Thirteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

Design has been recognized as an essential tool of innovation. It has shaped behaviors and attitudes thus transforming demand and now provides an opportunity to develop the bioeconomy. Although design has no commonly agreed definition or metrics for valuation, it is acknowledged, that design plays a role in creating a competitive advantage and is an activity of people-centered innovation by which desirable and usable products and services are defined and delivered (Thomson & Koskinen, 2012, p. 15) Emerging design practices and methodologies are transforming current systems and services. This paper contributes to the development of new theory and framework, to decode the value of design in shaping the economy and society, and to clarify the term “design adds value” by proposing an identification system for entrepreneurs. Theory is tested by interviewing twenty start-up leaders and experts. Research results identifies performance areas such as usability, experience, and value, that may help businesses and society apply design more consciously from the perspective of product or service end-users. Entrepreneurs as the direct target audience and policy planners as secondary target audience will be provided with evidence-based design identification system to decode the added value of design as an asset. Developed design identification systems and performance indicators aim to address the lack of indicative evidence-based tools of design as a method and system.