About

Design is more than just a beautiful surface! It is a fact that good design is an important part of the success of companies: Many studies have shown this and best practices such as Apple, BMW, dm or Patagonia live this, each of them in their respective manner. What these role models have in common is excellence thinking, which is also reflected in their design: They want to develop their capability to the fullest and do everything they can to develop it. In successful companies, design excellence is a decisive factor, its characteristics adjusted to the respective strategy.

In a comprehensive study, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, under the direction of Prof. Jan-Erik Baars, now wants to elaborate on design capabilities and clarify how they can be optimally developed in a company. Within the framework of a case study with various companies, a detailed assessment model is being developed that captures and describes design capabilities.
The goal is to develop a maturity model that helps companies identify strengths and weaknesses and thus develop design excellence.

With the support of the IDZ, the Swiss Design Association, Bayern Design and Design Austria, companies – and those who work for companies – are invited to participate in the study. Starting November 18, interested parties can assess their view of aspects of design excellence in their company via an online survey. The survey will run until mid-January 2023, and the study report is scheduled for February 2023.

Access to the survey will soon be available here.