Conference Agenda

In this keynote talk, Fleur Deken will reflect on the role of design in leading mission-driven innovation. Drawing on her empirical research, she will share a variety of real-world case studies to describe the new organizational competencies/capabilities that are required to succeed at mission-driven innovation.

This collaboration is an evolving partnership between the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design (HHCD) at London's Royal College of Art and Northumbrian Water Group (NWG). Over the last two years they worked together to embed people-centredness and inclusivity within everyday business and service design.

Beginning in 2022 the HHCD team ran a six-month program on creative leadership and inclusive innovation for 34 of NWG’s innovation leaders. Outcomes of the programme ranged from workplace solutions to customer communications and campaigns. Following on from the programme the HHCD joined Northumbrian Water’s 2022 and 2023 Innovation Festivals as an Inclusive Innovation partner. This involved the co-design and co-delivery of design sprints with diverse cohorts of water services stakeholders, to develop stronger customer-centric communications with a particular focus on supporting better vulnerable customers. Additionally, Two Award-winning innovation student graduates formed WATERAWARE COLLECTIVE and went on to create the Smart Tow Float Dry Bag through using low-cost hardware, high tech software and citizen science to make mass scale water quality testing cheaper.

Ninela and Jennie will present the different models of knowledge exchange that have shaped their ongoing collaboration. They will focus on the value of design-led and people-centred approaches to transform everyday business thinking and practice, and the range of outputs and outcomes.

The design process, which also includes the design consumption process, is significantly affected by emotions from the very start. A design consumption process is a continuum of activities and interactions that happen during the life of how people perceive, interact and experience the benefits designed products, services or experiences offer. The design entity introduces a process that spans from the first exposure to the new proposal through evaluation, acquisition, operation, and its moment of disposal, allowing us to understand that the way we endorse, consume and live the artefacts and initiatives creates an infrastructure connecting design to consumption called the user experience. While design practitioners emphasise the cognitive duality of thought and emotion, neuroscience and cognitive psychology tell us otherwise. Emotions affect every cognitive move-in process of memory perception, attention, learning, and decision-making. By considering the emotions involved in the process, designers can better understand their clients' questions and the challenges imposed by one another. Approaches such as user-centred design (UCD) or design thinking involve psychological, affective, and intellectual elements of design. Failures from 2001 to 2010 were mostly due to a lack of emotional attributes in products and services. Emotional awareness involves more than just human interaction, and it is largely overlooked in the design process. The theory presented in this paper entails the identification and significance of emotion in collaborative design management and the design process, with an evaluation of efficiency implications for performance, especially with regard to the quality of design deliverables and how well a design team works together. The study demonstrates a significant correlation between emotional intelligence and the ability to manage design teams effectively while also creating characteristic concepts.

Several furniture and design firms have recently changed their business models to offer sustainable design solutions and become a part of the circular economy. These firms embrace sustainable design and circular economy by creating new business models that provide customers with services, knowledge, and advice about sustainable and circular solutions in furniture and interior. The implication of this 'servitization' of the furniture and design firms means that an increasing part of their design and business activity must focus on developing new business model designs that integrate sustainable designs in furniture with inno-vation in business models. It also means that the traditional role of the designer in design firms in the furniture industry changes because the focus is now not on designing furniture and interiors alone in a narrow (physical) sense but also on becoming a designer of new business models (and services).

This study aims to shed light on the development of sustainable design and circular economy in the furni-ture industry: What is the value logic behind the development of sustainable design and circularity in combination with the design of innovative business models, and how does it contribute to the develop-ment of new circular business models with a focus on the servitization of the design firms (the increasing content of services in the furniture industry)? The study includes a review of the literature within the De-sign for Sustainability (DfS) tradition and a survey of selected circular economy and sustainable business models in Danish furniture and interior firms. It uses a process view of the design of business models, describing the business model design as an activity system that combines various elements (content, struc-ture, governance, and value logic) and parties that carry them out within the system (Amit & Zott, 2021).

Design for Sustainability (DfS) has developed from a relatively narrow view of sustainability in 'product design' illustrated by, e.g., Green Design and ECO design to sustainability in the design of systems that rep-resent a broader socio-technical view of development in design, innovation, business models and green transition. This literature study combines various contributions in analyzing sustainable business devel-opment and innovation in business models with a focus on service development (circular economy and servitization) of the business model design and the roles of designers and managers of design firms be-coming a kind of "designers" of new business models.

The empirical part of the study investigates design firms from the Danish furniture industry that work with the circular economy, eco-labeling, sustainable materials, recycling, so-called 'take back' systems, service and rental of all or part of their products, and sustainable business models, where the design of furniture and interior goes hand with the design of the new business model and innovations in the circular econo-my.

Although design management capabilities (DMC) have been recognized as an effective approach for enhancing an organization's dynamic capability and strategic flexibility, detailed examinations of DMC have been relatively scarce in the literature. Limited research has been conducted on DMC's specific implementation and outcomes within organizations. Therefore, more comprehensive studies are necessary to fully understand the various aspects of DMC and its implications for organizations.

Utilizing the dynamic capability framework can aid in categorizing various levels of DMC and their functions. This framework enables a deeper examination of the role of design within organizations. Through our literature review, we identified that the research process for constructing a DMC framework based on the dynamic capability framework can be broadly categorized into four steps.

This study aims to build upon previous research by employing methods from the literature. By focusing on design management, our research seeks to explore how organizations coordinate and integrate design management capabilities within their operations. Additionally, we aim to draw conclusions about the DMC framework and its implications for organizational performance.

The EU’s vision is that every product on the market should be sustainable. The European Commission has therefore started a Circular Economy Action Plan. This raises a sense of urgency. Design managers need to take part in the discussion of how the design process should be altered to meet future changes. The EU has come far in defining new regulations for the textile industry. Textiles therefore provide a good case to learn from, to understand what to include in a design-driven development approach. This study includes an action research project, where we applied a combination of an industrial and systems-oriented approach, to help an actor in the fashion industry redesign their product development process. Particularly the planning stage differed between fashion and textile design and the design-driven approach. In this research project we saw that fashion and textile designers needed to change to meet EU-led developments in the industry. We also start to see the contour of an economy driven by a different set of principles, which means design-driven approaches need to change as well.

Paper summary: This research delves into the realm of organizational change management, emphasizing the integration of collaborative prototyping and co-creation to facilitate successful change initiatives. It explores the benefits of considering a design-led perspective, particularly focusing on design thinking principles and methods in the context of prototyping. The study draws upon an extensive literature research as well as theoretical management frameworks to identify opportunities for design-led leverage points, including Kotter’s 8-Step Model (Kotter, 1996). The research later pinpointed prospects for reshaping Kotter's 8-Step Model, especially at the outset of change endeavors by integrating design principles. The suggested strategies aim to boost readiness for change by fostering collaboration, facilitating effective communication, and ensuring swift feedback loops to cultivate shared visions.

Research approach: Grounded theory is selected as the methodology to explore the significance of action and interaction, and to develop theory from qualitative data gathered and analyzed systematically through comparative analysis. Expert interviews and action-research conducted in interactive workshops serve as sources of essential data. The primary focus is on introducing a design artifact rooted in the Kotter model, aiming to offer an enhanced framework for change management. This artifact is the culmination of synthesized theoretical insights and practical methodologies. It acts as a catalyst for empowering stakeholders and nurturing a collaborative culture in organizations undergoing transformative change processes.

Contribution to the field: Theoretical insights and findings from this study indicate that incorporating collaborative prototyping into organizational change processes can improve traditional change models, leading to greater success. Recognizing pivotal leverage points and employing suitable design-driven initiatives to engage stakeholders effectively are essential steps in fostering ownership, engagement, and commitment, leading to ultimately more effective outcomes.

Implications for theory and practice: Organizations can harness collaborative prototyping to instigate change and foster a culture of ongoing improvement and innovation. By embracing a learning curve and adopting a democratic approach, stakeholders are empowered to suggest solutions and conduct experiments, nurturing a culture of openness and adaptability. Future research avenues may include longitudinal studies to evaluate the enduring effects of collaborative prototyping, examining its interaction with technology, and assessing its impacts on employee well-being and engagement during organizational transitions. Additionally, comparative analyses, cross-cultural studies, and investigations into scalability and ethical considerations are recommended to deepen comprehension and utilization of collaborative prototyping across varied organizational landscapes.

The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) like ChatGPT into educational settings has irreversibly transformed teaching and learning paradigms. Recognizing that conventional instructional methods may fall short in equipping students with essential skills, this paper advocates for a shift towards experiential learning through service-learning (SL) and problem-based learning (PBL) in design education. These pedagogies, which promote intellectual growth and hands-on experience, are critical for students’ career readiness and provide valuable real-world client engagement. Despite enthusiasm, incorporating SL and PBL faces significant hurdles, including a lack of educator training, resources, and structural support, coupled with the complexities of establishing partnerships, particularly affecting small businesses and disenfranchised entities.

This research delves into the experiential learning landscape, examining successes and identifying skills gaps impacting educators and students. The findings, based on various design schools within a single university, assess challenges of integrating SL and PBL into design curricula and propose solutions to mitigate these barriers. Aiming to forge a stronger bridge between research, business, and academia, this paper underscores the necessity of preparing students for the 21st century's demands. Through this exploration, it contributes to the discourse on experiential learning within design education, enhancing the overall quality and relevance of student learning experiences.

Summary: When a respected wellness program discovers that its audience suffers from more stress than ever before, how might it stay relevant – and even become visionary? Behold The Journey, a program that observed its audience’s struggles during the pandemic and beyond, and then applied Design Thinking methods to launch a transformative new model.

Context, Methodology, Contributions, and Implications: The Journey is a twenty-year-old nonprofit program that brings restorative wellness experiences to overwhelmed youth counselors and educators (“youth workers”). This program hosted transformative offsite retreats for up to three cohorts of 25 selected applicants per year. In the pandemic’s wake, Journey leaders realized their audience faced pronounced and enduring mental and physical stress. The leaders responded in 2023 by inviting the Envisioneurs innovation studio to reimagine The Journey. The ensuing six-month project generated a holistic new model for health and wellness. This model attracted significant philanthropic grant support, launched in early 2024, and is now operational.

This innovation project applied a human-centered methodology. The leaders first assembled a “Dream Team” of practitioners in youth work, mind-body medicine, and innovation. This team then conducted direct field observations; interviewed 60+ stakeholders; studied published research on employee burnout, weathering, wellness, and engagement; and examined effective personal renewal programs from North America, Europe, and Africa. Subsequent visioning sessions were tailored to produce abundant, detailed, innovative, and interconnected solutions. Rapid ideation, model mapping, imaginative storytelling, and analogous inspiration were effective catalysts.

These methods generated significant insights and solutions. The Dream Team conjured up 200+ ways to help youth workers gain and sustain robust mental and physical health. The team also developed a Sailboat Model that illustrates youth workers’ needs in an evocative and holistic visual format; shaped a Compass framework with six cardinal points that define and structure the envisioned solutions; and aligned the solutions with both published research and youth workers’ expressed and observable needs. Furthermore, the team prototyped and validated several wellness solutions by staging exploratory retreats and blending the innovations into each.

The resulting new vision for The Journey operates on personal, enterprise, and ecosystem levels. This tiered design enables youth workers to experience relief, encouragement, and guidance through admissions and orientation activities that engender a sense of belonging; retreats that activate their senses; the launch of a peer community for longitudinal support; engagement of alumni in active mentorship; and coaching on self-led wellness practices. This project is producing a multiple-bottom-line return on investment thanks to its financial results for The Journey and its social impact in the field.

Research implications are that a) studies of health and wellness should address both the deficit and growth needs of subjects who experience stress; b) intense fields such as youth work require a longitudinal lens since secondary trauma, chronic stress, and weathering are prevalent and progressively destructive; and c) human-centered, illustrative, and multi-sensory design methods are well-suited for health and wellness studies; they make ideation comfortable and productive, elicit deep empathy, inspire memorable visuals, and yield captivating narratives about high-stress workers’ concerns and needs. Further studies could test and affirm the efficacy of the design methodologies and resulting health impact.

Animation is widely used to communicate healthcare science information in the digital era. But there were tested healthcare science animated films that were difficult to understand and not as effective as other media. As form produces meaning, the insufficiency reflects the form of the animated film does not match the target audience. Confusing choice of format can easily result in a different impact than expected, which will lead to failure of scientific communication and is not conducive to improving the target audience's medical cognitive level and improving their health status. Motion graphic animation and character animation are two important forms of animated film. The character and motion graphic animation clips introducing vaccination on the YouTube website were selected. The comments of the two forms are coded according to the rhetorical appeals of Logos, Ethos, and Pathos, and the rhetorical balance is evaluated. Then the characteristics of the persuasive impact are compared. The results show that the main difference between character animation and motion graphic animation is the impact of the personality of the character. The communication between fictional and real personalities between animated characters and the viewer will have important potential in the digital age.

The demographic shift towards an aging population presents profound challenges to healthcare systems worldwide, particularly in regions experiencing population decline or aging. Comprehensive hospitals in these areas are confronting closures or relocations due to economic restructuring, exacerbating the accessibility of medical benefits. In response, governments and local authorities are progressively expanding online-based medical services, leveraging Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) data to establish service platforms. This study presents an interim report of user research conducted as the inaugural phase of a collaborative project aimed at mitigating the risks of polypharmacy among chronic disease patients within this evolving healthcare governance landscape.

The integrated platform service seeks to empower chronic disease patients by leveraging CDSS patient data to prevent drug allergies stemming from complex medication regimens. By facilitating informed decision-making in daily healthcare management, the service aims to proactively mitigate the risks associated with polypharmacy, thereby reducing the need for physical hospital visits. Rooted in the convergence of digital technology and social innovation design, this study addresses the challenges posed by aging societies, striving to integrate and coordinate healthcare services while promoting resilient communities through social innovation.

At its core, this study represents the initial phase of design research, with a primary focus on fundamental user research. The significance of user research for CDSS data-based services lies in the imperative for patients to possess both medical and digital literacy to effectively manage their health. Given that fatalities resulting from drug allergies primarily affect the elderly population, who often exhibit low levels of digital literacy, there is a critical need to explore strategies for facilitating easy access to services for seniors.

