Award-winning Design Management Approach
Award-winning Design Management Approach
The Brief
MATUROLIFE project objective is to put creative and artistic design at the heart of the innovation journey to develop fashionable smart solutions (Smart footwear, sofa, and clothing) for older people. The design coupled with advanced innovative materials provided high value, aesthetically pleasant, and functional products for Assistive Technology (AT). Assistive Technology product's purpose is to increase the quality of life, well-being, and independence for older people.
This ambitious project brings together 20 partners: 11 SMEs from 9 EU countries to work for 36-month on a 6-million-euro project. SMEs with scientists worked on cutting edge advances in electrochemistry and nanotechnology. With their help in the materials supply chain, we were able to have an innovative highly conductive, multifunctional smart textile which enables us to produce novel AT prototypes.
The project is lead by Coventry University and funded by European Commission Horizon2020 program.
GEDS was asked to lead the design of MATUROLIFE. As the lead design company,
The approach
As the design lead company, we used several design methodologies such as design management, design research, service design, circular design, and interaction design.
GEDS team had to organize flawless work between diverse participants to bring such a vast project to success. The first task was to work across multiple disciplines within a complex set of parameters to develop functional prototypes to meet the user needs. The second task was to create a structure and process for participants on the project from 20- companies, 9- countries, and 6-types of organizations with different styles, priorities and subject languages, to work together.
In a planning phase, we had to investigate, map and understand teams skills to develop tools and strategy for the iterative Design Management process. After conducting all the needed information, we trained participants (engineers, chemists, designers, manufacturers, and psychologists) on a basic design methodology to have a coherent understanding of project development.
Design Methodology tools such as service design maps, iteration tools, user scenarios, and interaction details, were used to create a visual, common language for designers and non-designers alike.
To align multidisciplinary partners, GEDS used storytelling as a tool to create an organizational culture around the user, minimizing the role of individual designers and increasing the use of collaborations and consensus decision-making.
The Impact
The world population is increasing. By 2050, the number of people aged 60 years and older expected to be 2 billion. If smart AT products developed by MATUROLIFE help keep just 10% of elderly over 75 out of expensive long-term care, it could save EU member states €60 billion. The importance of such project success is immense, as it will improve the elderly market. According to the failure rate among products and services introduced in the business world each year is up to 80%. A higher failure rate in EC research projects expected, where aligning many partners from countries with different cultures, priorities, and subject languages is a challenge. Delivering a successful Design Management process in a highly demanding project proves the discipline value and that Design Management market worth investing billions of euros.
MATUROLIFE’s principal investigator professor Andrew Cobley of Coventry University summarized the impact of the work:
“As principal investigator for the whole of the MATUROLIFE project – and as an electrochemist by training – I always knew that one of the greatest challenges this project faced was communication. To be effective, we needed people from such different disciplines as chemistry and creative design, electronic engineering, and textile manufacturing, to be able to understand each other and communicate effectively. Design Management has helped us tear down those barriers and with a common goal and strong commitment, the consortium has created radical and exciting designs for assistive technology for older adults.".
The MATUROLIFE initiative is a clear demonstration of the value of rigorous Design Management applied in a highly complex multidisciplinary collaboration between academic institutes and industry.
GEDS has won second place at the Design Management Institute’s 2019 Design Value Awards with its innovative design management perspective in MATUROLIFE: Please visit our press release for more details: https://geds.com.tr/turkish-design-consultancy-bags-award-from-dmi/
