Manufacturing renaissance arises from the ability of many companies to re-examine and redevelop products to meet changing market demands and needs. Individual efforts aggregate to robust regional economic growth. The Center for Design & Business (CDB) has been in the forefront, promoting this process of design innovation that results in healthy business and economic growth. Well-designed products increase sales with better profit margins and allow a company to transform its product line, find new markets and reinvigorate the company itself. The mission of the Center for Design & Business, a joint venture between Bryant College and Rhode Island School of Design, is to develop stronger and more profitable businesses by uniting design and business skills. CDB assists manufacturers of all sizes, as well as inventors, entrepreneurs and designers, in transforming new product ideas and designs into commercial products. CDB also works with designers and artists to help them develop effective business practices. CDB offers design innovation education and assistance through a wide variety of programs and services. Some of the programs developed especially for manufacturers are described below.
Design Technical Assistance Program
The CDB Design Technical Assistance Program (DTAP), funded by the Samuel Slater Technology Fund, pairs design experts with businesses to develop specific new product designs. The overarching goal is to incorporate a design innovation mindset into business strategic thinking. Qualifying companies must match-fund the design consultation.
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RGP Inc. of Bristol RI imports medical/surgical seating from Sweden. With a view to opening up new markets, they used DTAP funding to commission new designs that improve the ergonomics of long duration professional seating. ITEM New Product Development is about to complete the design of a moveable armrest that supports people with its extended arms. FULCRUM Product Development is working on a new chair adjustment mechanism that uses a single lever to adjust the height, the seat inclination and the back support. Both design firms are located in Providence. Most of the manufacturing will be done in Rhode Island.
CAS America has achieved considerable success manufacturing workstations and NASA-style command stations. But CEO Joseph Cannon wanted to broaden the product line and diversify markets. A DTAP grant enabled industrial designers to create a new medical workstation for CAS. Developed for, and with, anesthesiologists, the station is far from the unfriendly, antiseptic, cold metallic apparatus seen in hospitals. The new design offers soft rounded edges and soothing colors, yet is equipped with all the features needed to function efficiently in the pre-op environment. The benefits of design innovation: increased sales and protection against any shifts in market trends.
American International Tools CEO, Charles Zayat, has redesigned numerous tools that function better and offer more features than their predecessors. Working with an industrial designer funded by DTAP, the company is testing and perfecting a folding hex key set. The product packages a set of hex wrenches, with a trigger mechanism for easy access to a single wrench.
Central Tools, Color Fantasy, FreezeFrame, Greenhouse Grown, and Promotion Sports also received Design Technical Assistance grants. The selection committee, chaired by Merrill Sherman, President and CEO of BankRI, includes: John Hazen White Jr., President and CEO of Taco, Inc.; Peter Hallock, President of Gripnail Corporation; David Lux, Bryant Professor and expert on product commercialization; and Steve Lane, Managing Director of ITEM New Product Development.
Design & Commercialization Training
Design & Commercialization Training, funded by the Human Resource Investment Council, provides in-depth design and commercialization skills training to business owners and entrepreneurs. It utilizes a variety of training formats, including on-site and classroom training, workshops, breakfast forums, roundtable sessions and one-on-one guidance.
Its full array of program offerings ranges from introductory to in-depth multi-session workshops. Product Entrepreneurship Basics gives an overview of the product development process. The Product Idea-to-Market series provides a step-by-step approach to moving from product concept to the marketplace. Participants learn how to define and protect their product, assess market potential, calculate costs, and commercialize the product. Separate sessions on legal issues, financing, production and distribution, as well as specialized breakfast forums, round out the training program.
The Design & Business Roundtables assemble specialty teams on a case-by-case basis to address issues related to product development, design and commercialization. Roundtable experts include faculty at RISD and Bryant, as well as design and business professionals from the Northeastern region. The Roundtable session is followed by individualized assistance.
Annual Conference Features Successful Design-Oriented Manufacturers
The CDB “Success By Design” annual conference on April 27 captures the spirit of what the Center for Design & Business accomplishes daily through its grant programs, seminars, and roundtable consultations. National and regional speakers, whose companies translate design innovation and re-invention into healthy profits, include Maytag, Swim-Ex, and Eric Goetz Custom Sailboats. The Conference gives business representatives, manufacturers and designers an opportunity to learn about business transformation by design.
For more information about Center for Design & Business programs, grant opportunities and the April 27 Conference, call Cheryl Faria, Director, at 401.454.6108 or visit their Web site at http://www.centerdesignbusiness.org
