Dear Helle Abild,

Your query raises important general issues regarding the Ph.D. in design.
As you note, "the process is the same for every area," or it should be so.

The major issue is what you want out of a program. From your note, it seems
you want both a research training and an outcome that can be applied to
industry. This means you should consider schools that meet four criteria.

First, you should look for a school with a lively, well established
doctoral program. Schools with new programs often have a great deal to sort
out in terms of advising, supervision, and the kinds of intellectual and
personal support for research that a serious degree candidate requires.

If you are the first doctoral candidate at a school, you'll be blazing a
trail. That's great if what you seek is a grand range of freedom and an
open field. It's not so good if you want solid research training and an
outcome that can be put to use in industry.

Second, and related to the first point, is the doctoral support and
supervision skills of the faculty. It's been my observation that doctoral
candidates in new programs often graduate without the basics that are
assumed in other programs. This is especially the case where all or almost
all faculty members have themselves graduated from new programs. If you go
to a school with a robust tradition of doctoral education, you'll be more
likely to get the background you need.

Third, if you want to develop a robust research program that you intend for
industrial use, you should consider attending a school with strong programs
in technology and management. Even though your own doctoral work take place
in design, access to scholars, doctoral candidates and researchers in
industrial and management studies will make a major difference to you. In
good schools with strong departments and doctoral work in those fields, you
will also be able to take part in seminars and courses that you can make
use of in your own work.

Fourth, in considering a program, you must be clear on your own
requirements for design. A school that concentrates on fine, decorative or
applied arts or on formgivning generally takes a significantly different
approach that schools that work in the richer and more comprehensive
context of design for industry. Design is, in part, a matter of art and
aesthetics. This is particularly true of textile design. But design for
industry also involves materials science, technology, fabrication,
logistics, marketing, end user satisfaction, fashion, sociology of taste,
and recycling. Programs oriented toward the artistic approach tend to
concentrate on structure, form, and surface. In most cases, they are weak
in these other issues. In many cases, these issues get no attention at all.

Given these requirements, Tore Kristiansen's suggestions are first rate.
University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) offers
a good balance of these issues. There is also a first-rate business school
and strong connections to industry.

University of Art and Design Helsinki (UIAH) is a university devoted
strictly to art and design. This makes the studies there more limited. Even
so, the connections to industry and management are strong with Pekka
Korvenmaa as head of the research council. It is also possible to work with
scholars at other schools and to work with them, including Antti Ainamo and
Markku Salimaki at the Helsinki School of Economics and Business
Administration.

The Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology offers many of
these same advantages. In addition to a strong faculty, they have a large,
impressive group of doctoral candidates who form an important research
environment.

One more choice may be worth considering, the School of Design at Carnegie
Mellon University. While the doctoral program is new, the department has
many senior faculty with advanced research experience who are experience in
working with doctoral education. While the new doctoral program means
accepted candidates won't have as many doctoral colleagues as at other
schools, the opportunity for close work with faculty in one of the world's
leading research universities more than balances the equation.

There are certainly other programs that meet these criteria. If you measure
the programs against useful criteria, you'll soon locate a dozen or so
opportunities. At this time, none of the programs in Danish design schools
meet these criteria.

Tore Kristiansen himself is a senior scholar in design research and
management research both. You'll find him a rich resource for ideas and
contacts.

John Langrish is now retiring from Manchester Metropolitan University.
Unfortunately, you can no longer draw on his significant experience as a
supervisor of doctoral research. On the other hand, it's always possible
for you to call on him for advice.

Best regards,


Ken Friedman, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Leadership and Strategic Design
Department of Knowledge Management
Norwegian School of Management

+47 22.98.51.07 Direct line
+47 22.98.51.11 Telefax

Home office:

+46 (46) 53.245 Telephone
+46 (46) 53.345 Telefax

email: [log in to unmask]




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