Abstract
Research that attempts to view prior investment in design as calculable risk is potentially important within an increasingly competitive new product development environment. An important aspect of such research was to identify investment in design as part of the financial and cultural risk within firms, in particular, the identification of critical decision points and their associated risks. Business success may now be related to a degree of risk involved in new product development decisions. The research described is currently being undertaken for the Design Council. Survey and analytical techniques have been used to elicit critical decision points in the development of selected Millennium Products. The primary selection (of 92) was based on an analysis of the design and technical innovation evident in currently available products. Secondary selection (of 16) was based on company responses to a short questionnaire. The final selection (of 6) represents the types of risk evaluation employed by each of these case studies. Detailed, illustrated case studies structure and describe informal and formal techniques. Research methods include the use of semi-structured interviews based on the NPD process supplemented by literature provided by each company. These were analysed with the aid of the qualitative tool NUD*IST (content analysis followed by secondary theory building analysis processes). Web based materials aimed at SMEs will be delivered via the Centre for Product Design Information (CPDI) located in the Birmingham Centre for Design Research, Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, University of Central England.
Citation
Horne-Martin, S., Jerrard, B., Newport, R., and Burns, K. (2002) Design, risk and new product development, in Durling, D. and Shackleton, J. (eds.), Common Ground - DRS International Conference 2002, 5-7 September, London, United Kingdom. https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conference-papers/drs2002/researchpapers/34
Design, risk and new product development
Research that attempts to view prior investment in design as calculable risk is potentially important within an increasingly competitive new product development environment. An important aspect of such research was to identify investment in design as part of the financial and cultural risk within firms, in particular, the identification of critical decision points and their associated risks. Business success may now be related to a degree of risk involved in new product development decisions. The research described is currently being undertaken for the Design Council. Survey and analytical techniques have been used to elicit critical decision points in the development of selected Millennium Products. The primary selection (of 92) was based on an analysis of the design and technical innovation evident in currently available products. Secondary selection (of 16) was based on company responses to a short questionnaire. The final selection (of 6) represents the types of risk evaluation employed by each of these case studies. Detailed, illustrated case studies structure and describe informal and formal techniques. Research methods include the use of semi-structured interviews based on the NPD process supplemented by literature provided by each company. These were analysed with the aid of the qualitative tool NUD*IST (content analysis followed by secondary theory building analysis processes). Web based materials aimed at SMEs will be delivered via the Centre for Product Design Information (CPDI) located in the Birmingham Centre for Design Research, Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, University of Central England.