Design jumps on board: designers in all areas of the corporate structure are now making contributions to their company's design management philosophy, according to Naomi Gornick. (Private View).

Design management issues have recently been back on the agenda. Recent comments in Design Week prompted me to make some connections between individual opinions. My first thought is how much the subject has moved on since we first started talking about it in the 1980s. But then why should we assume that our first thoughts would remain static when every sphere of design activity is susceptible to the changes that besiege the creative industries?

We have already been warned that design should not be ignored at board level when reporting the departure and non-replacement of head of design at London Transport (Comment, DW 23 June). Considering its strong design heritage, it is impossible to imagine that organisation without a modern day Frank Pick to lead changes, especially now, when there is such critical consumer and Government focus on public transport. But if companies are now having to re-invent themselves in years not decades, it is hardly surprising that the turbulence in corporate life is reflected in changes at design director level.

It is disappointing that LT is not replacing its head of design. First, because strategic management of design is now a recognised asset in corporate environments; second, because it has always been acknowledged that design cannot flourish unless decisions are made at the highest possible level in the corporate hierarchy.

After prolonged promotion and persuasion, the value of design has now been grasped by most companies. How to integrate it into organisations along with design strategy and innovation is still causing some head-scratching. We may have come a long way, but there is still much to achieve. The picture seems to be quite gloomy, but is it? We have to ask ourselves if the design flame is completely extinguished when a senior design personality leaves. Some working patterns have emerged over the years that show us this may not be the case.

We are finding that design management activity can take place at three levels within a company, sometimes simultaneously. Design directors normally deal with policy issues, the corporate vision and the overall position of design in the organisation. At the strategic level, decisions are made on products relating to the organisation's aims ...