Accordingly, this research shifts its focus towards identifying strategies to enhance ease of use for seniors, acknowledging the importance of considering users' experiences, cultural nuances, and digital literacy levels. Leveraging recent advancements in AI technology, the study explores the development of user-friendly features that align with user research findings, potentially enhancing the utility and scalability of services. Initial interviews conducted with digitally literate chronic disease patients residing outside metropolitan areas, with the assistance of a national comprehensive hospital, verify the validity of insights gleaned from user research.

Furthermore, insights from case analyses of existing applications, such as medication adherence and drug allergy prevention apps, are integrated to bridge the gap between theory and practice. This comprehensive approach ensures that the developed service closely aligns with the needs and capabilities of the target user demographic.

In conclusion, this research endeavors to delineate the direction for the evolution of human-centered technological services. By prioritizing user-centric design within the context of technological convergence, the study asserts the pivotal role of design in advancing online healthcare services and social innovation. By considering the perspectives and needs of local seniors, this research contributes to the broader discourse on advancing healthcare services and social innovation initiatives.

The transformations needed for scope and complexity to achieve the Sustainable Development are unparalleled. Design process has already been identified as an essential part of the sustainable development and will profoundly influence overall product sustainability. The academia also acknowledged that sustainability is crucial in the product design process, given persistent climate change concerns and a growing number of consumers demanding more sustainable product choices. It has been suggested that the design stage influence 80% of sustainability impacts. However, research on which however is quite limited to understand how such influence can be evaluated and delivered especially at early design stage. Through the literature review of sustainable packaging design from academic and key online resources, it is clear that studies on sustainable design frameworks have failed to effectively combine sustainability with design process. Most factors in these frameworks cannot be used in practical design process. There is a need to integrate existing research into practical design processes.

The purpose of this research is to identify the impact factors of sustainable packaging design and develop a decision-making tool for practical design processes. In this study, a literature review was conducted to summarize the impact factors in sustainable packaging design. A two-round interview was then conducted to gain a profound understanding of the practical packaging design process and identify the impact factors that designers concern. 16 experienced packaging designers were identified via LinkedIn and reached via emails. We integrated the results of the literature reviews and interviews to list the sustainable impact factors in practical packaging design. The result of the interviews also revealed that there is no sustainability evaluation tool for designers in early design stage, but that carbon footprint is the most potential decision-making tool, as it can be easily understood by most designers. Based on these findings. we propose a pilot sustainability decision-making framework for designers at early design stage.

In the shifting landscape of consumer culture, Generation Z (GenZ) emerges as a demographic that is quickly becoming influential group within many service sectors. GenZ has grown up in a seamlessly digital world, which has not only influenced their consumer behaviours but also expectations from the design of products, services, and experiences. As digital natives, this demographic ascending to economic prominence with increasing purchasing power, compels a deeper understanding of their intrinsic traits, particularly as they affect the demands for hyper-personalised, omnichannel experiences necessitates a nuanced understanding of their digital-first approach to life. This paper explores the distinct motivations and behaviours patterns of GenZ, emphasising how their digital fluency influences their lifestyle choices and consumer habits which dictate their engagement with design-led services and products.

To explore these dynamics, this study adopts a qualitative research methodology. This approach combines an extensive literature review that provide foundational understanding of GenZ, while primary data is gathered through surveys, interviews, and focus groups to capture the authentic voice of GenZ and their characteristics. This approach leads to layered analysis of GenZ’s preferences and factors that implicate the insights as a cornerstone for businesses and designers alike, proposing a strategic framework for developing services and products.

Through the understanding of GenZ centric behaviours, the paper contributes to the evolving discourse in design practices and its implication towards creating experiences that resonate with the value system and integrated digital lifestyle of GenZ. It brings to light the unique ways in which GenZ navigates the digital landscape, demanding experience that is not only blend digital insights seamlessly with the tangible aspects of products and services, but also serve their desire for deeply personalised and socially responsible experiences.

The conclusion of the paper presents actionable insights that synergises digital and physical elements to reflect GenZ's distinctive preferences and values. This ensures that businesses remain relevant in a market increasingly influenced by GenZ. In conclusion, ‘Decoding GenZ’ not only illuminates the complex relationship between this generation and their digital context but also provides a strategic blueprint for service providers eager to attract and retain this pivotal demographic.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is more and more integrated into today’s services. It redefines service ecosystems and customer relationships, emphasizing the pivotal role of designers in balancing technological feasibility with value creation. Recognizing the limitations of traditional design approaches, service design emerges as a promising perspective to investigate the interplay between AI and service innovation. While recent studies highlight service design's role in AI system development, empirical research on how these two fields could ‘converse’ remains scarce. This study aims to address this gap by investigating how organizations leverage service design to manage organizational and ecosystem-level changes triggered by AI system development through a multiple-case study. Semi-structured interviews with service designers and managers reveal that service design's use extends beyond creating a design strategy for AI development teams towards fostering relationships between employees, end users, and AI. The findings offer valuable insights by identifying six areas where service design influences and enhances different phases of AI system development, providing evidence of more personalized and robust service experiences. Furthermore, the study offers insights into service design's complementary role alongside UX design, particularly in conveying the value of machine-generated outputs to diverse stakeholders. These contributions are beneficial for design management professionals and researchers.

Although there has been a global effort to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the innovation sector, recent research has revealed a decline in funding for female-identified founders (FIF). This funding has decreased from 2.1% in 2022 to 1.8% in 2023 despite women-led businesses generating higher revenue. This data sheds light on an increasing gender gap in funding startups worldwide. The question is, why is this gap growing?

Our research explores the multifaceted dynamics surrounding access to funding for FIF. It delves into both internal and external barriers and enablers impacting FIF, including the dream gap, caregiving responsibilities, and biases in the investment sector. Additionally, it examines the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in support systems and the biases present within AI, which further exacerbate funding disparities. The abstract highlights trends and strategies for mitigating biases in AI, emphasizing the benefits of generative and deterministic AI, the importance of diversity in the AI workforce, and the necessity for conscious and inclusive AI training. Ultimately, it underscores the potential of design empowered by AI to bridge the gap, offering insights into how holistic strategic design practices can contribute to fostering a more equitable landscape for FIF in accessing funding opportunities

This study explores the impact of “Affective Computing” using Science Fiction (SciFi) Prototyping in Virtual Reality (VR) to examine discourses on friendships with AI among young adults and adolescents. Conducted by a Swiss team of business information scientists, designers, and communication researchers the project uses VR to vividly showcase emerging technologies and the dynamics of human-AI interactions. Participants, wearing VR headsets, navigate a multilinear story in a futuristic setting, making decisions with emotionally intelligent AIs that explore how these technologies might alter friendship concepts. The research incorporates participant-oriented discourse analysis to understand young people's views on AI friendships, drawing on data from 30 street interviews and 19 group discussions involving 125 Swiss students from secondary schools and technical colleges across Switzerland, supplemented by qualitative evaluations. Findings of the street interviews indicate that while traditional friendship values like loyalty, empathy, and trust are upheld, skepticism towards AI relationships persists due to security fears and doubts about AI's emotional capabilities. Group discussions emphasize the immersive VR experience's role in shaping participants' openness to AI relationships, albeit marred by ethical reservations. The study highlights three main controversies: Firstly, in terms of AI's human-like versus unhuman-like qualities. Secondly, about the importance of emotional or physical closeness or distance in AI interactions, and thirdly, in view of own’s own trust or distrust in friendship with AI. These issues mirror the traditional virtues of friendship and the complexities expected in AI relationships. Recommendations from the communications researchers based on a discourse perspective include sustained discourse research through repeated SciFi prototyping sessions integrating LLM with youth participation to craft relevant AI stories, eventually focusing on mental health or identity themes. This approach seeks to develop socially relevant public stories and to explore the ethical, emotional, communicative, and societal aspects of human-AI relationships through multidisciplinary research.

Keywords: Friendship with Artificial Intelligence, Science Fiction Prototyping, Multilinear Stories, Participant-Oriented Discourse Analysis, Story Design

Museums are integral to the creative industries, contributing significantly to the UK economy. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted museum operations, prompting a shift to virtual interactions for audiences. This study investigates the role of technology in ensuring museum sustainability and examines hybrid audience engagement for diversity and inclusion. Secondary research and interviews with nine museum managers revealed key insights: 1) COVID led to increased online engagement, prompting holistic consideration of digital museum issues. 2) Main digital challenges include limited resources and environmental concerns. 3) Technology adoption has increased, with positive reception of augmented reality and hybrid models. 4) Participants foresee continued value in physical experiences, with AI and VR offering promising immersive opportunities. Recommendations to museum managers are: tailor digital strategies to resources, prioritize budget-conscious investments, enhance digital accessibility and personalization, balance physical and digital elements, embrace AR, VR, and AI technologies, preserve cultural heritage digitally, and invest in further research. Future research will explore museum audiences' perceptions of digital technologies in museums.

Design is considered to be a multidisciplinary field, which utilizes knowledge from psychology, engineering, the arts, and more. Designers often go into the workforce creating, innovating, and problem-solving for companies, spanning across a vast array of disciplines. Individuals with backgrounds in design have similarities and differences from individuals with knowledge in business and entrepreneurship, but there is currently a gap in knowledge regarding designers within entrepreneurial roles. This paper aims to address the need for further empirical research within this area by asking the question: What kind of unique skills do designers possess that have the potential to create a positive impact on a new business or startup?

Delving into the current literature as an initial starting point, this paper brings forward new concepts to the field at the crossroads of design and innovation. It sheds light on the opportunity for further empirical research to develop new knowledge that addresses the research question proposed. Findings have the potential to open new doors and possibilities for designers and entrepreneurs. This could be a key piece in improving success rates with the potential to evolve the operation of new business ventures, providing novel and unique opportunities for those within design and business.

Taiwan is renowned for its bicycle industry cluster. Alongside the exponential growth in demand for the e-bike market, there has been an expansion beyond the conventional bicycle industry chain, comprising brand manufacturers, assembly plants, parts manufacturers, and traders. Manufacturers from the electronics and motorcycle industries have also ventured into e-bike design and development. This study aims investigates how to cultivate a distinctive e-bike design innovation strategy within the established bicycle market. Employing qualitative "multiple case studies," the research conducts in-depth interviews with eight diverse e-bike companies in Taiwan.

The findings reveal that e-bike design developers' market entry strategies can be categorized akin to those proposed by Stern et al. (2018) as "value chain strategy," "intellectual property strategy," "architectural strategy," and "disruption strategy," utilizing the dimensions of "high" and "low" part-sharing elasticity, and focusing on either "physical key component design" or the intangible "experience and service design." These four strategies correspond to "innovation in frame materials and manufacturing processes (e.g., developing professional mountain/downhill and road/gravel e-bikes with mid-drive motor)," "technological innovation in motor and transmission modules (e.g., developing a special e-bike model as a demonstration design for B2B applications)," "innovation in business models (e.g., developing unique and closed systems for e-bike-sharing system/public e-bike scheme)," and "customized innovation (e.g., assembled fat tire e-bikes or handmade e-bikes with wheel hub motor)" respectively. Upon further comparison of the design and development process of the four strategies, it was observed that the "value chain strategy" is the most comprehensive, involving a three-year cycle from planning to mass production, with industrial designers assuming the roles of conceptual design and design engineering throughout the process. The distinctions from other strategies can be discerned by the role of design and the extent of outsourcing in development and manufacturing.

Theoretically, this study is inspired by the fact that the e-bike industry's design development perpetuates the bicycle industry's characteristics of "both competition and cooperation" and "standardization and allowing small quantity and variety of manufacturing," albeit with the integration of critical components with hardware and software. This integration facilitates the formation of a highly diverse market entry strategy. The results of this categorization aid in understanding the design practice considerations under different strategies, thereby enabling further exploration of issues such as the circular design of e-bikes.

Despite the growing recognition of customer centricity as a strategic imperative for organisations to compete and remain relevant, few have successfully delivered the expected outcomes and achieved lasting customer orientation. While many organisations appear committed, their efforts often fail to bridge the gap between top management's strategic ambitions and plans for execution.

Acknowledging this, the focus of strategy implementation studies has shifted from conceptualising strategy implementation plans to how organisational actors make sense of and enact these plans in practice. The adaptive turn has led to an understanding that mutations in practices or routines emerging from the behavioural and social dynamics of implementation, represent essential adjustments to initially conceptualised strategies and strategy implementation plans. Nevertheless, research studies have yet to shed light on the feedback loop from enacting strategy back to (re)conceptualising strategy. Either the one or the other is the focus.

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the adaptive turn discourse by examining how adaptations emerge from implementation feedback to inform the (re)conceptualisation of strategy, alongside management guidelines and policies to make adaptive strategy implementation more effective.

Within this scope, the research focuses on the benefits and implications of design as a practice and mindset to intentionally foster the interplay between conceptualising, enacting and adapting.

By adopting this perspective, the study reveals patterns of actions through which design leaders and practitioners navigate the continuous interplay between conceptualising and enacting strategy and implementation plans across multiple hierarchical levels and organisational units.

Employing both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, the study involved more than three hundred professionals across five European countries to assess their organisations' capabilities and practices in driving and executing customer-centric strategies. Thirteen key informants provided in-depth insights into enablers, barriers, and implications through interviews.

The findings suggest that the transformation effort can be conceptualised as a continuous cycle of improvement, evolving through increasingly higher loops of maturity.

This paper explores these adaptive cycles and delineates three phases of continuous strategy integration and reconceptualisation in action. It takes design leaders from engaging stakeholders in small pockets of the organisation to facilitating the enactment of strategic ambitions, all the way to establishing new structures and infiltrating all facets of the organisation. In this framework, tailored storytelling, prototyping and infiltration of organisational routines and platforms serve as mediums for continuous enactment and reconceptualisation of the strategy over time.

The fashion retail industry is under pressure from regulators and consumers to address sustainability challenges. In addition to implementing circularity practices to achieve sustainability goals, fashion organisations can benefit from new business approaches and re-evaluating their value propositions. Adopting new organisational customer-centred logics can be advantageous for such a purpose and can be pursued through a Strategic Design approach. To adopt a customer organisational logic, it’s essential to implement human-centric practices that enhance customer integration organisational capabilities.

