Showing papers in "Design Journal in 1998"

Management of Design Alliances, Sustaining Competitive Advantage Margaret Bruce and Birgit Jevnaker (Editors)

Abstract: This book describes alliances between business operations and design elements within firms. Questions are posed in a variety of management areas including: competitive advantage through design, market knowledge and related product development, strategic partnership issues for designers and managers, and the significance of collaboration for innovation. The inclusion of Scandinavian case study material systematically illustrates special alliance strategies. The combined use of definitive sources from management theory and examples of the application of first principles in industry is novel. There is a useful chronology illustrating the acquisition of design expertise, capabilities in global new product development, design expertise perspectives and lessons for the future.

Whose Design is it? The Use of External Designers

Abstract: A company's decision to use an industrial designer during a product's development process requires important decisions such as ‘should an internal or external designer be employed?’ and ‘how to structure and manage the relationship between designer and commissioning organization?’ The article elaborates on the different choices an organization has, and their implications. The case study of the design and development process of a motorbike, for which an external design consultancy was employed, is used to illustrate issues surrounding the relationship between external designer and company in a real-life example.

An Investigation and Review of the Knowledge Needs of Designers in SMEs

Abstract: Small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) involved in new product development (NPD) face many challenges including minimizing NPD costs, meeting high quality demands, and reducing NPD timescales. It is generally acknowledged, however, that any organization can only realistically hope to meet two or three of these goals. For instance, companies might be able to deliver high quality products in a short time - but this will generally require substantial investment to achieve. In an attempt to meet these demands designers may have to use vast amounts of knowledge during the design of complex multidisciplinary products. This often involves the utilization of large amounts of specialist knowledge and information which is usually poorly documented and difficult to access, but is crucial to successful NPD. There is an obvious need, therefore, for some sort of computer support that will assist the designer through the complex and multidisciplinary design process. This paper presents the initial findings from a revi...

A Cross-Sectional Approach to New Product Development

Abstract: The UK textile and clothing industry has to respond to rapidly changing market requirements dictated by fashionable change and customer expectations and demands. In addition, the sector is currently facing significant challenges associated with environmental legislation and overseas competition. The new product development (NPD) process is perceived as a significant area for reorganization, innovation and investment. However, previous research has shown that typically companies in this industry suffer from having a fragmented and inefficient product development process that adds unnecessary time and cost to the process. This paper illustrates how a two-year Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) funded project aims to improve the product development process in this sector by transferring knowledge and experiences from other industrial sectors, in particular, the electrical/electronics sector. Specifically, we are focusing on the use of teams to achieve concurrency in the new product development process an...

Design Alliances: The Hidden Assets in Management of Strategic Innovation

Abstract: Trends indicate that design expertise is increasingly outsourced by companies. A fresh and creative input by external designers can be highly valuable for innovation and business success. Surprisingly, however, few firms have fully exploited the business potential of design investment. One approach to build up and leverage design expertise would be to establish a strategic alliance with an external design resource to supply a constant flow of fresh ideas and insights to enhance product development and innovation. A conceptual framework delineates both the main advantages and challenges of design alliances and links this with the resource-based perspective of strategic management. Three company cases are compared to explore how innovation and advances in industrial design may occur through a design alliance.

Problem Restructuring as a Key to a New Solution Space: A Sample Project in the Field of Toy Design for Disabled Children

Abstract: Designers often tend to fixate on problem representations that have been constructed by previous designers to solve similar problems As a result, new solutions are sought within the same solution space as the old ones and original designs are blocked In order to avoid such fixation effects designers must (try to) redefine the problem by, for instance, changing the perspective towards the problem structure A practical design project is described in which this approach was successfully applied In this project the problem of designing toys for physically disabled children was looked upon from a different viewpoint to overcome the limitations of existing toys in this field Based on the new perspective, a method was developed in which physical abilities and authentic needs for play were combined to guide the design of toys for these children The results of this design project clearly indicate that a well thought-out reformulation of a design problem can lead to the design of original and valuable products

The Visual Questionnaire an Innovation in Design Research

Abstract: The visual questionnaire originated from the idea of evolving an effective research instrument for the discipline of Interior Design. The idea is to supplement/support written text with visuals to facilitate a better understanding of the technical aspects of Interior Design. It is proposed that this concept could be adopted by other design disciplines. This paper covers the process of developing a visual questionnaire: concept, background, need and the experimentation with computer software for the development and incorporation of visual images into a questionnaire. Questionnaire design is discussed to give details on layout. The visual questionnaire development evolved through an on-going research project focusing on office interior environment and aims to establish the impact of office environment on employees. Pre-testing, piloting and comparative analysis of visual and non-visual questionnaires was carried out before finalizing the questionnaire and launching the national survey of a random sample of ...

The Professionally Accepted ‘Good Product’

Abstract: This paper explores the questions of professional assessment of crafts and design production. It is based on the results of research and analysis into professionally good products. These ideas and results are based on my doctoral research which examined the 1980s definition of a professionally good product in Finnish art craft (Kalviainen 1996a). Perhaps this paper will clarify some of the problems the professional sphere of evaluation causes in the assessment of the research and development work done in crafts and design. The most important issue to be studied in the present research was the definition of the so-called ‘good product’ in crafts and design. Since the 1970s, the concept of a ‘good product’ has been criticized a great deal. The aim of the research was to place this concept in a more considered critical framework.

