Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T18:09:30.183Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Interpretations of Design Thinking Across a Large Organization

Part of: User-Centred Design

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 July 2019

Martyna Kosmala ,
Floris van der Marel  and
Tua Björklund

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Design thinking has a prominent role as established corporations ramp up innovation efforts focusing on user needs. Current literature provides a plethora of definitions for design thinking with variations in tools, methods and cultures. This study aims to identify differences in perception and maturity of design thinking across different contexts within a large corporation. The results are based on a thematic analysis of nine semi-structured interviews with industrial and user experience designers in the case company, operating in different countries and three different organizational contexts: lone designers of a region, unit-embedded design team managers and global-level design managers. The results echo the literature in finding no uniform definition of design thinking. Instead, it was seen as a continuous scale of practices, cognitive approaches and mindsets aiming for stronger user-centrism in the organization. Practices and maturity varied between contexts, indicating that to strengthen the role of design in an organization, a deep understanding of the context is crucial for a successful implementation.

Keywords

Design practiceDesign managementOrganizational processesDesign maturity
Type
Article
Information
Proceedings of the Design Society: International Conference on Engineering Design , Volume 1 , Issue 1 , July 2019 , pp. 3929 - 3938
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2019

References

Baker, T. and Nelson, R.E. (2005), “Creating Something from Nothing: Resource Construction through Entrepreneurial Bricolage”, Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 50 No. 3, pp. 329–366. https://doi.org/10.2189/asqu.2005.50.3.329Google Scholar
Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006), “Using thematic analysis in psychology”, Qualitative Research in Psychology, Vol. 3 No. 2, pp. 77–101. http://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oaGoogle Scholar
Bucolo, S., Wrigley, C. and Matthews, J. (2012), “Gaps in Organizational Leadership: Linking Strategic and Operational Activities through Design-Led Propositions: Gaps in Organizational Leadership”, Design Management Journal, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 18–28. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1948-7177.2012.00030.xGoogle Scholar
Carlgren, L., Elmquist, M. and Rauth, I. (2016a), “The Challenges of Using Design Thinking in Industry - Experiences from Five Large Firms”, Creativity and Innovation Management, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 344–362. https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12176Google Scholar
Carlgren, L., Elmqvist, M. and Rauth, I. (2016b), “Exploring the use of design thinking in large organizations: Towards a research agenda”, Swedish Design Research Journal, Vol. 11 No. 1, pp. 55–63. http://doi.org/10.3384/svid.2000-964X.14155Google Scholar
Clark, K. and Smith, R. (2010), “Unleashing the Power of Design Thinking”, Design Management Review, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 8–15. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1948-7169.2008.tb00123.xGoogle Scholar
Danish Design Centre (2001), The Design Ladder, [online] Danish Design Center. Available at: https://danskdesigncenter.dk/en/design-ladder-four-steps-design-use (accessed 1.9.2018).Google Scholar
Doherty, R., Wrigley, C. and Matthews, J. (2014), “From Valuing Design to Designing Value”, NordDesign, Vol. 2014.Google Scholar
d.school (2018), An Introduction to Design Thinking Process Guide. [online] d.school. Available at: https://dschoolold.stanford.edu/sandbox/groups/designresources/wiki/36873/attachments/74b3d/ModeGuideBOOTCAMP2010L.pdf (accessed 1.9.2018).Google Scholar
Gill, P., Stewart, K., Treasure, E. and Chadwick, B. (2008), “Methods of data collection in qualitative research: interviews and focus groups”, British Dental Journal, Vol. 204 No. 6, pp. 291–295.Google Scholar
Girling, R. (2015), Design Maturity Survey: From Self-Assessment to Action, [online] Artefact Group. Available at: https://www.artefactgroup.com/articles/design-maturity-survey/ (accessed 1.9.2018).Google Scholar
Gruber, M., de Leon, N., George, G. and Thompson, P. (2015), “Managing by Design”, Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 58 No. 1, pp. 1–7. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2015.4001Google Scholar
Hassi, L. and Laakso, M. (2011), “Conceptions of design thinking in the design and management discourses”, 9th European Academy of Design Conference.Google Scholar
Kolko, J. (2015), “Design Thinking Comes of Age”, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 2015, pp. 66–71.Google Scholar
Liedtka, J. (2011), “Learning to use design thinking tools for successful innovation”, Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 39 No. 5, pp. 13–19. https://doi.org/10.1108/10878571111161480Google Scholar
Liedtka, J., Salzman, R. and Azer, D. (2017), “Democratizing Innovation in Organizations: Teaching Design Thinking to Non-Designers”, Design Management Review, Vol. 28, https://doi.org/10.1111/drev.12090Google Scholar
Mozota, B.B. (2010), “The Four Powers of Design: A Value Model in Design Management”, Design Management Review, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 44–53. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1948-7169.2006.tb00038.xGoogle Scholar
Rae, J. (2016), “Design value index exemplars outperform the S&P 500 index (again) and a new crop of design leaders emerge”, Design Management Review, https://doi.org/10.1111/drev.12040Google Scholar
Rauth, I., Carlgren, L. and Elmquist, M. (2014), “Making It Happen: Legitimizing Design Thinking in Large Organizations”, Design Management Journal, Vol. 9 No. 1, pp. 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmj.12015Google Scholar
Walters, H. (2011), Design Thinking' Isn't a Miracle Cure, but Here's How It Helps, [online] Fast Company. Available at: https://www.fastcompany.com/90186356/design-thinking-isnt-a-miracle-cure-but-heres-how-it-helps (accessed 1.9.2018).Google Scholar
Westcott, M., Sato, S., Mrazek, D., Wallace, R., Vanka, S., Bilson, C. and Hardin, D. (2013), “The DMI Design Value Scorecard: A New Design Measurement and Management Model”, Design Management Review, Vol. 24 No. 4, pp. 10–16. https://doi.org/10.1111/drev.10257Google Scholar