Grounded in empirical evidence from the field, this study unveils a systematic examination of human-centred design research methods employed for fashion product development and the design approaches adopted to introduce these methods into the existing work processes of an international fashion retailer. It also highlights the challenges of implementing these new practices into the infrastructure of existing teams.

This article aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how fashion organisations can transition towards more customer-centred practices. It provides valuable insights for industry practitioners seeking to drive change within product-focused organisations. It contributes to the literature on fashion product development by proposing a process of infrastructuring as a valid human-centred approach to evolve fashion organisations into adopting new organisational logics.

Sustainability education plays a crucial role in preparing individuals to cope with urgent environmental, social, and economic challenges today. Understanding sustainability and environmental issues in our society is critical for youth to adapt and respond to their future. This paper explores considerations for sustainability education design that emphasizes two key components: sustainability literacy and community engagement. Sustainability literacy involves developing an understanding of sustainability concepts, practices, and critical thinking skills to develop young people's awareness and action. Community engagement entails strengthening engagement with local communities, organizations, and stakeholders to enhance community involvement and experiences into sustainability education. Designing on interdisciplinary perspectives from education, environmental studies, and community development, this paper suggests a basic idea for incorporating sustainability literacy and community engagement into educational design and approaches. This paper also discusses the role of technology and interaction mechanisms with students in enhancing learning progress on sustainability challenges. The research methodology in this study includes a comprehensive review of existing literature on sustainability education, ecoliteracy, and community engagement and identifies best practices. Qualitative methods, such as participatory workshops and interviews, aim to engage youth as active participants in the research process. Through the integration of sustainability literacy and community engagement into education design, students can respond proactively to climate change contributing to the creation of more resilient and sustainable communities.

In this paper, we address the safety management when organizing a public festival. Large events bringing together thousands of people require organizing multiple parts that will integrate into one, seamless event. Safety is an essential component of social sustainability. As part of a successful event, it is important to proactively address safety-related issues from a visitor's point of view. In our study we will focus on event safety design, and better managing the safety at a music festival. The research was conducted at Varjo festival, organized in Scandinavia in summer 2023, utilizing a service design and user-centric approach. The main purpose was to identify aspects enhancing sense of safety and to generate design implications for event management. The findings are based on field observations and a survey-based user study (n=133) collected in situ. The results emphasize the significance of safety management through visible safety measures, and transparent communication about safety protocols. An inclusive atmosphere and principles of safe space are elements in ensuring responsible and safe experience for everyone. Furthermore, managing safety is a shared responsibility involving visitors. The paper identifies safety factors to create a list of practical design implications for ensuring safer and responsible festivals for visitors.

Research Context: In the contemporary era of over-consumption, customers are often inundated with information, leading to decision paralysis. However, certain brands have successfully become the default choice for their customers by understanding and adapting to evolving customer behavior and lifestyle trends. From 1988 to 2015, consumer-perceived values were primarily anchored on six pivotal factors: social, experiential, functional, financial, emotional, knowledge (Shoemaker & Lewis,1999; Sweeney & Soutar,2001; Schau et al.,2009).

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered significant lifestyle changes, with mental health, safety, and convenience becoming paramount concerns for consumers. Concurrently, there was a rise in sustainable practices among companies responding to a growing preference for eco-friendly businesses among consumers. However, empirical research exploring these dynamic shifts remains limited. While common values have been studied extensively since 1988, personal and contextual influences on customers have not been adequately considered post-2015 (Kim et al.,2020).

Research Method: An empirical study was conducted involving 100 online surveys and 40 focus group interviews patronizing two prominent coffee brands in Hong Kong. Each session spanned 20 minutes and engaged groups of ten participants each to understand trends in evolving customer values. A comprehensive literature review complemented this study, where an analysis of 294 scholarly articles offered relevant insights into the customer-perceived value factors.

Study Insights: Historically, consumer value perception was categorized into financial, functional (quality), and non-functional (perceived value) categories. This paradigm has undergone significant evolution; functional value now encompasses tangible aspects like convenience and brand value, while non-functional value is associated with social and emotional interactions, influenced by privacy, social security, brand image, and self-esteem.

It is also interesting to note that value co-creation as a concept has evolved, impacting the customer’s mind from how the product looks or behaves to the experience and finding meaning in consumption. Understanding value from the consumer perception through price and quality alone is considered narrow.

During the focus group interviews, the participants gave significant importance to the personal aspect while using the product/service: expressing oneself, finding mental space, relating to the brand (“this brand is so me”), and gaining status or ego boost mattered to the participant. Another value that was mentioned consistently during the interviews was that of sustainability: running green initiatives, collaborating with the local artists and influencers, and protecting the environment. For several customers, buying from a sustainable brand felt like contributing to fighting climate change and global warming. These personal and sustainable aspects highlight consumer awareness and co-creation.

Significance and Contribution: This research contributes to the existing knowledge on value co-creation by providing a customer-centric perspective on how value is created and perceived in product-service hybrid offerings. The findings underscore the need for businesses to view their operations as a collaborative endeavor in design, rather than a series of individualistic actions. This shift in perspective is crucial for understanding and responding to the evolving landscape of consumer-perceived values in the modern era. The findings of this research can help practitioners to design more effective business models and customer relations that align with the co-created values of their target segments.

Transformation design seeks to foster societal change by questioning power structures and placing ecological considerations central to systemic change. The concept of transformation is based on adaptation, resilience and change. In addition, theories of adaptive change are based on finding an equilibrium between shifting forces through the stability and strength of a given system. A resilient system must reflect dynamic adaptability to create and maintain novelty and persistence despite its vulnerability. Transformation design sets out to instigate and evaluate large-scale desirable societal change by ensuring safe and just transformational processes. Set in a transformative design framework, this paper will explore theories of change in creative bioart experiments to analyse process flows and tipping points in growth, demise, and becoming. Stemming from a bioart experiment, the results of this study will propose a framework for designers to employ mapping tools to identify needs for transformative change within society.

Service is an integrated system of actions performed for the benefit and well-being of another. It is important to discover the invisible elements as aspects of service that I call “influence factors” that may improve the quality of service significantly. However, the places for discovery are ambiguous and often full of conflicts and contradictions. Influence factors have different meanings and could be interpreted in a variety of ways. My goal in this paper is to explore the places for discovery by using a Productive Science approach. In this approach, the “influence factors” could be identified as part of the material of form. A comparative study is conducted by analyzing the well-known Service Blueprinting model and its use in identifying visible and invisible elements of service and comparing it to the Issue Mapping Strategy. These two strategies have significant differences, but they also share a common ground, namely, the discovery of invisible elements (influence factors) in the places unknown. In the interpretation of a service situation, past or present, commonplaces of invention and discovery may open up the perception of new meanings and practical applications even in a familiar situation, which were not there until they were made facts of discovery.

In 2012, Boston College (BC) in an unprecedented move for a higher education institution, decided to bring in a design firm, to assist in rethinking its Core Curriculum using design thinking. The success of this initiative led to BC’s revamped ‘Core Renewal’. Which then triggered a newfound affinity toward design-driven thinking processes on an institutional level which led to the design and implementation of BC’s very first Human-Centered Engineering program as well as the construction of an innovation building in 2021. To further the design agenda, BC’s ‘Design Commons Collective’, a well-curated strategic initiative, was introduced to offer both undergraduate and graduate level academic credit-bearing design courses, as well as, beyond-the-classroom experiences. Case studies will be shared, from some of the 6 external collaborators (Epam Continuum, Center for Disease Control (CDC), The Joslin Diabetes Center, Quincy Asian Resources, Inc. (QARI), Moore Foundation, Studio Carbon), to further demonstrate the impact of this Design-driven initiative.

Design-driven innovation (DDI) is an approach to innovation that focuses on creating new meanings for the products and services a company offers. DDI differs from other forms of innovation, which are typically more so driven by the development of breakthrough technologies or on addressing current market needs. It is argued that DDI is an effective approach to creating value and promoting the growth of a company.

Research regarding DDI has largely focused on the outcomes for end-users or overall company growth. While these outcomes are important, a lot goes on behind the scenes to successfully deliver them. Internal stakeholders such as managers and employees are responsible for delivering these outcomes, and research regarding value creation for them is currently limited.

This paper serves as a starting point for further research by presenting a critical literature review that investigates how DDI could be a catalyst for innovation and growth through the creation of new meanings for internal stakeholders involved in the development of products and services. The result of this literature review is the identification of possible areas for intervention and a proposal for further primary research.

Economic deglobalization, characterized by reduced global integration and interaction, presents significant challenges for startups with limited resources to adapt and innovate their resource management and business growth strategies. This paper investigates how innovative technical startups based in the tech incubator program in the Netherlands respond to economic deglobalization, focusing on their strategic management of competitive resources to achieve dynamic stability—-the ability of a business to return to steady or new status after an external disturbance. Findings are thematically concluded with six main resource management strategies: flexible supply chain, comprehensive talent planning, an optimized mix of investments, the value of time and money, diversified marketing strategies, and clear knowledge security. By designing a systematic framework for startups to navigate dynamic stability, our research identified the effectiveness of channel resilience, operational adaptability, and executive innovation in an economically deglobalized world as the strategic designary reactions to economic deglobalization.

In an era of complex problems where the effectiveness of Design Thinking faces significant scrutiny, this paper presents two student projects to illustrate a multi-disciplinary approach for holistic innovation. Project on 'Biomedical Waste Management System' seeks to tackle fundamental issues of non-compliance by addressing information accessibility, training, enforcement, and monitoring through extensive education and training initiatives. Another project focused on 'Protecting Artist Work and Building Resilience in an AI-Driven Landscape,' endeavours to safeguard artists' rights and works through workshop series to increase trust, safety, and productivity among artists. The paper concludes by advocating for the strategic use of a multi-disciplinary approach and tools from Service Design, Systems Thinking and Design Thinking to cultivate holistic and comprehensive innovations.

This paper explores the mid-term impacts and outcomes of an innovation readiness programme using rapid design-led interventions, which has been deployed in 50 micro-SMEs in the North East of England. It builds on previous work by the lead author and his research group who developed and deployed this programme, which uses design facilitation, and who have reported on its evolution in the ADMC journal in 2018 and 2022.

This latest study develops an understanding of the specific impacts and outcomes of the programme on participants and their organisations after a period of between 2 and 5 years. It compares initial findings, reported in the authors’ previous studies which were based on data collected immediately after the programme interventions, with new findings based on data gathered 2-5 years later. Further, it considers how these impacts and outcomes may be sustained within these organisations.

The research has been conducted using a mixed methods approach employing thematic analysis of data gathered through co-reflection, surveys and semi-structured interviews. Findings suggest that there is a maturing of the observations regarding initial impacts and outcomes reported immediately following the programme and those reported after 2-5 years.

This study makes a contribution to the field of design facilitation by considering the scope of application of the practice beyond focusing on developing new products, services and systems where deep design process knowledge is deemed to be critical.This study highlights design facilitation, focused on organisational change, which is shown to rely upon the creativity and expertise of design facilitators to lead design dialogues.

This study will be of interest to those researching and/or practising design facilitation and those who are seeking to develop design innovation support programmes, particularly for micro-SMEs, where lasting impacts are required.

Surprises in design activities are inevitable and significantly impact the design process and outcomes. Despite their importance, existing literature predominantly focuses on cognitive responses to surprises, with limited attention to categorizing these events and identifying effective management strategies. This study addresses this gap by investigating the types of unexpected events that occur during the design process and the specific strategies tool-based product designers use to manage them. Through thematic analysis of interviews with designers from two companies, the study identifies six key categories of surprises: design blockages, unexpected events, unexpected phenomena, unexpected information, emotional responses, and potential value. A practical framework is developed, integrating these categories with effective management strategies such as interdisciplinary collaboration, technological innovation, and proactive exploration. This framework provides actionable insights for design practitioners, fostering a resilient design environment that emphasizes reflective practices, continuous improvement, open communication, and cross-functional cooperation. The study’s theoretical contributions enrich existing literature by offering a detailed categorization of surprises and a structured framework that views surprises as opportunities for innovation and value creation, ultimately enhancing design outcomes.

Leaders today need to be creative in order to be prepared for high levels of uncertainty and complexity. Innovative solutions can build the starting point for long-lasting meaningful change and can form a response to those systematic challenges. The rise of design leadership positions across industries and organizations is an indication for the growing demand of creative thinking at the managerial level. Creativity, often attributed to designers, is seen as highly valuable in leaders and prepares them for the variety of challenges they face.This raises the question which specific qualities design professionals can bring to the leadership domain, especially in relation to innovation and creating positive systemic change?

Decades of leadership studies led to a classification into various leadership styles which are defined by specific mindsets and behaviors. The data shows, that in the context of innovation many authors do not refer to a certain leadership style but talk about leadership in a more generic way. For this reason, the review investigates the leadership behaviors required to be an impactful leader in the innovation domain and discusses the future role design can play in leading for innovation.

Many approaches to innovation are active in the health sector, the majority derived from the world of quality improvement. While these methods are potent and can yield significant results, when used in healthcare they frequently concentrate on individual patient pathways or specific components of a healthcare system - yet many of the challenges in healthcare are associated with patient and staff experiences and the poor interfaces between different parts of a service.

In the conventional quality improvement (QI) toolbox there are relatively few methods that support exploration of these more holistic challenges. Design and systems thinking, however, have much to offer. Design thinking has methods and frameworks that put the user at the centre, encourage divergent and convergent thinking, promote early prototyping & iteration and support collaboration through visualisation. Systems thinking helps map the complex connections and relationships between different actors and elements within a system, it explores flows & feedback loops and encourages looking at the system in its entirety from the perspectives of events, trends, connections and mindsets.

To translate design and systems thinking into action, healthcare professionals need design and systems methods that are framed around their very particular challenges, are described in the vocabulary of health and complement existing paradigms of quality improvement.

This paper describes how a Patient Ecosystem Mapping methodology has been developed that enables a healthcare team to build a ‘London Underground’ style map of the patient pathways within which they work and then use this to reflect on potential improvements. The principles of the mapping process are described.

Examples of how the Patient Ecosystem Mapping methodology has been used on various projects and Scotland and Northern Ireland are described. The maps have acted as Boundary Objects, breaking down silos and empowering teams to take ownership of their areas of healthcare. The way different frameworks from systems thinking, such as the iceberg model, have been used to help review the maps is also described.

