From the World's First Design Policy to the World's Best Design

A Spectrum of design policy strategies

Denmark has long been

Christian Scherfig, CEO, known for design. Now Danish Design Centre that sophistication is being translated into a broad agenda shaping Merete Brunander, Design & Innovation social welfare in addition Officer, Danish Design Centre to corporate welfare.

Christina Melander, Project Manager, Danish Design Centre

6 From the World’s First Design Policy to the World’s Best Design Policy by Christian Scherfig, Merete Brunander, and Christina Melander

In Denmark, design has been on the as well as the public sector, to become first national design policy, was political agenda since 1997. National more innovative and competitive launched in 1997 to increase design policy has gone full circle, from extol- through the use of design. Denmark awareness in small and medium-size ling design to cutting funds for it— also wants to maintain its interna- enterprises (SMEs), as well as in the and back again. Currently, politicians tional status as a “design nation,” and public sector. The Danish Design both in and out of power say their to realize design’s potential in the new Centre (DDC) plays a central part ambition is to develop the best design century. in carrying out these national design policy ever. Whether this will take As Figure 1 (on next page) policies. The DDC was established the form of an isolated design policy illustrates, Denmark has had three back in 1978, and has from the or whether design will be integrated national design policies over the beginning focused on promoting into a range of policies is yet to be past 13 years, and it has experienced design and the value of design for determined. However, there is a clear something of a rollercoaster effect. Danish industry; in fact, it played political ambition to develop design The country’s first national design a key part in the creation of 1997’s policies that enable Danish industry, policy, which also was the world’s design policy. In 2001, the DDC

The DanIsh DesIgn polIcIes got a new building in the center of

First: 1997 examples of policy activities at the danish design centre Copenhagen, giving design even A building for design in the heart higher visibility. Focus of copenhagen. the ddc opens in January 2001. the building is partly That same year, however, a Increasing the awareness financed by interest-free loans and private sponsors. of design among SMEs new government initially intended and in the public sector to eliminate all public funding for – including promoting design. Funds for the Danish Design the value of design. the ddc manages the design icebreaker scheme 1998-2001: 450 Centre were also scheduled to be cut. sMes design projects supported by government grants in order to experi- Fortunately, over the next two years, ence the value of design. the DDC, which was carrying out a comprehensive survey of design’s economic effects, was able to show design’s positive impact on export, second: 2003 revenue, and job creation, and that, ddc designpartner program: Focus innovation, What’s design got Innovation: along with intense political lobby- to do with it? A program for large • Develop the DDC into companies, focusing on integrating What’s design ing, changed the government’s mind. design in innovation processes and in got to do with a national center for business strategies But the DDC was hardly the only design and innovation. it? organization to take an active part in • Enhance interaction

between designers and Launch of the indeX: Award honoring the lobbying. The Confederation of businesses. design that improves life by giving one million euros to five different Danish Industry, Denmark’s largest • International branding solutions. of Danish design. the indeX is a subsidiary company to trade organization, had established the ddc. a design network that included the heads of development from the country’s largest and most design-driven companies. The purpose of the Con- third: 2007

ddc develops a series of federation of Danish Industry is to Focus business cases illustrating the economic effects of design. establish and take part in debates on • Improved functioning cases used for extensive industry campaigns and workshops. the future of Denmark and to work market for design services; DDC work has determinedly in order to influence to be industry specific. political decisions around job creation • Design of public sector First copenhagen design Week by and workplace improvements. The services. the ddc was launched in 2009. As with the indeX:Award, this will be a • Commercially oriented bi-annual event. design network, therefore, devel- and international design. oped a number of policy proposals focusing on design as a business tool rather than as simply craftsmanship. The proposals took the slogan From Figure 1. In Denmark, design has been on the national agenda since 1997; the country has formulated three national design policies over the past 13 years.

