MFA, Kent State University, 2017, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

This thesis is an investigation into sustainable business models and the different evaluation methods utilized in social innovation design. Over the last twenty years, there has been an increase in awareness and desire within the design industry to utilize design as a way to help solve some of the large, systemic social problems facing people all over the world. To make this work financially and sustainably, designers are utilizing a variety of for-profit and nonprofit business models. However, these business models are potentially hindering social innovation designers' access to the resources needed to measure the impact of their work. Social innovation designers are co-designing and developing services, programs, systems, and products with nonprofits and communities that are dealing with these social problems. Social change work of this nature requires designers and their partners to be engaged in measuring the long-term impact of their work in order to truly make lasting change. This has led social innovation designers to turn to evaluation methods used in the parallel fields of social work, community organizing, education, and public health, in order to track the impacts of their work. These evaluation methods also play a key role in helping social innovation designers better communicate the value they bring to their clients and partners. By utilizing and integrating these evaluation methods into their design processes, social innovation designers are leading the way for this field to gain broader acceptance and support.

Committee: Ken Visocky O'Grady MFA (Advisor); Jessica Barness MFA (Committee Member); Sanda Katila MFA (Committee Member) Subjects: Design; Entrepreneurship; Social Work; Systems Design

MFA, Kent State University, 2014, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

No matter how an entrepreneur defines failure, statistics on the success rate of start-up businesses is disheartening. Around 30 to 40 percent of start-up businesses liquidate all assets, losing all investor funding, while 70 to 80 percent fail to produce the projected return on investment. There is a strong need for effective incubation facilities which compress the learning curves of the start-ups and provide them with necessary initial support in order to improve their sustainability. There are around 1,200 business incubators operating in the United States. Joining an incubator is a great way for inexperienced entrepreneurs to receive funding and guidance to help get their ideas off the ground. It blends office spaces with mentoring programs, financial assistance, business services and the opportunity to network with experts and fellow entrepreneurs. Most incubator facilities in the U.S. are public-private partnerships, with initial support coming from the federal, state and local government bodies. Approximately half of these total facilities are affiliated with universities. While traditional business models are adequate for many established companies, the types of problems that face new businesses have changed. A decade ago, entrepreneurs were not expected to start their own brands from scratch, they were simply too hard and expensive to create and could survive by simply differentiating themselves based on product or service. Since then, expectations have risen as the start-up field has grown. It's not enough to stand out with a single idea; you have to combine it with a great product, engaging consumer experience and a voice that sets it apart from the competition. Creating a brand isn't a project with a beginning, middle and end. Instead it requires constant vigilance and must be monitored throughout the course of the brand's life. In the process of starting a company, people are often too focused on raising the capital to grow, rather than building (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ken Visocky O'Grady (Advisor); David Middleton (Committee Member); Julie Messing (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Business Community; Business Education; Design; Entrepreneurship

MFA, Kent State University, 2012, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

This research explores the hypothesis that the identity and environmental design of a business, whether created intentionally or not, attracts customers because it affirms some aspect of the customer's self-concept. Two online surveys featuring photo-simulated shopping experiences in eight shopping scenarios—grocery stores, book stores, shoe stores, bakeries, wine stores, coffee shops, sit-down restaurants, and clothing stores—were distributed to online survey participants to evaluate self-concept, purchasing behavior, the application of retail patron images, store choice, and consumer perception of brand personality. Although connections to self-conflict were not conclusive, the findings of this research imply that consumers make judgments about the quality and availability of merchandise and service based on the exterior of a business. Consumers are also able to convey whom they think shops at a given store, an additional motivator for patronage. The research displays that it is important for retailers to have an understanding of their target audience in order to connect with them, and that predictive value may lie in consumer preference for similar store types.

Committee: Ken Visocky O'Grady (Committee Chair); Sanda Katila (Committee Member); Jerry Kalback (Committee Member) Subjects: Aesthetics; Architectural; Business Community; Design; Interior Design; Urban Planning

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2013, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

This research aimed to investigate how important it is to embed business education into undergraduate industrial design curriculum and help design students understand the financial aspects of their design ideas, particularly in the areas of cost and profit. To respond to this question, a user-centered design approach was applied to understand design students' perceptions towards business education. Later on, the research findings were synthesized into a list of design requirements for developing a financial assessment tool. After rounds of ideation and looking into other frameworks from business related disciplines, a financial assessment tool was developed. Consequently, this tool was prototyped and piloted in a senior industrial design class in order to test its effectiveness. At last, students who had participated in the experiment evaluated the tool. Their positive feedback proved such methods could be successfully integrated into undergraduate design curriculum and help industrial design students gain a better understanding of the business aspects related to their ideas.