The work is a case study in how design and systems thinking principles can be integrated into a working method with real world value. The work is also a case study in how non-design professionals (from healthcare) can be upskilled in design approaches.

Regardless of age, location, or condition, access to healthcare remains a fundamental need for all individuals. However, significant gaps persist in delivering equitable and empathetic care despite advancements. Before the 2021 COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization stated that more than half of the global population was not fully covered by essential health services. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, via a 2018 Census Report, declared that about 1 in 10 people in the United States were without health insurance. The absence of insurance often correlates with limited access to primary care providers and essential services, underlining the urgency for change.

As leaders, designers, and educators, we frequently think about how we might make our world a better place. Assuming accessible healthcare coverage, a door opens to contemplate equitable possibilities, with empathy emerging as a central theme. Empathy from healthcare providers towards patients and vice versa holds the potential to revolutionize healthcare. The aim is to cultivate and sustain fundamental aspects of productive human interactions between patients, healthcare providers, and support staff. Building trust and understanding between these stakeholders is essential to making informed decisions that produce improved outcomes. However, achieving this work requires innovative approaches that transcend traditional paradigms.

This paper explores reflexivity and situatedness in engaging students and professionals with local community members as co-designers and mentors in educational experiential projects. The epistemological, theoretical frameworks and dialectic character that emerge from institutional spaces working in community projects tend to offer broad and yet exclusionary conceptualizations of participation. They are inclined to refer to conceptual constructions through the discourse of professionals and technocrats comprising various codifications and objectified representations used and (re)produced by these agents. These conceptualizations contrast with the representational action directly experienced and perceived through the complex system of symbols, rules, and codifications of individuals regarding their community. Guided by critical social thought highlighting the politics of knowledge (co)production, this paper unpacks the promises, complexities, and challenges of a responsible innovation approach in offering avenues for inclusive participation. We use a semester class based on a long-term community engagement project as a case study to document how students and technocrats informed their praxis, recognized and addressed the apparent unforeseen consequences, made explicit the normative within the technical, coalesced plural views, and supported collective learning.

Monocultures of identical K-12 classrooms proliferate from the Sahara to the Himalayas, and they certainly remain the norm in the United States. Yet evidence suggests high teacher dissatisfaction and low student engagement. Can re-imagining existing school environments powerfully engage students and teachers, without rebuilding them from scratch?

Proposed here are schools delivering visceral experiences supported by diverse environments. These schools would be physically re-organized as communities of practice, with like-minded teachers working together in workspaces that build community, promote identity and support collaboration. When teachers surrender their private classrooms, those spaces can diversify to more powerfully support teachers in engaging students.

What could these rooms become? Nine categories of learning spaces are identified, generating 60 spatial archetypes to replace identical classrooms with a diverse ecosystem.

What broader lessons for design management stem from this work? Compared to the templates and precedents often referenced in design, the arch-typological approach presented here offers tremendous benefits:

• Adding depth: contributing deeper research over a timespan independent of immediate project-driven concerns.

• Reducing risk: ensuring the outlines of an approach without eliminating agency, and local variation.

• Focusing design effort: defining the field of play to concentrate energies on the unique aspects of the problem at hand.

Cultural tourism is a fast-growing segment in the tourism industry and is estimated to be around 40% of the tourist segments globally. After COVID-19, this has come back with renewed force. Regional attractions such as experience centers, museums, event developers, city developers, tourism offices, and so forth need to work together to create enough “reason-to-go” and subsequent “reason-to-stay” experiential qualities in their tourism service value propositions.

Through two larger cultural tourism case projects, we investigate how one can bring ecosystem tourism stakeholders together through codesign tangible methods to ideate on cross-locational experiential service value propositions and what opportunities and difficulties seem to emerge through this. In the first project, three regional museums and a tourism destination office worked together to find shared themes and connected stories. In the second project, seven Second World War museums, three tourism offices, and design developers collaborated to extract three experiential journeys that visitors could follow.

We illustrate how a series of codesign interventions can engage a cross-disciplinary circle of stakeholders and lead to novel insights and shared understandings, establish common ground, and generate ideas with potential. In addition, we analyze the use and effect of introducing codesign methods that can support the development of shared themes and stories attracting visitors and international tourists. Through observations, video recordings, and interaction analysis, we outline both the opportunities and difficulties found in these collaborations.

The opportunities point to the possibilities in providing an attractive offering through a series of connected stories that involve the value chain of travel, food, and accommodation providers and in training the front personnel to guide to the next places. The difficulties point to issues such as the gap between stories as marketing and the stories as they are experienced on location and the difficulty in aligning practices according to a central story line and overall service value proposition across various distances and time.

From the perspective of experiential service design, the results have theoretical implications because a holistic service flows through cross-locational and cross-organizational touchpoints while the practical implications also point to the development of ecosystems of tourism actors working closely together.

The paper aims to review the use of empathy beyond sensemaking and focus on empathy as an essential principle for measuring people's readiness for digital adoption. Led by the discipline of design management, this research project seeks to inquire how empathy-led methods can be embedded in the research design to identify and measure people's readiness in the pre-adoption stage of digitalisation.

The paper demonstrates the application of empathy in identifying the psychological variables that affect readiness for digital adoption in the pre-adoption stage. The findings are from a systematic literature review that identified the psychological, emotional, and intrinsic variables in individuals that influence people's readiness to adopt a digital tool. These variables are grouped and selected to articulate the perception of the usefulness of technology and the feeling users attach to that technology in the pre-adoption stage of digital technologies. The result is creating an empathy-led approach to how these variables influence people’s perception of digital technologies and what readiness means for individuals.

Service Design, like many other realms, is undergoing a transformative shift with the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), evolving from a disruptive force to a pivotal companion in fostering innovation and efficiency. However, the lack of tailored guidelines for structuring these interactions presents challenges, especially for those with limited AI expertise. The proposed model leverages specific versions of ChatGPT-4, known as GPTs, to create custom AIs that seamlessly integrate into various contexts, simplifying AI development by eliminating the need for in-depth coding knowledge. This paper outlines a three-stage introductory tutorial for developing an AI Service Design Teammate: i) Human-AI Teaming (HAIT) as the foundation, ii) a model proposal guideline, and iii) strategies to enhance adoption.

"Dehumanization or Last of the Mohicans Revisited" presents a thought-provoking exploration of the intricate relationship between evolution, design, and AI technology by putting the human kind at the very center. Starting with an inspiration from Douglas Adams's set of rules regarding people’s reactions to technology and envisioning Charles Darwin the text contemplates whether evolutionary principles similar to natural selection would emerge for artificial nature of AI Technologies with respect to design(ing). The text emphasizes the exponential growth of the artificial designed world, surpassing the quantity of living organisms, and navigates through evolutionary principles from Malthus and Darwin. The text proposes an evolutionary approach rooted not only in Darwinian principles but also in quantum physics, highlighting the dynamic movement encompassing the entire universe. Addressing the societal impact of evolving technologies, especially in information and communication technologies (ICT) and AI, the narrative predicts a future where conscious choices in science, technology, and design become paramount. The integration of human nerves with artificial computer systems and the increasing interdependence between individuals and technology are contemplated, raising questions about the potential impact on everyday life.

Rooted in Herbert Simon’s design definition of “courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred ones.” (Herbert Simon, 1969) and expanding on the implications of evolution, the text introduces the concept of intentionality and preferences, emphasizing humanity's transformative role in shaping the future through design. It underscores the significance of human abstraction and design ability as powerful forces deviating cultural patterns from natural standards. Furthermore, the text explores the evolving nature of technology, reflecting on the rapid obsolescence of designs and scientific knowledge. It also draws attention to the intergenerational gap in technology adoption by comparing evolutionary inorganic and biological examples with very recent developments in AI and VR Technologies putting the human kind at the very center as an operator where design preferences are the major drives and motives.

The text prompts consideration of the impact of these design preferences and technological advancements on anonymous well-being with qualitative and quantitative data of positive and negative implications. The integration of natural human capabilities with artificial systems is also going to be discussed, hinting at a potential alteration in the nature of human existence and interactions. The text points to the transformative effects of interactive AI technologies projecting a future where these technologies form complex and advanced "organisms" with systemic operations and processes, signaling a convergence between humans and AI, by referring to the anonymous characteristics of AI. In the context of evolving AI technologies, the text encourages reflection on the dependency of products and services on complex technological systems. From smart appliances that prompt user actions to cars equipped with network technology enforcing traffic rules, the interconnection of individual components within a broader technological network is presented as a multifaceted concern. In short, "Dehumanization or Last of the Mohicans Revisited" urges design community to contemplate the conscious role of humanity in shaping its future through intentional design and technological preferences, while also raising awareness about the potential impact on anonymous well-being and the transformative influence of artificial intelligence networks in the evolving landscape nature of technology where humans are part of.

The foundation of design thinking is building empathy with those you are entrusted to help. Using design thinking for social impact projects provides undergraduate university students the opportunity to engage in meaningful project work that can be life-changing for both student and project partner. However, stakeholders are not always in close proximity, which can pose complications to conducting ethnographic research to build empathy with stakeholders and to ultimately develop meaningful solutions. This study engaged students at an American university in a semester-long project collaborating with a vocational school in rural Northern Uganda, a least developed country, situated over 8,000 miles away. Students completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) survey to measure their perceived level of empathy before the start of the course and at the end of the course, after engaging in project work that included a mix of ethnographic methods including digital, analogue, and an in-person immersion for a small subset (14.8%) of the sample size. On average, findings demonstrate an increase in three of the four IRI empathy constructs (Fantasy, Empathic Concern, and Perspective Taking) over the course of the semester for all participants, and a more significant increase in Perspective Taking for those that completed the immersion.

Driven by the growing “beauty value” economy and the release of consumption potential, the beauty service industry in China has experienced a continuous increase in its market size. The market predominantly consists of small-scale individual parlours, presenting a highly fragmented landscape. Yet, these small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) struggle with issues derived from limited resources and obsolete management strategies, resulting in decreased customer satisfaction and a high closure rate.

To address these challenges, this study aims to emphasise the value co-creation in beauty service businesses and propose a set of service innovations that enhance customer experience throughout the beauty service process. The qualitative research involves three phases. Firstly, participant observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify key problems throughout the journey. Secondly, a focus group with design experts and stakeholders was organised to generate innovative data-driven solutions, which were subsequently refined through feedback from two beauty service SMEs in the third phase.

The proposed innovative solutions are synthesised and presented in a renewal service blueprint, underscoring three core values across the service stages. The findings provide a deeper understanding of customer-centricity in the beauty service industry and offer valuable guidance for beauty service SMEs to boost competitiveness and sustainability.

This paper describes the transition from a traditional M.F.A. (Master in Fine Arts) to an M.B.I. (Master in Business Innovation) at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia. Based on industry trends, current research in design, and trends in design education (Meyer & Norman, 2020) (Meyer & Norman, 2020) we found that the traditional M.F.A. program does not align with the ongoing evolution of design, design education, and specifically, design management (De Mozota & Valade-Amland, 2020; De Mozota & Wolff, 2019; Miller et al., 2023). Responding to the demands for increasing relevance and wider accessibility to and diffusion of design research, SCAD is transforming the design management program to align with the shift from an interdisciplinary to transdisciplinary design, strengthening the program’s finance and management focus, formalizing design leadership and embedding sustainability and ethics in the curriculum. We have encountered numerous opportunities and challenges through the process of transitioning to the new M.B. I. curriculum. The opportunity to deliver value to students by redesigning the curriculum required making a compelling case for change. Addressing the challenges of introducing “the new” (Erwin, 2014) include (1) assessing the current curriculum to evaluate the relevance of existing components and courses, identifying what new courses are needed; (2) evaluating the knowledge-base and skill sets of faculty to develop and deliver the new curriculum; (3) initiating the process of framing, positioning, and communicating the M.B.I. to gain acceptance among various stakeholders. Collaboration between administrators, faculty, students, and staff the transformation has required putting into practice the lessons taught in our classrooms.

The historical development of design research, for better or worse, has dematerialized the practice of design, shifting its focus from making tangible objects to creating values. Exemplified by design thinking, it essentially opened up a path for design to become “the third way,” on par with sciences and humanities, for people to tackle the complex problems of the practical world around us. This creates a new situation where more and more non-designers have chances of exposing themselves to the designerly ways of knowing in their own contexts, ranging from formal off-the-job training to informal on-the-job experiences that happened to require design knowledge to be successful. In such circumstances, their learning processes would become rather informal and diverse. Particularly in the latter context, what is imperative is not about evaluating how non-designers’ skills and understanding have improved against the criteria of the traditional design educations, but about how well their initial intentions and original professional competencies have reinforced and enabled in concert with designerly ways of knowing through interactions with experienced designers. This research considers the situation mentioned above could be a new field of design research, called 'design enablement.' It refers to the process where design experts consciously infuse non-designers with designerly ways of knowing, particularly in business contexts, through the use of the enablement approach, borrowed from occupational therapeutic practice.

The study aims to explore the mechanism of design enablement and propose a preliminary theoretical framework, employing action research on a case study project with a Japanese system integration firm. The result shows that the use of the enablement skills adopted from occupational therapy was evident throughout the process. Among those skills, ones that “pulls” the clients’ purposes, hopes, and interests that inform intervening experienced designers’ strategy in helping them acquire designerly way of knowing were distinct characteristics of design enablement and seemingly the defining factors of effective engagements between the clients and the design experts. As a result, the initial theoretical framework was developed, and further research directions were also proposed.

Whether there should be a national design policy or strategy in Scotland has been a subject of discussion by several initiatives led by academics, industry and public sector bodies since 2014. However, without structural support, or a sustainable mechanism for involving design sector representatives in developing a national approach to design, there was a lack of capacity to progress priorities.

In response to these challenges, V&A Dundee (Scotland’s Design Museum) expanded its role in 2021 to become Scotland's National Center for design, thereby catalyzing the ‘Design for Scotland’ initiative: the first stage of which was an independent research project to explore strategies for strengthening the design sector and potentially developing a national design policy.

