http://www.designmba.org/blog/ en Copyright 2008 Sun, 25 May 2008 19:45:41 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss In addition to readings and films to watch, we're encouraging our students to spend some time over the Summer carefully observing and sketching. Sketching is one of those critical communication skills that only gets better with practice. It's core to visual communication whether someone is drawing a picture, a diagram, or a system. Each week, we'll take a new theme and share the best of our sketches for comments and feedback but, mostly, the point is simply to loosen-up our wrists and arms and practice. Hands Shoes Trees/Plants Building in Perspective People Shopping Skyline Landscape Portrait Animal System Self-portrait Emotion (can be representational or abstract) http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/05/summer_sketchingobservation_cl.html http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/05/summer_sketchingobservation_cl.html Sun, 25 May 2008 19:45:41 -0800 The Apartment, dir: Bill Wilder (1960) Netflix Amazon Who Killed the Electric Car?, (2006) Netflix Amazon Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, (2005) Netflix Amazon Blade Runner, The Final Cut dir: Ridley Scott (1982/2007) Netflix Amazon How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, dir: David Swift (1967) Netflix Amazon The Hudsucker Proxy, dir: Cohen Brothers (1994) Netflix Amazon Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, dir: Robert Greenwald (2005) Netflix Amazon Why Wal-Mart Works; and Why That Drives Some People C-R-A-Z-Y, dir: Ron Galloway (2005) Netflix Amazon An Inconvenient Truth, dir: Davis Guggenheim (2006) Netflix Amazon The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) Netflix The Yes Men, dir: Chris Smith, Sara Price (2004) Netflix Amazon Startup.com, dir: Jehane Noujaim, Chris Hegedus (2001) Netflix Amazon]]> http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/05/summer_film_list.html http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/05/summer_film_list.html Sun, 25 May 2008 19:28:57 -0800 Gangs of America by Ted Nace, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, ISBN: 1576753190 Utopian Entrepreneur by Brenda Laurel, MIT Press, ISBN: 0262621533 As The Future Catches You by Juan Enriquez, Three Rivers Press, ISBN: 1400047749 Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge, Tor Science Fiction, ISBN: 0812536363 Built to Last by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras, Collins, ISBN: 0060566108 Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud, Kitchen Sink, ISBN: 0878162437 The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand, Signet, ISBN: 0451191153 No Logo by Naomi Klein, Picador, ISBN: 0312421435 Free Lunch by David Kay Johnson, Portfolio, ISBN: 1591841917 The Opposable Mind by Roger Martin, Harvard Business School, ISBN: 1422118924 Why We Shop by Paco Underhill, Texere, ISBN: 158799044X The Creative Priority by Jerry Hirshberg, Collins, ISBN: 0887309607 All are available at Amazon (just click the links)]]> http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/05/summer_reading_list.html http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/05/summer_reading_list.html Sun, 25 May 2008 19:20:45 -0800 As of this week, we have a full class of students to start in the Fall. Of the 90 applications we received, we accepted 38 and 31 have decided to come. That's an unprecedented yield of over 80%--more than any other program here at CCA. It's also one more than our plan so it may be a tight fit in the classrooms. Our students come from a wide range of experiences and background--just what we had hoped for. About two thirds have traditional design backgrounds, including fashion, interaction, industrial, interior, and graphic design. The rest have a variety of business experience as entrepreneurs, managers, and leaders. We have a few international students joining us and expect about 5-6 to be commuting to the program monthly from around the USA. We plan to enroll the class into our online learning system ASAP as we have a full summer of activities planned for them, including a summer reading list, film list, and sketching schedule. We'll be posting each of these in the next week or so. Congratulations to this pioneering cohort! http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/05/a_full_class.html http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/05/a_full_class.html Fri, 09 May 2008 11:28:13 -0800 Unreadymades, is an insightful depiction of the possibilities and the dynamics of thoughtful, meaningful customization. There's also a nice interview with him here: Mass Customizaion Blog]]> http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/04/unreadymades_an_exploration_of.html http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/04/unreadymades_an_exploration_of.html Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:04:59 -0800 www.cca.edu/sustainable]]> http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/03/summer_institute_in_sustainabl.html http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/03/summer_institute_in_sustainabl.html Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:31:56 -0800 We've received an overwhelming response to our call for students to start the first class of students in this new program this Fall. In addition to the more than 70 applications, we're impressed by the quality and diversity of applicants applying to the program. Since we're only looking for a maximum of 30 students for the Fall class, it looks like we have more than enough to have a stellar group this Fall. We're almost through the acceptance process so we should be getting back to students soon. http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/02/76_applications_for_the_first.html http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/02/76_applications_for_the_first.html Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:41:00 -0800 IBM study reports that businesses that strategically support corporate social responsibility perform better and enjoy advantages.]]