Committee: Craig Vogel M.I.D. (Committee Chair); Steven Doehler M.A. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2016, Design

“Design is a problem–solving process and the fundamental skills of the designer are the ability to look for meaningful problems, frame them into appropriate contexts, and design a process for developing and implementing a solution” (Irwin, 2015). This definition of design and the role of the designer are a significant departure from its original definition by the Bauhaus where the objective of all creative effort in the visual arts was to give form to space and where the source of creative imagination was in developing a proficiency in the craft (Gropius, Bayer, & Gropius, 1938). Design as a discipline has evolved and is expanding its impact from individual physical objects and spaces to experiences and organizations. There is increasing interest in design thinking and human-centered design methodologies. Organizations are discovering the value and potential of design. Although definition and the sphere of design influence have changed, design education has remained rooted in the craft skills. Design education has two trains of thought: the foundation and the progression. The foundation skills of observation and application have remained consistent through the history of design but the progression of design is in constant change (Foster,O.,2015 as cited by Currey, 2015). “If design is to live up to its promise it must create new, enduring curricula for design education that merge science and technology, art and business, and indeed, all the knowledge of the university” (Norman & Klemmer, 2014). What is that promise that design has to offer? How can design schools lay the foundation to deliver that promise? How can or should design education prepare future designers for this expanding sphere of design influence? This research attempts to addresses these questions by exploring the future and value of graduate design education. This multidisciplinary research and design thesis combined design research methodologies with business strategy concepts and tools for de (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Elizabeth Sanders (Advisor); David Staley (Committee Member); Mary Anne Beecher (Committee Member) Subjects: Design; Education

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2011, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

This thesis focuses on the interaction between design and business, exploring its impact on the success of organizations through two case studies of design managers, Dan Harden, Chief Executive Officer for Whipsaw Inc and Sam Lucente, Global Vice President of Design for Hewlett-Packard. Through an analysis of organizational strategy and design, this thesis proposes a theoretical model that identifies how design becomes a dynamic capability for any organization when its promotion and support shifts from a person to a function. Finally, based on this model, this thesis analyzes the effectiveness of design thinking in supporting design as a dynamic capability and offers conclusions for the elevation of a design function in support of a sustained competitive advantage in organizations.

Committee: Craig Vogel MD (Committee Chair); Dale Murray MA (Committee Member); Martha Ann Welsh PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

MDes, University of Cincinnati, 2007, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Design

Asia has become a hub of activity with many international corporations are increasingly turning to this region for solutions to effective management and more importantly as a vast yet untapped market of consumers with growing spending capabilities, heightened awareness for quality brands and products. Many foreign companies have already set shop in China and many more have business plans for India, whose winning demographic mix and unexpected growth have made it the flavor of the season. Transnational corporations have already learnt in China that the Chinese consumer has a unique identity. And early entrants to India are learning a similar lesson. Though large, the Indian market is a tough nut to crack. The Indian consumer is the end product of his socio-cultural milieu. His consumption habits have been tempered by tradition and modernity, consumerism and frugalness, knowledge and ignorance. Such a consumer craves for all that a foreign brand name portends—quality, snob value and internationalism—but relates better to products that are localized, customized and tailored to meet his needs. Contrary to larger perceptions, based perhaps on India's rampant poverty, such a consumer is not always price sensitive. Instead, he can always loosen his purse-strings, provided the company is able to convince him that what they have is the very best his money can buy. And in order to touch that emotional chord, companies wanting to do business in India have no option but to understand the Indian market and the Indian consumer inside out. India is undoubtedly a country ripe for picking. But a country which readily rewards foreign companies that have made the effort to understand its cultural ethos, even while summarily rejecting the offerings of those who have entered the market with shoddy, careless and indifferent preparation. This research project will look at some popular domestic and foreign brands in India, scrutinize some current market trends and evaluate the reason why s (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Craig Vogel (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Professional Studies (D.P.S.) in Instructional Design Leadership, Franklin University, 2024, International Institute for Innovative Instruction

