Abstract
This paper deals with how the visual approach from a design process can help inform companies about future opportunities at a strategic level. The paper follows an innovation project where design students worked with five companies at a 1-day workshop and with one company through a 2-week project. In both processes the students worked visually with mapping and making sense of large amounts of data that may influence the company’s strategy. They also synthesized these finding by creating conceptual suggestions for the company’s future products. This paper discusses the lessons learned from the innovation project and reflects on which new knowledge, methods and techniques designers should be aware of when participating in multidisciplinary strategic processes and new educational initiatives. This paper shows how the design profession’s traditional visual tools and methods for concept development can be used to facilitate discussions for companies facing strategic challenges. It also underlines the importance of rethinking design skills and communication when moving into strategic processes.
Highlights
In recent years there has been, in both design practice (Brown 2009) and design research (Buchanan 2001), a focus on how designers can move 'upstream' from a tactical level in the innovation chain, and have a greater impact on the strategic decisions a company makes
He continues by saying that executives with an education in management consider the process of the 'fuzzy front end' ill-defined, random and mysterious
This paper contributes to the above discussion by reflecting on what happens when a group of design students work with companies on strategic issues through a visual design process that would normally be used in the students’ work with furniture, product or interaction design
Summary
In recent years there has been, in both design practice (Brown 2009) and design research (Buchanan 2001), a focus on how designers can move 'upstream' from a tactical level in the innovation chain, and have a greater impact on the strategic decisions a company makes. Several researchers with a background in management, such as Martin (2009) and Boland & Collopy (2004), point out that the open approach to a process from the design profession, especially techniques for visual representation and sketching, should be combined with existing practices from management. These should be used by multidisciplinary teams to create an overview of the strategic options at the ‘fuzzy front end'. This paper contributes to the above discussion by reflecting on what happens when a group of design students work with companies on strategic issues through a visual design process that would normally be used in the students’ work with furniture, product or interaction design
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