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2012 | Buch

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Design Thinking Research

Measuring Performance in Context

herausgegeben von: Hasso Plattner, Christoph Meinel, Larry Leifer

Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Buchreihe : Understanding Innovation

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

This book summarizes the results of the third year in the Design Thinking Research Program, a joint venture of Stanford University in Palo Alto and the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam. Understanding the evolution of innovation, and how to measure the performance of the design thinking teams behind innovations, is the central motivation behind the research work presented in this book. Addressing these fundamental concerns, all of the contributions in this volume report on different approaches and research efforts aimed at obtaining deeper insights into and a better understanding of how design thinking transpires. In highly creative ways, different experiments were conceived and undertaken with this goal in mind, and the results achieved were analyzed and discussed to shed new light on the focus areas. We hope that our readers enjoy this discourse on design thinking and its diverse impacts. Besides looking forward to receiving your critical feedback, we also hope that when reading these reports you too will get caught up in the fun our research teams had in carrying out the work they are based on: understanding innovation and how design thinking fosters it, which was the motivation for all the research work that is reported on in this book.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Design Thinking Research in the Context of Co-located Teams

Frontmatter

Design Thinking Research

Abstract

The path of design thinking is filled with various idea-fragments (Baya 1996; Meinel and Leifer 2011; Sonalkar 2012). One of the core challenges faced by design-thinking teams is to navigate through this sea of fragments, to keep all fragments in their sights while constantly testing alternative configurations in pursuit of a concept worth investing in. During each design thinking operation, we are certain to face challenges. One important finding in all design thinking research projects is that deep design thinking is a synthesis challenge more than it is an ideation challenge. The path is constantly being molded and re-shaped by events and findings. Several steps along the way are sure to be different than on any previous search. Way finding is an adventure that enthrals the design thinker and the researchers who observe closely. In time we face a moment in which a clear path forward unfolds. It is that point in the cycle where synthesis and divergent thinking, analysis and convergent thinking, and the nature of the problem all come together and resolution has been captured. In Design Thinking processes there is no solitary action or procedure that actually defines the process. There are as many different design processes as there are design thinkers.

Christoph Meinel, Larry Leifer

Assessing d.learning: Capturing the Journey of Becoming a Design Thinker

Abstract

The research explored the relationship of learning design thinking and assessing that progress. It addressed the questions: How can we understand what is learned in design thinking classes, and how assessments might contribute to that process in authentic ways? The study followed a reciprocal research and design methodology where basic research and the design of assessment solutions were ongoing, reciprocal, and related to each other in organic ways. We learned that the learning of design thinking dispositions and mindsets is an emergent journey—with various levels of sophistication, transformation, application, and integration. We introduce the concept of mindshifts to represent the developing and nascent epistemological viewpoints and instincts that are strengthened while becoming a design thinker. We review designs for tools that were based on the concept of mindshifts that include reflective and performance assessments and an assessment dashboard.

Shelley Goldman, Maureen P. Carroll, Zandile Kabayadondo, Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, Adam W. Royalty, Bernard Roth, Bernard Roth, Swee Hong Kwek, Jain Kim

The Faith-Factor in Design Thinking: Creative Confidence Through Education at the Design Thinking Schools Potsdam and Stanford?

Abstract

In this chapter, we discuss the idea of “creative confidence” as an objective of design thinking education as taught at the design thinking schools in Potsdam and Stanford. In brief, creative confidence refers to one’s own trust in his creative problem solving abilities. Strengthening this trust is a main goal of the education at the design thinking schools. However, there have been only few efforts to develop the concept of creative confidence in design thinking on a deeper and measurable level. To substantiate this discussion, we will compare creative confidence with the concept of self-efficacy and discuss this in the context of the education at the design thinking schools.

