There is significant research on introducing Design Management and Design Thinking competencies in general Management education which normally examines the use and implementation of design strategies in situations in developed or fast developing economies or environments. This paper focuses on the development of a new design curriculum with a focus on design entrepreneurship and design thinking for rural and semi-rural art and craft entrepreneurs in the Eastern Caribbean. The smallness of the islands forces these businesses to be ‘born global’ and the reality of their contexts forces these entrepreneurs to play all of the major roles in their businesses from designer to manufacturer to strategist to marketer, among others. In a study undertaken in 2010 by the Organization of Eastern Caribbean states, many of these entrepreneurs expressed an interest in pursuing a diploma in design to support their need for innovation and continued growth. This paper examines the content that would be necessary in this curriculum to fulfil these aims, focusing on design thinking, design management and entrepreneurship, globalization strategies and general management abilities.

1. Developing a design curriculum for
artisans in the Eastern Caribbean
Lesley-Ann NOEL
University of the West Indies Trinidad & Tobago
lesley-ann.noel@sta.uwi.edu
19th%DMI:%Academic%Design%Management%Conference%
Design%Management%in%an%Era%of%Disrup;on%
London,%2–4%September%2014%%
1

2. 2

3. Grenada
St. Vincent & the
Grenadines
St. Lucia
Dominica
Montserrat
Antigua & Barbuda
St. Kitts and Nevis
Anguilla
British Virgin Islands
3

4. How does one
develop a design
curriculum for
Caribbean arts
and crafts
entrepreneurs?
4

5. Methodology
• Baseline Survey conducted
• Collective ‘Vision’ developed
• Stakeholder gaps identified
• Strategic Plan & Action Plan
developed – with many projects
to be implemented
For curriculum project
• Review of Literature conducted
• Draft Curriculum prepared based
on identified and observed
stakeholder gaps/needs and
Literature Review
• Curriculum not yet tested
5

6. Some Results of Baseline Survey
98 arts and crafts practitioners
interviewed in 9 territories.
• >50% over the age of 35
• 62% of craftspeople surveyed were
women
• Majority self-taught
• Exports accounted for less than 10% of
sales
• Low levels of technology and ICT usage
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7. Some Results of Baseline Survey
Participants vision for the ‘arts and crafts’ sector in the
Eastern Caribbean:
• To develop authentic craft products unique to each island
• To develop island brands
• To receive greater recognition by the governments and the
public of the contribution of the artisan-entrepreneurs to
the economy.
Areas for development identified in the study under the
headings:
• capacity building,
• market development,
• institutional strengthening.
7

8. Types of Training requested by participants
Technical)Training) Business)Training) Other)Training)Requested)
Technology%Tools%and%
Machinery%%
Record%Keeping%and%Cash%
Management%%
Product%Quality%Standards%
Product%Design%% Marke;ng%for%Ar;sans%% Website%Development%
Technical%Skills%% Small%Business%
Management%%
Market%research%
ICT%for%Entrepreneurs%% Understanding%Business%
Finance%%
Export%Market%Informa;on%
Trend%Analysis%% Export%Marke;ng%% WebRbased%Marke;ng%
Export%Product%
Cos;ng%and%Pricing%%
Development%%
Business%Planning%%
Customer%Service%
8

9. The curriculum must:
(Artisan Perspective)
• Improve Artisan Knowledge on
Technology Tools and Machinery
• Increase Product Design Ability
• Promote Increase in Technical Skills
• Impart information on how to
conduct Trend Analysis
• Include Export Product
Development and Export Marketing
Methodologies
9

10. The curriculum must:
(Artisan Perspective)
• Develop authentic craft products
unique to each island
• Include Marketing for Artisans
• Develop Small Business Management
Ability
• Include Record Keeping and Cash
Management
• Increase competitiveness, increase
income and create jobs
• Improve the quality, design and variety
of craft produced
10

11. Sebastian Fixson & James Read
• Promote innovation leaders
• Develop problem –solving ability
• Develop design responsibility / ethics
11
The curriculum must:
(Perspectives from the Literature)

12. The curriculum must:
(Perspectives from the Literature)
Angharad Thomas
• Strengthen the local design
capacity
Thomas recognizes that poor
producer groups often do not have
design capabilities ‘in the
conventional sense’ and little
knowledge of market demands of
the developed world.
12

13. The curriculum must:
(Perspectives from the Literature)
Alain Findeli
• Everyone agrees on the necessity of
including art, science and technology
in a design curriculum, but disagrees
on the relative importance of each.
• there can be no responsible design
without a responsible designer and
therefore that design education should
be directed to the development of
individualistic ethics
13

14. Perspectives from the Literature
Birger Sevaldson
Birger)Sevaldson’s)recommenda9on)on)skills)required)by)designers)
All%% Composi;on%skills,%synthesizing%skills,%ethics%%
Most%% Crea;vity,%flow,%intui;on,%%
sustainability,%design%thinking,%aesthe;c%skills,%%
some%media%knowledge,%%
skills%in%tools%and%design%media,%%
drawing,%sketching,%computer%graphics%%
A%majority%% Social%skills,%empathy,%cultural%knowledge,%%
crossRcultural%understanding,%%
communica;on%skills,%business%understanding,%%
innova;on,%systems%prac;ce%and%understanding,%%
product%service%systems,%visual%thinking,%%
some%spa;al%understanding,%coRdesigning,%facilita;on%%
14

