Integrating design thinking in SMEs

Integrating design thinking in SMEs

Datta, P.

Calabretta, G. (mentor)
De Lille, C. (mentor)

Industrial Design Engineering

Product Innovation Management

Master of Science Strategic Product Design

2014-11-07

This thesis addresses technology development in SMEs and how a design oriented service can increase the output of successful innovations. Ultimately, from the research findings a designerly approach is developed, to guide SMEs though the most crucial development stages. The scope of the research was established because of personal interest and challenges that were encountered with a design consultancy. There was not a lot of information that could be found regarding designerly approaches towards the development of technologies. During my design engineering degree, there was an equally low focus. Since many great products stem from the development of new technologies, this thesis discusses exactly how designers can help tech savvy SMEs. This project consists of a research and analysis phase, concluded with a service design. The research phase consisted of a literature review, interviews with the participating companies, designers (working in SMEs) and design experts. In the analysis of the research, the findings were narrowed down to create main insights. These insights were primary overlooking themes across the findings. These same themes were then linked to the literature review and quotes from the interviews to extract the main problems in developing innovative technologies. Based on several issues, such as the knowledge gap between designers and engineers, the service will have an integral approach. The designers will aid the current development team of an SME, only the approach will be different. There are three themes that played a dominant role in categorizing the challenges experienced by SMEs and designers. Lack of knowledge, such as not knowing the kind of design tools that can be used. Isolated development processes, where specialists do their tasks in their own environment, without interaction with other specialists. Ability to guide designers, in which managers do not know which kind of designer to put where in the development process. Ultimately, the focus was put on three key actors. The most important key actors that this service focus on this service are: 1. Knowledge sharing 2. Utilize expertise 3. Channeling designerly skills These play an important role throughout the service approach, as they solve multiple problems throughout the early development process. The three phases that are targeted from the early stages of development are: 1. Patent or problem - A patent poses an opportunity, or a problem from a client, gives way to develop a new technology. 2. Problem based ideation - Development team bases the ideation phase around a specific context, ruling out other opportunities. 3. Product idea brainstorming - Development teams do not use the right techniques to brainstorm about products and ideas. These three early stages are changed in terms of the activities that take place in each phase, as well as the kind of development approach. The three abstraction levels, show the kinds of designers, design tools and the kinds of analysis that is done in each of the three phases.

Design thinking
SME
Managing technology
Technology

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:a421153e-1f71-45a8-b485-4780b6f33dfc

Campus only

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2014 Datta, P.