication for all the stakeholders • Coordinating with the people involved in the execution- printers, event management team,

• Making final production files which need to be sent for final printing of collaterals. Final prototype for product designs with specifications & technical drawings.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

DESIGN PROCESS- COFFEE CUPPING

83

COFFEE CUPPING - MAINTAINING & MEASURING DESIGN Tasting the coffee for its perfection is like testing the solution after it has been executed.

MEASUREMENT MATRIX ( for a comprehensive branding exercise)The project dosent end just after delivering the solution. How it works actually also becomes part of the design process. Its not only part of the package for the client but design team also get the feedback for their work. Good response? BRAVO!!! Response not as expected? Learn from the mistakes!!!

Some questions that design team keep track of to measure the solution

- is target audience aware about the brand?

- what percentage of target audience recognizes & is able to recall the brand through visual identity?

- how consumers perceive this brand against its competitors?

- do consumers easily recognize the value proposition of the brand through its visual identity?

- (in case of reinvention exercise)- has consumers opinion changed about the brand? If yes on what do they think of the brand through visual identity?

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

PART 4

DESIGN CULTURE COFFEE HOUSE -

Design culture

EVERLASTING AROMA - Experience extension by firms ROADS AHEAD - Future expansion plans

COFFEE HOUSE DES

IGN

CUL

TUR

E

Adapting & adopting design thinking A good cup of coffee is no doubt result of the fine ingredients & the expertise of the brewer. But the environment in which coffee is prepared is equally responsible the final flavor & aroma. The uniqueness of work culture in design studios gives way to creativity fostering situations. One can be innovative if one knows how to break the patterns that we are used to follow since our childhood. Design thinking emphasizes on first being able to come out of the box which we are bounded by & then start to THINK. Design firms lay foundation for environments which are organized in their work but not in a rigid manner. Ideaspice believe in becoming like an institute to create situations for designers to learn & grow.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

DESIGN HOUSE

86

Design culture This culture include HIRING As mentioned earlier the importance of team in a design firm. People at design firms are hired not only on the basis of skill they possess but also on the basis of how much interest they have in areas apart from their expertise. Its very important for a designer to be aware of what’s happening in other fields so as to be able to make cross connections while ideating & designing. So GOOGLE, MOVE AROUND, NETWORK but make sure your energies are used at right places!!!

EMPLOYEE INDUCTION Imagine your appointment letter welcomes you with responsibility to have fun while working, to leave smiling, make great coffee each day &laugh loudly !!!

Surprised? It happens at Ideaspice!!! Welcoming a new team member is a ritual similar to welcoming a new family member, so it deserves warm gestures. Making the new member comfortable is responsibility of all team mates. At Ideaspice making & serving good coffee is a ritual. Every team member is supposed to know this art well & make coffee for all atleast once a week. (those who don’t drink coffee have an option to drink Glucon D) This brings in lot of fun at work.

studios are designed in a way which breaks the regular thinking pattern of the designer and enables to think laterally. For instance unlike regular cubicle workspace in corporates, designers prefer working on a round table where all can sit together & discuss work as much as possible. Through discussion & brainstorming not only new ideas are generated but also continuous dialogue happens between team members which otherwise become difficult in the middle of hectic schedules. There would be some corners or areas in the studios which act as think tanks. Go there and you will be blessed with creativity!!!Google office is a perfect example of creativity fostering environment where one can sleep, play, dance, relax, discuss which help them to comeup with innovative product ideas.

CODE OF CONDUCT OF PEOPLE Many people & even clients are amused by the way people in design firms work. There is no senior or junior in design thinking though all are responsible for their work. Transparency at all level is must for efficiency & uniqueness. Open interaction between senior & junior designers leads to more harmonious work. No one is bound to come in set dress code. Just be relaxed & hassle free. Lesser is the rigidity in an organization, more situations it create for creativity to infest.

SPACES Creative idea need creative thoughts, creative thoughts come from creative mind, mind can be creative only if the surroundings are creative. That’s why design

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

DESIGN HOUSE

87

Design culture RULES-!!

9 to 5 is not design culture though time management is must. That’s why designers are found working even in odd hours.

in making a mark in the industry & builds up firm’s equity.

FRIDAY FIESTA

Creating context for experimentation & innovation.

Designers & employers do projects of their choice in guidance with seniors. This gives each team members chance to test out their creativity in new directions.

These projects should not become the reason for negligence in other projects though.

At Ideaspice one day in a week i.e Friday is assigned to discuss updates about the latest happenings, events, ideas, recommendations for overall improvement of the firm. This becomes a platform for the team members to voice out how they feel about the work, the new developments, new ideas. Informal meetings like this create situation where each one can learn from other’s experiences & collectively it benefits the team energy.

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

DESIGN RESEARCH CULTURE

This is a very crucial part of any design firm- more experimental projects they take up can make them set benchmarks within the industry. Gives an opportunity to expand the skill & knowledge horizons. Such projects are not done for the sake of profitability but more for chance to try expertise & skill beyond experience. R & D also creates differentiation for the design firms, builds the competitive advantage.