> http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/02/responsible_businesses_are_mor.html http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/02/responsible_businesses_are_mor.html Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:22:28 -0800 As of this morning, DMBA program has officially received 60 applications so far! Given that we're only looking for 25-30 total for the program it looks, after less than 5 months, we've already found enough fantastic students to have a full program in the program's first year. Of course, we don't yet know how many are qualified but, based on the students I've interviewed over the phone and in person over the past months, I'm very confidently that we have some awesome students in this first cohort. We'll start the process of reviewing these applications and will be making the first acceptances in mid-February. I think this is also more indication that these issues are resonating with people and that the time is right to be seriously addressing how design and business can better create change in the world, together. http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/01/a_great_start_to_the_new_year.html http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/01/a_great_start_to_the_new_year.html Tue, 22 Jan 2008 16:00:08 -0800 My talk at MacWorld today was no exception. While there are many companies exploring and manufacturing products that excel in sustainable criteria, one of the most recognizable and easy-to-understand for people is Apple.]]> http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/01/is_strategic_design_sustainabl.html http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/01/is_strategic_design_sustainabl.html Thu, 17 Jan 2008 06:27:55 -0800 several articles in the business press discussing how computer and consumer electronics companies were planning to counter Apple Inc.’s dominance of their product categories. Apple’s success is now the model to follow for manufacturers of everything from music players and music download systems to computers, phones, even retail stores.]]> http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/01/is_apples_design_dominance_thr.html http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2008/01/is_apples_design_dominance_thr.html Sat, 12 Jan 2008 16:37:50 -0800 GISMA Business School in Hannover, Germany just published the results of a study into just this. The study found that while GMAT scores correlate well with quantitative performance in school, they don't correlate well with qualitative performance (such as innovation, leadership, cultural intelligence, etc.). These are precisely the skills that we fell most matter in business performance outside the program, in the actual business world. Furthermore, the report only compared scores to academic performance and not to actual success after business school.]]> http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2007/12/why_no_gmat_test_required.html http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2007/12/why_no_gmat_test_required.html GMAT Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:57:57 -0800 As we get closer to the start of this program next Fall, we've found the need to adjust the planned academia calendar for the 2008-2009 year. There should be a new calendar posted to the program website soon that covers both the Fall and Spring semesters for this first academic year. Since the DMBA program uses a low-residency model, it has different needs. However, the new residency dates should fit well within CCA's normal academic calendar and, so far, clears all major national and religious holidays. The time between residencies varies between 3 and 4 weeks and the first residency of each semester starts after the normal start of CCA's semester. It's likely, the new student orientation will happen on the Wednesday afternoon or evening before the first residency and this will be a mandatory meeting time as well. Luckily, students only need to go through it once. Don't make airline arrangements yet, however. These dates are still 8 months away and may shift some. http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2007/12/academic_calendar_changes.html http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2007/12/academic_calendar_changes.html Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:20:32 -0800 Raffi Minasian, CCA and consultant Effective Communications: Linda Yaven, CCA and consultant Managerial Accounting and Managerial Finance: Linda Sheldon, consultant Market Insight Studio: Steve Diller, Cheskin Leadership & Entrepreneurship and Culture and Ethics in Business: Sharon Green, Cal State University / East Bay Sustainability Studio and Products, Services, and Experiences Studio: Nathan Shedroff, CCA and consultant Strategic Management: John Foster, IDEO Venture Studio: Bill Wurz, Stone Yamashita Partners Law & IP: Brad Simon, Boalt Law School and PlayFirst]]> http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2007/12/faculty_announcements_1.html http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2007/12/faculty_announcements_1.html Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:47:26 -0800 At the information night tonight, we'll be announcing some small curriculum changes. Two courses from the second semester are swapping with two courses from the third semester. These should be reflected on the rest of the program website this week or next... Market Insight Studio > 2nd semester Sustainability Studio > 2nd semester Products, Services & Experiences Studio > third semester Managerial Operations > third semester This will allow us to introduce marketing and market research tools and skills earlier (which can only help) as well as sustainability frameworks and tools. It also allows students to, potentially, use the PSE Studio to begin development of their thesis project (if it fits the outline for this course) and gives students more experience with organizational details before taking the Operations course. http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2007/12/curriculum_change.html http://www.designmba.org/blog/archives/2007/12/curriculum_change.html Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:42:00 -0800