Design management: changing roles of the professions

This paper sets out to explore how recent changes in procurement in construction have affected the roles that professions play in the design process. It discusses how professions that traditionally took the role of design manager now find themselves participating within previously unforeseen contexts, working in multidisciplinary teams led by contractors and with changed responsibilities at the design stage. Supply chain members who were not previously involved during the early project phases are being engaged at the earliest phases of the project life cycle and even taking leadership roles while designers sometimes work as supply chain partners. A study of design in construction and other sectors shows that in dealing with design management issues it is critical to deepen appreciation for the unique characteristics of design and the design process. The paper argues that contractors and designers taking on design management roles in a dynamic industry seeking to explore best practice and innovative approaches to procurement and in the delivery of projects need to acquire new skills, management education and develop the necessary qualities

Inefficiency of ulipristal acetate on uterus leiomyomas as an additional sign to suspect leiomyosarcoma

International audienceThe unexpected diagnosis of a leiomyosarcoma from a surgical specimen of a presumed leiomyoma is rare, but with deleterious consequences, especially if morcellation techniques are used. There are currently no effective methods for such a preoperative diagnosis. Ulipristal acetate has demonstrated efficacy for the preoperative treatment of leiomyomas, but not for all patients. We report two cases of leiomyosarcomas in patients treated with ulipristal acetate for a presumed leiomyoma. We propose that ineffective ulipristal acetate treatment may indicate a population in which uterine leiomyosarcoma is more prevalent. Attention should be given to any features of clinical and imaging examinations which raise the suspicion of a leiomyosarcomas in this population. Such suspicion should guide appropriate measures to avoid seeding the tumor, postponing the diagnosis, upstaging the patient and delaying the treatment (SPUD). (C) 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved

Bridging the gap between design and behavioral research: (Re)searching the optimum design strategy for brands and new product innovations

Innovation, branding, and design are known to affect corporate success, but their interplay is not yet well understood. Companies need to take risks in developing new product innovations, whereas an established brand can serve as a familiar base to create recognition. However, designers are facing a serious challenge. Researchers in both fields study the existing world through abstract theories and “rules”, instead of showing how to use these theories in practice. This study focuses on the relation between brands and innovations from a design perspective to create successful brand extensions. Gaining knowledge about the level of newness (novelty), level of familiarity (typicality), fit with the parent brand (brand fit), and expected market success (EM success), will support designers to create successful brand extensions. The study discusses 81 designs of snow scooters designed by students and evaluated by 47 experts by means of a quantitative and qualitative analysis. A multiple linear regression analysis is performed to show if brand fit, typicality, novelty, and (typicality × novelty) has an impact on the expected market success. The analyses demonstrate a significantly positive effect of brand fit on the expected market success (p <.01). While the single effects of typicality and novelty were non-significant, the interaction between typicality and novelty showed a significant linear relationship on the expected market success (p <.05). The results show the importance of the much-investigated balance between typicality and novelty, where brand fit seems to act as the suppressor for novelty and may be called brand typicality