Events

It was hot and humid, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of this years’ small, but dedicated, duo of riders at the 2011 Scenic Shore 150. The two-day ride, from Mequon to Sturgeon Bay, covers 150 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. Congratulations Jim Womble and Sherry Eckholm for braving the heat, completing the ride, and raising much needed funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Go Team!

Dave Franchino, president and principal of Design Concepts, spoke at the national Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Conference Tuesday, April 12, 2011, Madison, WI. Franchino presented Leveraging Innovation: How to Partner with a Product Development Firm to introduce the risks and rewards of innovaton partnerships.

For those who were there, or those who couldn’t attend, the presentation notes are here for your reference. SBIR Conference presentation notes

Dave Franchino, president and principal of Design Concepts, will speak at the national Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Conference April 11 – 13, 2011, in Madison, Wisconsin. Franchino will present Leveraging Innovation: How to Partner with a Product Development Firm on Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 2:00 pm at the Monona Terrace.

The SBIR Conference includes Skills Workshops designed to give attendees the tools and the contacts they need to be successful and avoid common pitfalls. The Skills Workshop led by Franchino will share ideas and information on maximizing the powerful relationship between small business owners, researchers and entrepreneurs and a product development firm. After learning more about the strategies and tactics that form the foundation of successful design projects, attendees will be able to evaluate the risks and rewards of collaborative innovation partnerships.

To learn more about the conference, visit the SBIR Web Site.

Scott Biba, senior mechanical engineer at Design Concepts, will speak at AIGA Wisconsin, Thursday, April 14, 2011. Biba, a member of Design Concepts’ internal Green Team, will talk about the company’s sustainability initiatives and its participation in the Designers Accord.

Also speaking at AIGA Wisconsin (formerly the American Institute of Graphic Arts) will be Eric Benson, Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois, founder of Re-Nourish.com. In addition, a representative from Mohawk Papers will also speak sharing information about AIGA’s initiative, LivingPrinciples.org.

Thursday, April 14, 2011
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
The Brink Lounge
701 E Washington Ave, Suite 105
Madison, WI 53703

Learn more about the AIGA event and register for the evening.

Part 2
Part 3

We’re fortunate to have the opportunity for inhouse training sessions on tools and techniques that improve our work. The most recent Lunch & Learn opportunity was led by Dave Franchino, Design Concept’s president and principal, and explored the use of conjoint analysis as a powerufl research tool.

To help us discover what conjoint analysis can achieve, staff participated in a survey prior to the Lunch & Learn asking for our preferences on a common home appliance – the blender. Our answers provided the consumer data for the presentation, as 4 teams were challenged to select the blender features that would gain the most market share and the most profitabilty.

Watch and enjoy. Feel free to comment, ask a question or share your thoughts. We’re always eager to talk more about the techniques and tools in our toolbox.