Can Apple's "Genius Design" Model Be Duplicated? March 26, 2010

Favorite:

Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2010/03/08/Innovation_Series_Design_in_Business

Design strategist Nathan Shedroff describes Apple's business model as an exceptional combination of strategy and leadership. While this "genius design" model has worked for Apple, Shedroff says it probably can't be duplicated without Steve Jobs behind the wheel.

-----

Design and business have traditionally made uneasy bedfellows, with practitioners of each eyeing each other suspiciously. But in recent years, some companies have demonstrated huge success by adopting a design-savvy approach. That's led to a resurgence of interest in design as business strategy. There remains little agreement on the best policies, structures, or principles for its smart adoption and execution, however.

This panel, a continuation of swissnex San Francisco's series on innovation, brings together those working on every side of the equation, from individuals implementing design within large corporations, to consultants aiming to bring an objective eye to their clients' problems, to educators working to shape the future discussion.

With moderator Helen Walters, editor of innovation and design at Bloomberg/BusinessWeek; Helmut Traitler, V.P. of Innovation Partnerships at NESTEC Ltd., in Vevey, Switzerland; Udaya Patnaik, Jump founder and principal; Nathan Shedroff, chair of the MBA in Design Strategy at California College of the Arts; and Mary Jo Cook, Vice President of Discovery and Design for Clorox. - Swissnex San Francisco

Nathan Shedroff has been an information and interface designer for over twelve years. He focuses on developing online experiences, building online brand strategies and business models, and developing online communities.

Throughout his career, he has worked in various media and authored several books on multimedia, computers, and information. His electronic experience spans CD-ROMs, kiosks, published titles, application development, and online experiences.

He co-founded vivid studios, a decade-old pioneering company in interactive media. Prior to that, he worked with Richard Saul Wurman as a senior designer at TheUnderstandingBusiness. He earned a BS in Industrial Design, with an emphasis in Automobile Design, from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.