Birgit Jobst, Eva Köppen, Tilmann Lindberg, Josephine Moritz, Holger Rhinow, Christoph Meinel

Prototyping Dynamics: Sharing Multiple Designs Improves Exploration, Group Rapport, and Results

Abstract

Prototypes ground group communication and facilitate decision making. However, overly investing in a single design idea can lead to fixation and impede the collaborative process. Does sharing multiple designs improve collaboration? In a study, participants created advertisements individually and then met with a partner. In the Share Multiple condition, participants designed and shared three ads. In the Share Best condition, participants designed three ads and selected one to share. In the Share One condition, participants designed and shared one ad. Sharing multiple designs improved outcome, exploration, sharing, and group rapport. These participants integrated more of their partner’s ideas into their own subsequent designs, explored a more divergent set of ideas, and provided more productive critiques of their partner’s designs. Furthermore, their ads were rated more highly and garnered a higher click-through rate when hosted online.

Steven P. Dow, Julie Fortuna, Dan Schwartz, Beth Altringer, Daniel L. Schwartz, Scott R. Klemmer

Towards a Paradigm Shift in Education Practice: Developing Twenty-First Century Skills with Design Thinking

Abstract

Science, business and social organizations alike describe a strong need for a set of skills and competencies, often referred to as twenty-first century skills and competencies (e.g. Pink, Wagner, Gardner). For many young people, schools are the only place where such competencies and skills can be learned. Therefore, educational systems are coming more and more under pressure to provide students with the social values and attitudes as well as with the constructive experiences they need, to benefit from the opportunities and contribute actively to the new spaces of social life and work. Contrary to this demand, the American as well as the German school system has a strong focus on cognitive skills, acknowledging the new need, but not supporting it in practice. Why is this so? True, we are talking about a complex challenge, but when one makes the effort to take a closer look, it quickly becomes apparent that most states have not even bothered to properly identify and conceptualize the set of skills and competencies they require. Neither have they incorporated them into their educational standards.

Christine Noweski, Andrea Scheer, Nadja Büttner, Julia von Thienen, Johannes Erdmann, Christoph Meinel

“I Use It Every Day”: Pathways to Adaptive Innovation After Graduate Study in Design Thinking

Abstract

As the demand for creative and adaptive workers grows, universities strive to develop curricula that enable innovation. A pedagogical approach from the field of engineering and design, often called design thinking, is widely thought to foster creative ability; however, there is little research on how graduates of design thinking programs develop and demonstrate creative skills or dispositions. This chapter proposes a new model for the development of creative competence through design thinking education, and investigates alumni outcomes from a graduate school of design thinking. Quantitative and qualitative data from a survey (N = 175) and in-depth follow-up interviews (N = 16), indicate that alumni apply a range of design thinking methods and dispositions in their professional lives, particularly related to creative confidence, comfort with risk and failure, and building creative environments. We explore potential mechanisms by which students develop these capacities and foreshadow future analysis of obstacles to innovation in the workplace.

Adam Royalty, Lindsay Oishi, Bernard Roth

Design Thinking Research in the Context of Distributed Teams

Frontmatter

Tele-Board in Use: Applying a Digital Whiteboard System in Different Situations and Setups

Abstract

Tele-Board is a digital whiteboard system that helps creative teams working together over geographical and temporal distances. The nature of Tele-Board’s synchronized setup allows every connected partner from anywhere in the world to join in the action. Tele-Board is rooted in traditional metaphors, which are easy to implement and come naturally to the user. Additionally, it is possible to follow a common thread in the development of ideas from their inception to conclusion. With the History Browser, the path of creative development can be retraced, reiterated and resumed – from any point in time – a huge benefit in ordering work and reaching conclusions. In this article, we report on several situations and setups in which Tele-Board was used by different teams. We demonstrate how our software suite can be used with various hardware setups and show how well the tools work in practical application. Furthermore, we illustrate Tele-Board use by globally distributed student teams, in remote test settings, during a sustainability conference, and by teams who are primarily used to traditional whiteboards and pen and paper.

