Mission statement published following merger of Design Council and CABE
INDUSTRY will play a much greater role in the future design of healthcare buildings and systems according to the first mission statement published following the merger of the Design Council and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE).
The new organisation, which was formed as a result of the widespread review of arms-length bodies by the new coalition government, launched on 1 April and moving forward will have a much greater emphasis on working with industry.
Chief executive, David Kester, said: “Our new organisation has been reshaped and restructured to make our operations leaner, the remit broader, and with an even greater emphasis on working with partners in design, architecture, business, education and the public sector.”
Uniting two world-class centres of design excellence, our merger reflects the widening role and influence of design
The mission statement adds: “Uniting two world-class centres of design excellence, our merger reflects the widening role and influence of design. From the spoon, to the coffee-making machine, to hallway furniture, to the building, to the street, to the environment, to the neighbourhood, to the city - the power and potential of design is wonderfully evident.
“Away from physical ‘things’, services and systems can also benefit from a design-focused approach to problem solving. Our two organisations bring complementary skills and beliefs.
“We plan to broaden our spheres of influence, encouraging business decision-makers, policy-makers, educators, designers and architects to engage with the latest thinking on design and innovation. In this way, they’ll be empowered to make smart decisions that will benefit our communities and businesses.”
We plan to broaden our spheres of influence, encouraging business decision-makers, policy-makers, educators, designers and architects to engage with the latest thinking on design and innovation
Central to this plan is the creation of an open forum to gather views, discuss the major issues and give substance to the council’s advice to policy-makers. The first meeting will be held in June and members are currently being sought.
The mission statement says: “We must widen people’s acceptance of design as a tool to solve tough problems. When knotty challenges can’t be solved by business or government alone, design must be seen as the means to stimulate innovation and grow the economy. New design-led ideas can solve some of society’s problems, create new markets and turn them into business opportunities.
“To give impetus to this re-appraisal of design, we’re working with partners to organise open innovation competitions that will bring designers, manufacturers and technologists together to demonstrate how design can turn challenges into opportunities. Our immediate tasks will be to define the area or theme that will form the focus for the next demonstration, work with partners to shape the idea, and announce a new open innovation competition.”
When knotty challenges can’t be solved by business or government alone, design must be seen as the means to stimulate innovation and grow the economy
This approach follows in the footsteps of the Design Council’s involvement in the Department of Health’s Design Bugs Out and Design for Patient Dignity initiatives where designers worked with industry to create and market new equipment and systems to improve healthcare delivery.
The mission statement concludes: “Our immediate priorities are to establish CABE at the Design Council, make sure communities continue to receive advice and support, deliver design review and, crucially, bring the built environment and design communities together to create a long-term strategy for CABE at the Design Council.”