Design management in the context of social responsibility

Abstract

Purpose. The need for socially responsible solutions has increased noticeably in recent years and Design Management (DM) as a tool to solve them is becoming even more complicated, requiring new competences. Currently DM has been changing its course to designing where the designing process is already used in management and this leads to application of Design Thinking methods that should take into consideration not only economic but also social, environmental and cultural aspects in order to create more socially responsible solutions.

The aim of this research is to ascertain the meaning and characteristics of DM for promoting socially responsible solutions, to take a critical look at DM’s development in the context of social responsibility and to develop a new approach in DM that promotes socially responsible solutions.

Main results and findings. Content analysis shows that among the many approaches and definitions of DM, none directly points to the role of DM in ensuring sustainability and social responsibility. There has been a conceptual transition to integrated conceptualization of DM, which allows the theoretical assumptions to move beyond traditional design practices and theories, and there is potential for new DM approaches that promote socially responsible solutions in a more focused manner.

Key contributions. This study provides a deeper understanding of DM, ascertains its meaning and characteristics, and determines gaps between different DM approaches in the context of social responsibility. Based on the literature review, the authors propose a new conceptual framework of DM for promoting socially responsible solutions and make recommendations for further applications in creative industries.

Social implications. This research and approach aim to solve social and environmental issues and improve quality of life by application of more advanced DM approaches.