Raja Gumienny, Lutz Gericke, Matthias Wenzel, Christoph Meinel

Applied Teamology: The Impact of Cognitive Style Diversity on Problem Reframing and Product Redesign Within Design Teams

Abstract

In the words of Professor Larry J. Leifer, “All design is redesign.” As designers collect information about a problem, they form a mental frame of the problem space that is the scaffolding around which to build a solution. When presented with new information, successful designers can “reframe” the problem and the solution as part of a successful iterative cycle. These iterative cycles are central to the Stanford Design Thinking process. A team’s capacity and willingness to reframe can be measured by means of a closed-form assessment tool that eliminates many of the confounding variables of the previous longitudinal (project performance-based) approach. We propose the Stanford Design Thinking Exercise (SDTE) as a measure of reframing behavior and design team effectiveness. The exercise is standardized and can be conducted in a controlled lab or classroom setting in 1 h. The SDTE is designed to be a first step toward a quick, reliable and standardized technique for evaluating design team effectiveness. We found that the SDTE is a robust measurement for reframing change, in that it reports a range of reframing results across a participant population group, but attempts to align the instrument with participant cognitive characteristics were unsuccessful indicating that more work needs to be done to understand specific indicators of reframing.

Greg L. Kress, Mark Schar

Qualitative Methods and Metrics for Assessing Wayfinding and Navigation in Engineering Design

Abstract

Designing can be viewed as a body of behaviors. Fundamental to several design behaviors is Path Determination. Path Determination describes the moments when designers choose what they will take up for development as well as how they experience their perceptual horizon.

Our research suggests that there are two primary modes of Path Determination, Wayfinding and Navigation. Each of these has been correlated with different outcomes in redesign scenarios. Wayfinding correlates to making significant changes to an object, while navigation correlates to making incremental changes to an object.

In this chapter, I present a novel methodology for capturing and observing Wayfinding and Navigation behaviors, as well as several metrics for measuring these behaviors.

Jonathan Antonio Edelman, Larry Leifer

Design Thinking Research in the Context of Embedded Business Teams

Frontmatter

The Designer Identity, Identity Evolution, and Implications on Design Practice

Abstract

This chapter describes the preliminary results of a study of designer identity, including what a designer identity is, how it evolves as a result of ongoing work-related interactions, and how it may influence design work practice. In our ethnographic research, we closely observed 12 in-house designers as they did their work in a major Chinese communication technology company. We found that designers identified with the design occupation in different yet non-mutual-exclusive ways, and that the way in which designers identified themselves influenced their creative thinking, brainstorming processes, and interactions with clients.

Lei Liu, Pamela Hinds

AnalyzeD: A Virtual Design Observatory, Project Launch Year

Abstract

This chapter describes the launch year activities of the analyzed project where we aim to quantify engineering design behavior to such an extent that use statistical algorithm to discover, describe and model fundamental design thinking behavior paradigm. It is a joint research endeavor with the EPIC chair of Prof. Hasso Plattner at the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI), University of Postdam. As main result from the Stanford side, we were able to generate several proofs of concepts on gathering and analyzing design process data from various sources and in various data quality. Especially noteworthy is the analysis of CAD data in a novel and comprehensive way. Collaborating with a leading CAD software supplier, we are able to firstly extract every single engineer-system interaction and secondly, using genetic algorithms, we are able to statically identify patterns without an a priori model assumption.

Martin Steinert (Co-I), Hai Nugyen, Rebecca Currano, Larry Leifer

When Research Meets Practice: Tangible Business Process Modeling at Work

Abstract

We have created a modeling approach used by people in organizations to create and discuss business process models that represent their working procedures. This is an alternative to established approaches in which process modeling experts create business process models for the organization based on input from domain experts. We have changed this by empowering the domain experts to model their business processes themselves. This approach consists of a simple to use haptic toolset and the facilitation for its application.

