Instructor: Raffi Minasian

This year's Innovation Studio will follow similar format as the previous year's. The theme for this year is to focus on the troubles facing the recording industry and envision a solution for it. The first residency in Innovation Studio was about context and observation. The project groups have been formed and drawing upon the learning in the class, the groups have delved deep into researching phase; interviewing and context gathering on everything about the recording industry.

For those following along at home, the required books this semester include:
Product Design & Development, Fourth Edition by Karl T. Ulrich & Steven D. Eppinger
Prophet of Innovation: Joseph Schumpeter and Creative Destruction by Thomas K. McCraw
Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping by Paco Underhill

It has been an exciting beginning to residency 2 with the Innovation Studio class. The class started with group presentations of user research. Guest speakers, Vinitha Watson and David Watson, talked about their music production incubator: the Zoo Music Incubator. Their talk was inspiring and tied into the context of the project theme - envisioning new solutions for the troubled recording industry. The talks sparked a discussion on innovation cultures and concept generation, followed by a brainstorming session and the ABC Nightline, Deep Dive video, featuring IDEO. This wrapped the day nicely.

Here we go!
As students immerse themselves excitedly into the Live Exchange experience, they continue to explore their strengths (via the Strengths Finder and HayGroup Emotional and Social Competency Inventory) as a way to improve skills needed to succeed in today's marketplace. Activities such as the coach/coachee training will allow them to build an engaging relationship with their classmates. At the same time, these activities provide in-depth analyses of current situations in relation to each person's personality. During this second residency, students in Live Exchange also had the opportunity to receive feedback and training from Udaya Patnaik, CEO of Jump Associates. Patnaik's ideas included providing students with the skills needed to engage audiences and give successful public presentations. As Linda Yaven continued to enlighten the class with practical exercises, students had the opportunity to put some of the learned material into practice through a 7-minute presentation. Live Exchange Second Residency came to a quick end, leaving students with a number of insights to help them improve their skills in the weeks to come.

Instructor for red Cohort: James Forcier
Instructor for purple Cohort: Amy Whitaker

This year's Managerial Economics will follow similar format as the last year's. This course is designed to help business leaders increase their effectiveness by learning the fundamental principles that underlie market economics. The course begins with an overview of neoclassical microeconomic theory, such as supply-and-demand theory, market capital, profit and production maximization, types and structures of organizations and markets, market failures and inefficiencies, and the economic understanding of "the public good." It also explores new approaches to integrating and measuring economic impacts for human and natural capital - not only financial capital - and examines how design and innovation can drive strategic value for an organization, as well as for the market as a whole.

For those following along at home, the required books this semester include:
• The Micro Economy Today, 11th Edition, by Bradley R. Schiller
• A custom textbook by the course instructor, James Forcier, based on Managerial Economics and Organizational Architecture, 4th Edition by James Brickley, Clifford W. Smith, and Jerold L. Zimmerman

Instructor for red Cohort: Robert Sevy
Instructor for purple Cohort: Daniel Sevall

This course remains the same from previous years; the course integrates the principles of financial and managerial accounting. Students will learn how to evaluate the performance of an organization and use this understanding to shape more sustainable organizational decisions.

For those following along at home, the required books for this course include:
• Understanding the Corporate Annual Report: Nuts, Bolts, and a Few Loose Screws, by Lyn M. Fraser and Aileen Ormiston
• Accounting for Decision-Making and Control 6th Edition by Jerold L. Zimmerman
• Three Harvard Business School case Studies: Industrial Grinders, Colorscope, and Dakota Office Products

Instructor for purple cohort: Linda Yaven.

This year, this course is offered in the first semester for the purple cohort and in the second semester for the red cohort. The course will follow similar format as last year's.

More than just learning the right vocabulary, effective communication relies on an understanding of how words structure thought and action. This course constructs a specific new language for business interactions that serves as a foundation for building trust, creating effective teams, managing efficiently, strengthening leadership, improving listening and speaking skills, and enhancing interpersonal dynamics. By using these skills throughout the program, students learn techniques for creating work environments that are healthy and respectful and that improve overall performance.

Most of the readings for this course use a reader that gathers articles, reports, and chapters throughout a wide variety of sources and, unfortunately, isn't available outside the program. However, there are few required books as well:
For those following along, the required books for this course include:
• Difficult Conversations, How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, Sheila Heen, and Roger Fisher
• A General Theory of Love, by Dr. Thomas Lewis
• Developing Management Skills, 7th Edition, by David A Whetten and Kim S. Cameron.
• The Power of a Positive No, by William Ury.
• Kolb Learning Style Inventory, Publisher Hay Group and Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument; distributed in class.

Instructor for red cohort: Sharon Green.

This year, the course is offered in the first semester for the red cohort while the purple cohort taken on Live Exchange in the first semester.

Leadership is much more than exercising authority. It is the ability to create a compelling vision that others want to follow. A strong organizational leader respects individuals, delegates work, and enables others to perform to the best of their abilities. This course illuminates the traits of effective leadership and demonstrates a variety of approaches to enable students to become leaders themselves as well as to help other leaders in an organization to emerge. Students discuss leading in both entrepreneur and intrapreneur contexts and explore some of the key tasks of a leader, including creative brainstorming, evaluating business opportunities, and communicating these opportunities to a variety of stakeholders. This course also gives students the opportunity to practice techniques of negotiation and sales.