This paper presents findings from this independent research conducted on behalf of V&A Dundee and led by a consortium of consultancies: Graft Design and Innovation Management Ltd., Studio Andthen Ltd. and how2glu Ltd; and funded by Creative Scotland (the national agency that supports arts, screen and creative industries). It involved engaging stakeholders through various activities using a Design Futures approach, including envisioning future scenarios for Scottish design and soliciting input through interactive gamified surveys. These efforts sought to foster dialogue and identify key priorities within the sector.

Our findings underscore the significance of adopting a Design Futures approach and highlight the importance of engaging diverse stakeholders. In the absence of a designated National Design Agency, our research emphasizes the need for collective leadership to shape the trajectory of the sector, drawing inspiration from successful models in other European countries to forge a distinctive approach for Scotland.

This paper provides a glimpse into our research efforts and invites further discussion on the role of collective leadership in advancing national design efforts; including the potential contribution and limitations of a Design Futures approach to enabling conversations about the future of design easier to engage with and shape.

For a world that has been altered, edited, and re-invented over decades to satisfy human needs and demands, it is ironic that we, who brought the imbalance in the system, are now striving to ‘undo’ things. Urbanization continues to spread beyond cities into the suburbs, creating complexities in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) sector. Amidst this backdrop, the role of Design Management has emerged as a crucial catalyst for growth and innovation. Recognizing the importance of design in the AEC sector is as vital as acknowledging the need for Design Managers to drive change and ensure the successful integration of design processes.

The AEC sector faces substantial challenges due to its resource-intensive methods and increasing project complexities. The pressure to design, create, and build efficiently has never been greater. The industry finds itself at crossroads, catering to urban demands while ensuring project success. Yet, the integration of effective design management practices often falls short, leading to delays, cost overruns, and misalignment with project goals.

With the rapidly changing urban landscape, construction professionals like architects, contractors, investors, and developers now recognize that their choices and decisions significantly impact project outcomes. These choices need to be made from the inception of projects, and there must be Design Managers to ensure that relevant questions are asked, and design processes are managed effectively throughout the project lifecycle.

The author is familiar with the design process and the challenges of ensuring that design intent is met both on the drawing board and in practice. Today, the role of a Design Manager has become paramount to manage the intricate web of stakeholders, streamline design processes, and bridge gaps between design and execution. However, nearly every second construction project faces delays and cost overruns. This raises questions about whether we are effectively managing design from conception to completion and whether current practices are innovative in today's digitally driven world.

This research aims to conduct surveys and semi-structured interviews with professionals in the AEC sector to understand their perceptions of design management, the need for Design Managers, and their familiarity with the concept, both in theory and practice. The research will explore whether including a design manager early on is part of strategic planning or an afterthought. Results from the survey and discussions will guide the professional approach needed to enhance the integration of design management in the real estate and construction industries.

This research hypothesises that using Environmental Graphic Design (EGD) with Augmented Reality (AR) to communicate selfcare messages in the workplace could improve work experience and wellbeing of healthcare employees. Prior research has focused primarily on how EGD and AR may affect patient experience; less attention has been given to how these forms (EGD and AR) might impact healthcare employees' work experience and wellbeing. Research as a communication platform in a healthcare context remains limited.

This research employed a case study to generate three prototypes in a simulated healthcare work context. The prototypes were developed using insights from focus groups along with design approaches such as design thinking and adapted double-diamond processes that involve prototyping strategies. The research also employed a contextual review to evaluate existing EGD and AR studies in healthcare.

A theoretical framework, EGDAR (Environmental Graphic Design Augmented Reality), was used to consider participant experience data. Preliminary findings suggest that combining EGD and AR in transitional office areas could spark employee wellbeing discussions and choices. This study suggests that adaptive EGD-AR models can serve as work recovery interventions, and that spatial (projected) AR can be used in healthcare environments to facilitate knowledge sharing and promote selfcare practices in an inclusive environment.

Non-driving related tasks (NDTRs) and interactions may exacerbate levels of motion sickness (MS) in future passengers. The state of passengers in an autonomous bus (AB) environment presents diversity. MS is a subjective and personalized experience, posing challenges for the design of shared transportation tools. This study aims to investigate the differences in the degree and factors of MS among passengers in real bus settings with varying orientations and postures, to propose design strategies and standards for mitigating MS in passengers of ABs.

37 participants were invited to ride a bus four times on a test track, experiencing different orientations and postures (forward standing, forward sitting, sideways sitting, and backward sitting). The test track included straight and tortuous roads to expose passengers to various vehicle motion trajectories. During this period, passengers' MS indicators were assessed. Subsequently, participants underwent semi-structured interviews focusing on their specific experiences and factors of MS throughout the travel.

A thematic analysis yielded six themes: the stop-and-go motion, external environment, internal dynamic objects, posture instability and active body movement, riding habits, and others. These themes reveal the complex factors influencing the degree and symptoms of MS in real bus environments. Quantitative results showed that MS levels in backward-sitting passengers were significantly lower than those sitting forward, due to the enclosed interior environment, outdated external window visual information, and unfamiliar riding experience. No significant differences in MS scores were found between sideways sitting and forward sitting, and between forward standing and forward sitting, but the differences in their factors were non-negligible.

Finally, the study proposes three design strategies for ABs: interactive experience with associated movement, gentle cues for specific movement scenarios, and bilateral and symmetrical interior arrangement. However, the visibility of the external environment, along with the influence of active bodily balance and postural stability on motion sickness, warrants further exploration in the future. This paper initiates the direction of design research into passenger discomfort in automated shared intelligent cabins, with future studies to validate the effectiveness and application scenarios of the design strategies.

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the UK's official system for assessing the quality of research in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This study aims to analyse the current state of research through journal articles data in the art and design discipline in REF 2021.

This study used descriptive analysis to present key facts of 1983 journal articles from REF 2021 database. This research also uses CiteSpace and VOSviewer tools for further bibliometric analysis of 1587 articles obtained from Web of Science and Scopus. It focuses on the number of articles per year, institutional analysis, source journals, keyword clustering networks, and highly cited journals and articles.

The key findings show that: (i) The Art and Design subject is below the REF 2021 average in terms of output quality and overall quality; (ii) There is a clear trend towards interdisciplinary research in the art and design disciplines; (iii) Loughborough University has published the most articles, and Oxford University has the highest output quality; (iv) The top 10 highly cited journals and articles are all research in design and other interdisciplinary fields, and there is no research in the field of art.

‘Oppose 1984 in 2030: Keeping the UN Goals on an ethical path’ is a Critical Design and research project started by the author at the Royal Danish Academy - Architecture, Design and Conservation in Denmark.

The experimental project involves communication design (graphic design on t-shirt artefacts) combined with on-going research in the political economy of some sustainability issues. The project aims to criticize totalitarian tendencies being pursued by an oligarchic global system of corporate stakeholder capitalism who uses sustainability discourse to lead humanity towards a neo-serfdom.

Examples of control mechanisms promoted by entities like Rockefeller Foundation and World Economic Forum are programmable central bank digital (fiat and surveillance) currencies, personal carbon allowances, social credit points, and the destruction of small farming practices in order to create centralized controlled artificial food production.

The project aligns itself with the approach of Critical and Speculative Design in questioning conventional design norms. But the prototypes are not industrial design, instead the emphasis lies on communication design, where t-shirt artefacts featuring typography represent facets of sustainability and totalitarian issues.

This text presents the project, highlighting its theoretical and methodological underpinnings, its relationship to the fields of critical and speculative design, and the utilized design and working methods.

Keywords: Critical Design; sustainability; speculative design

CK-theory is about design creativity & innovation. Operational theory is about optimization and efficiency. CK-theory is about the search for the new in the unknown. Operational theory is about squeezing out inefficiency in the known. CK-theory works best under low pressure whereas operational theory works best under high pressure. CK-theory provides a framework for an exploration of an unknown jungle whereas operational theory provides the procedures for traveling by public transport.

This paper addresses the challenging situation of applying design creativity within tightly organized operational processes. Processes are tightly woven organizational routines which resemble the parasympathetic system of our digestion that proceeds autonomously. How can we break in and make room for design creativity?

From a situational perspective on CK theory, we then look at the theory of organizational routines. What are they and how are they created? These thoughts form the prelude to an exploration of the possible inclusion forces of routines, the forces that keep people within the behavior of the routines. Along the lines of a Deweyan inquiry, we look for integration of these elements to ultimately arrive at a proposal for resolution. Not easy, but fundamental.

This paper explains the critical steps that a family owned furniture manufacturing business with a century-long history from an emerging country has taken, to have a presence in international markets. It focuses on their design strategies to hold their presence and sustain growth in the sector. We know that exporting is the “standard” pattern for growth for all sectors including the furniture industry. If a company does not invest in becoming a well-known brand however, the benefits of exporting remain limited. The literature cites Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM), Original Design Manufacturing (ODM) and Original Brand Manufacturing (OBM) as export strategies for companies to have a presence in the global value chains (GVCs) and also reveals that some companies apply several strategies simultaneously (Author, 2018; 2021). In this paper, we will explore how the company follows a dual strategy as being an agile subcontractor with a strong in-house design team and production capabilities and also maintaining a high-quality original furniture collection (ODM). By investing in internal design resources and forging collaborations with external designers, the company has successfully capitalized on the burgeoning demand for contract furniture. The case study will focus on the nature of new product development in contract furniture especially the role of specifiers, (architects/interior designers) and also on the company’s recent collaboration with a well-known Turkish designer in their effort to build a collection of unique products.

Industry demands that graduates excel in their academic disciplines while creatively solving problems and challenges across various contexts, while collaborating effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team. This paper reflects on key learnings and implications from delivery of an innovative and novel “year out” multidisciplinary design education programme for third-year undergraduate students from multiple disciplinary backgrounds. The programme’s core aim was to facilitate learning and application of a range of design tools and methods, while concurrently allowing students to apply knowledge and skills from their home disciplines. Bringing together students from a range of disciplines helped to create novel solutions to complex problems while fostering critical thinking, creativity, adaptability, communication and collaboration – key skills for graduate employability. This paper derives and interrogates key learnings associated with two years of programme delivery. With a focus on pedagogical approaches through the lens of Threshold concepts, we provide recommendations that support students to develop their own agency, to make this transition possible.

Startups are temporary organizations that seek a scalable business model. Product-market fit (PMF) is vital for startups to survive and commence scaling. The authors argue that design plays an important role in finding the PMF. Design research can provide a practical framework to help startups find the PMF. However, research that investigates the relationship between design and PMF is lacking. This article presents a systematic literature review of research on PMF within business and design studies, aiming to offer an integrative perspective on design's contribution to PMF. It underscores established and emerging perspectives, categorizing them according to the main research topics. By summarizing the relationship between design and PMF in the field of entrepreneurship and design, four research opportunities are found. The main research opportunities include developing a design-driven PMF framework and examining the validity and reliability of the Design Thinking methodology for structuring the PMF process. This paper presents a theoretical contribution by presenting a conceptual framework that offers an overview of existing knowledge and establishes a foundation for future research.

This research explores the value of agile and design thinking centred around people in organisations as their diverse teams go through transformation. It discusses agile and waterfall approaches through case studies in organisations across government and industry. Qualitative and quantitative analyses define patterns and clusters coming from empirical data through observations, interviews, surveys, and prototypes. The authors compare, and map evidence to validate this research from known models using convergent and divergent elements. Uncovered through analytical framework, activities are mapped out that contribute to a wider range of larger and smaller organisations across disciplines and industries. How can agile and design thinking drive innovation culture in times of managerial change? The authors consider the importance of personalising design thinking processes for each partner organisation, product, and service. Their case studies verify multi-disciplinary team members’ relationship to cultural change. The research dives deeper into the understanding of design iteration and smaller outcomes on the way. It explores how including continuous user feedback and testing and co-designing with users, impact collaborations within organisations. An inquiry into the non-linearity and the meaning of going iterative with a focus on the areas of business, technology and human centred design allows the authors measure success.

Design has emerged as a strategic asset, exerting significant influence across various dimensions of business. In the context of the ceramics industry in China, a sector steeped in history, innovation in product, service, and design is driving transformative changes. This study aims to explore the regional and firm-level impact of design on China's ceramics industry using the framework of the Design Balanced Scorecard, a strategic management tool adapted from the business sector.

The study conducts a comparative analysis of the ceramics industry, encompassing diverse categories and geographical regions, with a focus on 21 listed companies' performance from 2018 to 2022. Factor analysis results reveal a positive overall performance trend, along with notable category and regional differences. Particularly, electronic ceramics and the Southeast China cluster demonstrate exceptional performance.

The findings underscore the significance of customer-centric, financial, and learning value for sustaining design performance in the ceramics industry. By enhancing our understanding of the intrinsic value of design innovation, this study contributes to shaping strategic decisions within the industry and highlights avenues for future research and innovation.

The advancement of production systems' technology necessitates redefined assessment methods across production stages, addressing sustainability needs. This requires vast, updated data on material and process impacts. European directives, like the Circular Economy Action Plan, promote waste minimization and resource optimization. Research aims to link Italian economic activity classification (ATECO) with the European Waste Catalogue (EWC), facilitating designers with circular alternatives. Design's role is pivotal in aligning stakeholder perspectives and addressing data accessibility challenges. Through a qualitative analysis of the varied data gathered and examined via multiple SWOT analyses, the Research underscores the importance of Design in advocating for a mutual comprehension among different stakeholders. This shed the light on the challenges in accessing and interpreting relevant data, alongside the possible divergent priorities. These initial insights could ultimately encourage new Industrial Symbiosis and innovative supply chains, in which waste can be reused in previously unthought-of applications but which require a design effort to identify the right peculiarities for their valorisation. This Research serves as the first step in this process, creating a common understanding among stakeholders involved in the continuous assessing of products life cycle.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the world’s population over 60 years old will approximately double from 12% to 22% between 2015 to 2050. And yet, the 60+ population has already outnumbered the population below 5 years old (WHO, 2022). In tandem, both lifespan and healthspan have significantly increased due to the advancement of the medical systems, assistive technologies, policies, education platforms, and social infrastructures (Etkin, 2021). The future of well-being needs to consider not just cognitive and physiological health, but financial health as well. In the era of longevity economics (Scott, 2024), the well-being of an aging society depends not just on tailor-made products, but also on meaningful and respectful service design (Schwab, 2016). This paper focuses on the design of longevity planning services to build longevity literacy among recipients of all life stages, starting in their 20s and 30s. Longevity literacy introduces a holistic approach to financial planning for clients prior to retirement to ensure they plan for medical needs, as well as staying socially and intellectually engaged (Barone, 2021).