In the first stage of research, we showed that our approach, called tangible business process modeling (t.BPM), can be used to co-create process models with novice modelers. In a subsequent laboratory experiment, we found that t.BPM is superior to interviews for process elicitation because people are more engaged with the modeling task and the result is better validated. Furthermore, people have more fun and develop a better understanding of the process.

In current research, we developed and assessed the idea of t.BPM for application in professional environments. We are seeking to change the state of business by showing the feasibility of t.BPM for real modeling projects. We investigated when and how to apply t.BPM correctly. In doing so, we were able to show that t.BPM is mature enough to compete with established workshop techniques.

Alexander Luebbe, Mathias

Towards a Shared Repository for Patterns in Virtual Team Collaboration

Abstract

With analyzeD we established a platform that provides “out-of-the-box” monitoring capabilities for virtual team environments and enables the sharing and evaluation of recorded collaboration activities within a larger research community. Building on lessons learned from previous applications, we now present a refined and extended version of this platform. Its core feature is the possibility to share abstracted parts of the collected team collaboration networks with other users of the platform and, thus, broaden the basis for the validation of their influence on team performance. By that, these network sequences might elevate from being just coincidently reoccurring collaboration behavior to collaboration patterns (or anti-patterns), whose occurrences are strong indicators for the possible success of teams.

Thomas Kowark, Philipp Dobrigkeit, Alexander Zeier

Adopting Design Practices for Programming

Abstract

Developers continuously design their programs. For example, developers strive for simplicity and consistency in their constructions like practitioners in most design fields. A simple program design supports working on current and future development tasks. While many problems addressed by developers have characteristics similar to design problems, developers typically do not use principles and practices dedicated to such problems. In this chapter we report on the adoption of design practices for programming. First, we propose a new concept for integrated programming environments that encourages developers to work with concrete representations of abstract thoughts within a flexible canvas. Second, we present continuous versioning as our approach to support the need for withdrawing changes during program design activities.

Bastian Steinert, Marcel Taeumel, Damien Cassou, Robert Hirschfeld

Virtual Multi-User Software Prototypes III

Abstract

In design thinking and software engineering, prototypes play a crucial role in validating insights, needs and requirements. Still, the effort necessary to create these prototypes depends on multiple factors such as the number of people involved with the design thinking project. Especially for multi-user software systems, the effort of creating validation artifacts is too high to be feasible for multiple iterations, thus, inhibiting design thinkers to inexpensively try different ideas early and often. To overcome this problem, we investigated the usability and feasibility of virtual prototypes – animated simulations of formal models which can be derived automatically without additional costs. This paper reports on our advances during the 3 years of the design thinking research project concerned with Virtual Multi-User Software Prototypes.

Gregor Gabrysiak, Holger Giese, Thomas Beyhl

What Can Design Thinking Learn from Behavior Group Therapy?

Abstract

Some widely-used approaches in Behavior Group Therapy bear a striking resemblance to Design Thinking. They invoke almost identical process-models and share central maxims like “defer judgement” or “go for quantity”. Heuristics for composing groups (mixed!) and preferred group sizes (4–6) are very much alike as well. Also, the roles ascribed to therapists are quite similar to that of Design Thinking coaches. Given these obvious analogies, it is most natural to ask what the two traditions can learn from one another – and why it is that they are so strikingly alike. This article ultimately hopes to inspire further investigations by giving examples of how Design Thinking may profit from taking a look at Behavior Group Therapy. We will discuss (a) new techniques for coaches to detect and treat personal dissonances that impede project work, (b) new methods for teams to upgrade empathy, find crucial needs or test prototypes and (c) theoretical insights regarding what happens in the process.

Julia von Thienen, Christine Noweski, Christoph Meinel, Sabine Lang, Claudia Nicolai, Andreas Bartz

Titel: Design Thinking Research
herausgegeben von: Hasso Plattner
Christoph Meinel
Larry Leifer
Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-642-31991-4
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-31990-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-31991-4