Sense and symbolic objects: Strategic sensemaking through design

This paper reports on an ongoing investigation into one aspect of the design thinking phenomenon, namely the use of designed artifacts — sketches, renderings, graphics, models and prototypes — as symbolic objects in strategy making and implementation. It examines the conceptual overlap between design and the strategic cognition perspective, which considers cognitive processes and structures involved in strategic decision making, particularly the phenomenon of sensemaking. It is primarily a theoretical exploration, but draws on two short testimonies from designers. The specific conceptual connection between design practice and strategic cognition theory is potentially valuable to business leaders and managers involved with innovation, design management and strategic decisions. Preliminary findings suggest sensemaking activities by designers generate innovative future concepts with far-reaching strategic implications; designed artifacts aid sensemaking and sensegiving by management in exploring new business opportunities and directions. This paper is an early draft of a fuller account to be published in 2013 (AIEDAM Special Issue, Spring 2013, Vol.27, No.2, Studying and Supporting Design Communication, Edited by: Maaike Kleinsmann & Anja Maier)

Engineers are using social media for work purposes

Given the nowadays often distributed nature of product development and the tendency of engineers to rely on their colleagues and people they can easily reach, social media may offer solutions to support information seeking and efficient and effective knowledge sharing. This paper explores the use of social media in the Danish engineering industry. Results from over 130 survey participants show that 88% report to actually use social media for work purposes. The most addressed purposes are to search for information, knowledge and solutions, together with networking

Understanding representation : contrasting gesture and sketching in design through dual-process theory

Representation is essential to design work. While there is a multitude of research on, for example, gesture, prototyping, and sketching, there is a critical need for a more general account of design representation, able to explain diverse results across representation modes and design tasks. We address this need by experimentally testing dual-process theory hypotheses regarding the impact of gesture and sketching on a range of design tasks, including reproduction, evaluation, elaboration, ideation, and selection. Central to this is the (mis)match between representation mode at input/response, and the interaction between Type 1 and Type 2 processing. These findings support a novel dual-process explanation of design representation, suggest resolutions to previously contradictory findings, and provide implications for design theory, education, and practice

A FRAMEWORK FOR CONCEPT VALIDATION IN DESIGN USING DIGITAL PROTOTYPING

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Studying and supporting design communication

Product Innovation ManagementIndustrial Design Engineerin