Designers as the determinants of design innovations

Abstract

Design innovations have become increasingly important appropriation mechanisms for firms. Since 2003, the number of applications for design rights (protecting design innovations) has tripled compared to a doubling in the numbers of both patent and trademark applications. However, despite the growing interest of firms in design innovations, knowledge of the determinants of design innovations is limited. Prior work on labour mobility within the innovation studies literature has focused primarily on the discussion of scientists as being crucial for the creation of technological innovations.The present paper expands on this discussion by drawing parallels with the relation between scientists and technological innovation and the relation between designers and design innovation. We explore whether a similar positive relationship exists between the labour mobility of designers and the generation of design innovations and which determinants influence this relation. We employ a unique Danish dataset containing information on firms, their hiring of designers, and their design innovation activity measured by design rights. Our findings show that hiring a designer does increase the likelihood of producing a design innovation. Hence, designers are a determinant of design innovations. However, in order for the firm to benefit fully from hiring a designer, prior experience in design innovation is required.

Product Styling Cognition Based on Kansei Engineering Theory and Implicit Measurement

“…The number of paths through which each image vocabulary passed from root node O to the location of the vocabulary is five, and the weight of each path differs. Let the path weight from the root node to the vocabulary location be Q(r), r [1,5], in order.…”

“…In the contemporary landscape, design and innovation stand as the paramount themes [1]. Design is fundamentally the deliberate crafting of forms tailored to serve human needs [2], with the symbolic attributes of products being vital components of cognitive models.…”

“…Explicit measurements draw from extrinsic behavioral observations and introspective reflections of individuals. Notably, explicit methods encounter two primary challenges: (1) individuals often exhibit a reluctance to disclose their genuine thoughts and respond in a way that conforms to external expectations, particularly when their genuine views deviate from societal norms; (2) traditional methods rely on conscious introspection, and even when individuals are willing to express their genuine thoughts and attitudes, they cannot effectively express underlying motives, needs, and attitudes. The subconscious significantly influences product styling cognition.…”

Great expectations: Learning the boundaries of design rights

“…Filitz et al (2015), moreover, document different design right strategies within and between industries: some firms register design rights selectively while others apply an "all-you-can-file" strategy. In addition to industry-specificity, experience in design right filings has been found to be associated with future filing activity (Fjaellegaard et al, 2015). Their analysis of Danish linked employer-employee data also indicates that hiring a designer is associated with the firm's higher likelihood of future design right filings.…”

How collaboration between industrial designers and other members related to product development affect innovation and efficiency

“…Design innovation means creating an additional external layer to technology innovation (Fjaellegaard, Beukel, & Alkaersig, 2019;Rindova & Petkova, 2007) or creating a superior product by integrating technology innovation and design innovation (Fjaellegaard et al, 2019). It refers to giving new meaning to new products that have been created by changing a product's aesthetic 2013, Koufteros, Vonderembse, and Doll (2001), and Yoshioka (2018) Collaboration between industrial designers and other members related to product development qualities through reallocating the social meaning of an existing product (Cappetta et al, 2006).…”