By Lori-Anne Williams

The College of Design's Advisory Board works with Dean Fisher to review the relationship of CDes to the design community. Each member of the advisory board has been selected because of his or her expertise and relationship to the college, its students, and alumni. The board meets several times a year to look broadly at the scope and direction of College of Design programs. We asked two of our board members about the impact of digital design trends on their professions.

Bob Worrell, president and CEO, Worrell, Inc.

According to Bob Worrell, "Design--combined with technology innovation--is the only true way to differentiate a product from its competition." He would know from experience. Since Bob Worrell opened shop 30 years ago, his eponymous company has experienced a rich history of growth and design innovation.

Worrell, Inc., is a nationally recognized, world-class product innovation and design consultancy that helps Fortune 100 companies and venture start-ups alike "innovate out of the middle" to establish durable brands and loyal customers. It focuses on strategic issues related to the development and integration of technology, competitive advantage, and brand promise in a company's product lines. Over the past few years the company has experienced tremendous growth, relocating to an amazing new design campus in Northeast Minneapolis and infusing the design team with fresh, exciting talent.

Worrell said that in designing anything, from computer accessories to a modern baby buggy, the focus is on the customer and how the product will enhance the lives of users. Familiar Worrell designs include the X-Sled for Hammerhead, earphones for Plantronics, and a brewed iced tea machine for Lipton. Other clients include Jacuzzi, Guidant, and Hutchinson Technology.

As the only industrial designer on the College of Design Advisory Board, Worrell, a graduate of Purdue University, looks for collaboration among the design disciplines to bring industrial and product design to the college. He said he expects a high level of competency and expertise in digital design from even the newest employees. "We value the other softer skills such as form generation, design organization abilities, ability to communicate ideas to us and our clients, and other abilities related to owning revenue stream and creating relationships with our clients."

Through deeper client relationships and an expanding stable of new ventures, Worrell continues to pave the way for sustainable success.

Tim Larsen, president and founder, Larsen

Tim Larsen runs Larsen, a graphic design company providing branding, design marketing, interactive, and environmental graphics services. Larsen currently employs 50 people in Minneapolis, with 7 more in the San Francisco (Silicon Valley) area. The company, which was started in 1975, has been involved in digital design for more than 15 years and has been a leader in the field.

Digital design has permeated all facets of Larsen's work. Among the changes Larsen sees ahead is the infusion of video game graphics and sensibility into everyday life. "We're already seeing video game-type graphics in commercials," Larsen said, "and we'll see video game technology in training and education" in years to come.

Larsen, an early proponent for creating the College of Design, believes in the potential of the new college. He said, "The concept is dead-on. This is great for the students and for the state. We have the potential to create a world-class design school at the University of Minnesota." Larsen is a graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Larsen's company works with a wide range of clients, each with its own vision, needs, and constraints. Clients include the Minneapolis Public Library, Microsoft Business Solutions, Wausau Paper, and the Minneapolis Park District.

Larsen looks for four qualities in prospective employees: talent--the applicant must already possess this, both innately and through education at CDes or another program; personality--the person must be able to engage with clients and colleagues and to add to the richness of the firm; craftsmanship--the potential employee must have an intelligence about precision and detail and work must be clean and organized; and technology expertise--individuals must have a passion for technology and a fearless approach to making what's new work as a tool that produces results for the client.