Many universities in the United States are experiencing a decline in student enrollment and struggling with poor retention rates. Student attrition has long been recognized as a critical issue for institutions of higher learning globally. The consequences of students failing to complete degree programs include reduced university revenues, which, in turn, can negatively impact the local economy. Given the broader issue of declining enrollment and retention across universities, it was particularly important to examine these trends within specific fields of study, such as music business programs. Understanding the unique challenges and opportunities within this niche can provide valuable insights for addressing retention issues more effectively. The research questions of this study were: (a) What are the positive and negative factors that music business program faculty, staff, and administrators perceive to impact student retention in music business programs?; and (b) What instructional design and curricular practices do music business program faculty, staff, and administrators perceive to impact student retention in music business programs? Participants were purposefully selected, including faculty, staff, and administrators. Data were gathered through semistructured interviews and analyzed using a six-step thematic analysis. Themes were developed inductively, relying on the raw data rather than any predetermined coding scheme. The findings revealed that emphasizing experiential learning, fostering engagement, and creating supportive educational environments are critical for improving retention rates. External influences, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and unpreparedness for college, negatively impact student retention. The findings also revealed that instructional design and curricular practices that positively impact student retention include experiential learning and diverse teaching approaches characterized by teaching various subjects and providing options.

Committee: Joel Gardner (Committee Chair); David Ni (Committee Member); David McCurry (Committee Member) Subjects: Curricula; Education; Higher Education; Instructional Design

Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.), Franklin University, 2023, Business Administration

When autistic professionals in the United States secure employment, over half remain underemployed (Linden & Wiscarson, 2019). Underemployment impacts a significant portion of the U.S. population, as autism appears in 2.4% of males and 0.5% of females in the United States (Austin & Pisano, 2017). Even with a college degree, 85% of autistic Americans remain unemployed compared to 4.5% of the general U.S. population (Lyn Pesce, 2019). Employment programs have been developed for autistic people. However, these programs may stereotype autistic people as pattern-recognizing-savants and build autism employment programs centered on these stereotypes (Austin et al., 2017). Furthermore, autistic professionals, especially those lacking visible characteristics of autism, feel that a disclosure of a clinical autism diagnosis negatively affects their employability (McMahon, 2021). However, limited autism self-disclosures by prominent tech executives, such as Elon Musk (Musk, 2021), anecdotally demonstrate autistic professionals self-directing themselves to attain leadership roles. This study used qualitative research to determine 12 self-directed career growth success factors of autistic business leaders who served the U.S. Tech industry. A phenomenological approach with semi-structured interviews was used in the research to understand themes as data was collected to determine how autistic business leaders self-directed themselves to their leadership roles. The research study aims to empower autistic professionals to own their career development with or without third-party support.

Committee: Susan Campbell (Committee Chair); Joel Light (Committee Member); Courtney McKim (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Business Education; Communication; Information Systems; Information Technology; Mass Media; Neurology; Organizational Behavior

Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Ohio University, 2020, Business Administration

Reflection has been identified as a key success factor for entrepreneurs, as thinking critically about successes and failures results in improved strategy. Reflection, therefore, is a valuable skill for undergraduate educators to instill in entrepreneurship students. Despite the increasingly prevalent use of reflection in curricula within higher education, designing, executing, and effectively evaluating reflection assignments remains a challenge. One of the primary challenges of implementing reflection assignments is the "lack of effective structures to help instructors from diverse disciplines guide students through reflection" (Ash and Clayton, 2004: 138). This study makes recommendations on the effective implementation of reflection assignments and provides a sample reflection framework for a course centered around developing the reflection competency. Data from students and program directors at Ohio University is examined, and recommendations are made based on the data and a review of the literature. The study found assignment design to be a determining factor in how deeply students reflect. To enhance students' depth of reflection, recommendations are made on how to strategically frame the assignment to students; ask deep, probing questions in the prompt; use the format most effective for achieving course goals; and how to cultivate a conducive culture for reflection.

