PDR appointment for design ecosystem policy development

Written by Rose-Innes Designs on 31st July, 2014

We are proud to say that Michelle Rose-Innes has been appointed by PDR at Cardiff Met University as an advisor for design policy in Wales.

Michelle contributed to a series of workshops that was led by PDR for a project funded by SEE for design ecosystem development in Wales and Scotland. The design of the report and infographics were also designed by the team at the studio. 

Being selected for this prestigious steering committee means that Michelle can make a contribution towards bringing design right into the centre of decision making and business innovation in Wales. The research will result in a policy blueprint for change and its impact could be a game changer.

 
Michelle sums up her thoughts on design.
“Design is a powerful problem solving process that can have real value when applied to business, social and public sector issues.”
 “We need to open the perception of what ‘design’ really is, it’s not limited to the likes of graphics, fashion or product, but goes beyond that.”
 
She goes on to explain more about the theory of design, and defines it as a structured process for identifying problems and creating solutions. There are phases within that which are for discovering, defining, developing, testing and evaluating, but most importantly she stresses that good design is user-focused. She wants to bring the message home that the customer perspective is key.
 

Her experience of running projects through Insight Service Design (the first dedicated service design agency in Wales in 2012) has seen user centric design used successfully to transform products, services, systems and even entire organisations.
 
“It’s not about design in the traditional sense, but about a much more sophisticated approach that can be applied to problems that every business in Wales encounters”.
 
Those who are interested in developing innovation in their business, would be advised to keep their eyes peeled for the outcome of this policy consultation process.
 
Michelle is the director of Rose-Innes Design + Insight, a brand and marketing company originally set up in Caerphilly and now operates across the whole of Wales. Michelle also launched the first dedicated service design agency in Wales in 2012 called Insight Service Design and Innovation. Projects have included user centred design for a high street bank, user insights for Companies House and wayfinding solutions for hospitals. All these are a part of a folio of diverse projects where Michelle applies a design process. 
 
The research is headed by Anna Whicher, PDR (National Centre for Product Design and Development Research), Cardiff Metropolitan University and funded by the AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council). The research is called Mapping Design Innovation Ecosystems and will be presented to the Welsh Government to better support design as a factor for competitive advantage in Wales.