DESIGN INNOVATION FOR SOCIETAL AND BUSINESS CHANGE
Year: 2015
Editor: Christian Weber, Stephan Husung, Gaetano Cascini, Marco CantaMESsa, Dorian Marjanovic, Francesca Montagna
Author: Thurgood, Clementine; Dorst, Kees; Bucolo, Sam; van der Bijl-Brouwer, Mieke; Vermaas, Pieter
Series: ICED
Institution: 1: University of Technology Sydney, Australia; 2: Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands; 3: Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
Section: Innovation and Creativity
Page(s): 061-070
ISBN: 978-1-904670-71-1
ISSN: 2220-4334
Abstract
We present two approaches for addressing complex societal and business problems: frame creation and design led innovation. Both methods combine a broad systems approach to problem solving together with the reframing of problems based on uncovering deep underlying human values and needs. While the practical usefulness and viability of our methods has been established through a series of projects, design methods need evaluative criteria to enable a more formal discussion and assessment of projects. This is particularly important for enabling comparisons across studies, and/or when attempting to communicate the value of design to non-design audience. For this purpose, we suggest articulating the steps of design methods using S.M.A.R.T. criteria from the management literature. We describe the aims, means, and evaluative criteria of each step of our methods, which can be likened to the specific (S) and measurable (M) indices of S.M.A.R.T. Thus, S.M.AR.T. descriptions enable management of projects by means of their own design methods and contribute to establishing sound design innovation methodologies that can eventually be scaled up for large research programs and educational purposes.
Keywords: Design Methods, Innovation, Framing, Measurement