CMe_R+B&W_101101.indd 1 11/1/10 11:54 AM

8 From the World’s First Design Policy to the World’s Best Design Policy

Beauty to Business—implying a move tries. Companies in industries that companies had previously lacked the from design’s traditional role in styl- are not known for their use of design knowledge that would help them ing consumer goods to an additional do better following the lead of other integrate user-centered methods into mission of integration into business companies in the same industry. The their development processes. All the strategy with the purpose of strength- Danish Design Centre thus worked organizations learned how to use ening national competitiveness. harder at developing industry-specific focus groups and ethnographical In 2003, a new national design case studies and campaigns. methods (observation, personas, and policy was finally launched, provid- pattern analysis) to identify possible ing the DDC fully financial funding User-driven innovation new products and new lines of busi- from 2005. This allowed the Centre The 2007 initiative included a ness based on unmet user needs. to carry on with its work. Efforts to comprehensive program to promote We believe this initiative has had “bring more design into business” user-driven innovation, allocating a significant impact on the mindset during this period also resulted in 100 million DKK ($16.5 million) for of Danish companies and on public the establishment of the prestigious projects to develop and test user- sector institutions, as well. In general, INDEX Award, which is given by driven methods. This program is the the majority of projects demonstrate a Danish nonprofit organization (a result of a political ambition for mak- that user involvement represents a subsidiary of the DDC) to honor “de- ing Denmark a pioneer in user-driven major, untapped potential. Indeed, we signs that improve life.” (The INDEX innovation. think the user-driven approach is an Award is international in scope and The program supported more area in which Danish companies are is worth 500,000 euros to the winner, than 80 projects, from public-sector particularly suited to achieve innova- making it the most lucrative design institutions and universities to large tion, thanks to a national psyche that prize in the world.) and small private companies (see values holistic thinking, humanism, Four years later, in 2007, the Case #1 on next page for an example), and care. Danish government launched a new and has been characterized by the Currently, the Danish govern- design initiative, which among other government as a resounding success. ment is launching a campaign around things focused on supporting the (A full 50 percent of the money spent the user-centered projects, as well as a Danish design industry. At the time, on the program went to economic comprehensive guide to methods and approximately 90 percent of that in- grants to individual organizations.) tools for user-driven innovation— dustry was represented by one-person The projects involved a large number scaled to a range of company sizes companies. The new initiative aimed of SMEs, which was one of the pro- and experience levels, and presented at creating larger design companies gram’s goals. Evaluations show that in a simple and accessible way. with multidisciplinary competen- the majority of participating organi- cies to better meet industry demand zations and companies acknowledged Service design in the public sector and increase export activities. The the value of the program in helping The user-centered innovation pro- 2007 design policy also focused on them develop new competencies and gram was not the only initiative put promoting design in specific indus- new insight into users. Most of these forth in 2007. That was also the year

9 Design and National Policy

the Danish Enterprise and Construc- Case #1: The Patient Lift (a project supported by tion Authority launched a program Denmark’s user-driven innovation program) aimed at demonstrating the value of service design in the public sector. he number of extremely overweight people is growing worldwide, The purpose was to motivate the pub- Tcausing problems not only for the individuals themselves, but also for healthcare staff, who shoulder (literally) an increased risk of job-related lic sector to cooperate with the design injuries when they transport heavy patients. Existing patient lifts are costly, industry to develop better public and because they have to be mounted from the ceiling, they are not an service. option in some hospital wards. They are also cumbersome to maneuver; Service design can contribute to they have to be pushed manually, which is difficult for some health workers. solving many of the social-welfare More important, they are not designed for extremely heavy patients. They do challenges we are facing in Denmark, not help position the overweight patient properly in the hospital bed or in a wheelchair, which may result in injury to the patient and may even put him including a rapidly aging popula- or her at risk of falling out of the bed or the chair. tion, a big decline in the labor force, These were the challenges to be faced in this project, which is partly and growing expectations of public financed by Denmark’s program for user-driven innovation. service, partly based on the country’s A team of users (patients, obese people, and hospital staff), high level of taxation. The need for anthropologists, engineers, and designers was gathered by the lift- welfare services is growing, even as producing company Borringia. The original idea was to redesign an existing the number of people available to lift. But telephone interviews, video observations, and ideation within this multidisciplinary team (which, note, included users) made it clear that there carry out these services dwindles. was a need for an entirely new lift based on new technologies. From an economic point of view, The result is the XXL lift (Figure 2)—a self-propelling unit assisted by therefore, it makes sense to develop a small engine rather than by sheer manual labor, which also means that innovative service solutions that both obese patients no longer have to feel embarrassed by the inconvenience save on labor and increase citizens’ they cause the staff. The XXL lift can both lift and transport patients with a satisfaction with the public sector— weight of up to 325 kg (715 pounds). as well as their quality of life. In 2008, four demonstration projects were carried out within the field of senior services and disability, and in 2009, four demonstration projects were implemented within the field of healthcare. Case #2 on the next page offers an example of one such project. All of these projects involved a public organization (a hospital or a municipality) and a design Figure 2. The XXL lift helps hospital workers transport overweight patients without injuring themselves or the patients. company, and were financed by the government program.

