Roger Martin

As jobs and the economy continue to be a hot topic of national debate, the necessity of creative thinking and innovation in the American marketplace is of particular interest to artists and designers, and CCAD is bringing Roger Martin to Columbus on Sept. 28 to share his thoughts.

Best known in design circles for his book The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking is the Next Competitive Advantage, Martin was named in 2010 as one of the most influential designers in the world and in 2011 as the sixth top management thinker in the world.

Martin is the dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, and an adviser on strategy to CEO’s of several major global corporations. He writes extensively on design and is a regular contributor to Washington Post’s On Leadership blog and to Financial Times’ Judgment Call column.

Martin’s presentation coincides with the launch of the CCAD MindMarket, a creative center that integrates art and design talent with business practices via business partnerships, a business incubator, and the ThoughtLab—an initiative that will recruit leaders in business and design to discuss and study the connection between creativity and economic value.

“We are so excited to bring Roger Martin to CCAD and Columbus,” said CCAD MindMarket Director Cynthia Gravino. “He is a respected leader in the business community and is seriously raising the level of debate on the idea of design thinking and its importance to our economic future. I can’t think of a better way to kick off the CCAD MindMarket, an innovative college program that connects the talent our students and alumni with the business community.”

Martin comes to CCAD, Friday, Sept. 28. After a cocktail reception at 4:30 p.m., Martin will speak at 5:30 p.m., with a Q & A session with the audience at 6:30 p.m. in the Canzani Center Auditorium. After the lecture, in CCAD’s Design Studios on Broad, Martin will do a book signing for ticket holders, tours of the new CCAD MindMarket will be available to ticket holders and the public. Also in Design Studios on Broad there will also be a free and open to the public party hosted by idUS —Columbus’ citywide celebration of innovation and design. Visit the event page for more info.

Tickets to see Roger Martin are $100 and may be purchased online. The post-lecture CCAD MindMarket tours and idUS party are free and open to the public.