Chapter 9: Introducing Design-Driven Innovation: A Challenging Ride Towards New Possibilities¹

In recent years interest has grown in how design can contribute to innovation in business and society, such as through the management concept of design thinking. However, up-close studies on the contribution of design practice to innovation are scarce, and the artistic dimension of design practice, and its relevance for innovation, is often neglected. This chapter draws on an experimental study in which designers involved multi-disciplinary groups of non-designers in companies in experiencing design practice hands-on to strengthen innovation processes. The chapter gives a number of examples of what happened in this work, and argues that design-driven innovation contributes to innovation by challenging and expanding how companies understand their products. However, to introduce design-driven innovation, and in this way draw actively on interpretative and hands-on artistic skills, rather than analytic approaches, also means a number of challenges for managers. The chapter presents six such challenges and the management skills necessary to engage in design-driven innovation.