



Article number: | 9789063693985 |
Availability: | In stock |
Content |
Change Ahead is about the emerging practices at the intersection of business strategy, research, and design. It introduces the need for an adventurous, explorative mindset in order to grow businesses that last by creating meaning and relevance with and for people. |
Author |
Carola Verschoor is the founder of GROH! (www.groh-innovation.com) She is an innovator, growth agent, brand builder, creative doer, marketing strategist, and foodie. Her natural habitat is where innovation, marketing and design intersect. Carola loves challenges and believes that growth is achieved through a healthy mix of creativity, daring to believe in new possibilities, business-sense, and a passion for making things work. In her practice at GROH! she supports clients in getting through the ‘Grrrr’’’’ of change and into the ‘Ooohhh!’ of suprising, creative results to business problems. Carola has worked for over 20 years for and with some of the world’s largest branded goods companies. She lives in The Netherlands with her husband and children |
Press |
'Overall, what Verschoor provides through Change Ahead is a topography of the current business landscape and her thoughts as to how businesses might best navigate into the future. She calls for better integrated design, research, and strategy, and appears to envision the future much as Malex does – a situation wherein “things are interrelated and interconnected, where business is listening and tuning into its environment and where design is shaping things with a purpos.' ‘With the changing landscape of problem solving, where a multidisciplinary and multifaceted approach becomes ever more relevant, Change Ahead sets you on the right course towards growing a meaningful business that is actually able to tackle current challenges. At MediaLAB Amsterdam we teach multidisciplinary teams how research, design, and business strategy are interrelated and most of all, in need of each other to create true impact. Change Ahead could easily be our new manual and will be on our bookshelves, with a massive spotlight on it. Highly recommended!’ ‘This is a very timely and helpful book. It arrives at a point when researchers are looking to demonstrate that they are now more flexible, holistic and creative in the way they understand people’s needs, and at a point when designers are looking to the customer insight industry for true revelations that can drive great design ideas. The book holds up a mirror to the research and design process and provides the reader with a mental model for going forward to combine the skills of the researcher and designer in driving fantastic design and innovation ideas.’ ‘In today’s business world, this book is a must-read for change leaders! The emphasis on research and design is central for emerging new practices, which are needed to sustain every firm’s competitive advantage. A plus, the interviews illustrate the aim of this book, and make us come back to the basics when we decide to navigate in turbulent seas!’ ‘A fresh and practical way of looking at business, with an inspirational framework that highlights the human aspect of business.’ ‘Change without strategy is luck; strategy without design is faith; design without research is wishful thinking. But by connecting these essential processes we can change the world. It's fantastic to see a beautiful book filled with practical advice and experience from pioneers and experts. This will be a valuable read for anyone making changes based on real human value and on business needs.’ ‘(Herbert) Simon said design is the “transformation of existing conditions into preferred ones”. Carola’s Change Ahead highlights the catalyst power of our industry to help better design our future. Carola brings both research and design together for those sailors who are feeling a bit lost in this ever-changing sea.’ ‘Change Ahead is a brilliant masterpiece! The book introduces a fresh perspective of how we should change our mindset about Design, Research, and Strategy and how they are connected in a new model for developing sustainable business. An excellent must-read for anyone who is eager to keep up with the pace of the changing world and respond in a proactive and adequate manner.’ ‘The gap between design research and design practice is an ongoing discourse for design management academics. This book provides relevant content about design methods and techniques that could bring the two separated entities together, and have better impact on businesses. I would definitely recommend Change Ahead as a key resource in the reading list for all my Master students.’ “Carola’s integrated approach (of Design, Research and Strategy) will take Innovation to the next level!” ‘Joining ideas, breaking myths, and outlining profiles of contemporary winners, this book shows that there is indeed a way to advance through high transformation conditions as we have nowadays.’ ‘To create meaningful change is to understand what really matters. Sail away with Carola Verschoor and get all the necessary answers.’ ‘Carola Verschoor's |