Dancing with Creativity: Changes in Conception in Design Thinking within Product Innovation Projects

Proceedings of DRS

Abstract

The research presented in this article investigates and discusses the changes in conception throughout twenty-three product innovation projects. Changes in conception in the thinking of the designer that leads to novel design concepts have been investigated mainly in situ through methods such as protocol analysis. However, scholars emphasized that changes in conception happen over longer periods. For this reason, the research examined the changes in conception throughout a nine-month product innovation project. The changes in conception were investigated by identifying the main word-groups used to describe the design concept at different project stages and examining when the word-groups changed over the project period. Design teams produced the reports at specific stages in the project. This consistency allowed comparing twenty-three projects over three consecutive years. The analysis revealed specific conditions that facilitate novel conceptual changes necessary to create an innovative product design concept.

Authors 3

1. Jan Michel Kurt Auernhammer corresponding

   Stanford University

   Affiliation as printed

   Stanford University, United States of America

2. Max Lenzen Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University · Stanford University

   Affiliation as printed

   Stanford University, United States of America; RWTH Aachen, Germany

   RWTH Aachen, Germany

   Stanford University, United States of America;

3. LARRY J. LEIFER

   Stanford University

   Affiliation as printed

   Stanford University, United States of America