Drawing for Design: The Impact of Computer-Assisted Design on the Role of Drawing for Communication Designers in Commercial Practice

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to provide data on the impact of developments in computer-assisted technology on the role of drawing in the communication design process. It is mainly based on findings from interviews with two groups of communication designers working in commercial practice in London-based design consultancies or publishing companies. One group was interviewed on two separate occasions, once in the mid-80s and again within the last 18 months (1997-98). The other group was chosen to represent new approaches to graphic or communication design, or design for applications such as multimedia and website design that were not prevalent in the mid-80s.

Design Research Publications in the English-Speaking World

Abstract: This paper is intended to provide a review of traditional academic journals featuring a high design research component across the English speaking-countries. In practice, such journals were identified in the UK, the USA, Australia and India, where much teaching and learning is still conducted in the English language. The analysis points to the existence of a significant range of quality outlets for conventional academic research articles in specifically design orientated journals, and whilst such papers may not constitute all design research outcomes it is clear that sound avenues for publication are certainly available.

Accessing User Worlds for Product Concepts

Abstract: The idea generation stage is probably the least understood aspect of the ‘fuzzy front end’ of new product development (Khurana and Rosenthal, 1997). One approach to understanding it - and to managing it - is through the study of those individuals who have a record of encountering the ‘lucky accident’ of successful new product ideas. The paper draws on two case studies of successful product innovation which describe the importance of the interaction between users and a scientist-entrepreneur. These suggest that a key success factor may be an unusual combination of an object-fixated ‘collector's’ attitude to technologies, in which these are decontextualized and valued for their own sake, combined with an appetite for the social exchanges involved in exploring the world of the user.

Design as Negotiation and Reconciliation: A Case Study of Charity Affinity Credit Cards

Abstract: Design is more than an individual act of creation, it is also defined by extended negotiations between designer and client. Expressed as differences of opinion on trial designs, the need for such negotiations stems from different conceptions of the role and possibilities of design. Negotiation between client and designer is conventionally presented as the means by which the end result (design) is achieved. In this paper, we take a different view, arguing that design can be seen as a medium through which broader relationships can be explored and negotiated. The empirical material is taken from a case study in which the negotiation of design occurs predominantly between two clients of the same design agency, rather than between the agency and the clients. This negotiation is necessary for two reasons: first, negotiation over design enables the parties involved to clarify and confirm their corporate images and second, it allows reconciliation between the parties as they attempt to collaborate on a single pro...

Firms and Markets that Profit from Investment in Design and Product Development

Abstract: This paper concerns a study which aimed to identify how returns from investments in design and product development vary with market and the long-term benefits of investment in product design and innovation. It builds upon an earlier survey of design and product development projects in small and medium-sized companies with government support for design, and focuses on the results of a follow-up survey of 42 firms and projects. Firms which had grown in turnover operated in growing markets and typically developed innovative or niche products; declining firms generally operated in static or declining markets and had many competitors. Fast-growing firms employed a significantly higher proportion of research, design and development staff, used external expertise for product development more often, and introduced new products more frequently than slow-growing firms. All growing firms had managers with a positive attitude towards design and innovation and increased their investment in RDD m...

Publishing Design Research: Miscounting Quality

Abstract: The first part of this article raises questions about assessing research quality, particularly within design. It goes on to respond to Anne Creigh-Tyte's survey of ‘design research publications' in The Design Journal's first issue. Her list of 22 journals fails to suggest the breadth and depth of research published in design and design-related journals; some corrections, questions, and additions are offered. One consequence of market competition in academic work is a preoccupation with publishers' perceived status, at the expense of more important issues in publishing design research. Design is too young a field to be prematurely limited by conventional wisdom about prestige, which is no guarantee of quality in the publishing process. These issues are discussed in the second part of the article, which gathers some editors' and authors’ insights into the process of design publishing. Big publishers do not automatically offer the best service to design researchers, and design publishing will be revitalized ...

Introducing User-Centred Factors into a Value Analysis Methodology Approach to the Development of a Health and Beauty Care Product

Abstract: The case study reviews the design and development of an innovative depilatory body waxing system that fulfils an identified market need for a more hygienic method of body waxing. The paper focuses on the value engineering of the waxing system's heater unit and, more specifically, the injection-moulded main housing. Results from focus groups and a market survey questionnaire highlighted the need for quality to be shown through aesthetic detailing. The production detailing of the main housing of the depilatory body waxing system was identified as a critical factor in enhancing the product's chances of commercial success. A conventional method of value engineering was modified to include a weighting for the aesthetic and semantic detailing of the component. A user-centred approach adopted to product development recognized the manufacturer as a stakeholder in the product's success. The study shows how systematic research and development enabled the product to be produced without compromising market research f...

The Culture of Craft: Status and Future Peter Dormer (Editor)

Abstract: Peter Dormer appeared to regard many practitioners of contemporary craft as fallen women who, having rejected the virtuous way of traditional skills and wholesome craft values, prostitute themselves on the street corners of conceptual art. His mission was to save them from themselves and to save craft from its own form of fornication with the devil - self-referential design autism. The publication of his last book provides a timely opportunity to reflect upon his contentious views on craft and design, which have often been expressed in an opinionated polemic that at times crossed the boundary into personalized abuse. His writing is invariably provocative and on occasion infuriating, driven by a seeming moral certainty.