Design Practices Contributing to Meaning-Changing Innovations – Case Study in Finnish Boating Industry
DS 81: Proceedings of NordDesign 2014, Espoo, Finland 27-29th August 2014
Year: 2014
Editor: Miko Laakso, Kalevi Ekman
Author: Pekkala, Janne; Peltonen, Sanna
Series: NordDESIGN
Institution: Vaasa University of applied sciences, Finland
Section: Design theory and practices
Page(s): 460-469
ISBN: 978-1-904670-58-2
Abstract
Innovation of meaning can be either radical or incremental. There is a gap in research concerning design practices contributing to meaning-changing innovations. The purpose of this paper is to identify patterns of design activities contributing to the radical change of meaning. This paper is based on a case study analysis of a research-based concept design project that focused on generating product and service concepts for the boat industry for the forthcoming 10-15 years. These concepts as well as the process were analyzed in order to identify different design activities contributing to the radical change of meaning. The paper suggests a framework for designers for selecting design activities when pursuing radical meaning-changing innovations. The suggested framework explains the importance of framing activities when proposing radically new meanings.
Keywords: Framing, meaning, innovation