Tom Hardy (born 1946) is an American design strategist and Professor of Design Management at

Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private nonprofit art school with locations in Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Lacoste, France. Founded in 1978 to provide degrees in programs not yet offered in the southeast of the Unit ...

(SCAD).Catalog, Savannah College of Art and Design, 2015-2016. Programs of Study: School of Design, Design Management Program: Faculty, pp.100-03 As corporate design advisor to

Samsung Electronics Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (, sometimes shortened to SEC and stylized as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean multinational corporation, multinational electronics corporation headquartered in Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, South Korea. It is the pinnacle of ...

(1996-2003) Hardy was instrumental in transforming their brand image from follower to innovation leader by creating a new brand-design ethos and building significant global brand equity through judicious use of design strategy and management.Cain, G, (2020) ''Samsung Rising: The Inside Story of the South Korean Giant That Set Out to Beat Apple and Conquer Tech'', New York: Currency, pp.113-116Chung, K.; Hardy, T.; So, S., ″Strategic Realization�

''Design Management Journal'', Winter 2000, pp.65-9Chung, K.; Freeze, K., "Design Strategy at Samsung Electronics: Becoming a Top-Tier Company″

'Design Management Institute Case Study - Harvard Business School Publishing'', 2008, p.8 While at IBM (1970-1992), he was an award-winning industrial designer International Information Technology Exhibition: SMAU, (Italy) Industrial Design Award: IBM 5230 Data Collection System/Series 1, 1977. Pizzi, M., Grilli, N., (1998) ''Thirty Years of SMAU Industrial Design Award'', Milano: Amilcare Pizziart grafiche S.p.A., p.28Annual Design Review,''I.D. Magazine'', Product design award: IBM 5230 Data Collection System/Series 1, 1977, p.110Industrial Design Excellence - Gold IDEA. ''Industrial Designers Society of America,'' Product design award: IBM 5120 Computing System, 1980, p.327th Annual Design Review.''I.D. Magazine'', Product design award: IBM 5120 Computing System/Series 1, 1981, pp.44-529th Annual Design Review.''I.D. Magazine'', Product design award: IBM System 23-Adjustability Model, 1983, p.37iF, ''Die Gute Industrieform''. Hannover Messe (Germany), Product design award: IBM System 23-Adjustability Model, 1983, p.98 and later served as corporate head of the IBM Design Program responsible for worldwide identity.Nussbaum, B., ″Hot Products: Smart Design is the Common Thread″

'Business Week'', June 7, 1993, pp.5, 6Bruce, M.; Jennaker, B., (1998) ''Management of Strategic Alliances'', Sakakibara, K., New York: John Wiley & Sons, Chapter 4. His leadership contributed to the revitalization of IBM's brand image via differentiated design such as the iconic

ThinkPad ThinkPad is a line of business-oriented laptop computers and tablet computers, tablets designed, developed and marketed by Lenovo, and formerly by IBM until 2005, when IBM's Personal computer, PC business was acquired by Lenovo. ThinkPads have ...

.Hardy, T., "Rebuilding Trust: Design Saves the Brand″

'Innovation'', Summer 1998, pp.39-43Sakakibara, K., "IBM ThinkPad 700C Notebook Computer Case″, ''Centre for Design Management - London Business School'', 1994, pp.25-9, 30-9, 40

Early life and education

Hardy's early life was spent in Alabama where he graduated from

Hueytown High School Hueytown High School is a four-year public high school in the Birmingham, Alabama suburb of Hueytown. It is one of fourteen high schools in the Jefferson County School System. Hueytown competes in AHSAA Class 6A athletics. According to the websi ...

in 1964 and pursued his undergraduate education in

industrial design Industrial design is a process of design applied to physical Product (business), products that are to be manufactured by mass production. It is the creative act of determining and defining a product's form and features, which takes place in advan ...

Auburn University Auburn University (AU or Auburn) is a public land-grant research university in Auburn, Alabama. With more than 24,600 undergraduate students and a total enrollment of more than 30,000 with 1,330 faculty members, Auburn is the second largest uni ...

