Table of contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION
A. Problem formulation …………………………………………………………………………..13
B. Terminology ………………………………………………………………………………………..13
C. Objectives and research questions ……………………………………………………….14
D. Course of investigation ………………………………………………………………………..14
E. Contribution of this research ……………………………………………………………….16
CHAPTER TWO:
LITERATURE PART
A. Design within the design realm ………………………………………………………….. 17
I. The challenge of framing design ………………………………………………………17
II. Non-designers perceive design differently than designers do ………… 18
III. The importance of design is on the rise …………………………………………19
B. Design within the management realm …………………………………………………. 20
I. Strategic relevance of design ……………………………………………………………20
II. Design in established strategy frameworks …………………………………….21
C. The “perception gap” ……………………………………………………………………………24
I. Origins of and reasons for the “perception gap” ……………………………… 24
II. Four stakeholders and their impact on the “perception gap”………….. 29
CHAPTER THREE:
EMPIRICAL PART
A. Methodology ……………………………………………………………………………………….33
B. Research Design …………………………………………………………………………………..33
I. Survey period ………………………………………………………………………………….33
II. Survey approach ……………………………………………………………………………. 35
III. Selection criteria for the interview partners ………………………………….35
IV. Guiding interview questions …………………………………………………………35
CHAPTER FOUR:
RESULTS AS AGGREGATED FEEDBACK
A. Perspectives on the relationship between
designer and manager (non-designer) …………………………………………………37
B. Perspectives on the ability of design to contribute value to a business …. 39
C. Perspectives on the pain points in the cooperation between
designer and manager (non-designer) …………………………………………………41
D. Perspectives on how an ideal designer-manager-relationship
could look like …………………………………………………………………………………….45
E. Perspectives on ways to overcome the “perception gap” ………………………. 45
F. Expectations of designers and managers (non-designer)
towards representatives …………………………………………………………………………48
G. Expectations of representatives towards each other or a third-party ……. 50
CHAPTER FIVE:
DISCUSSION AND INTERPRETATION
A. The mutual perception of designers and managers (non-designers) ……. 53
I. The designer-manager-relationship ………………………………………………… 53
II. The power of design ……………………………………………………………………….54
B. The key pain points that contribute to the misunderstanding in
communication between designers and managers (non-designers) …….. 56
I. Briefing for and scope of the design process ……………………………………. 57
II. Costs and budgets …………………………………………………………………………. 58
III. Trust and fear in decision-making ………………………………………………..59
C. Overcoming the “perception gap” ………………………………………………………..61
I. Common language and values ………………………………………………………… 61
II. Getting expectations right ……………………………………………………………..62
III. Education on both sides ……………………………………………………………….62
D. The mutual expectations of designers, managers (nondesigners)
and representatives ………………………………………………………………………………63
I. Designers demand true representation and a
re-definition of the design profession ………………………………………………63
II. Managers demand access to design for SMEs and an
integration of design into business education and vice versa ………….64
III. Design representatives demand longer business cycles,
and the support of policymakers to completely rethink
school from the ground up ……………………………………………………………65
IV. Business representatives demand more pressure to
raise design awareness and hold design representatives
accountable for doing the same …………………………………………………….. 66

CHAPTER SIX:
CONCLUSION & FUTURE
MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS
Conclusion & Future Managerial Implications ………………………………………….67
LIMITATIONS …………………………………………………………………………………………71
REFERENCES …………………………………………………………………………………………..73
APPENDIX ………………………………………………………………………………………………77
A. Guiding interview questions for designers and
managers (non-designers) …………………………………………………………….. 77
B. Guiding interview questions for design and
business representatives …………………………………………………………………. 79