Carnegie Mellon School of Design

Emergence is a student-run conference created by Carnegie Mellon School of Design.

Emergence 2007: Exploring the Boundaries of Service Design

The second annual Emergence conference will explore how different design disciplines work together to create the tangible and intangible artifacts of service. We will address how to design services, consider how business can benefit from the increased value of a well-designed service, and continue to define this emerging design field.

All facets of the economy have a service component, from retail and manufacturing to non-profits and public service sectors. Emergence 2007 will explore how to best support and develop these services using topics and issues surrounding design, business, technology and social programs.

This year’s conference will provide insights on current service design practices, business opportunities in services, the technology behind services, and its outlook for the future. We will explore the how different design disciplines (graphic, product, interaction, organizational) work in harmony to create a service, and address the impact that economies, technology, people’s needs, and social trends have on service design.

Emergence 2006

Last year, we were very excited to host a broad and talented group of thought-provoking practitioners for this three-day conference. Our keynote speakers were on the leading edge of service design and included Dr. Mary Jo Bitner, PetSmart Chair in Services Leadership and professor of marketing at the W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University; Birgit Mager, professor of service design at the Koln International School of Design in Cologne, Germany; and Oliver King, director and cofounder of Engine in the United Kingdom.