DESIGN AWARDS

Regular ethnographic audits, talking to people about various products & services- observe- discussideate. We all move around, talk to people, observe, experience. But how many times analyze the situations.

Well for designers these situations become contexts for user study. Such audits should not wait for projects to come and then start the research. Regular practice brings in regular consumer insights & behavior also it adds to new business idea pool of the design firm. This can lead to formation of KNOWLEDGE & IDEA BANK

How does a design firm establishes itself within the creative realm. apart from client’s guidelines, designers go for design awards where acknowledgement & recognition is from the creative community which helps

Design audits of specific industries made at regular intervals- Design firms work on multiple projects simultaneously & there is lot of cross category knowledge which can be deployed to ongoing projects.

CLIENT LESS PROJECTS

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

DESIGN HOUSE

88

Design culture It becomes inevitable to keep track of what is happening in which industry. like • What are new trends emerging in retail, hospitality, entertainment industries etc.

• Which products, communication, places are successful & why? If failed then why?

• Which business are merging & why?

• Which industries are facing threats & from whom?

This audit will not only generate pool of contextual information but designers also get to learn from what has been done & what could be done.

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE TEAM To refresh, to get to know each other better. The real personality of the person comes out in odd situation & in odd hours. These activities are situations to know your colleague well.

I have been emphasizing throughout on the softer aspects of whether an individual or organization. The skill can still be compared in business but the overall temperament of the person or firm cannot be compared. Either it generates good experience or leaves bad flavor.

Specific task assigned to team members according to strengths & capabilities- every person has what I call a USP, if this USP is used at right time in right direction, it can add tremendously to firms performance. This should not refrain him from being a part of activities which are not his strengths.

INTANGIBLES

FIRM’S ENERGY QUOTIENT

EVALUATING TEAM ENERGY & INDIVIDUALS What your energy quotient? Well sounds weird!!!

Firm’s energy quotient comes from individual evaluation. Tangible, intangible attribute evaluation is like self analysis for the firm. Before anyone benchmarks you, you know for yourself where you stand. This can also become a medium to evaluate individual performance & over all performance of the firm too.

+

+

-

TANGIBLES

-

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

EVERLASTING AROMA EXP E EXT RIENC ENS E ION

Acquiring Mind Space Brand positioning is nothing else but capturing mind space of the consumer.

Every brand tries to do that through various means for recall value & customer loyalty. For design firms this becomes the way to have long term & memorable relationship with their clients.

At Ideaspice the perfect cup of coffee is an example of such experience for their clients and visiting card is the invitation for this cup of coffee.

The brochure, website, letterhead, packaging, office interiors- all leave a strong impact. Ideaspice visiting card & brochure are a great hit among all their acquaintances & clients for no one can forget it once they have it. (Want to have one? Join Spice team!)

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

EVERLASTING AROMA

90

Acquiring Mind Space Ideaspice office & website design on a common platform- features & space like a lounge bar. Clients are invited to a lounge for discussing project & for coffee ritual. Couches for relaxation. Collection of design books which acts as library.

SPICE CAFÉ- Ideaspice website. Office space is extended to online experience • Portfolio • Lounge - link to interesting articles/ sites-uploaded

by IS team • Online chatroom- for IS Team Brainstorming session between IS offices • Research / Image banks • IS retail gallery • Invitation to design community/ • industry experts/ media networks • blog & newsletter- Extra Spice • IS work gallery- exclusive work by IS team • SPICE QUOTIENT- new business ideas bank

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

ROADS AHEAD BUS EXP INESS ANS ION

Extending the reach Every venture be it coffee or design need to find ways to expand its presence. Apart from presence recognition is equally important. A design firms need expansion strategies to

• Reach out to more client as thought partners • Maintain the recall value among existing clients • Mark the presence in the design community • Recognition among users/ audience • Increase the competitive value • Build more equity & assets

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

ROADS AHEAD

92

Business Expansion Ideaspice plans for brand expansion are:

NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Through CII tie up, client referrals, identifying prospective clients, identifying new business areas, NEW BUSINESS VENTURES Acquiring equity in clients business, retailing products designed in-house- to establish presence, new business idea bank which can be incubated in partnership with venture capitalist or investor BUSINESS TIE UP Xische, Dubai- Digital Branding PR & NETWORKING Making as many networks & public relations through • • • • • •

Conferences Programs in educational institutes- IIM, NID Workshops & seminars Join Design community- Core 77, Participation in awards & contests News letters, case studies, research sharing

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

PART 5 COFFEE EXTRACTS Excerpts from projects done at Ideaspice

Excerpts from projects done at IDEASPICE

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

SPORTS STADIUM Bangalore

A complete sports experience across all age & gender. From products to service, it aims to promote a sports culture

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

ZOOMIN Mumbai

New products & services for photo sharing site

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

BRANDS POWERED

by ZOOMIN

Guidelines for Zoomin to co-brand with Nescafe

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

NEXT LIFE Hyderabad

Next Life is an entirely new experience in entertainment + community building. At its core it serves to combine the ease of use and flexibility of online experience and a physical- real world experience.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

IMPELSYS Bangalore

Identity & marketing strategy for web content management site

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

PRIME DEVELOPERS Tirupur

Identity & Marketing strategy for real estate project- Affordable housing across India