(1964–1970) under Eva Pfeil (German) and Walter Schaer (Swiss), former students at the famed

Ulm School of Design The Ulm School of Design (german: Hochschule für Gestaltung Ulm) was a college of design based in Ulm, Germany. It was founded in 1953 by Inge Aicher-Scholl, Otl Aicher and Max Bill, the latter being first rector of the school and a former stud ...

in Germany.Lindinger, H., (1991), ''Ulm Design: The Morality of Objects'', Cambridge: The MIT Press, p.133Spitz, R. (2002) ''The Ulm School of Design: A View Behind the Foreground'', Fellbach: Edition Axel Menges, pp.140, 146, 201, 207, 211-12, 431-2, 438, 441, 453 During his graduate work in the History and Sociology of Technology and Science at

Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

(1995-1996), he consulted with Georgia Tech to create CoLab, a unique multi-disciplinary innovation laboratory that integrated engineering, marketing and industrial design for industry-sponsored projects.

Career

IBM

Early in his career, Hardy was the industrial designer of numerous award-winning IBM products, including the original

IBM Personal Computer The IBM Personal Computer (model 5150, commonly known as the IBM PC) is the first microcomputer released in the IBM PC model line and the basis for the IBM PC compatible de facto standard. Released on August 12, 1981, it was created by a team ...

introduced in 1981.28th Annual Design Review, ''I.D. Magazine'', Designers' Choice: IBM Personal Computer, 1982, p.37 During the 1970s, he also designed advanced industrial design concepts for 'single user computers' during the infancy of personal computing.Atkinson, P, (2013) ''DELETE: A Design History of Computer Vapourware

London: Bloomsbury Publishing, pp. 62-3, 66-8, 70, 73-4, 76-9, 86-8, 90-1, 138, 140 His work included a

human-centered design Human-centered design (HCD, also human-centred design, as used in ISO standards) is an approach to problem-solving commonly used in process, product, service and system design, management, and engineering frameworks that develops solutions to p ...

model in 1973 to complement the IBM engineering prototype of SCAMP dubbed by ''PC Magazine'' as "the world's first personal computer". Examples of Hardy's advanced PC concepts are published in the book: ''DELETE: A Design History of Computer Vapourware'' As corporate head of the IBM Design Program,Aldersey-Williams, H., (1992) ''World Design: Nationalism and Globalism in Design'', New York: Rizzoli, pp.155, 170, 172 Hardy directed worldwide identity operations in concert with preeminent designers

Paul Rand Paul Rand (born Peretz Rosenbaum; August 15, 1914 – November 26, 1996) was an American art director and graphic designer, best known for his corporate logo designs, including the logos for IBM, UPS, Enron, Morningstar, Inc., Westinghouse, ...

and

Richard Sapper Richard Sapper (30 May 1932 – 31 December 2015) was a German industrial designer based in Milan, Italy. He is considered one of the most important designers of his generation, his products typically featuring a combination of technical innovat ...

. His design leadership accomplishments have been cited in notable publications, including a London Business School Case Study that documented Hardy's role in development of the first IBM

notebook computer (1992) Metz, C., ″25 Years of PC Magazine: Year Eleven/1992″

'PC Magazine'', May 2, 2007, p.48Golden, P., ″Big Blue's Big Adventure. Part 1�

together with a new differentiated product personality strategy. This work focused on providing more innovative character to help revitalize IBM's brand image in the 1990s.Hardy, T., "Innovation & Chaos"

'Design Management Journal'', Summer 1994, pp.35-9

Design strategist

Later an independent consultant, Hardy's work with

(1996-2003) involved creating a new brand-design ethos of duality: "Balance of Reason and Feeling", while integrating a comprehensive

design management Design management is a field of inquiry that uses project management, design, strategy, and supply chain techniques to control a creative process, support a culture of creativity, and build a structure and organization for design. The objective ...

system and innovation strategy into the corporate culture.Nussbaum, B., "The Hungriest Tiger", ''Business Week'', June 2, 1997, p.99Delaney, M.; Hardy, T.; McFarland, J.; Yoon, G., ″Global Localization″, ''Innovation'', Summer 2002, pp.46-9 His introduction of brand-design infrastructure elements that were definable, repeatable, measurable, scalable and actionable has been cited in business publications as strategic assets that resulted in a unique identity for Samsung and helped elevate the company's global brand image and brand equity value.Bremmer, B.; Ihlwan, M., ″Cool Korea�

'' Business Week'', June 10, 2002, p.5 Another consulting example is Hardy's work with Ford (2005) where he conducted verbal-visual perception research with target customers as a framework for design of their first crossover vehicle, the 2007 Ford ''Edge''. Hardy's diverse consulting project experience includes: Chick-fil-A, Coca-Cola, Ford, Home Depot, J.P. Morgan, Lenovo, Lowe's, Maytag, Merck, McDonald's, Microsoft, NEA, Polaroid, Porsche, Procter & Gamble, Samsung, Steelcase, Tupperware, Turkcell, Verizon and Xerox PARC.

