Transfer or Emergence: Strategies for Building Design Knowledge Through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

Abstract

The business of design is clearly a knowledge-based activity. Governments have introduced a variety of mechanisms to support knowledge transfer. One approach in the UK is the Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme, which supports collaboration between universities and businesses. This paper reflects on experiences of running design-related KTP programmes. Firstly, examples of KTP programmes with companies that were inexperienced in using design are reviewed. These KTP programmes have concentrated on transferring knowledge of tools, techniques and processes. Recent experience of a KTP programme with a company partner that is highly experienced in design is then examined. This KTP programme has been based on creating tools within the company partner through codifying existing tacit knowledge. Reflection on both approaches suggests that attention needs to be paid to the types of knowledge that might be involved in design-related KTPs. The paper concludes by suggesting ways of structuring KTP programmes to support tacit knowledge emergence.

KEYWORDS:

• tacit knowledge
• design management
• tools
• design consultancy

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Tom Inns

BIOGRAPHY

Professor Tom Inns was Director of the Design Research Centre at Brunel University until 1999 and was very involved in running KTP (then TCS) programmes with non design-experienced businesses. In 2000 Tom took up the post of Chair of Design at the University of Dundee. In 2004 he was appointed as Initiative Director of the AHRC/EPSRC-funded Designing for the 21st Century Research Initiative. Since 2005 he has run postgraduate modules in Strategic Product Development at the University of St Andrews, School of Management. Tom is the Principal Investigator on the University of Dundee KTP programme with Graven Images Ltd.

Seaton Baxter

Professor Seaton Baxter, OBE - After a long career in agricultural building research with the Scottish Agricultural College, Seaton Baxter moved to the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen in 1983 where he became an Assistant Principal. In 1999 he joined the School of Design, University of Dundee and established the Centre for the Study of Natural Design. Within the School he acts as a research mentor and PhD supervisor to staff and postgraduate students. He regularly talks on ecological design issues, complexity, emergence and the need for mankind to adopt natural design principles. He was awarded an OBE in 1998. Seaton is a Co-investigator on the University of Dundee KTP programme with Graven Images Ltd.

Emma Murphy

Emma Murphy works for the cross-disciplinary design consultancy Graven Images Ltd, based in Glasgow. She is currently employed as a KTP Associate and is studying for a PhD with the University of Dundee. Emma is an experienced researcher and linguist, having conducted a number of workplace, marketing and business development audits for international companies. Her research interests centre around the issue of managing creativity. Emma is particularly interested in design briefing, developing and integrating processes within creative organizations with tacit knowledge, and how design performance can be measured in terms of enhanced participation.