15. Perspectives from the Literature
Birger Sevaldson
Birger)Sevaldson’s)recommenda9on)on)skills)required)by)designers)
A%minority%% Poli;cal%knowledge,%society,%sta;s;cs,%%
academic%wri;ng,%management%skills,%%
lower%level%mathema;cs,%coping%with%thrownness,%%
ar;s;c%skills,%engineering%skills,%marke;ng,%%
advanced%understanding%of%space,%%
ability%to%redefine%and%open%new%fields%for%design,%%
some%basic%systems%theories%%
Few%% High%level%mathema;cs,%%
ethnography,%systems%theories,%%
informa;on%visualiza;on%skills%%
15

16. The curriculum must:
(Perspectives from the Literature)
Donald Norman
• Merge science, technology,
art and business
• Impart knowledge on:
– societal issues,
– techniques for subtle
persuasion,
– intricacies of complex,
interdependent systems
16

17. The curriculum must:
(Perspectives from the Literature)
Robin Vande Zande
• Focus on innovation and
creativity
• Promote Flexibility and
adaptability
• Promote Collaboration
• Promote Communication
• Promote Social Responsibility
17

18. 18
The curriculum must:
(Perspectives from the Literature)
Boore and Porter
(Entrepreneurship Education)
• Integrate entrepreneurial content
throughout programme rather than as
separate modules
• Develop content under key themes:
– Reflective and Proficient Practice
– Theoretical and Professional Issues
– Leadership and Management
– Communication, Teaching and Learning
– Research and Evidence Informed Practice

19. Draft Certificate in
Design and
Business Management 19

20. Structure
3 semester Certificate in Design and Business Management
Aim:
To promote among the participants a long-term,
sustainable design and business management ability with
a focus of creative and innovative problem solving, that
will allow them to attain or surpass their goals of
– growing their businesses
– becoming more competitive,
– increasing their incomes
– creating more employment
– gaining more recognition from the government and society
20

21. An interdisciplinary and integrated curriculum which
includes:
– elements of design practice and design research methods;
– materials and technology knowledge;
– business practice;
– ethics and responsibility
– elements of the Caribbean and global context are
woven into each scheduled project.
The curriculum will also provide an alternative entry
route to a degree in Design, the Visual Arts or
Business Management
And provide an alternative route into careers outside
of the arts and crafts
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Approach

22. Delivery
• Blended delivery format part online, with
limited residency requirements (e.g. 2
weeks in Trinidad) given the geographic
expansiveness of the target region, and the
work schedules of the artisans.
22

23. Theme)
Semester%1 Core%Theme:%Design%And%Business%Founda;ons%
Content:%Culture,%Emo;on,%Business%Planning,%Introduc;on%to%
Marke;ng%
Projects:%Simple%group%and%individual%design%projects%with%a%
focus%on%problem%framing%and%the%itera;ve%design%process%
and%integra;ng%business%development%in%the%process.%
Semester%2 Core%Theme:%Export%Product%Development%
Content%:Design%Thinking,%Materials%&%Technology%Research,%
New%Product%Development%&%Planning,%
Semester%3 Core%Theme:%Design%&%Social%Responsibility%
Content%:Ethics,%Environmental%Impact,%Designing%for%‘the%
Bo^om%of%the%Pyramid’%etc.%
Independent%Capstone%Project:%%
Manufactured%product%or%Socially%Responsible%Design%Project%
(3%months)%
23

24. Conclusion
• This draft curriculum is an attempt to
draft a dynamic curriculum for arts and
crafts practitioners in the Eastern
Caribbean that will help them to achieve
some of their own goals, as well as
address the aims of design education.
24

25. References
Findeli, A. (2001). Rethinking Design Education For The 21st Century: Theoretical, Methodological, And Ethical
Discussion. Design Issues, 17, 5-17.
Noel, L., Charles, A. (2011) Strategic Plan 2010 – 2015: A Diagnostic Review of the OECS-EDU Clients in the Arts
and Craft Sector. Retrieved from 10 May, 2014, from
https://www.academia.edu/1250600/Strategic_Plan_Arts_Crafts_Sector_Diagnostic_Review
Norman, D. (2010, 10 May 2014). Why Design Education Must Change. Core77. Retrieved 10 May, 2014, from
http://www.core77.com/blog/columns/why_design_education_must_change_17993.asp
Porter, S., & Boore, J. (2010). Education for entrepreneurship in nursing. Nurse Education Today, 184-191.
Read, J. M., & Fixson, S. K. (2012). Creating Innovation Leaders: Why We Need to Blend Business and Design
Education. Design Management Review, 4-12.
Sevaldson, B., (2014, 10 May 2014) What Designers Need PHD-DESIGN ARCHIVES Retrieved 10 May, 2014 from
https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A2=PHD-DESIGN;c301d0ca.1405
Thomas, A. (2009). Design, Poverty, and Sustainable Development. Design Issues, 22, 54-65.
Zande, R. V. (2011). Design Education Supports Social Responsibility and the Economy. Arts Education Policy
Review, 26-34.
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Thank You!