Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/470545
60 BizEd MARCH | APRIL 2015 ideas in action PHOTOGRAPH BY ISTOCK The Business of Luxury MARKETING HIGH-END PRODUCTS requires a special blend of business and design knowledge, and that's what students learn in an interdisciplinary program called the Design and Marketing of Luxury Goods. The semesterlong course is offered by Columbia Busi- ness School and Parsons The New School for Design, both in New York City. Teams of six to eight students work with luxury brands such as Cadillac, Cartier, Ferragamo, Lalique, and Van Cleef & Arpels. The schools also partner with the Luxury Educa- tion Foundation (LEF), a not-for-profit that brings students together with senior executives in the luxury sector. Late last year, as the semester ended, students presented their final proposals to executives. For instance, one team of students focused on developing an in- tegrated branded communications plan to market the Cadillac ELR model in the U.S. Another team focused on helping Cartier gain a higher share of the men's watch market while appealing to mil- lennials. Other students explored how Lalique could expand into the home interiors sector. According to Ketty Maisonrouge, professor of marketing at Columbia Business School and president of the LEF, interdisciplinary approaches are particularly important when the product for sale is a luxury item. "Luxury brands sell dreams, beauty, design, and craftsmanship," she points out. "In order to succeed in this sector, busi- ness executives need to understand the design process—which includes ideation, sketching, modeling, creat- ing, and producing. At the same time, designers need to understand the re- ality of budgets, schedules, scalability, commercialization, and promotion. A program that allows creative and business minds to discover and ap- preciate their different perspectives before entering the workforce gives students a unique experience that will guide their future careers." FIELD NOTES A new digital textbook called Research Methods for Business Students, Man- agers and Entrepreneurs is available for free download via Apple's iBooks store. The book, which includes audio and video, was developed at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH WALES in the United Kingdom to guide readers through the research process, includ- ing defining the scope of research, understanding different methods for data collection, and interpreting results. Content was provided by Ramdane Djebarni, senior lecturer; the project was led by Sue Burnett, man- aging editor of iTunesU at USW. See a video in which Burnett explains the textbook at youtu.be/UlKr0hPU6D0. The book can be downloaded at bit.ly/ USWResearchMethods. STRATASYS, a 3-D printing technology provider, will offer a free online 14-week curriculum for educators to use to prepare students to use 3-D printers effectively. The course, "Introduction to 3-D Printing: From Design to Fabrica- tion," includes a guide, presentations, 3-D models, and grading tools, as well as projects that guide students through the process of designing and printing a functional moving part. For information or to download materials, visit www.stratasys.com/industries/ education/educators/curriculum. The UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN'S Ross School of Business in Ann Arbor has created an online hub for videos, briefs, and articles based on its facul- ty's research on a new website called Ross Thought in Action. Directed to practitioners and journalists, the site translates research into easy-to-un- derstand, accessible language. The hub can be found at michiganross. umich.edu/rtia. FUNDING MADE SIMPLER One of the most time-intensive tasks for research faculty is securing funding for their projects. Stanford University in California has found a way to streamline the process through the creation of DoResearch, an online portal where faculty and centers can find comprehensive information and upload applications for funding more easily. The DoResearch portal lists internal and external funding opportunities, including feeds from grants.gov. It features a faculty directory, a library of documents and uni- versity policy information, and an option to receive alerts when submitted documents need to be updated. Administrative staff and principal investigators also use the site for training, in everything from the proper use of animals as research subjects to research ethics.The portal is located at doresearch.stanford.edu. The portal is located at doresearch.stanford.edu.