10 From the World’s First Design Policy to the World’s Best Design Policy

Case #2: The Good Kitchen (a demonstration of service design)

any senior citizens do not eat Menough. As a result, they not only miss the benefits of good nutrition, they also suffer a decline in quality of life. A study involving Holstebro Municipal Meal Service, a meals-on-wheels food service based in northern Jutland, examined the possible causes of this lack of appetite, and proposed solutions to heighten the mealtime experience and the quality of meals, and thus increase the elderly citizens’ appetite (Figure 3). Hatch & Bloom, a design company, Figure 3. The Good Kitchen serves senior citizens in Holstebro, and does so by offering them some of the choices and input they might expect from a regular restaurant. carried out the project, funded by Den- mark’s service design demonstration program, in order aid course, enabling them to handle situations in which a to develop a solution for an improved meal service in senior may have fallen and broken a hip, for instance. Holstebro Municipality, and in the process demonstrate Hatch and Bloom also suggested changing the name how service design as a discipline can improve the service of the service from Holstebro Municipal Meal Service to standard, as well as the quality of life for seniors, and The Good Kitchen to summon up visions of a restaurant reduce costs in the bargain. rather than a meal service. The Good Kitchen is a demand- The project began with user observation—of the ing name to live up to, and it encourages the kitchen staff kitchen staff, as well as in the private homes of senior-citi- to try their best to meet user expectations. For example, zen users—and continued with a series of user workshops they now seek to describe meal ingredients in a way that that included kitchen and transport staff, as well as senior gives users a sense of the taste. Most important, senior citizens, their families, and local politicians. citizens in Holstebro now know who shapes the meatballs One early and crucial discovery was that senior citi- and seasons the gravy in the municipal kitchen, because zens often have needs that go beyond the simple delivery they have engaged in a dialogue with that kitchen. This of a meal. Some, for instance, get little enjoyment out of fosters satisfaction and responsibility for both the seniors a meals they consume alone, because they are reminded and the kitchen staff. of their isolation. But in other situations—in front of the In many ways, The Good Kitchen illustrates how mod- TV, for example—eating can be enjoyable. This discov- est modifications can lead to significant improvements ery prompted the researchers to suggest expanding the through service design in the public sector. In themselves, menu to include snacks, or smaller meals, that users can the solutions may seem obvious. The innovative element, order with the idea of spreading their nutrition through- even if the innovation is merely incremental, lies in iden- out the day. tifying all the touch-points and linking them together in Another idea that surfaced during the study was to a new and more efficient and satisfying way. That is what require drivers who deliver the meals to complete a first service design is all about.

11 Design and National Policy

Current challenges available to companies and organi- One project that is fighting this men- The Danish Design Centre continues zations looking for knowledge and tality is a joint project begun in early to work with private industry in its tools to improve their use of design in 2010 between the Danish Design effort to promote design. However, order to develop their businesses and Centre and the UK’s Design Council. in 2008, the center felt it was time to enhance their competitiveness. Called Independence Matters and adjust its strategy. In a development For both companies and Danish funded by the Danish Ministry of that owes much to the success of society in general, there are obvious Economic and Business Affairs and earlier design policies, the emphasis is competitive benefits for promoting the UK Technology Strategy Board, no longer on why companies should design in the private sector, but it is the project seeks to encourage innova- use design. Instead, the focus has now also important to ensure that de- tive services and products for senior shifted to how companies use design sign is used as a tool for innovation citizens, as well as for people with and how design can chronic diseases, be integrated into a One of the challenges typically faced by design such as obstruc- company’s business companies trying to spur innovation in the tive pulmonary strategy. Essentially, disease, diabetes, more and more Dan- Danish public sector is, simply, organization. and dementia. As a ish companies have first step, the DDC adopted the message about design, in the public sector, in the form of has decided to develop a model to and they are increasingly looking for service design or user-driven innova- ensure that design thinking is used in specific tools to either help them get tion, or in public-private innovation the implementation of social-welfare started or to help them reach new partnerships. There is a strong need projects. These efforts are informed heights. for product development based on by what has been learned from the Over the next five years, the Dan- new technology. There is also a huge user-driven innovation program and ish Design Centre will concentrate potential for design in improving the service-design projects carried out on helping large and small companies services and systems. since 2007. We know that designers identify their design potential. The One of the challenges typically are capable of developing innovative DDC will provide companies with faced by design companies trying to solutions to many of the challenges the tools they need to incorporate spur innovation in the Danish public facing society, and we believe that in- design strategically and to develop sector is, simply, organization. Orga- volving designers in a project enhanc- design briefs and manuals, and it will nizational structures are sometimes es the accuracy of its implementation help them identify methods with complex, and there is a silo mentality and the development of solutions that which they can include users in the that goes along with that complexity can be rolled out and implemented in development processes. These activi- that is not conducive to developing other contexts—in other regions or ties will be key to the effort to bolster seamless processes for citizens, for municipalities, for example, or even in the Danish Design Centre as a centre example, or for facilitating the imple- other countries. for design and innovation that is fully mentation and roll-out of projects. In addition, the Danish Design

