President's Column

Design entrepreneur considers both design and bussiness

Author:Prof. Dr. Peter Zec | 2016-11-18

In what respect dose a design entrepreneur differ from a designer? The biggest difference is in the implementation of design works: design entrepreneurs see design work as a "business", which sets them apart from creative but less commercially minded designers.


The design entrepreneur will first remove subjectivity and objectively evaluate which parts of the work can be better handled by others for efficiency and better results, and confident enough to assign tasks and responsibilities to others. Design entrepreneurs also see their business as an opportunity to try new things and find new partners and paths. The design entrepreneur combines the entrepreneurial drive for innovation with the designer's commitment to quality. If a designer is willing to take on this challenge, the entrepreneur is no longer just a client , but an ally of this designer.


This has changed the nature of the partnership, especially in the way the two sides communicate. Their goals -- the designer's desire to achieve the ideal design and the entrepreneur's desire to improve product sales -- are no longer at odds, because the success of the design entrepreneur depends on his partner. If both parties are willing to invest all their resources and capabilities towards a common goal, then design is not a source of contention, but a point of mutual understanding. Ideally speaking , the benefits of the product should be felt by the employees as well as investors. A creative designer without partner cannot achieve the result that requires teamwork as an indispensible force. People's fears, aspirations, hopes and problems should be addressed, because these are where the innovation comes from.


A design entrepreneur is always concerned with the current society. He/she is not only interested in the own design world, but also in business, industry, politics, art, religion or sports. If the design entrepreneur turns a blind eye to some of the issues in society, how can he/she be open to the excitement of new things?


Design entrepreneurs  abandon the romantic side of art designers in order to share risks and responsibilities with bussiness partners. It is precisely because the entrepreneur has the same understanding of business operation and speaks the same language as business partners that he/she can reduce the disputes related to design. After all, there is no doubt that design is the road to success, and design entrepreneurs do their best to keep proving that. In this way, the design can be endowed with distinct identification, and win due respect, status and recognition.

※ This article is published on the design column of "uDesign "


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