ABOUT
Introducing the Strategic Design
With “advanced design” as its educational philosophy, the Course of Strategic Design aims to produce design strategists that will meet the future demands of society.
In addition to branding and design management for corporations and organizations, students will study design strategy in relation to society, the economy, and industry, in order to equip themselves with the skills and knowledge applicable to startup businesses, circular economies that are expected to realize as sustainable societies in accordance with the sustainable development goals, and other elements of the economic society of the future. For this purpose, the course is composed of three areas of study: Design Strategy, which is the core area of the course, and two newly opened areas that have both evolved from Design Strategy, namely, Design Business Entrepreneurship Strategy and Social Design Strategy.
Teaching a synthesis of design, business, and entrepreneurship, such as in the field of Design Business Entrepreneurship Strategy, is conducted in coordination with the Kyushu University Graduate School Economics Industrial Management Course (Kyushu University Business School [QBS]) and the Robert T.Huang Entrepreneurship Center of Kyushu University (QREC). Classes taught at the faculties of these schools will be made available to all students of our graduate school, to allow them to gain deeper understanding of the significance of synthesising design with business and entrepreneurship.
Unique elements of the Strategic Design Course
SOCIAL DESIGN STRATEGY
Students will experientially learn design approaches and methods for administrative design, such as societal design, and design to realize circular economies and sustainable societies in accordance with the sustainable development goals. Students will apply these approaches and methods to address various social issues from a global perspective of social inclusion and solve these issues through business.
DESIGN STRATEGY
The core area of this course is the study of design strategy, which harnesses the research and educational approach that was developed by the former Department of Design Strategy. This area of study aims to promote a common literacy applicable to a wide range of fields from business to branding and design management, allowing students to gain knowledge and practical learning of specialized methods.
DESIGN BUSINESS
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
STRATEGY
Students will gain a deep understanding of diverse approaches and methods to fuse business and entrepreneurship with design. Students will gain experiential learning in fields that will prepare them to change society with a spirit of entrepreneurship as they experiment with new approaches, such as art thinking, that are currently gaining attention in the business world.
Master’s degree in Design Strategy
The Department awards a master’s degree in Design Strategy to students who have completed their studies in design business methodology and acquired specialized knowledge on business design and entrepreneurship, regardless of their course. In order to receive this degree in Design Strategy, students must write a master’s thesis that incorporates research related to business and/or entrepreneurship.
Image of the type of talent the programme fosters
Based on the philosophy and goal of “advanced design education,” we will train strategic designers who can accurately grasp, conceive, and implement diverse relationships and directions related to design strategy, design researchers who can evaluate and analyze them, innovation leaders who can build methodologies for starting a business based on business knowledge and entrepreneurship, and human resources with such expertise.
Learning objectives
A-1）Independent learning
To be able to identify problems and examine them creatively and critically based on a background of in-depth specialized knowledge and broad general foundations.
A-2）Collaboration
To be able to exchange diverse types of knowledge and collaborate with others to solve problems.
B）Knowledge and understanding
To possess advanced expertise in design practice (from conceptualization to actual planning, production, intellectual property, distribution, and sales) and advanced expertise in entrepreneurship such as leadership and team communication and to be able to explain the methodologies of these practices after having gained sufficient understanding.
C-1）Application of knowledge and understanding
The ability to utilize one’s knowledge and understanding in the creation of intellectual property based on a fundamental understanding of business centered around design. The ability to develop new design needs in relation to society, the economy, and industry and the ability to develop methodologies that lead to solutions along with higher-order design skills that enable the construction of methodologies for entrepreneurship and practice based on business knowledge and entrepreneurship.
C-2）Creation of new knowledge
By collaborating with disciplines that differ from design strategies, students will be able to raise complex issues in society and provide practical directions for their resolution while comprehensively utilizing specialized knowledge.
D）Application of knowledge and understanding in practical situations
Grasp, conceptualize, and practice strategies related to the social implementation and business of design and evaluate and analyze them while constructing methodologies that lead to entrepreneurship and social practice.