design thinkers think like managers

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Innovation and Design in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

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Mastering technologies in design-driven innovations: how two Italian furniture companies make design a central part of their innovation process

Design is more and more viewed as an important strategic resource. However, even though there is a lot of talk about design, there are only a handful of companies that have truly mastered the design-driven approach to innovation. There is even less research that has tried to understand how these companies are able to successfully manage this approach. This paper aims to understand what it means to make design a central part of the business process, something able to add value to products and create new markets. More specifically, it focuses on the interplay between functional and semantic dimensions of a product. In-depth case studies about two leading Italian companies that operate in the furniture industry (Kartell and Luceplan) underline different interpretations of the role of technologies in radical innovations in product meanings. The empirical results highlight two main interpretations of the role of technologies in radical design-driven innovations: technologies as enablers of new product meanings, the importance of a supply network that allows to rapidly change product technologies and supports the experimentation of new ones

The contributions of interpreters to the development of radical innovations of meanings: the role of “pioneering projects” in the sustainable buildings industry

Studies of innovation management have often focused on two domains: technologies and markets. An ever-increasing standard of living is pushing companies to develop products and services that are not only profitable but also socially responsible. Sustainable housing offers an intriguing empirical setting that allows the investigation of new processes able to support innovations that must be both profitable and socially responsible. Energy-efficient houses not only require technological changes (new sustainable energy technologies) but also require behavioural changes in consumers’ attitudes, decisions and practices about living in sustainable houses. Companies are not only innovative in regard to their own product, but apply the entire system of application with which their specific technologies interact. The development of Pioneering Projects requires many skills and competencies that often exceed the capacity and competencies of a single company. In other words, Pioneering Projects are testing grounds for experimentation, where unconventional, temporary partnerships of stakeholders from different industries unite in the development of real market applications. The paper addresses the value of key interpreters in facilitating the development of radical innovations of meanings in the sustainable buildings industry. Specifically, the paper analyses the ability to create value for the Pioneering Projects from the exploration and knowledge diversity of the interpreters and the impact that Pioneering Projects have on the companies’ outcomes. Empirical data about Pioneering Projects were collected from two manufacturing companies in Denmark: DOVISTA and Saint-Gobain Isover

Developing radically new meanings through the collaboration with radical circles: Slow Food as a platform for envisioning innovative meanings

Purpose The importance and complexity of proposing radically-new meanings are well established in the literature. However, a limited number of contributions have analyzed how they can be developed. In this work, we analyze the development of radically-new meanings at the basis of the Slow Food movement to contribute to the topic. Design approach In order to better understand how social movements can propose radically-new meanings and how companies can take inspiration and build a competitive advantage by leveraging the proposed meanings, we deeply analyzed the genealogy of Slow Food, interpreted as an inspiring case study; we adopt a narrative approach. Findings The analysis of how Slow Food emerged and evolved into an international movement reveals an alternative way to develop innovative meanings in collaboration with groups of radicals. We identify three main phases in the evolution of innovative meanings: generation, institutionalization and development. Practical implications In terms of managerial implications we contribute highlighting the importance of a new type of collaborative innovation: the collaboration with radical circles and social movements in their early stage. Social implications From a societal point of view, if we acknowledge the importance of social movements in contesting and actively changing institutions, we can see the importance for policy makers to create loci and opportunities for the emergence of radical circles and their experimentations. Originality We propose that new meanings are frequently the result of small groups of individuals gathering in radical circles. The core attribute of such circles is group validation. The group supports the Slow Food leader in refining the meaning and confronting the dominant paradigm

Discovering quiescent meanings in technologies: exploring the design management practices that support the development of Technology Epiphanies

In contemporary business and academia, design has been increasingly viewed as an important strategic asset such that several scholars and executives have recently investigated the links among design, innovation and competitive advantage. Indeed, recent and emerging literature streams are exploring the potential contribution design can provide in valorising and differently adopting new or existing technologies [Dell’Era, Marchesi, and Verganti 2010. “Mastering Technologies in Design-Driven Innovation – How Two Italian Companies Made Design a Central Part of their Innovation Process.” Research Technology Management 53 (2): 12–23 Buganza et al. 2015. “Unveiling the Potentialities Provided by New Technologies: A Process to Pursue Technology Epiphanies in the Smartphone App Industry.” Creativity and Innovation Management 24 (3): 391–414]. This paper aims to investigate the design managerial practices able to support Technology Epiphanies, which are defined as the discovery of quiescent meanings in new or existing technologies [Verganti 2009. Design-Driven Innovation. Changing the Rules of Competition by Radically Innovating What Things Mean. Boston: Harvard Business Press]. The paper relies on four in-depth case studies developed by both primary and secondary sources: Nintendo, Kartell, Technogym and KUKA Robotics. The paper identifies three design management practices that can guide managers in the development of Technology Epiphanies: interpreting technology as an enabling platform, building double-sided network and accessing new knowledge domains