Establishing a culture of creativity

Design Management Journal, Spring 2002 by Walton, Thomas

EDITOR'S NOTES

Heroes have long been a vehicle for celebrating the extraordinary. Tales of valor or genius-of commander James Lovell and the return of Apollo 13 and its crew after a disastrous explosion in space; of Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic and the first person to fly solo across the Pacific; of Todd Beamer, who bravely collaborated with fellow passengers to foil the hijacking plot of Al Qaeda terrorists-inspire and renew our faith in human endeavor.

Designers also have heroes. As an architect, I revere the Renaissance goldsmith Filippo Brunelleschi of Italy, who devised a successful and astonishing scheme to build the dome of Florence's cathedral without using any internal supports. I think of Alvar Aalto, the twentieth-century Finnish architect, who so beautifully combined ideals of humanism and modern design. Industrial designers might extol the careers of Raymond Loewy or Charles and Ray Eames. Graphic designers might honor the Bauhaus teacher Herbert Bayer or IBM legend Paul Rand.

The profiles of heroes inspire and serve as models. Ultimately, however, in life and in business, we need a broader framework for action. In design, for instance, organizations need a culture of creativity, as well as-or perhaps even more than-creative individuals. This issue of the Journal investigates what goes into establishing this culture of creativity. Contributors offer case studies and outline principles that support the creative spirit. One writer examines how success can, over the long term, weaken a company's willingness to take risks. Rounding out

the discussion, several authors describe tactics that nurture the imagination, generate innovative ideas, and ease the response to change. The objective is not to diminish the value of or the need for heroes, but rather to balance the highly engaging personal side of creativity with an exploration of the more methodical organizational dimensions of this important corporate design asset. Case studies When Fritz Hahne was president of the Wilkhahn furniture company in Bad Munder, Germany, he articulated the company mission quite simply: "I don't want to react to the market; I want to create the market.' After more than 40 years under Hahne's leadership, Wilkhahn has transcended its humble beginnings to become an internationally recognized standard-bearer for classic modernism and innovation. In 1980, its FS office chair won accolades and a significant share of the market for its clean profile and sophisticated ergonomic design, which automatically adjusted to support users as they moved and shifted position. More-- recent products include the awardwinning Tubis bench system, used in airports around the world, and the new Sito family of cantilevered seating, whose components and fabrics can be changed periodically and recycled to renew the life of these chairs. Elegant office furnishings, including free-standing desks and storage units, as well as upscale seating for restaurants and public spaces, round out the Wilkhahn line. As Brigitte Wolf, professor in the design

department at Cologne, Germany's University of Applied Sciences, explains in her keynote article, Wilkhahn stimulates this creativity with many policies. It invests in detailed research, currently focusing on digital collaboration. It encourages debate and the exchange of ideas with outside experts. It is an advocate of green (ecological) design in design, as well as manufacture. It is relentless in the pursuit of quality and insists on a timeless aesthetic. It uses the architecture of its own buildings, as well as its products, to convey these design principles, and it shares facts and ideas-rather than images-to establish its identity. In addition, Wilkhahn management

is deeply committed to its workforce. The company has a flat organizational structure and a profit-sharing plan; it has a program for continuous learning, and it empowers staff to direct their own operations and participate in decision making. Taken together, says Wolf, these activities and philosophical ideals enable Wilkhahn to overcome challenges and maintain a distinctive reputation for excellence and design leadership. Kevin Connolly, chief product officer for State Street Investor Services, in Boston, describes the most recent innovation at his company as the shift from a customer to a product orientation. This is a dramatic change for a service business that is a world leader in the management, research, and servicing of investments, with further interests in international trading. Until a couple of years ago, sales representatives made sure State Street exploited its sophisticated technologies to customize the services each client wanted. While this kept customers happy and was profitable, it also resulted in duplication and a confusing array

of more than 250 branded products. To better integrate its expertise and sell across business lines, State Street recently established a product management office, which has streamlined and reduced the number of company brands. It has also created a uniform but flexible identity for core services. Today, customization remains key to the way State Street operates, but now it works within well-defined, broadly available business lines. It is a strategy-for the most part made visible through design-that has strengthened the company's reputation for creativity and leadership, and made it easier to monitor product development and growth, sell new services to existing clients, and entice new customers into the State Street fold.