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Eine interessante öffentliche Befragung führt die EU-Kommission aktuell durch.

Design soll zu einem integralen Bestandteil europäischer Innovationspolitik werden. Konkrete Maßnahmen werden derzeit über eine Branchenbefragung identifiziert.

Bis zum 26. Juni 2009 kann man sich beteiligen.

Ich selbst habe mich bereits in einer Beantwortung der Fragen versucht (meine Antworten sind fett gedruckt):

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Questionnaire for private persons for the public consultation on Design as a driver of user-centred innovation

Identification of the stakeholder

1) In which country are you a resident?
Germany

The key questions
General role of design in public policy

2a) Do you consider design to be important for the future competitiveness of the EU economy?
Very important

2b) Why?
As a tool, as a method, as a process of thinking, as aesthetical guideline, as development towards the people and not as viewpoint from functional oriented institutions, as lifestyle, as location for creativity, as thinking out-of-the-box, as wayfinder to a user-generated world, as …

3) What are the main areas where public initiatives in support of design could be useful, if any? Multiple answers possible.
Design research + Design education

4) Should initatives in support of design be an integral part of innovation policy?
Yes

Scope for action at EU level

5) Should initiatives in support of design be taken at EU level in addition to Member State and regional level?
Yes

In what main areas would EU level initiatives add value to the own initiatives of Member States and their regions?
intercultural traditions, multinational viewpoints, larger perspectives

Specific questions

6) People associate design with different things. What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘design’?
Other

Other, namely:
user experience design as holistic point of view

The following could be an operational definition for the purpose of innovation policy development:

Design for user-centred innovation is the activity of conceiving and developing a plan for a new or significantly improved product, service or system that ensures the best interface with user needs, aspirations and abilities, and allows for aspects of economic, social and environmental sustainability to be taken into account.

7a) Do you agree with this definition as the basis for integrating design into European innovation policy?
No

Why not?
instead of interface: user experience – the design process starts with an open, extremely creative brainstorming, moves to very smart products and applications, and ends with a supportive, good feeling for end-users and all participants in the process

7b) What could alternatives be?
The definition of design for user-centred innovation suggested above stresses the potential of design to support socially responsible and environmentally sustainable innovation.

How important is the use of design to achieve social objectives?
Very important

9) How can EU policy promote design that takes user diversity into account, regarding for example physical and mental abilities, education and skills?
more frameworks with potential for personalisation – lower bureaucracy – open standards – involvement of citizens in decision processes – people as partners, not as folk

10) How important is the use of design to achieve environmental objectives?
Very important

11) How can EU policy promote design that takes environmental aspects into account, such as resource efficiency, durability, reuse and recycling?
see above

Design may be an innovation activity with untapped potential, especially in SMEs, low-tech companies and the service sector, where design usage is comparatively low.

12a) Is there a need for a more targeted policy for these three groups of organisations?
For SMEs: Yes
For low-tech organisations: Yes
For service organisations: Yes

12b) Should such targeted policy exist at EU level?
Yes

13a) Does the current economic climate affect the relevance of design?
Yes

13b) What should be the role of design policy in response to the crisis, if any?
learn from non-hierarchical design processes – open gardens – take people as relevant decision-makers – be modern – trust the youth – trust the new media revolution – be part of the existing global network society – no borders – more thinking across borders

The Commission is already involved in a number of design-related initiatives. What is potentially lacking is an explicit integration of design into European innovation policy.

14a) If there were to be a policy for design in Europe, how should it be related to innovation policy?
Design should be part of European innovation policy

14b) Why?
innovation = creativity = design = new thinking = new ways of life = iterative processes = ?

15) How could other EU policies or initiatives – for example in the fields of internal market, research, social inclusion, education or culture – be instrumental in supporting design?
please ask for more openness for all projects – we want access to all supported informations – on usable, open websites – with discussion potential and integrative nodes to other related projects – better documentation, not as memorandum, more dynamically in blogs, wikis etc. – no marketing, but public policy

16) What would be the best forum to discuss policy on design for user-centred innovation at EU-level?
A new forum

Who should be part of this new forum?
all interested people – believe in the crowdsourcing!

17a) Which are the most serious barriers to the better use of design in Europe, if any? Multiple answers possible.
Lack of awareness and understanding of the potential of design among policy makers
Lack of awareness and understanding of the potential of design among potential design customers, i.e. private and public organisations
Lack of public support to use design in organisations
Lack of design skills and understanding among other professions
Lack of high quality design education in Europe
Lack of research in the area of design

17b) Please substantiate your answer:

17c) Are there any other serious barriers?
we need other educational institutions – more open – not in traditional schools – more user generated – more oriented towards the needs and interests of people

17d) What can be done at EU level to address these barriers specifically?
please support not only the old, known, big institutions – give agile project groups good chances to support the development processes – they are more flexble than these big ships

The following vision is the result of a European innovation policy workshop organised with experts in design and design policy in Marseille, in June 2008:

To build on our existing strengths and our heritage to make Europe a reference for design excellence, whether for research, education and skills – attracting and retaining the best talents, for high-end design and excellence, and for breadth and depth of design usage in private and public organisations.

18a) Is this a good vision for European collaboration in the area of design? Yes

18b) What could alternatives be?
maybe not europe as reference – more europe as impetus to start thinking in really global dimensions – europe as example, not as solution.

19) Other comments
thanx for questioning

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Tags: design | europa | innovation