Design Policy:

New Challenges in the New Economy

Paul Rothstein | Arizona State University

Abstract

In today’s climate of change, managing a design policy has become an increasingly important challenge for design groups and their corporate clients. As a result, there has been renewed interest in exploring issues relating to the development of effective policies and strategies for managing key identity factors. This paper contributes to the discourse by examining the policies and artifacts of the Amish, a small traditional religious organization with a welldefined set of core values and practices. With over three hundred years of history, the Amish tradition has evolved to include a distinctive visual identity, which is governed by specific policies and used to symbolize and support Amish values. As part of an initial inquiry into design policy, this paper argues that a close examination of the Amish provides a unique opportunity to identify fundamental principles for developing effective design policy while managing change.

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