Educator

Hardy currently serves as Professor of Design Management and Graduate Coordinator at

(SCAD)., and has conducted corporate education workshops on innovative

Design thinking Design thinking refers to the set of Cognition, cognitive, strategic and practical procedures used by designers in the process of Design, designing, and to the body of knowledge that has been developed about how people reason when engaging with des ...

and

Scenario planning Scenario planning, scenario thinking, scenario analysis, scenario prediction and the scenario method all describe a strategic planning method that some organizations use to make flexible long-term plans. It is in large part an adaptation and gener ...

for companies such as

Porsche Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see #Pronunciation, below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany ...

and

Steelcase Steelcase Inc. is an American manufacturer of furniture, casegoods, seating, and space solutions for offices, hospitals, classrooms, and residential interiors. It is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA. History Originally known as The ...

Contributions and recognition

Government

In 1992, Hardy was invited by the U.S. Presidential transition team to participate as a member of President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...

's Roundtable on Design. The purpose of the event was to create ideas on how innovative design can contribute to America's competitiveness, sustainability and inclusiveness.Perlman, C.; Sorkin, M.; Woodward, S., ″Dear Mr. President: Answering Clinton's Call for a Design Strategy in America″, ''I.D. Magazine'', March - April, 1993, p.2 Following the Roundtable on Design, he was selected to testify before the 103rd Congressional

Committee on Science, Space and Technology The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology is a committee of the United States House of Representatives. It has jurisdiction over non-defense federal scientific research and development. More specifically, the committee has complete jurisdic ...

as to the importance of design innovation in commercialization of technologies and U.S. competitiveness. Hardy also participated in another government design initiative in 1993 as Chair of a

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

' Design Program working group to propose a White House Council on Design."A Proposal for a White House Council on Design: A Strategy to Harness the Power of Design"

National Endowment for the Arts Design Program, June 1994, pp.8, 9, 24 And in 2000 he was appointed to the Presidential Design Awards Jury for Federal Design Achievement in Graphic Design and Industrial/Product Design "Presidential Design Awards 2000

by General Services Administration and National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, D.C., 2000, p.31

Design management and product design

The 2007 anniversary issue of ''

PC Magazine ''PC Magazine'' (shortened as ''PCMag'') is an American computer magazine published by Ziff Davis. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009. Publication of online editions started in late 1994 and have continued to the present d ...

'' highlighted Hardy's innovative management leadership role in the original IBM

development process and deemed him 'Innovator of the Year 1992'. Most recently, two products directly influenced by Hardy during his IBM career were selected in 2016 by ''

Time Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Mar ...

'' as being among "The 50 Most Influential Gadgets of All Time". They are: (#5) the first

5150 and (#21) the iconic IBM

700C. The 50 products were cited by ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' as "The tech that forever changed the way we live, work and play".Eadicicco, L, Fitzpatrick, A., Howorth, C., Luckerson, V., Peckham, M., Pullen, J. P., Raab, J., Vella. M. ″The 50 Most Influential Gadgets of All Time�

'Time'', May 3, 2016. Awards for Hardy's

of IBM products: *

Industrial Designers Society of America The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) is a membership-based not-for-profit organization that promotes the practice and education of industrial design. The organization was formally established in 1965 by the collaborative merger of t ...

Gold IDEA - 1980 * The Premio Smau Award - 1977 (Italy) * iF Product Design Award - 1983 (Germany) * ''

I.D. Magazine ''I.D.'' (''The International Design Magazine'') was a magazine covering the art, business, and culture of design. It was published eight times a year by F+W Media. History ''I.D.'' was founded in 1954 as ''Industrial Design''. The name was late ...

'' Annual Design Review Awards - 1977, 1981, 1982, 1983.

References

External links

Design 200: Influencers from Alabama websiteSCAD Design Management Program website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hardy, Tom 1946 births Living people American industrial designers Auburn University alumni Hueytown High School alumni