The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has partnered with Lextant on a new certification program entitled 'Design Research and Insight Translation.' Lextant, based in Columbus, Ohio, is known for its rigorous approach that combines the best practices of design and behavioral sciences to strategically model, design, deliver, and measure consumer experiences.
In the certificate program, students will learn principles and techniques to conduct future-focused research that is actionable across all functions of an organization. The certification will apply to the undergraduate level industrial design class 'Contextual Research Methods' and the graduate-level class 'Methods of Contextual Research' in on-ground, virtual, and eLearning iterations.
"We're honored that Lextant is sharing their knowledge with us in order to make design a better profession," says Victor Ermoli, Dean, SCAD School of Design. "When you apply wisdom and experience that has been not only accumulated but refined by practicing processes over a period of years, that makes your company stronger, your employees stronger, and it makes the next generation of designers stronger. With Lextant's guidance and collaboration, we're addressing a huge gap that has been present in design education and in the design community."
SCAD professor Kwela Hermanns, associate chair, design for sustainability, and associate chair industrial design, has worked closely with Lextant to understand their trademarked principles of Insight Translation and Sensory Cue Research. "This relationship between SCAD and Lextant provides opportunities for our students to learn best design practices applied to business goals," Hermanns stated. "We both want better design research to create a better world. It's a noble motive."
The origin of this newly developed curriculum and certification extends back to when Marty Gage, Lextant VP, Design Research, began guest lecturing at SCAD in 2002. "The idea to develop this partnership came about because Dean Ermoli understands the importance of generative design research," Gage said. "We agree that Lextant's unique approach to research and design will provide SCAD students with great experience and credibility going into the workforce. SCAD students are the future design leaders of our world."