The purpose of this research is to identify design attributes of a longevity coaching service that are impacted by the form of the service encounter: tech-based and touch-based (Dolata et al., 2019; Giebelhausen et al., 2014; Buchenau & Suri, 2000). Conducted among 12 participants in Boston and Cambridge spanning various life stages (ages 24–70), the research utilized semi-structured interviews. Transcripts from the interviews were processed using ATLAS.ti, a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS), in conjunction with Open AI for coding, analysis, and data visualization. Based on the resulting Sankey diagrams, surveys, and interview analysis, the authors identified ten main keywords in the coding and translated those into six key design attributes to consider in future experiment design: efficiency (ability to adapt to complexity or recover from error), trustworthiness (perceived accuracy), satisfaction (participant perceived service quality), learnability (ease of first-time use), intimacy (feeling safe and comfortable to be vulnerable), and confidence (ability to extend/explore).

This paper explores how design can be used as a process of enquiry in climate research in collaboration with climate scientists. The research discusses the value of design in navigating the complexities of transdisciplinary climate research by engaging with the mess and researching everyday climate actions in urban settings.

The ordinary can be described as the realm of social life where the repetition of daily cycles that we learn is eventually taken for granted. Climate actions that are situated in this ordinary are vital to delivering larger-scale transformations and achieving carbon reductions. However, climate scientists across disciplines often overlook the importance of engaging with the messiness of such climate initiatives – such as understanding how ordinary climate initiatives emerge, impact a place, and move across urban contexts. As a result, academics and policymakers tend to focus on global and high-tech responses to climate issues. However, by shifting our focus on the mundane, we can research and present situated perspectives of climate actions that are crucial to achieving carbon emission reductions and improving resilience to the impact of climate change at different scales.

This paper presents theoretical grounding for design to be used as an integral part of “ordinary” climate research.

Daria and Bas join DMI president, Carole Bilson in a moderated panel discussion on AI, Technology, and Design. Audience questions will be included as part of the discussion.

Brigitte and Eric will share their experiences and real-life stories of design value creation through academia and industry collaborations, starting with a dialogue on their most recently research-based design books ‘Strategic Design for a Responsible Future’ (2024) and ‘Design Leadership Ignited’ (2022). They are both pioneers and thought leaders in the fields of design leadership, design management, design research, strategic design, branding, and innovation. Their lessons learned and approaches to the often complex, ever-changing, and ambiguous context of design management will inform and inspire the audience with their future vision of strategic design, leadership and education that will highlight new research themes. As the challenges we face become increasingly complex and systemic in nature, this will call for a dramatically changing approach to design leadership and management that must be strategic, fearless, and collaborative to create meaning and progress for the world moving forward.

The boundaries between design and entrepreneurship are fuzzy and their individual characteristics are not clearly established. Within this fuzzy realm, two core capabilities are seen to interplay with positive effects. These are Creative Confidence and Entrepreneurial Agency.

This paper introduces a Rapid Design Intervention theory, developed by the lead author, which recognises this interplay and together with a further exploration, indicates that this combination might enhance resilience.

The doctoral study leading to the Rapid Design Intervention theory has been conducted using constructivist grounded theory. A mix of planned and opportunistic data collection methods with 17 organisations and 25 participants led to a total of 81 data collection activities. The analytical process using initial, focused and theoretical coding was captured through 55 memos. This conceptual exploration is bringing together two subsequent research projects in which the research team have been regularly engaging, with findings from the doctoral study, through the lens of Creative Resilience.

The result of this conceptual exploration is a reflective conceptualisation of Creative Resilience, which authors recognise as an individual’s capacity to recover and grow from unsatisfactory outcomes resulting from their own creative work and their ability to turn their creativity inwards to recover and grow in the face of existential change.

The implications of this paper are of importance for academics teaching entrepreneurship, design and other creative subjects, as it explores how conditions may be created that promote the development of Creative Resilience. The paper will also be of interest to creative and entrepreneurial practitioners who may find change unduly challenging.

This exploratory study clarifies how aesthetic design can help firms avoid commoditization (i.e., product imitation) by employing consumer survey data to generalize how five dimensions of User Value: Social Value, Significance Value, Utility Value, Emotional Value, and Spiritual Value provide a potentially powerful foundation reinforce differentiation in highly competitive marketplaces and maintain pricing power (i.e., the ability to set and maintain prices without significantly impacting consumer willingness to pay) in the athletic footwear context. Empirical results demonstrate that while respondents considered the overall running shoe marketplace to be highly commoditized, when evaluating three specific running shoe products: Shoe A. (Trail runner), Shoe B. (Value Runner), and Shoe C. (Lightweight Racer) significant differences were exhibited between elements of User Value and Willingness to Pay. This outcome contradicts much business strategy orthodoxy which contends that as competitive intensity and commoditization increase in a marketplace the less User Value consumers perceive and, consequently, the lower their willingness to pay. Whereas this study provides a broad exploratory foundation from which aesthetic design may be further explored as a method to capture, codify, and imbue products with User Value thereby avoiding the devolutionary effects of commodification.

To survive in the long term, companies must maintain and expand their competitiveness. Digitalization and the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) are currently important drivers that demand a high degree of willingness to change from companies. SMEs are facing major and completely new challenges, as a meaningful and sustainable departure from the traditional cannot be achieved without efforts and the use of completely new methods. In addition, SMEs lack an entry point for identifying AI fields of application that make sense for their specific company. The field study provides insight into the potential of creative methods and skills for identifying company-specific fields and uses an agile and easy-to-implement creative process – the "ideas workshop" – to identify company-specific areas of application for digitalization and AI.

This work shows that creativity can lead to a variety of company-specific AI application ideas. These are derived from the domain knowledge of employees and involve "non-technicians" in the design of AI applications for the implementation of the digital transformation as part of the socio-technical perspective.

Emotional design is a powerful concept that focuses on crafting products and experiences that elicit specific user emotions. This study explores the impact of integrating 40 recognised emotions into the design process, aiming to develop products, services and business models that resonate with consumers on an emotional level. By incorporating these emotions, designers can develop solutions that resonate deeply with their customers on an emotional level. The study uses a multi-faceted research approach, combining theoretical analysis, case studies and innovative research methods such as facial expression tracking. The study uses advanced facial expression tracking technology to record the facial expressions of six participants during the design process. The emotional responses evoked from communication design enable designers to develop experiences that resolve users’ profound connections with offerings, leading to increased satisfaction and company loyalty. Emotional design holds tremendous potential for designers looking to innovate and grow, as it unlocks a new realm of innovation and reveals endless market opportunities.

Universities' attempts to generate value from student and faculty discoveries have many well-documented problems, but one of the most ironic, yet most pervasive, stems from the standard academic definition of “value” itself.

Standard university intellectual property policies are often written, with the best of intentions, to protect students’ and researchers’ interests by safeguarding the “value” of their inventions or discoveries. In some cases, however, these policies are written (or interpreted) as mandating that “value” be interpreted strictly as the monetary market value of a license or company. This ignores important and well-understood categories of value, most notably the publicity and reputational value of publishing work, as well as the potential value of dedicating inventions or discoveries to the public good. University innovation offices can also feel constrained by these policies to define the value of innovation at the beginning of a project, as when writing project agreements. This can be exceptionally difficult with open-ended, multidisciplinary human-centered design processes, compared to traditional basic-science research, and can lead to deadlocks in constructing agreements with project funders.

This paper will present case studies in collaborative innovation within a research/design university, describe a structured group process used to find and analyze problems with these projects, and present model processes intended to maximize project value and minimize the problems described.

Design is increasingly seen as the key to solving all major (societal) problems and is used for this purpose on a multitude of topics. This poses a major danger if we fail to define the specific role of design within the whole of an innovation activity.

We use the design of the development path of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner to make this role explicit and contextualize it within innovation. To this end, design will be embedded in a full-fledged innovation process that consists of four generic behaviors that range from initiating a process to develop something new to the realization of that new thing.

This so-called IDER framework is used as a lens to discuss the consequences of Boeing's decision early this century. Boeing had decided to outsource the design, production and delivery of 70% of the airframe to 50 first-tier suppliers. This was in line with changes in supply and outsourcing at the time, but a drastic change for Boeing. The consequences of this design decision were dramatic: a time overrun of 80% and a budget overrun of approximately 400%.

Boeing’s mistake was that they treated the new outsourcing strategy as a division of labor, while in essence this concerned a division of (design) cognition. By chosing for a transactional process of outsourcing, Boeing overlooked a crucial internal relational process that has been present within the organization for decades: a collective design process that resulted in an integrated cognitive whole in the minds of 1000 or more Boeing employees that represents the new aircraft.

In response to the imperative need for sustainability education, this paper introduces an innovative pedagogical model for Education for Sustainability (EfS), which integrates design management methods with pedagogical design. This model was implemented in a higher education course for education students. To this end, we designed a Toolkit based on a double-diamond model embedded with pedagogical design tools. Our pedagogical model comprises critical elements: (a) interdisciplinarity, incorporating integrated practices of design management and pedagogical design in the Toolkit; (b) collaborative design of EfS initiatives, involving student teams utilizing the toolkit; (c) multi-voicedness and complexity, achieved through substantial interaction with various stakeholders, such as the director of Math and Science and the head of sustainability education in the municipality. This interaction introduces a sense of urgency, emphasizes the complexity of the challenges, and explores various approaches and arenas in the field, thereby fertilizing the work on the toolkit. Finally, (d) authenticity, wherein students receive feedback from teachers and field experts as part of their design work, with their outcomes offered to the field. The model was implemented as a higher-education course for educational students. Based on students’ reflections and outcomes, we conclude that this model is feasible and beneficial.

During the rapid development of rural public cultural spaces, the interaction and diverse needs of multiple stakeholders have become increasingly evident. However, existing business models have failed to effectively coordinate these diverse demands, resulting in many rural cultural spaces being abandoned shortly after their completion, highlighting their lack of sustainable operational capacity. This study employs service design methods to analyze the business models of rural public cultural spaces and conducts semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders to identify key pain points in the service processes, further exploring innovative business models from a service design perspective. The research proposes a collaborative innovation model involving multiple stakeholders, including a government-led online information and resource platform, local residents leading local cultural activities and services, external enterprises driving content innovation and facility upgrades, and public organizations and social organization leading model research. Using Lianhu Village's public cultural space as an example, the study demonstrates how service design thinking and methods can improve consumer experience and innovate business models. The proposed model provides a new pathway for the sustainable operation of rural public cultural spaces.

Educating students on designing for disassembly and recyclability is challenging in a world with underdeveloped or non-existent recycling facilities and systems. In many countries and regions, recycling systems are well established, mainly because land costs are at a premium due to high population density, rendering recycling and composting necessary because of the limited amount of land. Other countries in the developing world have inadequate recycling systems. The United States is challenged with this conundrum, where much of the land is less densely populated; therefore, conditions for recycling and composting are not encouraged because the cost to dump garbage in landfills is more economically viable—regulations and funding are needed to encourage these areas to implement more sustainable systems. However, government consensus on this topic is lacking. New approaches are needed.

When educating students on these topics, they rise above limitations and invent innovative solutions for products incorporating circular and sustainable imperatives that align with recycling and disassembly systems. In this paper, case studies and design research projects that highlight these novelties are presented. Excellent visuals that communicate the potential of these more sustainable concepts will be shared.

As students become more engaged in sustainable practices, change is inevitable. We will also highlight examples of how students have become leaders in society, community, and corporate realms as they develop environmentally friendly ideas beyond the academic environment.

This paper also introduces non-profit organizations that local community members created. These establishments are disruptors in locations where recycling and composting processes are challenged or nonexistent. They aim to divert waste from the landfill by establishing community-led systems for recycling and disassembly. These facilities inspire students as they see first-hand the grit needed to make a stand for sustainability.

Furthermore, this paper will elaborate on the partnership established with these facilities and academic educators, enabling professors to introduce students to the complexities of recycling and inspire them to design products from recycled materials while applying principles relating to designing for disassembly. This advances the conversation about the broader aspects of designing with sustainability as a priority. Students become positive influencers within the business and public sectors as they progress through their careers.

We recognize the challenges of making a stand for better practices and establishing healthier and more sustainable systems for the environment. Repeatedly, we are confronted with a lack of funds and limited time. However, we understand the urgent need for this type of work, research, education, and community engagement. Educators and community leaders must unite and share this knowledge with students as we prepare them to become guardians for a better world. Finally, we will introduce some of the health and well-being benefits that accompany community engagement projects as like-minded people come together to make a difference.

Environmental sustainability continues to be a focus of research, exploring how various industries can be supported to ensure that environmental sustainability is being implemented within industry practices. Research has shifted to investigate how recent technological developments, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), can support the progression towards more sustainable futures. This study explores the design industry, and whether AI can be implemented during the design process as a tool to aid designers in the implementation of key aspects of environmental sustainability or Eco-Design. Conducting a literature review into the key themes of the study, as well as experimenting with AI models, a workflow has been developed which encompasses key research insights surrounding environmental sustainability. The workflow centres around the design process, and has been generated utilising AI, with collaboration and task designation in mind. Future research objectives have also been outlined.

The dynamic landscape of commercial metaverse platforms has given rise to a transformative information system architecture, enabling Human-to-Human and Human-to-Autonomous Agent interactions, redefining digital urban environments. This intricate architecture has incited two pivotal shifts in human behaviour within virtual worlds. Firstly, it would catalyse the proliferation of metaverse and social channels, broadening touchpoints to encompass diverse target populations. Secondly, this diversification necessitates the creation of specialised, autonomous scenarios tailored to individual metaverse ecosystems and participant groups. In this highly diffusing realm of opportunities, the requirements for metaverse experience architectures should be addressed to design the future digital urban environment. The metaverse experience architecture basically should guarantee consistent virtual identities and platform-specific autonomous workflows that bridge the gap between "Place" and "Non-place" and facilitate access for culturally and socially diverse communities.

