Short answer

Design leaders should be aware that fostering high intrinsic motivation for novelty might require complementary efforts to ensure circular design principles are also integrated.

Field: Innovation & Design
Source: Research in Engineering Design (2021)
Method: Quantitative study with qualitative assessment components.
Sample: 35 novice designers (organized into groups of 2-5)
Evidence: Moderate effect

Increased designer motivation, perceived relevance, knowledge, and affinity towards a design problem correlate with more novel solutions, but may lead to less circular outcomes. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2021 study published in Research in Engineering Design. Using Quantitative study with qualitative assessment components. with 35 novice designers (organized into groups of 2-5), researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Design leaders should be aware that fostering high intrinsic motivation for novelty might require complementary efforts to ensure circular design principles are also integrated.

Study

Innovation & DesignHigh ImpactModerate effect

Designer Motivation Drives Novelty, Potentially Hindering Circularity

Increased designer motivation, perceived relevance, knowledge, and affinity towards a design problem correlate with more novel solutions, but may lead to less circular outcomes.

Research in Engineering Design · 2021

Key Findings

01Higher levels of designer motivation, perceived relevance, knowledge, and affinity were associated with increased novelty in design solutions.
02Higher levels of designer motivation, perceived relevance, knowledge, and affinity were associated with decreased circularity in design solutions, though this finding was not statistically significant for circularity.

Application

Design takeaway

Design leaders should be aware that fostering high intrinsic motivation for novelty might require complementary efforts to ensure circular design principles are also integrated.

How to apply

When forming design teams, consider the project's primary goals. For projects prioritizing breakthrough innovation, leverage highly motivated individuals. For projects emphasizing sustainability, ensure team members are also attuned to circular economy principles or provide specific guidance.

Project actions

01Clearly define whether your design project prioritizes novelty or circularity, or a balance between the two.
02Reflect on your own motivation and knowledge regarding the design problem and how it might influence your solution.

Method & Evidence

AimTo investigate the relationship between a designer's intrinsic factors (motivation, relevance, knowledge, affinity) and the novelty and circularity of their design solutions.

MethodQuantitative study with qualitative assessment components.

ProcedureNovice designers were organized into groups and tasked with proposing conceptual solutions to two distinct design problems. Novelty was evaluated using the SAPPhIRE causality model, and circularity was measured using the Circular Economy Toolkit.

Sample35 novice designers (organized into groups of 2-5)

ContextConceptual design problem-solving in an educational or early-stage design setting.

Variables

IV["Designer motivation","Perceived relevance of the design problem","Designer's knowledge of the design problem","Designer's affinity for the design problem"]

DV["Degree of novelty in the design solution","Degree of circularity in the design solution"]

CV["Type of design problem","Group size","Novice designer status"]

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Investigates a novel link between psychological factors and design outcomes.
+Uses established tools for assessing novelty and circularity.

Limitations

This study used novice designers, so experienced designers might behave differently. The circularity assessment was conceptual, not based on real-world product lifecycle data.

Reliability & validity

Reliability of novelty and circularity assessment tools would be important. Validity would depend on how well these tools truly capture the intended concepts and if the chosen design problems are representative.

Think critically

How might a design brief be structured to simultaneously encourage high levels of novelty and ensure a strong focus on circularity, mitigating the potential trade-off identified in this study?

Design Principles

"Balance the pursuit of radical innovation with the principles of circular design by managing designer intrinsic factors."

Understanding the intrinsic drivers of designers can inform team selection and project management. By recognizing that a strong focus on novelty might inadvertently reduce circularity, design leaders can implement strategies to balance these competing priorities.

What This Means for Your Design

If designers are really into a project and know a lot about it, they'll likely come up with cool, new ideas, but might forget to make them environmentally friendly or reusable.

How to use in your project

1.Use this research to justify your approach to team formation or to analyze how your personal engagement influenced your design choices.
2.Cite this study when discussing the trade-offs between novelty and circularity in your design process.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

The relationship between designer intrinsic factors and design outcomes was explored by Ruiz‐Pastor et al. (2021), who found that increased designer motivation, perceived relevance, knowledge, and affinity correlated with greater novelty but potentially less circularity in conceptual solutions. This highlights the importance of managing designer engagement to balance innovative aspirations with sustainable design principles.

Source

Research in Engineering Design

The relationship between personal intrinsic factors towards a design problem and the degree of novelty and circularity

journal · 2021

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about designer motivation drives novelty, potentially hindering circularity?: Design leaders should be aware that fostering high intrinsic motivation for novelty might require complementary efforts to ensure circular design principles are also integrated. Evidence: Research in Engineering Design (2021).
Why does "Designer Motivation Drives Novelty, Potentially Hindering Circularity" matter for design?: Understanding the intrinsic drivers of designers can inform team selection and project management. By recognizing that a strong focus on novelty might inadvertently reduce circularity, design leaders can implement strategies to balance these competing priorities.
How can designers apply this research?: Design leaders should be aware that fostering high intrinsic motivation for novelty might require complementary efforts to ensure circular design principles are also integrated.
What were the main findings?: Higher levels of designer motivation, perceived relevance, knowledge, and affinity were associated with increased novelty in design solutions.. Higher levels of designer motivation, perceived relevance, knowledge, and affinity were associated with decreased circularity in design solutions, though this finding was not statistically significant for circularity.
What research method was used?: Quantitative study with qualitative assessment components. with 35 novice designers (organized into groups of 2-5).
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2021 journal from Research in Engineering Design.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When forming design teams, consider the project's primary goals. For projects prioritizing breakthrough innovation, leverage highly motivated individuals. For projects emphasizing sustainability, ensure team members are also attuned to circular economy principles or provide specific guidance.
What are the limitations?: The study involved novice designers, and findings may differ with experienced professionals. The assessment of circularity was based on conceptual solutions, not implemented products.