Urban branding: the politics of architecture

The global economy underwent a transition from the production of goods to the creation of services. With this, knowledge replaced technology as a valuable asset for economic growth, and the production of ideas became a new area of interest. This has led to a new phase of society---the information society---where generated knowledge through a manipulation of information became a significant economic, political, and cultural activity. This shift from a post-industrial economy to a global, information-based one is forcing new changes in the field of design as well. Design is no longer a craft-oriented discipline with an emphasis on individual creativity and commerce. The profession started to change into one that is more robust and multidisciplinary, committed to conceptualisation, configuration, and implementation of meaningful social environments, products, services, systems, and brands; and it will continue to change in the future as well. Many designers already do not see themselves as 'creative/artistic service provides' but as 'strategic planners' and 'problem solvers'. Their tasks have already shifted from 'product creation' to 'process creation'. Their pursuit is no longer a design output which delivers aesthetic refinement, but one that strives to provide a meaningful contribution to the society---a solution based on a functional social process. But are designers really equipped to do that? How should these new designers be educated? And how is that affecting the industry today? This paper will discuss what is the relationship between design education and design practice when it comes to dealing with the new trends in the field of design, and what is the role of design research in this process