“Place” and “Non-place” configuration is a useful spatial design concept in urban planning. The idea of “Non-place” explains postmodernist environments that lack the personal memories and engagement, and initiate anthropological spaces of transience where they produce anonymity of individuals (Augé, 1992). The “Non-place” characteristics of metaverse poses the openness as well as anonymous interaction that have driven the community dynamics defining the emotional and social interaction in metaverse worlds. The space of transience has morphed into a space of memories while it accumulates the interactions, and experiences in the space. The evolution process and the patterns of human behaviours in the digital space is the key notion of the Utopian Metaverse research.

The research delves into these emerging experience architectures within metaverse environments, framing them within the context of "Place" and "Non-place" comparisons. The mixture of “Place” and “Non-place” attributes consists of the hybrid space of experiences that merges factual and virtual worlds. The transient autonomous interaction in the hybrid space opens the new possibility of human communication that overcomes the space, time, and other gaps of epistemological conciliation. Especially the technological enhancement of spatial computing enacts the necessities of investigating the hybrid space architecture that significantly enhances sensorial, and cognitive aspects of human computer interaction. The immersive, informative, and immediate information exchanges in the hybrid space would surface the latent needs and human desires. They would be represented, recognised, and resonated among the participants in a collective manner. From the auto-participatory nature, we explore the utopian potential of metaverse development, envisioning virtual spaces that inspire cooperation, creativity, and a sense of belonging. By investigating the interplay between "Place" and "Non-place" dynamics, we shed light on their impact on community formation and cohesion, fostering a vision of a utopian metaverse that transcends physical and digital boundaries. Our comparative contextual inquiries in three unique 3D virtual worlds—Roblox, Sansar, and Second Life— would reveal how platform-specific subject matters, storytelling styles, technical preferences, and age groups significantly influence communication frequency, perceived efficiency, group contingency, and ease of platform usage. Ultimately the research would discover the metaverse's potential for creating utopian communities.

How can a manufacturing SME start research projects in the field of advanced customization services for its furniture products and establish new dynamics of interaction with its distribution network? The integration between Design Management processes and the possibilities offered by advanced visualization and customization information technologies have made possible the introduction of agile and high-performance product configurators, capable of enhancing and strengthening model composition, photorealistic rendering, interaction and budgeting in the upholstered furniture sector.

This paper explores the connections between undergraduate and postgraduate education in two courses that hold the title of Design Management, both at the same university, and how this relationship responds to industry demands and institutional rigours. Here the authors do three things: compare pedagogies at undergraduate and postgraduate level, compare these pedagogic approaches with industry practices and then consider how student expectation and experience can be enhanced.

Teaching contemporary Design Management at undergraduate and postgraduate level is a wonderfully wicked problem. The discipline is in constant flux, the definition ever evolving and embracing, the inputs and outputs are many and non-linear. For the last six months we have been working through a revalidation process for undergraduate and post graduate Design Management courses, we have used this as a research opportunity to consider practice and theory.

This paper argues that by evaluating the nuanced similarities and differences between undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Design Management, triangulated with industry expectation, we may begin to understand a new entry point into Design Management pedagogy that factors in the complex interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of real-world challenges more effectively.

Based on the international consensus that mankind is facing an existential crisis of its own making, at the meta level of the United Nations seventeen sustainable development goals (SDGs) have been issued. At the meso and micro levels of organisations and people there is a similar agreement on design for sustainability (DfS) to care for people and the planet. The tools and methodologies which have been proposed in the design thinking (DT) and design management (DM) field have neither satisfactorily addressed the challenges of DfS in academia nor in business. For instance DT has been increasingly criticised since the 2010s and its death has been pronounced many times. This zombie concept from a design perspective has nonetheless remained indispensable for business leaders and entrepreneurs trained in non-design disciplines such as management or engineering. They have clung to DT for an easy-to-understand framework, practical tools and methodologies in order to climb the DM staircase towards innovative products, services and organisations.

DM and DT approaches of DfS have strived to, but by and large have failed to, address the current ecological and social challenges. It has been increasingly documented since the beginning of the 21st century. Two emerging approaches of DfS are discussed. First we present the emerging framework of systems design as an application of systems thinking to DfS. Second we introduce three instances of the reappropriation of the Heideggerian concept of “thinging” as contributions to infrastructuring DfS. They have not yet coalesced and are represented by a limited but expanding set of recently published material.

Based on weak signals and emerging trends, systems design and design thinging are more transformative, radical and speculative than mainstream DM and DT articles have been so far. The two authors acknowledge that the systemic and cultural scope of design management for sustainability (DMfS) goes beyond mere improvements of DM and DT and could cause paradigmatic shifts and turmoil. The authors have applied problematization to critically look at existing theories and literature streams and to formulate insights. This paper aims to be a milestone on the way towards DMfS and revolves around two main principles. First it considers two levels and their circular interconnection. It starts at the micro level of the embodied ways of thinking and doing of people. Then it proceeds to the meso level of organisations as strategic and dynamic infrastructuring of participatory design. It eventually closes the loop across the two levels with an interpretation of design as an intelligent orchestration at each level and between them. The goal of the complex DMfS process is thus set to generate resilient translational systems. Second it recognizes the in-discipline of design. Thus it calls for DMfS to open up beyond its two sub-component disciplines and to let interdisciplinary paradigms emerge from cross-pollination with human and non-human sciences.

In design practice, ethical considerations are often confined to the margins of the process, causing faulty and biased design outcomes, perpetuating outdated ideas, and contributing to inequalities that foster unjust power dynamics. Therefore, it is important to understand personal and team biases and their connection to ethics to ensure that designs go beyond normative solutions. While the importance of ethics is acknowledged in theory, it remains unclear for many practitioners how to act ethically in the design process. Yet, it is important that practitioners can consciously drive their design processes through an ethical lens, adopting a critical posthuman approach to develop sustainable solutions.

This paper details the findings of a service design master’s thesis project. Through a literature review, it identifies possible gaps between design ethics in theory and practice. Followingly, by analysing a pool of ethical tools, the paper assesses a variety of ways in which ethics are approached in design. Empirical findings are complemented by five semi-structured interviews conducted with experts with extensive ethical working records. Their insights support the synthesis of the collected qualitative data and the proposal of the ‘Intention-Setting Workshop.’ The workshop aims to provide an example of how to include ethics into the design process, utilising tools and reflexive and debiasing practices while being aware of the constraints of the working environment, often limiting the holistic incorporation of ethics. The workshop builds on the finding that active debiasing and reflexivity are essential for ethical and critical posthuman practice and that a holistic approach to the tools and methods used from the start of the design process benefits ethical work. Service design practitioners and students have validated the workshop proposal.

The project contributes to service design and design practice by envisioning a more holistic approach to implementing ethical tools to support more sustainable design solutions. In addition, it advocates for practitioners’ reflexive and debiasing work, which the paper argues contributes to ethical practice.

Creative approaches used by designers and artists, or arts-based initiatives, have often been investigated by management and organization scholars.This article presents an exploratory single case study by blending sensemaking and empathic service design approaches. It explores how creative cues and design approaches in facilitation may aid in creating new work opportunities for a small case company in different industrial contexts, as well as support prototyping the case company´s vision, values and identity. The aim is to support designers and creative professionals in their contextual settings.

Theoretically, the article links the use of creative cues as found in design and arts-based methods in interorganisational collaboration with the seminal knowledge creation model by Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) and colleagues. It is suggested that the case company together with the university research team has been involved in creative knowledge creation, stretching to third parties. The contribution suggested to the original SECI model is the entanglement of creative cues in ongoing sensemaking in a company´s own and its clients´ situations. Creative cues blend knowledge and knowing throughout knowledge creation as a possibility. Such knowing can rather be nurtured than managed and may raise awareness of power and structures next to divergent outcomes.

This paper is structured as follows. We first review the formative years of design and the business context that continues to define its practices. Taking into account the cultural transitions of the time, we argue how the opportunistic drive to market underpins current design discourses. To pivot this view, we look into the generalised framing of design and innovation that presents a false impression of natural coherence and efficiency. We argue that this impression of systems invites praise and criticism to that system and suggest that by removing the field perspective, we can reveal how design practices are clustered in niches that are self-sustained in their specific context. We conclude by arguing that it is these niches of design practices that cause field level criticism to fail in its aim to challenge the design discipline as a whole.

Coding education has become a critical imperative for upper elementary students in Singapore since 2020. However, only a small percentage of privileged and upper-class students are enrolled in coding enrichment classes, exposing them to the skills needed in the digital economy. In contrast, underprivileged students face challenges in learning after school, such as a lack of quality teaching resources, self-learning courses, and family support, which may lead to poor academic performance.

This study collaborates with a local Singaporean non-profit organization that provides afterschool care for underprivileged children whose family members have long working hours. However, these centers can only provide basic care and cannot support children's extracurricular activities. This paper presents an all-student-led, non-profit foundational project called "Code for All," which aims to execute possible solutions to overcome educational inequality in coding learning faced by underprivileged upper elementary students in Singapore.

The study adopts the design thinking methodology and its different stages (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test) to find a solution. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with student tutors to identify challenges and a workshop to identify problems and develop the design direction. As a result, we ideated the 3C Thinking (Computational, Code, Creative) system, which combines design thinking with computational thinking. The 3C Thinking system framework consists of three concentric levels: creative pedagogies, "Beyond Code" thinking skills, and computational thinking practices. It aims not only to teach students to code but also to foster their comprehensive thinking and prepare them for the demands of the AI-driven workforce.

To implement, a design prototype has been developed for the 3C Thinking system, creative pedagogies for creating engaging and effective learning experiences, and "Beyond Code" thinking skills training. In the creative pedagogies, we designed "HIDO Families" characters as teaching aids and affordable, technologically adaptable review materials to encourage parent-child collaborative learning at home. The "Beyond Code" thinking skills training is conducted through unplugged programming activities, the "Hido Game," and a role-play as programmers, users, and designers’ workshop, named "Code for What?" We incorporated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the coding learning process, connecting it with students' real-life scenarios to cultivate computational thinking.

Finally, we cross-checked the prototype testing results from surveys. The results demonstrate that the partially completed 3C Thinking system prototype can enhance students' understanding of coding, learning interest, and confidence in learning to code.

As the competition in the tourism market intensifies, traditional sightseeing alone can no longer satisfy tourists' demands. They now attach more value to an all-around travel experience. However, the sustainable development of tourism destinations needs to focus more than just on tourists' experiences; it also needs to take into account the interests of local residents, tourism operators, destination managers, and local communities. As a result, the usage of co-design in tourism experience design is increasingly in the spotlight. However, a comprehensive understanding of its practice and research still needs to be deepened. This paper analyses and summarises research on co-design in the field of tourism experience design through a systematic literature review approach. The focus is on the existing literature on the different phases of co-design, as well as the stakeholders involved, methods and tools used. The research gap is also proposed based on the current state of research, and the ways to increase stakeholders' participation. This study provides a relatively comprehensive understanding of the application of co-design in the field of tourism experience design and provides a reference for future theoretical research

Information technology has given rise to more intelligent, miniaturized, and portable products, providing more channels for technical artefacts to be embedded in human bodies and integrated into human life. The formed infosphere places technical artefacts and the human body in the chain of being. Humans not only exist in the body but also exist in the lifeworld and various technical artefacts around the body. Wearables, as a typical form of embodied artefacts, have become important acquired components of the flesh subject, contributing to the formation of the “internet of bodies” and posthuman “cyborg” subject.

To systematically reflect on the development status of wearables and their internal relationships with bodies, this study comprehensively collected 1603 wearable prototypes and 1129 wearable products before 2023 and established a wearable database. With the aid of the phenomenology, wearables in the database were analysed statistically from three perspectives, function, behaviour and structure categories. As a result, the genealogy of wearables was constructed, including functional intention, behaviour integration, structural extension, and virtual avatar. Furthermore, this study put forward the embodied FBS design model to support body-centred wearable design.

The genealogy of wearables has studied the development status and future trend of wearables from different dimensions such as body, technology, culture, and so on, providing fundamental research data and an ontological reflection of wearables for design researchers. In addition, abundant case materials and functional, technology-related knowledge may inspire design inspirations of "preferred" wearables and then contribute to the meaning-oriented role design plays in intelligent human-computer interaction and intelligent manufacturing.

Authorless Futures examines the evolving role of AI in art and design, highlighting it as a pivotal partner in creative processes. The Implications of AI-Driven Design and Synthetic Creativity investigates artificial intelligence (AI) and positions synthetic creativity at the heart of a radical alteration, where AI transcends its traditional role as a tool to become a collaborative and intelligent partner in design and artistic endeavors.

Individuals suffering from sleep-related breathing disorders, such as sleep apnea, exhibit moderate to excessive snoring which is often ignored or neglected.  This neglect can increase the risk of more severe health problems such as stroke, hypertension, chronic heart failure, diabetes, and many others.  Moreover, an Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) episode – characterized by periodic and repetitive collapsing of the upper airway during sleep – can be life threatening.  Although solutions exist to treat sleep-related breathing disorders like OSA, such as Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) and oral appliances including Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs), there are several issues relating to cost, comfort, and convenience with the products that are on the market today.  This applied design research project, in partnership between SleepLabs and Professor Tim Haats of Carleton University, explored the development of a novel snoring and obstructive sleep apnea prevention device that addresses these issues.  Various design concepts, configurations, and production processes were investigated to address the needs of the target user, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements of the business.  The project concluded with a set of innovative design solutions and new intellectual property that has led to patent applications as well as new long-term partnership opportunities.

As the world faces an unprecedented challenge rising from technological advancement and environmental threats, problems are becoming increasingly complex making multidisciplinary approach essential to reach innovation. However, such collaboration often encounters inherent difficulties, including conflicts and challenges among team members. Design thinking, a human-centered approach to innovation, encourages multidisciplinary collaboration as diverse perspectives are crucial to generate novel ideas. For this study, we have conducted and facilitated two design thinking workshops, one for corporate employees and the other for university students composed of novices who are unfamiliar with design thinking. The objectives of this study are 1) to identify enablers and barriers to effective multidisciplinary teamwork throughout the five stages of design thinking process; 2) to discover insights for reconciling team diversity; 3) to propose a conceptual framework of multidisciplinary collaboration as a comprehensive finding to elevate teamwork during the design thinking process. After each workshop, we gained feedback through open-ended surveys about how working with different disciplines influenced creative thinking and decision-making. This study provides foundational research for developing new methods and tools for effective multidisciplinary teamwork in design thinking. By exploring the relationship between multidisciplinary teams and the innovation process, our findings are expected to benefit business and management fields, the public sector, and educational settings.

