Terry,
> I'd be interested to know how many and which
> graphic design courses contain
> a significant element of business theory and
> practice that would be sufficient for graphic
> designers to have sufficient business and
> commercial knowledge to be able to design
> brands and strategize business development.
Since I don't know the measure of sufficiency, I couldn't start to guess. If by "design brands" you mean be ready to take on the tasks a graphic designer or graphic design firm generally does in branding--not much if anything in the way of original customer research but analysis of the existing brand image and the creation of visual systems based on established marketing goals--then yes.
> Most business schools have difficulty in a 3 year degree
> in providing sufficient knowledge for business students
> to competently undertake business strategy planning
> and designing the underlying organisaitonal aspects
> necessary for a brand identity to be coherent.
Depending on what you mean, there may not be much of anyone who can do all of that. There is no doubt that the majority of my students are more capable of directing and executing the visual organization stuff right out of school than most people with MBAs can ever do. Their aptitude for and interest in the testing of their creation varies and is mainly insufficient by my standards.
My students do not, for the most part, learn anything about some aspects of business strategy. They study graphic design and not, say, financial analysis of marketing alternatives. In practice, I often have "marketing" clients with no clue about marketing and I pick up the slack (although not in areas like detailed analysis of pricing, choice of distribution systems, etc.) I cannot take up the slack if my client doesn't have a clue about any aspect of business. I don't suspect that my students will, either (not would they want to.)
> It would be useful information if graphic design schools
> are able to teach this knowledge in less time.
So it depends on what "this" knowledge is. If you gave me a list of specifics, I might be able to tell you more.
Gunnar
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Gunnar Swanson Design Office
1901 East 6th Street
Greenville, North Carolina 27858
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+1 252 258 7006
at East Carolina University:
+1 252 328 2839
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