D.Inc.

Managing uncertainties through co-designing innovation culture

 

Innovation includes potential for growth, but also risks stability of the business. Design thinking can support companies in realizing their intentions by clarifying their aims, understanding customer needs and guiding the innovation activities to achieve the aims. The uncertainty and freedom levels of design processes vary depending on the expectations and assignment of clients or decision-makers. The depth of collaboration takes different forms starting from operative activities in product and service design and ending up to strategic transformation of business.

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Aiming to renew innovation culture

The project aims at discovering how design thinking renews innovation culture in SMEs. The research focuses on the ways of managing uncertainties through design. The study explores different layers and practices of design for incorporating design thinking into innovation activities and staff. The scope of suitable design level and activities is defined based on companies’ motivation to change. The research focuces especially in three design topics, which pursues to manage different types of uncertainties: 

1)      Managing market uncertainty: user involvement

2)     Managing uncertainties of new product development: framing systemic solutions

3)     Managing service business: customer experiences

4)    Managing organization learning of design thinking