12 From the World’s First Design Policy to the World’s Best Design Policy

Centre also focuses on the capacity ogy, culture, and the spirit of the tional design solves a problem, of design as an innovation compe- times. Design as a concept, as well as and in its design it optimizes a tence to address crucial challenges in design competence, have expanded in given function. the areas of waste management. For context and have a far broader pres- • Good design is durable. In a example, the Centre cooperates with ence in society. society characterized by exces- the Keep Denmark Tidy organiza- From a Danish point of view, sive consumption, good design is tion on the development of tools to good design still contains elements of based on durability in the sense reduce littering. One of the focus the old virtues from the golden age of that the design and materials areas in this effort is littering from the 1950s and ’60s, but over time— have staying power rather than cars, which is a big problem for mu- and especially within the past two representing a fad. Waste and nicipalities around the country. The decades—it has acquired new quali- excessive consumption are not design process will aspects of good design. address concepts In determining the content of a new design • Good design is for mobile waste aesthetic. An aesthetic solutions in cars, policy, it is important to consider design’s product has an inher- consider lay-by current role and its potential for the future. ent power of fascina- design, and develop tion and an immedi- communication tools to promote a ties. As the Danish Design Centre ately accessible sensuous quality. change in motorist behavior. might put it: • Good design is responsible. • Good design is innovative. An in- Responsible design accounts Building a new design policy: Ques- novative design can be a break- for environmental concerns, for tions to be answered through product or service, but example. It may contribute to In determining the content of a it can also be a redesign of an a cleaner and more sustainable new design policy, it is important to existing product or service. A world, one in which materials are consider design’s current role and its breakthrough product offers the highly durable and may even be potential for the future. One way of market and the user a new, previ- recycled in new contexts. exploring this is to consider some key ously unseen function and added • Good design is intuitive. Intuitive questions: What is good design? In value, while a redesign improves design is self-explanatory and what contexts should design play a an existing product. often presents no need for a user role? And where is design headed? • Good design is honest. An honest manual. It is obvious how the design communicates only the design should be used, perceived, What is good design? functions and values it actually and understood. The design The answer to this question has var- offers. It should not manipulate explains the function. ied over time. That’s because design is buyers or users into thinking it • Good design is shaped and styled. not a fixed entity but a variable factor offers more than it does. Shape and appearance are es- that is constantly shaped by technol- • Good design is functional. A func- sential aspects of good design;

13 Design and National Policy

they are the basis for creating and competence have really only unfolded companies, systems, and societies. designing. Shaping and styling in the current millennium. Countries that have embraced design ensure an attractive, sensuous as a driver of innovation will have quality and an added value. Where is design headed? considerable competitive advantage. • Good design is user-oriented. It Of course, it’s difficult to predict the We believe our new policy must aim focuses on the user and aims future, but it is possible to identify to establish the right conditions for to improve a given situation for some design disciplines and trends turning Denmark into an innovative the user. User-oriented design that are characteristic today and will society through design. provides an added value, whether probably continue to be dominant in Up until now, Danish design material or immaterial, and thus the future. A common feature is that policy has been anchored in the increases the user’s satisfaction trends and disciplines are more an- Ministry of Economic and Business and life situation. chored in challenges at a societal level Affairs. In recent years, the Dan- than they were in the past. Green de- ish Design Centre has carried out In what contexts should design play sign, digital design processes, experi- several collaborative projects with the a role? ence design, and user-aided design are government ministries responsible for In design history, the past 10 years some trends that are likely to become science, technology, climate issues, the mark a particularly interesting period. mainstream in the future. environment and, of course, culture. Design has developed in entirely new And in a unique development, in directions, mainly as the result of dig- Denmark as a design nation spring 2010 design was included in ital and technological developments Denmark is known around the world the Danish government platform that and new channels of communication, for its design prowess and for names describes the country’s political vision such as social media. New methods such as Jacobsen, Wegner, and Pan- and strategy for the next 10 years. have been integrated into the design ton. But it is also known for putting We look forward to a design poli- profession, and design increasingly in- design on the political agenda. cy that will be part of other policies— corporates methods from anthropol- The country has already seen schemes for growing business, ideas ogy, user-driven innovation, market- three design policies implemented, to manage globalization, and plans to ing, and engineering. Thus, today we and the current Danish government achieve new innovations in both the may add service design, interaction has taken steps to develop a fourth private and the public sector, because design, sustainable design, and stra- policy to further strengthen the area. design and design competence are just tegic design to the more-traditional The policies of the past 13 years have as useful and valuable in the social disciplines. Over the past couple of laid a foundation we can build on. area as they are in relation to econom- years, it has become clear that design They offer a unique opportunity to ics and business. Only then will it be competencies can also be used to ad- take design competence to a new level. possible to bring design competence dress broader challenges in areas such Today, design and design think- into play in new areas and to raise the as social welfare and the environment. ing are internationally recognized as level of achievement throughout our The full scope and diversity of design key drivers of change processes in country. n Reprint #10214MEL06