Design orientation in new product development and its measurement

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to define the design orientation construct, proposing a theoretical framework for its analysis and a validated tool for its measurement. Design/methodology/approach The process of scale development follows the recommendations of DeVellis (1991). After qualitative research with experts, quantitative research was performed on a sample of 209 SMEs in the furniture and lighting sectors. The results, based on the use of the confirmatory factor analysis technique, yielded a measurement scale with solid psychometric properties, thus confirming its reliability and validity. Findings The resulting scale comprised 19 items grouped into seven dimensions: awareness of the benefits of design, design sensibility, basic design skills, specialized design skills, involving others, design organization and innovation skills. Practical implications The instrument can be used to quantify the degree of design orientation in a company, thus enabling cross-sectional and longitudinal diagnoses. Originality/value By operationalizing the design orientation construct, this scale serves as a starting point for future developments in the field of business design and design management.

Reaching for Customer Centricity—Wine Brand Positioning Configurations

“…Social media content can also be a source of data related to brand image for making design-related decisions for existing as well as new offers. In design-oriented new product development (NPD), brand image seems to be playing a crucial role in structuring design language [109][110][111]. Searching online consumer content and related discussions is a powerful tool for the identification of novel ideas and responding to potential problems in brand image [112,113].…”

New Product Development Process Design for Small and Medium Enterprises: A Systematic Literature Review from the Perspective of Open Innovation

“…(b) Design evaluation should also be considered in NPD process. Cantó, Frasquet, and Irene [78]; Moultrie, Clarkson, and Albert [71] proposing approach to assess the design from the process and product point of view. Tan [79] elaborates AHP and Grey Relational Analysis's implementation to support the green product design evaluation.…”

Design orientation as a source of sustainable company performance

“…Today its role is completely different and above all embedded in all levels of management. Recently, however, also increase in marketing literature and research on the topic of design orientation can be acknowledged (e.g., Moll et al, 2007;Venkatesh et al, 2012;Cantó et al, 2019) and it seems that authors recognise the role of design and believe that design can be a very important and powerful strategic tool in achieving sustainable competitive advantages.…”

“…Despite the growing research interest in the design orientation, it should be emphasised that the design orientation is still a relatively poorly studied construct, with the lack of empirical verification at the forefront. Only recently, some design orientation scales for the concept measurement have been proposed (Rocco and Selinšek, 2019;Cantó et al, 2019). Within marketing discipline, a deeper understanding is needed regarding how variations in product and service design affect key customer outcomes as well as the relationships between the customer and organisational objectives (Ostrom et al, 2010).…”

“…Design, regarding company level (e.g., product, service, strategic, inter-functional), should be managed if managers use it as a tool for building or developing a sustainable competitive advantage. Cantó et al (2019) state that some authors distinguish between design orientation and design management and claim that the concept of design orientation is broader and more innovative than the concept of design management, as it includes not only behavioural aspects but also a cultural vision of design thinking. Therefore, such orientation is essential in the strategic approach when design management is integrated with all other functions and corporate culture within the company and used as an essential strategic tool for achieving sustainable competitive advantages (Borja de Mozota, 2010;Moll et al, 2007;Venkatesh et al, 2012).…”