Several international reports and studies indicate that the Communication Design sector has a skill deficit in entrepreneurship and business management, and a greater understanding of these topics is needed. Some authors advocate applying existing business models for design enterprises. However, the skill deficit prevails. It is worth noting that these reports discuss the entrepreneurship deficit in general terms without an explanation of the causes of this deficit or how to remedy the issue. Therefore, this paper explores the development of a Business Model specific for Design Entrepreneurs for deployment in Communication Design enterprises.

A theoretical framework for a specific business model for design entrepreneurs for application in their enterprises was developed by assessing the literature in the field, in which a previously unidentified connection between the themes of design and the entrepreneurship process was identified. This review evaluated themes for their applicability in a business model for design enterprises. This hypothesis was tested and evaluated through this study’s primary phenomenological research, conducted through semi-structured interviews with prominent and successful design entrepreneurs. Thematic analysis methods guided the research findings. The data analysis identified various themes that emerged from interviews. These themes helped further develop the theoretical framework and iterate a proposed entrepreneurship model applicable to design entrepreneurs. This proposed entrepreneurship model better explains the entrepreneurship process from the point of view of designers, meaning that the model is relevant and valuable to the sector.

This paper contributes to the academic knowledge of entrepreneurship by developing a framework for a business model, specifically for design entrepreneurs in the Communication Design sector. In addition, it proposes a thematic relationship between entrepreneurship and design processes, a connection that has not been explored in the literature before. This novel perspective enriches the academic discourse on entrepreneurship and design, offering new avenues for research and understanding.

This study identifies the mechanisms fostering co-creative situations in service design from the perspective of a positive approach.

Service design is a platform for action where diverse actors are involved over time (Manzini, 2011). This underscores the necessity of co-creation, engaging designers’ peripheral connections and various users and stakeholders.

However, instilling design within organizations proves challenging (Dunne, 2018), particularly in fostering a design culture that includes non-designers. Furthermore, because these discussions have focused excessively on the problem-solving aspects of design, analysis from the theoretical framework of the positive approach (Avital et al., 2006; Isobe & Yaegashi, 2023), which reinforces design attitudes, has been overlooked.

Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the co-creation mechanism in service design through a positive approach. A study was conducted on Japanese private companies that work to improve corporate value through the promotion of design.

The results revealed the pivotal role that the positive approach plays in service design, bolstering design attitudes and facilitating co-creation between designers and non-designers. This study advances theoretical knowledge and provides practical insights for practitioners seeking to use design as a strategy for their organizations.

Digital Twins are playing an increasingly important role in various industries. At the same time, there is a process of digital transformation across public services, the success of which is related to the quality of Knowledge Management in organizations. The study aims to understand how Digital Twin can enhance Knowledge Management in the Public Sector. Although Digital Twin has already demonstrated its potential in Smart Buildings, Cities, and Industries, there is a lack of results regarding its successful application in the Public Sector. To explore the potential of Digital Twin technologies for public services, this contribution offers an Integrative literature review and describes the creation of the Service Design in the project on Digital Twin of the Public Building. It was found, that only a few studies delve into the use of the Digital Twin in the Public Sector leaving a gap for Service Design with its consolidated methods and a Human-Centered approach. Therefore, this study proposes a new framework for building relationships between concepts of Knowledge Management in the Public sector, Digital twin, and Service design. The latter in a given system is necessary to create a dialogue between stakeholders, experiences, and interactions among them and technology.

This is a case study based on direct interaction with the protagonist. Bikes of Bijnor is an intuitive design-thinking work by an Indian administrative service officer aimed at public bike-sharing. The project was a Government officer's out-of-the-box thinking idea with empathy to use hundreds of leftover bicycles of migrant labourers during covid19 lockdown towards affordable and sustainable bike-sharing in the Indian town of Bijnor after compensating them.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, countries worldwide went for a quick countrywide lockdown. After the announcement of the national lockdown in India, streams of migrant workers started moving to their hometowns by walking and cycling. When the Government aided them in the en-route towns with buses and trains to reach their home, many left their cycles midway and took the buses and trains.

Bijnor is one such town in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, where hundreds of these cycles got piled up and rusted as iron waste. This condition was noticed by Mr Vikramaditya Singh Malik IAS, the Joint Magistrate of Bijnor town, and he undertook a vital action that had far-reaching effects in terms of inclusion, accessibility and sustainability.

The protagonist took measures to locate at least 100 owners of the leftover bicycles, compensate them, refit their cycles, and use those cycles to create an affordable city bike-sharing system.

This case study documents the intervention through the lens of design thinking and analyzes the impact on Health, Society, and Public Good. Frugal innovation through the Bikes of Bijnor project had a positive effect on public health by promoting cycling as a healthy lifestyle activity, had inclusion as a significant goal by making the use of services affordable for all sections of society and also contributed significantly towards sustainability as a substitute for carbon-emitting vehicles.

This paper examines the role in design education of teaching environmental psychology and culturally responsive design considerations in foundational ergonomic design courses to increase cultural sustainability, empathy and promote wellness in design industry practice.

The research objectives for this experimental action research pedological intervention were to measure changes in student sociocultural sensitivities, changes in features and forms of industrial designs in terms of amplifying product usage and perception, and the level of student engagement in critical thinking through research, activities, and discussion.

Following initial introduction and case studies, several strategies described in this paper, among others, were utilized over the course of three consecutive semesters. They include practical ethnographic assignments, in-class guests, activities, and culturally prompted discussions and reflection. Preliminary results appear to point to a broadening and deepening understanding and relevance of student product designs across different user groups. Similar, but less guided, strategies were later incorporated into the curriculum at the senior level. The students with the early ergonomic education specific to environmental psychology and cultural awareness designed projects that were informed by more advanced user specific research and their product outcomes reflected this priority. When asked about their choices, and re-interviewed later as alumni working in the field, they often cited a growing concern for the sustained relevance their designs have on the diverse populations they are intended to benefit.

This paper considers the contribution to the field of incorporating these student objectives into the design curriculum reflects the industry’s increased priorities on research driven design, more inclusive designs for the global marketplace, and designing for health and wellness. Frequently the top skills employers are looking for today explicitly include Human-Centered Design Proficiency, Cognitive Empathy, Cross-Cultural Design Competence, Cocreation and Collaborating with Multidisciplinary Teams, and Enhanced User Research Techniques. Although it would be difficult to teach environmental psychology and cross-cultural awareness exhaustively at the undergraduate level, even an introduction in core classes like Ergonomics will better prepare designers to evidence these skills and avoid costly mistakes in a rapidly changing and increasingly interconnected world of design and business.

Ergonomics is concerned with more than anthropometrics and design education on the subject needs to encompass perceptions of comfort beyond the physical. To make informed ergonomic choices, empathetic human centred research is pivotal to designers who choose to prioritize and promote enhanced wellbeing, DEI, and culturally respectful behaviors.

In the dynamic landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) development, the intersection of technology, design, and management emerges as a critical frontier for fostering innovation that is not only technologically advanced but also ethically aligned and strategically integrated. In this research, we take a service design approach to explore this intersection of technology, design, and management for a responsible AI implementation from a service ecosystem perspective and introduce TDM principles. By introducing this integrated framework, this study makes contributions in the following ways: first, it offers an integrated perspective derived from technology, design, and management, providing a holistic approach that considers the perspectives of multiple stakeholders involved in democratising AI-driven products and services. Secondly, its service design-led service ecosystem perspective allows it to explore designing with AI to

design for AI through an interdisciplinary lens of TDM principles. Doing so extends the existing human-centred AI frameworks that are focused on a dyadic relationship between humans and AI. Lastly, its integrated perspective grounded in technology, design, and management offers a sector-agnostic approach that can be easily applicable across different sectors for responsible implementation of AI.

With various types of mobile service robots gradually taking their place in our homes and public spaces, robot designs are diversifying to address a wide range of tasks and usage contexts. While research on robot morphology within human-robot interaction (HRI) has primarily focused on anthropomorphic design, studies on robot appearance and human perception yield conflicting findings regarding the effect of anthropomorphism and the desired level of human-likeness across contexts. This study hypothesizes that the optimal level of human-likeness varies depending on the nature of the context. By exploring the design of mobile service robots across three different service contexts - restaurants, supermarkets, and delivery services - this study examines the relationship between usage context, perceived capabilities, and the desired level of human-likeness. Generative image artificial intelligence (AI) tools were employed to facilitate the development of design variations and their visualization in context as photorealistic renderings. A total of nine renderings were created and presented in an online survey, from which 36 responses were collected and analyzed. The survey results indicate a preference for low-level human-likeness for robots in supermarket and delivery contexts. However, the restaurant context had mixed results, exhibiting no clear preference for a certain human-likeness level.

The research explores how human intelligence can effectively mentor Artificial Intelligence(AI) software, proposing strategies to elevate design education and the design workflow. Based on the detailed exploration of human-AI collaboration in AI-assisted rendering, this study presents a nuanced investigation into the integration of artificial intelligence in a design process, focusing on the responsible use of AI, and augmenting human creativity with AI capabilities.

Through a two-step experimental study, AI's rendering capabilities in response to ideation sketches were explored. By utilizing the AI software Vizcom, a series of experiments and comparison studies were designed to examine AI's response to human-generated sketches and the impact of computational thinking on guiding AI to enhance design ideation workflows. By selecting an unconventional project - a micro-electric vehicle with retractable wheel suspension - the research highlights the essential role of human input in navigating AI's limitations and steering it toward innovative outcomes. This study underscores the crucial role of sketching and computational thinking in driving innovative design outcomes. This study contributes to understanding how human designers can mentor AI to achieve better workflow efficiency and creativity, offering insights into the dynamics of human-AI collaboration in the design field.

More than 70% of the energy within the design process is not spent on creativity, but on organization and management, in particular on the customer relationship. For this reason, this paper examines design management at the organizational interface of design and helps to improve the understanding of organizational practices between design companies, project partners and clients (SMEs). The main questions considered are: How can collaboration be described? What are conflicting expectations? When is the collaboration successful? Methodologically, narrative interviews and grounded theory are used to collect and analyse data for a qualitative empirical field study. The results show conflicts that can be resolved and the awareness which can increase organisational practice’s efficiency and success rate. Furthermore, there are similar view points of designers and Entrepreneurs that may strengthen cooperation. This article provides more awareness about the different targets and needs in organisational and managerial practices of design businesses and facilitates cooperation with less personal resistance and better results.

This paper considers how decentralisation affects how services are conceived and developed in digitally mediated environments. It acknowledges the changing nature of work and the recognition of ‘immaterial labour’ in facilitating the circulation of information to produce service value. The shift away from Taylorist modes of production towards networked coordination increasingly situates the customer within digital service ‘regimes’, which both utilises and configures resources within their given context, whether a home, city or wider environmental region. The performative aspect of digitally mediated experiences engages human subjectivities by means of affordances of the resources within a space. Resources are thereby assimilated by digital media, while digital media also configures resources within the space. These configurations only exist with participation at scale because they require network effects, yet they alienate subjectivities in the formulation of their ‘ideological product’. Decentralisation involves alternative means of managing resources, which draws on principles of commons and commoning. Blockchains involve publicly accessible ‘stateful’ representations of the resources they represent, and are understood as an alternative institutional technology, alongside markets, firms and states. Their collective operation is conducted through the self-referencing ‘autopoietic’ governance of decentralised protocols that reintroduce subjectivities within their ‘networked sovereignties’.

This pedagogical discussion paper describes the experiences of an instructor developing and teaching design- centered courses within a business school context. Historically, courses focused on business strategy have emphasized concepts, frameworks, and methods to aid resource allocation decisions within organizations. However, this paradigm, largely centered on the question of; “How to make?” is increasingly challenged in contemporary markets where consumer preferences are poorly understood and technical possibilities are poorly defined. This paper begins by framing the background and evolution of business strategy education from an overriding focus on ‘up- stream’, within-firm activities of production, distribution, and manufacturing to the ongoing contemporary shift to acknowledge the emergence of design thinking as a perspective to better understand and address customer needs through empathic problem-solving. This perspective focuses business decisions on the questions of “What to make?”. However, this new orientation is oftentimes painful, frustrating, and difficult for business students. To illustrate these issues this paper presents examples of business student projects from a recent undergraduate elective course that employed the mentality and methods of design. The paper hopes to highlight the growing recognition of design as a strategic asset within organizations while advocating for the continued integration of design thinking principles into business education curriculums.

Can design help us to have compassion, empathy, and love to support greater understanding between each other and foster love in our daily lives? Can design play a role in helping us act more compassionately and detoxify society?

The paper follows the work of 20 designers who have been using design methods to create artefacts, rituals and interactions that have the objective of fostering love. The paper describes the processes and frameworks of the creative approach to this challenge.

This paper reflects on how different design concepts and prototypes can create new forms of love in our daily lives. Across physical artefacts, digital interactions, services, workshops and the use of AI, the paper will capture the key moments of the process and explore how we might measure impact.

This paper is an opportunity to focus on this emerging field for academics and design practitioners. In a world dominated by technology enablers such as AI, understanding how design can develop our emotional resilience, empathy and embrace positive human values such as happiness and love, is an exciting and challenging field for research and exploration - this paper aims to contribute to and offer direction for future research.

The advancement of technology has led to the migration of traditional activities to online. In the field of design, digital online collaboration provided the potential for enhanced communication and efficiency among team members. However, challenges emerged in online design collaboration due to the separation between humans and machines. This research invited experienced designers to gather their insights and expectations regarding online design collaboration from a qualitative perspective. The prevailing challenges were manifested from three key aspects: reduced authenticity, increased uncertainty in design solutions, and diminished designers' level of engagement. To solve the problem, embodied cognition perspective was adopted to explore the interplay of embodied cognition and human-machine interaction. It proposed a framework for enhancing digital collaboration and optimized a platform for automotive design to enrich designers' physical, perceptual, and interactive presence, thus elevated their collaborative experience. The evaluation results show that this research fosters productive ideation, thus stimulating creative potential.