Design-led innovation and sensemaking

Abstract

Design-led innovation (DLI) is a framework with particular focus on developing design capability. Implementation of DLI has been observed to positively influence firm innovation performance. As the framework is of relative infancy, there is opportunity to learn from and integrate methods and practice from other fields to strengthen the implementation of DLI. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to make explicit, the similarities DLI shares with sensemaking as in order to provider clearer approaches to managing the design process. An action research design is applied for 14 months within a major Australian Airport Corporation (AAC) to implement DLI. Qualitative data is collected and analysed, with the findings showing there are implicit similarities between the practice of DLI and mandates of sensemaking. The paper contributes opportunities to strengthen DLI by incorporating mandates of sensemaking consciously to enrich interpersonal interactions during the design process.