I come from a slightly unusual background applying for this program. That said, I think my uniqueness is also my strength. In this essay, I try to enumerate my experiences as a student and a working professional that have motivated me to pursue research. I would really appreciate all and any comments on the structure and content as well as thoughts on how well the writing presents my case and candidature.
What is the role of 'design' as a core competency for businesses, particularly large multinationals to be successful in the 21st century that thrives on innovation and globalization?
The past few years have seen many discussions about the convergence of creativity and business thinking; left brain vs. right brain management styles, the importance of strategic innovation and so on. The concept of 'Design thinking' has gained several notable proponents who today are front-runners in marketing it globally, as well as skeptics, who believe that this, like many in the past is only a temporary fad. It is clear however, based on arguments from both sides of the table that though this concept is widely 'known' it has yet to be clearly 'understood' and thus is in need for more research. My take on the subject adds another conundrum to this debate. Based on general observation, 'Design Thinking' has gained significant traction in the business world, with many large companies training and exposing their managers to this new ideology. However, would an organization think, operate and manage differently with a 'designer' at its helm or on the strategic decision panel? In short, does "Design Thinking" for managers = "Business Thinking" for designers?
Also, in the past few years, another development has taken place, which is relatively less debatable - the emergence of countries like India to join China, Brazil, South Korea, among others, on the road to becoming major economic players. These emerging nations, with their large populations, indigenous roots, huge socio-cultural disparities, and rising numbers of the educated middle class, offer a completely new and dynamic demand base - one that upsets prevalent business parameters/ algorithms. In most cases, the unexplored nature of these market places combined with their cultural diversities and financial retrains pose unique challenges to multinational organizations drawn to these mega-markets. It is here that I feel, more than in rest of the world, that business models become creative challenges rather than solely analytical solutions.
Marrying these two arguments leads to a subject that has engaged my interest, both professionally as well as personally, and which I believe is significant in today's global environment. How can designers who are trained and particularly good at joining seemingly random dots to visualize opportunities, responding to contexts and creating or inventing new arrangements, be leveraged to develop businesses strategies/networks/services for and in emerging economic markets?
The Strategy program at ABC School has been designed to encourage thinking and comprehension of the strategic direction for large complex organizations, with electives that focus on Managing Strategy in the global context and understanding industries and competitive dynamics, which makes it very fertile ground for my subject area. Some of the ongoing research at Smith was one my key reasons for being drawn to the school, particularly, Prof. XYZ's work with respect to Strategy in India and China, in the areas of 'Global Strategy and Organization' and 'Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship'. It was also very encouraging to learn about other pertinent initiatives like the newly inaugurated Center for LIC as well as the existing and potentially growing collaboration between the School of Business and Department of Art with the likes of Prof. LMN, who lectures extensively on the interface between design and business. I believe that the knowledge and understanding that I can gain during this PhD program, working with the ABC faculty who are leaders in the field, would act as an excellent catalyst to my extensive design background to further pursue this area of work, which had piqued my interest early in my academic career.
It was my creative aptitude that drew me to take up Architecture as my undergraduate studies followed by Masters in Industrial design. Throughout my years as a design student, I was involved with several initiatives leaning towards appropriation of innovations at grass-root levels, working with people and organizations motivated to address several socio-economic challenges in the country. It was this experience that redefined the meaning of 'design' for me, expanding its scope from a single experience to larger systems and networks. My master's thesis "Packaging with a Rural Focus" explored design solutions for new packaging systems using regional resources and materials like leaves and handmade paper. The project built on available small-scale industry capabilities to establish a distinct aesthetic identity for the region while expanding product offerings, promoting local art and monetizing existing skill sets. Collaborating with the community through the design and development process was a hands-on experience in 'co-creation' as well as an interesting exercise from a self-sustaining business perspective. The designed solution could potentially replace its plastic counterpart made in a larger industrial set up; leading me to the question - where is the line between indigenous contextual sensibilities of small scale businesses and mass manufacturing? Another interesting assignment I undertook was 'The Investigation of Indigenous Design Endeavors', a project carried out in collaboration with the NIF, to understand the parallel design activities that form a significant component of India's innovation fabric and explore how this can be channelized and optimized to alleviate challenges at grass-root levels. Both these assignments as well as my architecture graduation thesis involved extensive fieldwork, user study and analysis, which I feel will be helpful skills as I pursue research at doctoral level.
Since graduating, I have spent the past seven years working in a wide range of industries from furniture, and consumer products to signage and exhibitions in the diverse metropolises of MUM and WDC. As an architect and industrial designer in MUM, with one of the leading design firms in the country, I learnt how to couple my education with my understanding of the culture and ongoing trends to create a successful design, incorporating not only the client's stated needs, albeit vague and ambiguous, but also the important unstated ones. During this period, I was part of several key projects and worked with prominent corporations such as G, H, among others. My marriage then brought me to the United States in 2006, where I began my current career as an exhibit designer in the WDC area. Being an international leader in museum design, my current firm has allowed me to be an integral part of projects around the world such as "This is it", The official Michael Jackson Exhibit in London, several prestigious presidential libraries in the United States as well as projects like the Wuxi Science Museum in China and the proposed IME in India. Working on these diverse subjects and collaborating with global teams of consultants and experts has honed my understanding of operating cross-culturally and has made me more cognizant of the real challenges posed by "globalization". Being a midsized firm, we thrive on our reputation and quality of work, but it is equally important for us to balance that with tight budgets, frenetic work and travel schedules and high pressure deadlines. I have worked closely with project managers, creative directors and in many instances, the CEO of the company, exposing myself to various aspects of the business and decision making. This experience as an industry professional has allowed my ideas to mature and evolve into focused interest they have become; and the life and business skills gained in this phase of my career will contribute substantially towards my work as a researcher. To further equip me to tackle the analytical and mathematical aspects of this program; I intend to undertake spring courses in Economics and Applied Statistics.
With its mission towards creating business leaders for tomorrow, who need to come to grips with emerging markets and the growing integration of world economies, the ABC School is a pioneer in creating, understanding and leveraging the ever evolving business models, and would make an ideal incubator for my research. As mentioned earlier, although there has been a significant hype about the nexus between design and business strategy, little research has been conducted to question and explain the basic foundations of this theory; and I am eager to work on bridging this gap by pursuing further studies in the area Strategy management. My multifaceted design background and professional accomplishments uniquely position my candidature, providing a completely fresh and uncharted approach to this subject area; and given the nascent stage of research in this field, it will greatly contribute to the school's scholarship and mission of innovation and advancement.
This opportunity will not only allow me to explore a subject I am passionate about, but also take me one step closer, towards my ultimate goal of working in academia. Coming from a family of academics and researchers, my father, a professor of Social Sciences and mother, a Doctor and professor of Microbiology, there is not an iota of doubt in mind with regards to the importance of research and further education in fields that have the potential of reshaping current theories and practices. I am very glad that the ABC School endorses these values and I commend them for their continually increasing investment and commitment towards the school's PhD program and providing world-class infrastructure with research support to students, especially at a time when several others are downsizing. I will be honored to be a part of this great institution and lend my cultural and professional background to contribute to its spectrum of diversity and industry leading research, in its successful pursuit to becoming one of the country's top research schools.
