The Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design is proposing a new MBA course to start in January 2016. I took part as a Alumni member in a forum called Arts2Innovation to discuss about the planned brand new course.
As a part of the program Professor Jeremy Till, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Head of the college gave a talk about trends that he has observed from the student work.
- CSM trends #1 From Product to Process. The focus is not only in the end product, but also in the wider content and consequences i.e. what happens when people start consuming the product.
- CSM trends #2 From Problem Solving to Opportunity Making. Problem solving is usually about incremental improvements, not real innovation. Opportunity Making is shifting the focus to solution. It is about transformation.
- CSM trends #3 From Linear to Lateral. This approach opens up to see more than one solution to a problem.
- CSM trends #4 From Economic Value to Social Value. This will be seen as a necessity in society of the future.
The Restless Futures programme will run for 12 months ending in a major conference in June 2015. This program is about:
There are not many “creative MBAs” around. So one of the big questions of the event was: “what can an art school bring to the curriculum, that is different from a classical business MBA? The answer that was given was to utilise art tools in learning.
Professor Clive Holtham, Director of Cass Learning Laboratory, Cass Business School, City University gave a talk from one of the few exceptions of more creative MBAs. He presented different tools like the
“Transform Lab Cycle”:
Reflect -> Make -> Curate -> Exhibit ->
Replacing the old school model:
Plan -> Do -> Study -> Act
Martin Gent, Co-owner and Director of Creativity, Spinach was the moderator of the forum, and he pointed out perhaps the most important thing. Arts2Innovation is about innovation that also includes emotions, because that is what the arts are about. It is a messy process. Furthermore, when you are making something new it is really to do with self-development.
Trending Topics by Minna Takala 