Outside‐inside‐out Frame Creation Model for the Innovation of Meaning in a B2B Industry

Abstract

This study developed a frame creation model for innovation of meaning involving the designer’s iterative outside‐in and inside‐out practices. The model includes four types of frames: organizational frame, intrinsic frame, interpreter frame, and user frame. The model allows us to understand that an engineer have an organizational frames and intrinsic frames inside themselves. This distinction revealed that engineers could not generate ideas by mobilizing the intrinsic frame if they were adherent to the organizational frame. We suggest that understanding the interpreter frames enables the engineer to overcome adherence to the organizational frame. Additionally, the organizational innovation capability, underpinned by the design‐oriented innovation strategy, is also an enabler to mobilize intrinsic frames in a technology‐centered or solution‐centered organization.

Making the most out of the innovation of meaning: The importance of inclusion for creativity in inside‐out envisioning

“…However, Verganti (2017, p. 133) indicated, 'Not everyone has harbored new interesting ways of making sense of our context ', and Goto et al (2020) highlighted that not everyone could implement an IoM process immediately, especially those who are intent on continuing to follow the dominant organizational values when developing a solution.…”

“…Scholars have emphasized that creative problem solving, sprint execution and creative confidence have been discussed in design thinking from the perspective of UCD (Magistretti, Allo, et al, 2021; Magistretti et al, 2022; Randhawa et al., 2021), thus naming this approach to innovation as the outside‐in approach (Dell'Era et al, 2020; Verganti, 2017). Meanwhile, IoM starts from ideas based on individual experiences throughout one's professional career and daily life, not user observation, making the process justifiably called an inside‐out approach (Goto et al, 2020; Magistretti, Ardito, & Messeni Petruzzelli, 2021; Verganti, 2017).…”

“…However, Verganti (2017, p. 133) indicated, ‘Not everyone has harbored new interesting ways of making sense of our context’, and Goto et al (2020) highlighted that not everyone could implement an IoM process immediately, especially those who are intent on continuing to follow the dominant organizational values when developing a solution. To exemplify this and describe the success of some visionary designers, Verganti (2017) introduced the case of the thermostat industry, mentioning the development of a novel thermostat without manual temperature control by Nest Labs.…”

“…Verganti (2017) developed the concept of the inside‐out envisioning, which is defined as a process of IoM that starts from exposing employees' ideas based on their intrinsic values and goals to innovate the dominant social or organizational meanings; in other words, inside‐out envisioning requires employees to externalize their creativity based on their intrinsic values and goals. However, Goto et al (2020) highlight that dominant organizational values often push employees to ignore their intrinsic values and goals. Elsbach and Stigliani (2018) stated that organizational cultures defined by organizational norms and values support or impede the practice of design thinking.…”