Prototyping to Leverage Learning in Product Manufacturing Environments

AbstractRooted in the automotive industry, this article discusses the topic of leveraging tacit knowledge through prototyping. After first providing an overview on learning and knowledge, the Socialization, Externalization, Combination and Internalization (SECI) model is discussed in detail, with a clear distinction between tacit and explicit knowledge. Based on this model, we propose a framework for using said reflective and affirmative prototyping in an external vs. internal learning/knowledge capturing and transfer setting. Contextual examples from select automotive manufacturing R&D projects are given to demonstrate the importance and potential in applying more effective strategies for knowledge transformation in engineering design

When Prototyping Meets Storytelling. Practices and Malpractices in Innovating Software Firms

Storytelling is an important but often underestimated practice in software engineering. Whereas existing research widely regards storytelling as creating a common understanding between developers and users, we argue that storytelling and prototyping are intertwined practices for innovators to persuade decision makers. Based on a two-year qualitative case study in two innovating software firms, we identify and dialectically examine practices of storytelling and prototyping. Our study implies that storytelling and prototyping should be integrated together into software engineering methods

The design of a mobile user interface for an interest rate calculator

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references.In our search towards an interactive mobile fixed rate calculator, in this dissertation, we are interested in the human-centred design and in particularly exploring the mobile user interface design and the user experience (usability) thereof. A mobile solution will allow real time rate quotes to Relationship Executive while they are on the move or out of the office rather than a desktop application

Examining the use of visualisation methods for the design of interactive systems

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) design has historically involved people from different fields. Designing HCI systems with people of varying background and expertise can bring different perspectives and ideas, but discipline-specific language and design methods can hinder such collaborations. The application of visualisation methods is a way to overcome these challenges, but to date selection tools tend to focus on a facet of HCI design methods and no research has been attempted to assemble a collection of HCI visualisation methods. To fill this gap, this research seeks to establish an inventory of HCI visualisation methods and identify ways of selecting amongst them. Creating the inventory of HCI methods would enable designers to discover and learn about methods that they may not have used before or be familiar with. Categorising the methods provides a structure for new and experienced designers to determine appropriate methods for their design project. The aim of this research is to support designers in the development of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) systems through better selection and application of visualisation methods. This is achieved through four phases. In the first phase, three case studies are conducted to investigate the challenges and obstacles that influence the choice of a design approach in the development of HCI systems. The findings from the three case studies helped to form the design requirements for a visualisation methods selection and application guide. In the second phase, the Guide is developed. The third phase aims to evaluate the Guide. The Guide is employed in the development of a serious training game to demonstrate its applicability. In the fourth phase, a user study was designed to evaluate the serious training game. Through the evaluation of the serious training game, the Guide is validated. This research has contributed to the knowledge surrounding visualisation tools used in the design of interactive systems. The compilation of HCI visualisation methods establishes an inventory of methods for interaction design. The identification of Selection Approaches brings together the ways in which visualisation methods are organised and grouped. By mapping visualisation methods to Selection Approaches, this study has provided a way for practitioners to select a visualisation method to support their design practice. The development of the Selection Guide provided five filters, which helps designers to identify suitable visualisation methods based on the nature of the design challenge. The development of the Application Guide presented the methodology of each visualisation method in a consistent format. This enables the ease of method comparison and to ensure there is comprehensive information for each method. A user study showing the evaluation of a serious training game is presented. Two learning objectives were identified and mapped to Bloom’s Taxonomy to advocate an approach for like-to-like comparison with future studies

Palveluinnovaatioiden kehittäminen kokeilemalla ja palvelukokeilutilaa apuna käyttäen

