Tua Björklund

Bio: Tua Björklund is an academic researcher from Aalto University. The author has contributed to research in topics: New product development & Design thinking. The author has an hindex of 10, co-authored 43 publications receiving 354 citations.

Championing Design Thinking Practice in an Organization Driven by Engineering

Abstract: While the adoption of design thinking practice to foster organizational innovation requires improving practice-fit with the organization, studies exploring the role design professionals may play in this process remain rare. We draw on championing and practice adoption literature to empirically investigate how design professionals champion the adoption of design thinking practice within their organization. Based on 66 semi-structured interviews among design professionals working in a variety of positions in large engineering company, our findings reveal that design professionals championed for the adoption of their professional practice through five practices: by consolidating their professional practice within innovation projects, by advancing and by regulating the replication of the practice across innovation projects, and by culturally legitimating and by sheltering the practice within the organization. While all design professionals championed their practice, design managers focused on the latter three of these practices. Our emergent conceptual model shows that professionals may champion their professional practice not only within and across innovation projects, but also across organizational structures and management levels. The study suggests that collective and coordinated engagement of professionals operating at different hierarchical levels in the organization could be a significant force in fostering adoption of a professional practice in organizations.

Mapping design briefs and results over a decade of university-industry student projects

Abstract: This research focuses on navigating the complexity of a modern approach to product development in the educational context, revolving around how to best equip future product developers. The PdP (Product development Project) course at Aalto University has been running for 25 years and is considered a success in what concerns Industry-Academia cooperation. Many changes have occurred in industry, education, and students’ profiles during the last decade. Collaborative projects became substantially more complex and showed a significant degree of trans disciplinarity. This paper analyses the wide repository of data related to the PdP course to classify characteristics of industry project briefs and the nature of multidisciplinary knowledge used during their development. The findings suggest industrial partners favour providing design briefs with relatively high degrees of novelty and uncertainty in the course. It was also found that breakthrough types of projects have resulted in the most balanced disciplinary contributions to the project outcomes, whereas derivative projects have leaned on mechanical engineering. More conceptual research and development projects emphasize design and business, and platform projects have varied widely. The project typology and profiles can be of help to educators, students, and industry representatives alike in scoping and planning university-industry project-based courses.

Early-career engineers’ perceptions of support for innovation at the workplace – what seems to matter

Abstract: Previous research has shown the importance of contextual factors for increasing employee innovativeness, but to effectively support innovative behavior, we need to also understand what forms of support are perceived as meaningful by the employees themselves. The current study investigated the experiences of 35 early-career engineers in creating, championing and implementing new ideas at the workplace. They reported relatively few instances of support that had been experienced as helpful, and nearly all of these were related to either managerial or co-worker support. This support ranged from encouragement and positive feedback to tangible help in troubleshooting and finding resources, and, in the case of managers, providing sufficient autonomy and responsibility to enable the interviewees to pursue their ideas. Managerial support was most frequently reported by those working in self-described innovative positions, whereas co-worker support was more commonly reported by those working in self-described innovative environments. Formal processes and incentives were less likely to have been perceived as helpful than informal interactions with managers and co-workers.

Peer designers as strong influencers on the design process of food startups

Abstract: Abstract As design research expands its horizon, there has been a recent rise in studies on nontraditional designers. Previous studies have noted the positive effect of diversity in generating ideas. Among different sources of influence, peers outside the design team have been noted for their positive impact on the design process, yet the research on this topic is still in its early stages. Using qualitative data from 40 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the American and Finnish food and beverage industries, the current study examines their interactions with other SMEs, shedding light on the influence of peers on creating new design solutions. The findings suggest that peer companies can act as a frequent and impactful source of inspiration for product design ideas. The most prevalent forms of interaction were co-creating products, sharing information, and sharing ingredients. Furthermore, the interactions were voluntary, organic, and improvisational in nature, and physical proximity or previous connections often initiated the interactions. Taken together, a great number of peer influences contributed towards creative new solutions.

The knowledge-creating company : how Japanese companies create the dynamics of innovation

Abstract: How has Japan become a major economic power, a world leader in the automotive and electronics industries? What is the secret of their success? The consensus has been that, though the Japanese are not particularly innovative, they are exceptionally skilful at imitation, at improving products that already exist. But now two leading Japanese business experts, Ikujiro Nonaka and Hiro Takeuchi, turn this conventional wisdom on its head: Japanese firms are successful, they contend, precisely because they are innovative, because they create new knowledge and use it to produce successful products and technologies. Examining case studies drawn from such firms as Honda, Canon, Matsushita, NEC, 3M, GE, and the U.S. Marines, this book reveals how Japanese companies translate tacit to explicit knowledge and use it to produce new processes, products, and services.

Speech Genres and Other Late Essays

Abstract: Note on Translation Introduction by Michael Holquist Response to a Question from the Novy Mir Editorial Staff The Bildungsroman and Its Significance in the History of Realism (Toward a Historical Typology of the Novel) The Problem of Speech Genres The Problem of the Text in Linguistics, Philology, and the Human Sciences: An Experiment in Philosophical Analysis From Notes Made in 1970-71 Toward a Methodology for the Human Sciences Index

Design Prototypes: A Knowledge Representation Schema for Design

Abstract: A prevalent and pervasive view of designing is that it can be modeled using variables and decisions made about what values should be taken by these variables. The activity of designing is carried out with the expectation that the designed artifact will operate in the natural world and the social world. These worlds impose constraints on the variables and their values; so, design could be described as a goal-oriented, constrained, decision- making activity. However, design distinguish- es itself from other similarly described activities not only by its domain but also by additional necessary features. Designing involves exploration, exploring what variables might be appropriate. The process of explo- ration involves both goal variables and deci- sion variables. In addition, designing involves learning: Part of the exploration activity is learning about emerging features as a design proceeds. Finally, design activity occurs within two contexts: the context within which the designer operates and the context produced by the developing design itself. The designer’s perception of what the context is affects the implication of the context on the design. The context shifts as the designer’s perceptions change. Design activity can be now characterized as a goal-oriented, con- strained, decision-making, exploration, and learning activity that operates within a con- text that depends on the designer’s percep- tion of the context.