Design versus innovation: the Cranbrook/IIT debate

Abstract

Twenty years ago a seminal article appeared in ID magazine that con- trasted two approaches to design and design education: the methods- driven and scientific approach described by Chuck Owen of the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and the experimental and semantic approach advocated by Mike McCoy of Cranbrook Academy of Art. These two separate methods evolved into what are today simply known as “innovation” (or “design thinking”) and “design,” and each has built its own culture within the design profes- sion. Yet some confusion surrounds these concepts, especially about how these two methods interact to deliver products. By examining the two approaches, we can highlight some of the most critical issues shaping American design. In a debate format, two new voices revisit and update the argument.