A deeper understanding of how to meaningfully introduce the practice of iterative, rough prototyping, into service development would be beneficial in helping to create and manage innovative services. Being experimentation-driven is particularly important when the aim is to achieve disruptive innovations rather than incremental enhancements of current offerings. To date, knowledge required to put an experimentation-driven innovation approach into practice in the early phases of service innovation process is still not developed. The aim of this study is to further the development of that knowledge. The research questions of this study are as follows:. 1. What kind of process, techniques and practices can be used to prototype novel service propositions?. 2. How could a service prototyping space support experimentation of service propositions? In which situations and how should it be used?. To address these questions, the thesis consists of a literature review, three action research cases, and development of service prototyping space construct. The literature review explores theories on how service can be designed and tested. Service as a design object is perceived from the perspective of service-dominant logic. In other words, service is typically defined as an interactive process between two service actors. The firms can only design and offer service propositions to facilitate and support the value creation of the customer during the service process. Experimentation is considered a way of figuring out what kind of value and experience the design will create. In the three action research cases, the experimentation process, the prototyping techniques, and practices are analysed. Additionally, a service prototyping space concept is developed iteratively to support rough service prototyping. The difference between prototyping in the service prototyping space and in real service environment is considered as well. Based on results and conclusions drawn in this thesis, an action-based experimentation-driven innovation process model is presented. Furthermore, a tool is also created for selecting a suitable service prototyping technique in different situations. Analysis of the service prototyping space usage revealed five situations in which the service prototyping space supports the process. The main finding is that service prototyping space can be used to create the best guess for how the service works, so that the service experience and the value created is easier to validate in the experiment within the real service environment. The most important practices to support the prototyping are: setting deadlines and targets, creating clear hypothesis, narrowing the scope of ideation, parallel prototyping and documentation.Kokeilemalla kehittäminen on erityisen hyödyllistä, kun haetaan toimialoja haastavia innovaatioita. Osaaminen nopeiden palvelukokeilujen toteuttamiseen on vasta kehittymässä. Palvelusektorin innovaatiotoiminnassa kokeileminen ei ole vielä yhtä yleistä kuin tuote-, vuorovaikutus- ja ohjelmistokehityksessä. Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitetään, kuinka palveluinnovaatioita voidaan kehittää kokeilemalla. Tutkimus pohjautuu seuraaviin tutkimuskysymyksiin:. 1. Millainen prosessi ja millaiset tekniikat ja käytännöt tukevat uudenlaisten palvelutarjoomien kehittämistä?. 2. Miten palvelukokeilutila voisi tukea palvelutarjoomien kokeilemista? Missä tilanteissa ja miten tilaa kannattaisi hyödyntää?. Tutkimus koostuu kirjallisuus- ja toimintatutkimuksesta. Kirjallisuustutkimus kokoaa olemassa olevan näkemyksen siitä kuinka palveluja suunnitellaan ja kokeillaan. Palvelu määritellään kahden toimijan väliseksi iteratiiviseksi prosessiksi. Palveluja ei voi tuottaa kuten tuotteita. Yritys voi suunnitella ja valmistella ainoastaan palvelutarjooman, jonka avulla se tukee asiakkaan palveluprosessia ja asiakkaan omaa arvontuotantoa. Kokeileminen on keino tutkia, millaisen arvon ja kokemuksen asiakas palvelusta saa. Toimintatutkimuksessa toteutetaan kolme innovaatioprojektia sekä kehitetään palvelukokeilutilan konseptia. Kunkin projektin kohdalla tutkitaan millaista innovaatioprosessia hyödynnetään, millaisia palvelukokeilutekniikoita käytetään ja millaisia kokeilua tukevia käytäntöjä voidaan löytää. Kokeilutilan tarkoituksena on tarjota turvallinen ymparist6 nopeiden alkuvaiheen kokeilujen toteuttamiseen. Kokeilutilassa voidaan käyttää eri palvelukokeilumenetelmiä, kuten näyttelemistä. kuvakasikirjoitusta sekä palveluymparist6n rakentamista ja testausta. Kokeiluympäristöjen hyötyjen ja haittojen analysoimiseksi kokeiluja tehdään sekä palvelukokeilutilassa että oikeassa palveluympäristössä. Tutkimuksen tuloksissa esitellään kokeilemalla kehittämisen prosessimalli, jonka tueksi on kehitetty työkalu helpottamaan kokeilumenetelmien valitsemista erilaisiin kokeilutarpeisiin. Kokeilemalla kehittämistä tukevia käytäntöjä ovat esimerkiksi kokeilun takarajan määrittäminen, selkeän hypoteesin luominen. tavoitteen rajaaminen. rinnakkainen kokeileminen sekä analysoiva dokumentointi. Tutkimuksessa tunnistettiin viisi tilannetta, joissa palvelukokeilutila tukee innovaatioprosessia. Ennen kaikkea kokeilutilan tarkoituksena on auttaa suunnittelijaa määrittelemään paras arvaus siitä, miten palvelu toimii, jotta palvelukokemuksen ja arvontuotannon varmistamiseksi tarvittava kokeilu reaaliympäristössä olisi helpompaa

Prototyping in Business Model Innovation: Exploring the Role of Design Thinking in Business Model Development

This study proposes a theoretical framework for business model prototyping (BMP), one in which design thinking is applied as a means of facilitating business model innovation (BMI). The value of design-led approaches in the development/management of innovation have received increasing recognition in the past decade, as the concept of design thinking (e.g., Brown, 2008; Martin, 2009) has gained broader application and credibility. In parallel, the concept of BMI has been discussed increasingly in research on innovation, as business models have garnered enhanced acknowledgement as a fundamental aspect in innovation management (Schneider & Spieth, 2013). Although experimentation for BMI is argued to be of importance (e.g., Chesbrough, 2010), the ways in which design thinking might inform prototyping of BMI is less articulated. Thus, the research provides a framework for prototyping business models in the process of BMI, and a first theoretical foundation for the subject. The framework is developed by combination of insights from a thoroughgoing literature review with expert interviews, multiple institution-level case studies, and a series of validation interviews. The literature review articulates the concept of prototyping in BMI and covers three topics in-depth: innovation, business models and design thinking. Expert interviews capture the perceptions and orientations of practitioners, and case studies explore various contexts of business model development in social enterprise, university division, governmental organisation and private company. The validation interviews use feedback from industrial experts to aid and revise the framework and combining theoretical and practical perspectives. On the basis of integrated findings, the thesis contributes to knowledge in three ways. First, it aims to bridge design methodology research and innovation management 3 research by articulating prototyping in design with business model innovation. Second, it proposes a theoretical framework for business model prototyping that incorporates four dimensions — purpose, process, context and engagement. This framework provides a theoretical foundation for further research in the area. Third, the thesis reframes prototyping not as a method or a tool but as a methodology (i.e., a conceptual framework and mode of thinking) that supports the management of business model development and innovation