Design management practitioners’ are, among others also:

• design department managers,
• brand managers,
• creative directors,
• design directors,
• heads of design,
• design strategists, and
• design researchers, as well as
• managers and executives responsible for making decisions about how design is used in the organization.

This rather broad scope of work can be focused if we look at design and management to

• design direction,
• design realisation; and not least
• design coaching.

Design Management Institute (DMI) has defined the scope of design management as ranging from “tactical management of corporate design functions and design agencies, including design operations, staff, methods and processes – to the strategic advocacy of design across the organisation as a key differentiator and driver of organizational success.”.

At the same time, the DMI admits that design management practitioners’ are, among others also: design department managers, brand managers, creative directors, design directors, heads of design, design strategists, and design researchers, as well as managers and executives responsible for making decisions about how design is used in the organization (DMI, http://bit.ly/12y2Oh). This is why the practice of design management is evident across a range of disciplines such as fashion, architecture, media, entertainment, advertising, and software and games design. We should notice also that design is managed according to the context, be that in realms of business, engineering, technology, or mentioned creative disciplines (Best, 2006, p. 16).

In the field of design and management, design management constitutes its own field that is responsible for design direction, design realisation, and design coaching. In that field the third vector should not be forgotten, namely communication (Hasse in Hase, Holger. et. al. (ed.), 2006, p. 23-24).

Figure: Three vectors of design management