designers to business leaders: MIT integrated design and management

design is about much more than just inventors; it is about real people and leaders who are able to bring about change and create a better world. to do so, the success of a product is attributed to much more than just its aesthetics. according to MIT, good design needs a wonderful user experience, a profitable business model, and exciting technologies. this is the challenge facing future designers as well as companies at large. and that is why, in 2015, the school began its master’s in integrated design and management program (IDM).

all images courtesy of MIT

the program addresses an overarching need for design at MIT but also in businesses globally. its foundation is built upon the realization that, currently, the design and manufacturer of a product and its subsequent sales strategy are too often separate processes when they should be all part of a holistic approach. designers, and most importantly leaders, should better understand this process. cue matthew kressy, director of the master’s program, who pursued the course after trying to answer this critical question, ‘how does this product enhance our lives?’

having designed hundreds of products over his career as an entrepreneur and founder of creative agency designturn, matthew kressy has always created – and taught – with a constant exploration of design. he leads a balanced student body and faculty which is composed of equal parts engineering, business and design. through the integration of these disciplines, the student work results in new levels of creativity, vision and integrity to benefit business and society overall in the future.

the IDM curriculum is balanced, too. as part of MIT, it naturally combines inspired, intuitive methods taught in the world’s best design schools, with the systematic, analytical methods of the world’s best engineering and business schools. as well, the program is taught in the integrated design lab (known as ID lab) which, by replicating a design studio atmosphere, enables these interdisciplinary teams with a dedicated space to explore and create. advanced tools, from laser cutters to vacuum forming machines, further enhance this environment. last but not least, the student experience also feature faculty lectures, real-time design reviews and mentoring.

since the 1990s, ‘design thinking’ has seen a sharp increase in attention in businesses as CEOs, board members and managers look to increase market reach and revenues. but their attempts often only scratch the surface of real design, user experience and, thus, the potential profits – just take steve jobs transformation of apple as an example. with its integrated curriculum, MIT’s IDM program aims to develop innovative leaders for the future.