Committee: Luke Pittaway (Advisor) Subjects: Business Education; Curricula; Curriculum Development; Education; Entrepreneurship; Higher Education; Management

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2019, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

Since the first album that Black Sabbath released in 1970, the 50-year-long history of heavy metal music makes it has developed into a diversified but controversial subculture all over the world. Even though several big names, such as Metallica, Iron Maiden or Judas Priest, have gained commercial success and mainstream exposure, most of the heavy metal bands, fans and communities are still far from a stable status. The market scale is threatened by poor social acceptance and incorrect stereotypes and is too limited to develop an operational model for heavy metal music communities as mature as mainstream music production in this current state. The goal of this thesis is to: 1) explore the core value of heavy metal subculture and design an organizational strategy to strengthen the connection between various roles within the community. The research was divided into three parts. The first part is the quantitative research on the development of heavy metal music in different regions, shows the regional trends of heavy metal subculture. The second part is the qualitative evaluation of heavy metal albums' covers and lyrics, and documentary films about heavy metal music. The third part is the interviews with record shop owners. The first part Borrowing the CIS (Corporation Identity System) from the business field, the data collected during the second stage could be categorized into visual identities, communication identities, and behavior identities. The data collected from interviews are organized into a system map to show the current organizational strategy. The conclusion, this thesis proposes a new type of organizational strategy that supports the local heavy metal subculture community, in order to help stabilize the market and strengthen connections of community members through participation in it. Furthermore, inspired by the proposed strategy, more universal strategies and guidelines for other types of subculture are discussed.

Committee: Ashley Kubley M.A. (Committee Chair); Gerald Michaud M.A. (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

MDES, University of Cincinnati, 2011, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Design

Innovation refers to incremental, radical changes in thinking, products and processes. Innovation, important to business, economics and technology, is extensively studied because it leads to an increase in companies' organic revenue growth and their bottom lines. Although the importance of design driven innovation is acknowledged in the United States, the value of design in innovation is underestimated internationally, especially in a developing country like China. That is why it is essential to understand how design could drive innovation in a different cultural context. The purpose of this thesis is to raise an awareness of how design driven innovation could be used as an important innovation strategy to help Chinese companies gain sustainable benefits. To achieve this goal, the relationships among innovation, design driven innovation and the traditional values based in Chinese culture are illustrated and a successful design driven innovative Chinese Cosmetic Company is employed as case study in this thesis. As a conclusion, this thesis identifies a unique element, Chinese traditional values, that could be used as one of key elements to achieving successful innovation for Chinese companies. This research is not only significant for showing the possibilities for Chinese businesses to achieve innovation, but also for suggesting possible strategies for international companies dealing with emerging markets issues.

Committee: Craig Vogel MD (Committee Chair); Steven Doehler , (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2013, Mechanical and Systems Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

Strategy denotes actions or patterns of actions intended for the attainment of goals. In an organizational setting, the term strategy covers more than just intended or planned strategy; it also includes the sequence of decisions that exhibit posteriori consistencies in decisional behavior, involving the selection of product markets or industries and the allocation of resources among them. Within the broader purpose of developing a decision making framework for competitive strategy development practices, the thrust of this study is to investigate the impact of environmental uncertainty on corporate strategy, and the influence of corporate strategy on business performance, operational structure and market dynamics. Another incidental purpose of the study is to review, classify, clarify, define, and integrate ideas and concepts from diverse disciplines including Engineering, Economics and Business Administration to consequently establish a strategic decision making framework. The factors influencing the short term and long term standing of companies in a particular market are focused with the objectives of increasing the business capability and profitability as well as improving the market share. The case studied is the global blood sugar monitoring industry. The demand structure of the market is modeled considering four major companies in three regional markets; Asia, Europe, North America. LifeScan Inc., a Johnson & Johnson Company, is selected as the focus of greater discussions. The decision making framework is established for LifeScan Inc. incorporating a layered cellular manufacturing design integrated with different supply chain alternatives. The framework is then employed in a multi-period strategic analysis where competition games are developed and studied in three categories; price competition, quality/reputation competition and product competition. The outcomes of different competition strategies are presented and evaluated in terms of profitability and (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Gursel Suer (Advisor); Douglas Adie (Advisor); David Koonce (Committee Member); Dusan Sormaz (Committee Member); Namkyu Park (Committee Member); Ana Feger (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Economics; Industrial Engineering