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

THE SOUP KIOSK Mumbai

The Soup Kiosk is an innovative mall format. The larger idea is to build a soup culture which is healthy, fresh & fun

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

MEGAMALL Andheri, Mumbai

The Aim of this Research is to compile the observations & list down the gaps in the overall experience of the mall. These gaps have been converted into design opportunities which could be taken by Ideaspice as design directions for integrated marketing strategies.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

CASE STUDY

SPORTS STADIUM Client: Xsis, Bangalore

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

RETROSPECT Diploma project for a student is the time to practically apply the learnings during the academic tenure. Most of the time working in the industry becomes as an eye opener towards practical realities. My experience at Ideaspice was unlike this situation. No shocks from the work environment & no expectation mismatch. Thanks to SDM training & Ideaspice team who helped me to understand scope of design management better.

Tons of thanks to Roy who really inspires me to work with cool , calm, patience & efficiently multitask- all qualities what a design manager need to imbibe in. I’m extremely thankful to him for extending me all the possible help which a dip student would strive for in the crucial stage of diploma project. Like a caring college senior he helped me with crucial inputs about the subject & like a responsible director of the firm he guided me towards my goal. Sincere thanks to Sajith for his valuable feedback & guidance at important landmarks.

At Ideaspice designation dosent have any effect on the relationship with other team members, which really add to the ideal work environment. Both Sajith & Roy share a transparent relationship with not only other team members but also with their clients & collaborators which a rare thing to see in this competitive scenario. As I have mentioned in my document, what really makes any firm a good place to work is its people & culture, Ideaspice is a perfect example of this.

The project brief given to me also shows the openness of any organization to adapt to newer ideas & changes.

The fact that Ideaspice offered such a project shows the vision to restructure themselves to adapt to changing industry scenarios- move from design partners to strategic partners. I strongly feel to get involved at strategy level with client, knowing their business is important but more important is to know their audience. This knowledge is mostly missing from clients’ side also, so it is important for strategic consultants to continuously keep track of who the real audience is & what their aspirations are.

Two years at SDM has drastically helped improving my perception & ability to think laterally. It’s a new course & the challenge for me, still is to define & improve the role of design management. There is no one way to define the role, but different situations & context define the role. Thanks to Krishnesh for continuously pushing SDM towards the realities of business. This push has shown its effect while I was working in practical scenarios- the attitude building for an ideal design manager!

This is not the end of the process but here I start building on further.

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Thanks...

KRISHNESH MEHTA

RAJESHJI

SHASHANK MEHTA

IDEASPICE CLIENTS & FRIENDS

Prof. M.P RANJAN

Mrs. GHOSH

SAJITH ROY DANISH AYAZ GAJPAL GAZALA ANURADHA SWATHIK MANI ANUSHA ANAND GURU ADEL PRASUN SACHITA ADITI SABREEN SANTOSH ASHAY

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt. Ltd.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Berman, Barry, and Joel R. Evans, Retail Management : A Strategic Approach, 2006 Kotler Philip, Kevin Lane Keller, Abraham Koshy, Mithileshwar Jha, Marketing management (13th Edition): A South Asian Perspective, 2008 SCDL, Pune, Service marketing SCDL, Pune, Retail management- part I, II Kotler, Philip, and Fernando Trias de Bes. Lateral marketing : New Techniques for Finding Breakthrough Ideas, 2003 La Salle, Diana, and Terry A. Brition, Priceless : Turning Ordinary Products into Extraordinary Experiences, 2002 Laurel, Brenda and Peter Lunenfeld, Design Research : Methods & Perspectives , 2003 Zaltman, Gerald, How Customers Think: Essential Insights into the Mind of the Market. 2003 Clifton, Rita, John Simmons & Sameena Ahmad, Brands & Branding ( The Economist Series), 2004 Philips, L. Peter, How to make a perfect design brief: How to Manage design for Strategic Advantage, 2004 Nelson, Richard & Jones, Effective thinking Skills, 2003 Foote, S. Cameroon, The Creative Business- Guide to running a Graphic Design Business, 2004 De Bono, Edward, The Free Mind, Jaico 2007 Fox J. Jeffery, How to Make big money in your own small business: Unexpected Rules Every Small Business Owner Needs to Know, 2004 Kelly, Tom, 10 Faces of Innovation, 2004

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt.Ltd

BIBLIOGRAPHY

WEBSITES NETWORKING SEARCH ENGINE www.google.com

DESIGN RESEARCH www.experientia.com www.mindtel.com www.mindtools.com

www.facebook.com www.gmail.com

COFFEE INPUTS www.starbucks.com www.coffeeclues.com www.cocoajava.com

www.stumbleupon.com www.thebrain.com www.ideo.com

MARKET RESEARCH www.sidailydose.com www.isourceupdates.com www.agencyfaqs.com www.brandassetvaluator.com.au www.market-gate.com www.mouthshut.com www.marketresearch.com www.acnielsen.co.uk

Shipra Bhargava

Strategic Design Management 2006-08

Ideaspice Design Pvt.Ltd