The economic crisis that Argentina suffered around 2001 was the cause of a steep dismantling of national industry, and the beginning of a new era for Argentine design. This was the year of the creation of the Metropolitan Design Centre [in Spanish: Centro Metropolitano de Diseño (CMD)], a public institution created by the City Government of Buenos Aires to assist enterprises, designers and entrepreneurs to improve their competitiveness through innovation and strategic design management.
In a difficult employment context, a new generation of designers emerged, often establishing small-scale companies oriented to design-intensive productions. The recovery of the economy that took place in the following years did not prevent this kind of organisation from growing alongside the rebirth of national industry. In Buenos Aires in 2008, creative industries generated 153,084 jobs, almost 10% of the total jobs that year, and 9% of its gross domestic product. However, there was no business-oriented content included in design courses to teach students how to quote for their work, offer their services or place their products on the market. To address this need, CMD tried to systematise the consulting and advice it had been providing in order to satisfy the growing demand from designers and creative industry entrepreneurs.
The result of this was the provision of free training for design-based companies, delivered as a seminar programme entitled ‘Design and Business, Concepts that Merge’. This four-month seminar programme, established in 2009, aims to train designers and entrepreneurs of creative companies to supplement their disciplinary academic training. It encourages its participants to assume a new role: to be leaders in the creation, set-up and consolidation of a business project. The seminars operate at three levels: level one is open to professionals and managers of design initiatives that need to supplement their training in business; the second and third levels interact with established design companies.
The seminars are coordinated and delivered by economic science professionals (e.g. accountants and business specialists) and guest professors from related relevant fields, such as law, business administration and IT. The course also enlists design professionals with experience in the link between design and strategic management. The first level of the seminar consists of 15 lessons; participants who attend more than 75% of the lessons have the right to receive free individual advice. Additionally, the seminars are complemented by other CMD programmes, which deliver advice and training on incorporating design within companies, starting new companies and participation in international trade fairs.
The programme has had a good response; during its second year, 700 people applied to participate in the first-level seminar. Due to the extent of the interest, the series was split into two cohorts. A total of 410 people finished the first-level seminar. From these, CMD selected 35 companies to participate in the second level. Early indications for the 2011 series demonstrated similar levels of interest. In fact, 50% of the places for 2011 were already filled by those who were unsuccessful in gaining a place in 2010.
The Business and Design seminar is one of the pillars of the work that the CMD carries out. The rationale for the effort involved in developing this series is based on a conviction that design is a valuable tool that increases companies’ competitiveness and innovation and helps expand their exportable offer. The goal of the Business and Design seminar (to improve the competencies and performance of companies that offer design products and services) complements CMD’s programme for the incorporation of design in Buenos Aires’ SMEs. In 2011, this programme will benefit 48 industrial and service companies in the city, each receiving free consulting services from a specialised team. Further, CMD offers a programme that promotes the acceleration of company growth. This year, it supported 20 new companies that will establish their offices in the CMD building.
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© Design Wales 2011
