Design and Innovation: Lessons from Learning

Lab Helsinki

Ilpo Koskinen, Prof., Ph.D. (sociology)University of Art and Design Helsinki, Hämeentie 135 C, 00560

Helsinkiwww.taik.fi/~ikoskine

IBackground

•Some explanations of innovations

•sources: technology, policy decisions, organizations, teams

•supply-led, user-led, or networks?

•...professional alternative: professional practices as innovation basics

•attitudes & ways to think (knowledge), tools, processes, methods of representation

•these are largely “tacit” and “embedded” (in Nonaka’s, not Polanyi’s sense) things

•though not particularly important economically, design is one such professional practice

•by looking at it, we may see how it functions as a catalyst in innovation

•I’ll give an example from my own “learning lab”

•...explicate it a bit

•...and then think about some of its implications

IIExample: IP08

Description

The aim of this research-oriented module teaches how one can study design ideas through building interactive prototypes.

Interactive prototyping has become one of the main tools in design research over the last few years. An ability to work in the interface of electronics and user-centered design provides designers an ability to construct and test interactive product ideas in an environment which takes theory as its starting point.

“co-experience” as a dependent variable

user experience

pragmatism (Dewey)

symbolic interactionism

structural interactionism

field research methodology

integrated with an improvised lab built into a workshop

with min two field research components

Block 1: lectures,

user study

Block 2: concept creation

Block 3: proto-

sketching

Block 4: proto-typing

Block 5: user tests

Block 6: rep-

orting

MAY

MARCH

Block 1: lectures,

user study

Block 2: concept creation

Block 3: proto-

sketching

Block 4: proto-typing

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Block 5: user tests

Block 6: rep-

orting

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early sketchesuser studies form studies

first tech 2nd tech final design

IIIAnalysis

•methodic process

•knowledge: concept from research

•tools: user research > analysis > “use cases” > concepts > quick prototypes w/ rough techniques > iteration; protos and testing

•skills at work:

•PD processes; rudimentary reseach traditions; electronics; sophisticated CAD/CAM skills; drawing and plastic arts; to name a few

•implications to knowledge still open, but will show up in Fall-Winter 08

•conference papers about how to turn co-experience into a starting point for design - or a dependent variable in traditional scientific language

•attitude

•rethinking, tring out, experimenting, consciously avoiding simplifications (even though the end result [should] look almost obvious)

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IVDiscussion

•rephrasing innovation by focusing on professional practice

•innovation is complex networked practice

•empirical studies needed - to make tacit explicit

•designers have methods, processes, material skills organied to support creative practice

•theory, concepts, research practices, material practices, machinery, artistic practices and processes

•...this practice has a good capacity to integrate new knowledge & technology

•IP08 is an illustration, nothing more

•IP08 is a fairly typical design class; the only specialty is its explicit research frame

•similar processes are typical to industry

•given that design is a useful catalyst...

•...with few exceptions, ID is severely underused in industry - not to mention other fields of design

•how to bring more design into Nordic industries?

•innovation policies by the likes of Tekes and Vinnova, why not also academic funders

Thanks