Design Management - Extended Definition

Extended Definition

The multifaceted nature of design management leads to varied opinion, making it difficult to give an overall definition; furthermore, design managers have a broad range of roles and responsibilities. These factors, combined with a multitude of other influences such as the industry involved, company size, the market situation, and the importance of design within the organisation's activities. As a result, design management is not restricted to a single design discipline and usually depends on the context of its application within an individual organisation.

On an abstract level, design management plays three key roles in the interface of design, organisation, and market. The three key roles are to:

1. Align design strategy with corporate or brand strategy, or both
2. Manage quality and consistency of design outcomes across and within different design disciplines (design classes)
3. Enhance new methods of user experience, create new solutions for user needs and differentiation from competitor's designs