CELEBRATING CRISP: A NICE RIDE By Danielle Arets, CKO CRISP
After 4 years the CRISP programme festively closed off at the 17^th and 18^th of June at the Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam. On the 1^st day the research community reflected on the scientific results and on the second day the most important findings were shared with the creative industry at large. It proved to be a nice and well designed ride.
 
PSS a known concept Researching a topic like Product Service Systems (PSS) with over 60 industrial companies, 4 knowledge institutes and over 200 researchers is quite an endeavour. The 8 research programmes defined within CRISP were all looking at knowledge, tools and methods necessary for designing complex combinations of products and services. In order to do so multidisciplinary teams of researchers, R&D departments and designers were formed to accept the challenge. “Whereas PSS was hardly known 4 years ago, it certainly became a buzz word’ mentioned one of the PhD researcher Rick Schotman (University of Twente) at the conference. That he is right is proven by the fact that the abbreviation was used in almost all presentations without further explanations. “And what is perhaps more important, we certainly made it clear to the outside world that designers don’t design busses anymore, but that they design the entire ride, as Ben Schouten (Lector Design and Games Hogeschool van Amsterdam) clarified.
4 themes, 7 highlights and billion insights After 4 years the PSS research resulted in many meaningful insights, prototypes, business and workshop models and even PhD reports. “But especially within in widespread programma as CRISP its essential to look at the knowledge that was sometimes hidden; the deeper causes of why we were doing this and the knowledge that was often in between the several projects”, stated professor Kees Dorst University of Technology Eindhoven and Sidney.
“The old system of an industrial economy/ design doesn’t work anymore. For this new system, more experimental and speculative research is needed. Some research is technology driven (smart textiles industry), some is demand driven (medical industry), but they all have in common that they look at combinations between products, service and systems.” Under his supervision, last 1,5 year of CRISP several workshops were initiated that challenged the CRISP researchers to define overarching themes that summarized the most important findings. That resulted in 4 themes that according to Dorst “forced the community to make explicit what they learned.” These themes with sounding names like:
Orchestration,
Embracing Complexity,
Designing Relationships and
Creating Value were a red thread throughout the 2-day conference as well as in the last CRISP magazine that Jeroen van Erp, creative director Fabrique and member of the Editorial Board of CRISP, handed out to Marjan Hammersma, Director General Culture and Media at Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. Hammersma complimented the CRISP programme for bringing much more clarity to such a complex topic. “The magazines were certainly helpful to get a better understanding of what design can do for society. We also very much liked the designed results such as the Active Cues that showcase how designed interactions can support health care for dementia.” In the adjacent exhibition at the Van Nelle Factory several prototypes that were developed were exhibited. “Presenting these highlights is asking for trouble”, Jeroen van Erp explained, since of course all prototypes designed in CRISP embody important knowledge. But the highlights clearly communicated how design research can play a more strategic role in service innovation. Some of these are even new start ups now. That is even more than we expected to come up with.”
Strategic Design Education But how do we teach these insights to students. Kees Dorst: “Often Academia follow practice, meaning they play catch up all the time; that can be frustrating for practice.” In a short debate it became clear that the involved Knowledge Institutes are busy with implementing knowledge on PSS design in their curricula. “If designers don't design the bus anymore, but the ride instead; what will future students show in their portfolio?” Questioned professor Dirk Snelders (Delft University of Technology). “ When we look at this important body of knowledge, the work for education is only half done.” He also brought up the importance of new master programmes such as the Strategic Design programme led by assistant professor Giulia Calabretta. Professor Berry Eggen mentioned that Eindhoven University of Technology certainly trains its students in
designing complex relationships f.e. by involving role playing in education. At the Design Academy Eindhoven students were brought into the several research projects by so called Design Research Spaces where they helped the Research Associates of DAE with their research projects. Not in the least since they followed a strong thinking through making approach, mentions Bas Raijmakers, Reader Design Academy Eindhoven: “This lead to some appealing tangible results and as professor Pieter Jan Stappers mentions it really helps to drop something on the table” to make sure that we all talk about the same issues.”
Strengthen the Creative Economy Why was CRISP needed questioned Daan van Eijk, programme director of CLICKNL | DESIGN? 4 Years the ‘Creative Industry’ was still a very vague concept and was no Top Sector. Now we come to understand that we need this sector for innovation. There are very high ambitions to make the Dutch Creative Economy the most competitive in Europe one in 2020. Therefore the insights of CRISP will certainly be taken further within CLICK NL | DESIGN. “Or perhaps we should even call it CRICK or CLISP” as he funnily stated to clarify that the heritage of CRISP will be taken further the upcoming years.
Design for consequences Also mental father of CRISP professor Paul Hekkert (TU Delft) is certain that CRISP is much more than the results that are shown at the conference. “A new breed of design researchers is formed as well as new relationships between design institutes. That is very important.” Furthermore he thinks it would be very interesting to run a programme on Design for Consequences, since its important to look at all interactions where design(ers) are involved in. Gijs Ockeloen (Reframing Studio) also took the audience on a humoristic journey back in time when the first product ever was made in pre-historic time (a rock that became a tool to kill), stresses the importance of looking at consequences. Designers should also take into account ethics and morality in their designs. Robert de Waart, of KLM thought it should be better to call this
Design for Effect; since that is what we as companies are looking for.
Viable Research During a dialogue with Michael Bas (Ranj) and Willem Huisman (IJsfontein), both owners of
serious game companies it became clear that CRISP research also had to deal with different time frames. “We are looking for fast results, that is complicated when you work with researchers. Often the embedded researcher within our company really changes while working at our place instead of the University”, mentioned Huisman. Also Gerbrand Bas mentioned the time frames in his column. “ The program has been around for over four years now. That is quite a long period for a designer, but merely a blink of the eye for a researcher.” How to deal with that in the near future? Geke van Dijk, STBY mentioned that of course timelines are different but CRISP also showed that you can’t just happily work in industry and not work with academia. “The academic knowledge is essential, though it might be interesting to look at new forms to collaborate, perhaps we could even introduce a business concept as minimum viable products to academic thinking; perhaps minimum viable research?” Have the practitioners and scientist in CRISP inspired each other such that higher levers have been achieved? Questioned professor Cees de Bont in his lecture at the end of the programme? The answer, based on all the presentations in at the two day conference, should certainly be yes. As Klaas Jan Wierda of Oce Canon mentioned it eloquently: “ I learned to navigate, built common ground, make sure you are involved & that you steer processes if you design in complex networks.” CRISP concludes with closing words from chairman Tracy Metz who describes this coming to and end of CRISP as two bitter sweet days but that she really enjoyed the ride and looks forward to a new vehicle to move forward.