Short answer

Integrate designers and hands-on design activities directly into multidisciplinary teams to foster a more fluid and expansive approach to innovation.

Field: Innovation & Design
Source: Gothenburg University Publications Electronic Archive (Gothenburg University) (2013)
Method: Ethnographically inspired, interpretative, and reflexive research approach.
Evidence: Strong effect

Engaging non-designers in hands-on design activities can expand organizational meaning-spaces, leading to novel innovative concepts. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2013 study published in Gothenburg University Publications Electronic Archive (Gothenburg University). Using Ethnographically inspired, interpretative, and reflexive research approach., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Integrate designers and hands-on design activities directly into multidisciplinary teams to foster a more fluid and expansive approach to innovation.

Study

Innovation & DesignHigh ImpactStrong effect

Design Practice as a Catalyst for Meaning-Driven Innovation

Engaging non-designers in hands-on design activities can expand organizational meaning-spaces, leading to novel innovative concepts.

Gothenburg University Publications Electronic Archive (Gothenburg University) · 2013

Key Findings

01Challenging established product understandings initially caused friction.
02Immersion in hands-on design expanded meaning-spaces through entwined conversation and making.
03New product understandings emerged through aesthetic deliberation and material practice.
04In three cases, innovative concepts were developed that were previously outside the organization's meaning-space.

Application

Design takeaway

Integrate designers and hands-on design activities directly into multidisciplinary teams to foster a more fluid and expansive approach to innovation.

How to apply

When initiating innovation projects, consider incorporating 'design sprints' or workshops where team members engage directly with materials and prototyping, rather than just discussing abstract concepts.

Project actions

01When exploring innovation, consider how the 'making' process itself can lead to new insights.
02Document the evolution of understanding and meaning within your design team.

Method & Evidence

AimTo understand how design practice contributes to innovation by exploring the process of meaning-making within organizations.

MethodEthnographically inspired, interpretative, and reflexive research approach.

ProcedureFive designers facilitated hands-on design interventions with multidisciplinary groups in five companies, aiming to enhance organizational innovativeness. The interventions involved challenging existing product understandings and fostering new ones through conversation and making.

ContextOrganizational innovation within companies.

Variables

IV["Hands-on design interventions","Designer involvement"]

DV["Organizational innovativeness","Emergence of innovative concepts","Expansion of meaning-spaces"]

CV["Company context","Nature of the product/industry"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Focuses on the tacit and embodied dimensions of design.
+Provides a practical, hands-on approach to innovation.
+Uses ethnographic methods for in-depth understanding.

Limitations

The effectiveness of such interventions may vary depending on the company culture and the designers' facilitation skills.

Reliability & validity

The interpretative nature of the research may limit generalizability, but the ethnographic approach provides rich, in-depth insights into the process.

Think critically

To what extent can the 'friction' initially experienced in challenging established understandings be a necessary precursor to breakthrough innovation?

Design Principles

"Innovation emerges from the co-creation of meaning through embodied experience and aesthetic deliberation."

This research highlights that innovation isn't solely about idea generation but also about evolving collective understanding. By integrating design practice directly into multidisciplinary teams, organizations can unlock new perspectives and foster a more dynamic approach to product development.

What This Means for Your Design

Getting people who don't usually do design to actually make things and talk about them can help them come up with new and better ideas for products.

How to use in your project

1.Use this research to justify the inclusion of hands-on making and iterative prototyping in your design process, especially when working with diverse teams.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This study suggests that innovation can be fostered by directly engaging diverse teams in design practice, leading to expanded meaning-spaces and the emergence of novel concepts through aesthetic deliberation and material engagement. This approach moves beyond abstract ideation to a more embodied and meaning-driven process.

Source

Gothenburg University Publications Electronic Archive (Gothenburg University)

Meaning in the Making: Introducing a Hermeneutic Perspective on the Contribution of Design Practice to Innovation

journal · 2013

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about design practice as a catalyst for meaning-driven innovation?: Integrate designers and hands-on design activities directly into multidisciplinary teams to foster a more fluid and expansive approach to innovation. Evidence: Gothenburg University Publications Electronic Archive (Gothenburg University) (2013).
Why does "Design Practice as a Catalyst for Meaning-Driven Innovation" matter for design?: This research highlights that innovation isn't solely about idea generation but also about evolving collective understanding. By integrating design practice directly into multidisciplinary teams, organizations can unlock new perspectives and foster a more dynamic approach to product development.
How can designers apply this research?: Integrate designers and hands-on design activities directly into multidisciplinary teams to foster a more fluid and expansive approach to innovation.
What were the main findings?: Challenging established product understandings initially caused friction.. Immersion in hands-on design expanded meaning-spaces through entwined conversation and making.. New product understandings emerged through aesthetic deliberation and material practice.. In three cases, innovative concepts were developed that were previously outside the organization's meaning-space.
What research method was used?: Ethnographically inspired, interpretative, and reflexive research approach..
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2013 journal from Gothenburg University Publications Electronic Archive (Gothenburg University).
What should I do differently in my next project?: When initiating innovation projects, consider incorporating 'design sprints' or workshops where team members engage directly with materials and prototyping, rather than just discussing abstract concepts.
What are the limitations?: The study involved a small number of designers and companies, and the long-term impact of the interventions was not fully explored.