For those following along at home, the required book for this course include:
• A Whole New Mind, by Daniel Pink
• Developing Management Skills, 7th Edition, by David A Whetten and Kim S. Cameron.

Gap's Logo redesign sparks an engaging discussion amongst purple cohort and is the inspiration for Eric's post [Beyond the Gap]

California College of the Arts (CCA) announces the launch of the IMPACT Social Entrepreneurship Awards. The program will enable interdisciplinary teams of CCA students to develop and implement social innovations through their studies in art, architecture, design, and writing. Four IMPACT Awards up to $10,000 each will be given annually, beginning in spring 2011.


President Stephen Beal commented, "CCA was founded on the principles of the Arts and Crafts movement, which emphasized the power of creative work to make a positive impact on society. That tradition continues today as our students express an eagerness to develop solutions to a broad range of the world's most pressing issues, from poverty and youth education to access to clean water and the general need for more sustainable practices. The IMPACT Awards will reward those students who want to make a difference in their communities and beyond."



Program Details:

The IMPACT Awards will be one of the anchor initiatives of CCA's Center for Art and Public Life. They are open to teams of undergraduate and graduate students from all academic programs. After a rigorous selection process, the college will award the best projects that emphasize interdisciplinary engagement, social entrepreneurship, and collaborative relationships with community partners. All projects will require a detailed action plan that supports social and humanitarian goals. The teams will benefit from the guidance of graduate student mentors from CCA's MBA in Design Strategy program.



Center for Art and Public Life Director Sanjit Sethi commented, "These awards celebrate the creative problem-solving spirit, and they give CCA students the tools and resources they need to create tangible changes in their communities."
Collaboration with MBA in Design Strategy


Collaboration with MBA in Design Strategy

A critical element of the IMPACT Social Entrepreneurship Awards is the collaboration of CCA's groundbreaking MBA in Design Strategy. Selected alumni and second-year students will serve as mentors throughout the processes of project development and implementation. They will bring valuable perspectives based on design thinking and integrative methods for effective and collaborative problem solving.



More Information:

Information sessions will be held for students interested in learning more about this new opportunity, as follows:

• Friday, October 22, 6−7:30 p.m., The Nave, San Francisco campus

• Wednesday, October 27, 11 a.m.−12 p.m., Center for Art and Public Life, Oakland campus

• Thursday, October 28, 11.a.m.−12 p.m., Graduate Center, Room 4, San Francisco campus



For further information please visit www.center.cca.edu or email impact@cca.edu.

Check out this great article by Adam Dole on how gaming can influence and inspire positive social behaviors. He believes that applying gaming principles such as entertaining, competitive, visual, and rewarding as design attributes brings behavioral change. According to Dole, this behavioral change has the potential to impact the world's most pressing social problems.

Presented as part of CCA's Graduate Studies Lecture Series, we are honored to announce Hunter Lovins speaking to us on October 21st 2010 at 7pm - 9pm in Timken Lecture Hall (San Francisco campus). Hunter will talk about what steps we can take to redesign systems to be more sustainable in ecological, social, cultural, and financial terms.

For the past 30 years, as an author and promoter of sustainable development, she has worked to build teams that can create and implement practical and affordable solutions. She is the founder and president of Natural Capitalism Inc. and the Colorado-based nonprofit Natural Capitalism Solutions. She has taught at several universities and consulted for a wide array of citizens' groups, governments, and corporations. In 1982, with her then-husband, she cofounded the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and served as its CEO for strategy until 2002. Lovins also helped establish, and was for six years assistant director of, the California Conservation Project (Tree People), an urban forestry and environmental education group.

As a speaker and consultant Lovins has addressed the World Economic Forum, the U.S. Congress, the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and hundreds of major conferences. She was named a Hero of the Planet by Time magazine. She received her undergraduate degree in sociology and political science from Pitzer College and a law degree from Loyola Law School.

Please join us and meet Hunter on the 21st.

Information Night
Tuesday, November 9, 2010.
7 - 9pm
Timken Lecture Hall at CCA San Francisco Campus



Please join us for an in-depth look at our MBA in Design Strategy. Meet MBA Chair Nathan Shedroff as he introduces faculty and current students in an evening dedicated to public awareness of the design strategy program at CCA. Learn more about new trends in business education and why CCA 's innovative MBA program will give our graduates an edge in the new emerging global economy.

Note: Due to the limited schedule of the evenings presentation, we invite prospective students to schedule a separate appointment with the graduate admissions office for a portfolio review on another day.

RSVP for this event »

Directions to 1111 8th Street San Francisco, CA 94107 »
San Francisco campus map (PDF)

This third residency for Live Exchange was full of excitement and surprises. The day started with students sharing insights and feedback from the book "Difficult Conversations". Students also shared among themselves the topic of a difficult conversation they would have with someone else in order to practice what they had learned from the book. Later that day, students also enjoyed the visit of Chris Sams from BATS Improve. Chris led the class by engaging students in various activities related to improvisation. The students performed a couple of improvised presentations which were joyful and rewarding. As the day approached an end, students had the opportunity to perform their TUS7M (Teach Us Something in 7 Minutes) presentations which will be presented on Saturday Nov. 20th at 7pm at CCA's Timken Lecture Hall.