Short answer
When developing or selecting visual tools for business model innovation, consider the cognitive load associated with each stage of the process and choose or design representations that simplify complexity.
- Field
- Innovation & Design
- Source
- Creativity and Innovation Management (2017)
- Method
- Systematic literature review and content analysis
- Sample
- 95 visualizations (45 academic, 50 external)
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Tailoring the visual representation of business models to specific phases of the innovation process can significantly reduce cognitive load, thereby fostering more effective business model innovation. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2017 study published in Creativity and Innovation Management. Using Systematic literature review and content analysis with 95 visualizations (45 academic, 50 external), researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When developing or selecting visual tools for business model innovation, consider the cognitive load associated with each stage of the process and choose or design representations that simplify complexity.
Cognitive load reduction through visual business model tools enhances innovation.
Tailoring the visual representation of business models to specific phases of the innovation process can significantly reduce cognitive load, thereby fostering more effective business model innovation.
Creativity and Innovation Management · 2017
Key Findings
- 01Visual business model representations can be categorized into three complementary types.
- 02Cognitive literature offers insights into selecting graphic forms that align with different phases of the BMI process.
Application
Design takeaway
When developing or selecting visual tools for business model innovation, consider the cognitive load associated with each stage of the process and choose or design representations that simplify complexity.
How to apply
When facilitating a business model innovation workshop, use simpler, more abstract visual tools during initial ideation and more detailed, structured tools during refinement and planning.
Project actions
- 01When exploring business models, consider how your chosen visual tools affect your thinking.
- 02Categorize your visual aids based on their complexity and purpose within your design project.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a structured framework for analyzing visual business model tools.
- +Connects cognitive theory to practical design recommendations for BMI.
Limitations
The effectiveness of visual tools can be subjective and depend on individual user experience and familiarity with certain diagrammatic conventions.
Reliability & validity
The reliability of the categorization framework would depend on consistent application by multiple analysts. Validity could be enhanced through user studies assessing comprehension and innovation outcomes.
Think critically
To what extent does the 'cognitive perspective' truly capture the nuances of business model innovation, and are there other factors beyond cognitive load that influence the effectiveness of visual tools?
Design Principles
"Match visual complexity to cognitive processing needs at each stage of innovation."
Designers and strategists often grapple with complex business model concepts. By understanding how different visual tools impact cognitive processing, practitioners can select or design representations that simplify understanding and facilitate creative problem-solving, leading to more robust and innovative business models.
What This Means for Your Design
Using the right kind of drawing or diagram for business ideas can make it easier to think about and improve them, especially when you're trying to come up with new ways for a business to work.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when explaining your choice of visual tools for brainstorming or strategy development in your design project.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research highlights the importance of selecting visual tools that align with the cognitive demands of different stages within the business model innovation process. By categorizing visual representations and understanding their impact on cognitive load, designers can make more informed choices that facilitate clearer thinking and more effective innovation.
Source
Creativity and Innovation Management
Visual tools for business model innovation: Recommendations from a cognitive perspective
journal · 2017
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about cognitive load reduction through visual business model tools enhances innovation?
- When developing or selecting visual tools for business model innovation, consider the cognitive load associated with each stage of the process and choose or design representations that simplify complexity. Evidence: Creativity and Innovation Management (2017).
- Why does "Cognitive load reduction through visual business model tools enhances innovation." matter for design?
- Designers and strategists often grapple with complex business model concepts. By understanding how different visual tools impact cognitive processing, practitioners can select or design representations that simplify understanding and facilitate creative problem-solving, leading to more robust and innovative business models.
- How can designers apply this research?
- When developing or selecting visual tools for business model innovation, consider the cognitive load associated with each stage of the process and choose or design representations that simplify complexity.
- What were the main findings?
- Visual business model representations can be categorized into three complementary types.. Cognitive literature offers insights into selecting graphic forms that align with different phases of the BMI process.
- What research method was used?
- Systematic literature review and content analysis with 95 visualizations (45 academic, 50 external).
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2017 journal from Creativity and Innovation Management.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When facilitating a business model innovation workshop, use simpler, more abstract visual tools during initial ideation and more detailed, structured tools during refinement and planning.
- What are the limitations?
- The study's recommendations are based on existing literature and analysis, and direct empirical testing of the proposed framework's impact on BMI effectiveness may be limited.