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Hi Marcus Thanks for posting this and for the link. I have quickly looked through your dissertation and am quite impressed by the theoretical ability that you show in the writings. I hope I will be able to spend some more time on the text at some point. Congratulations! by the way, who was your advisor? Erik *---------------------------------------------------Erik Stolterman* *Professor in Informatics* *School of Informatics and Computing* *Indiana University, Bloomington*http://transground.blogspot.com/ On Wed, Nov 13, 2013 at 10:54 AM, Marcus Jahnke <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > Dear all, > > I recently defended my PhD thesis “Meaning in the Making – Introducing a > Hermeneutic Perspective on the Contribution of Design Practice to > Innovation. > > The thesis answers calls for practice-oriented perspectives in design and > design management research (by for example Kimbell, Stolterman and > Tonkinwise). It draws on an experimental study conducted in collaboration > with SVID, the Swedish Industrial Design Foundation. In the study five > professional designers (from different fields of design) shared practice > knowledge through hands-on oriented processes with multi-disciplinary > groups in five “non-designerly” companies. The aim of the processes was to > contribute to the innovation work of the companies. The workshops and other > activities were studied through an ethnographic research approach. > > Based on what went on in the processes (including failures), I argue that > it is highly relevant to draw on interpretative perspectives in design > theory (e.g. Schön, Krippendorff, Dorst, Coyne & Snoddgrass), and more > specifically directly from philosophical hermeneutics (Gadamer and Ricoeur) > for understanding the contribution of design to innovation work in > organizations. This can be seen as a complement to the problem-solving > school of thought. In the discussion section I also provide a critical > perspective on the current Design Thinking rhetoric that typically neglects > aesthetic dimensions of design knowledge. > > For more information, please see the abstract below. > > A digital version of the thesis can be found here: > https://gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/33428 > > Please e-mail me if you would like a printed copy. > > Kind regards, > Marcus Jahnke > > HDK, School of Design and Crafts > Business & Design Lab > University of Gothenburg > Sweden > > > ABSTRACT > In recent years interest has grown in how design can contribute to > innovation in business and society, such as through the management concept > of design thinking. However, up-close studies on the contribution of design > practice to innovation are scarce. This may be one reason why rhetoric > arguing the benefit of design in innovation contexts is often related to > pervasive innovation concepts, such as idea generation and problem-solving, > rather than to concepts that capture tacit and embodied dimensions of > design as an aesthetic practice. > > The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of the > contribution of design practice to innovation. This has been achieved > through an experimental research-approach in which five designers, through > different interventions, involved multi-disciplinary groups of > non-designers in experiencing design practice “hands-on” in five > "non-designerly" companies. The aim of the interventions was to strengthen > the innovativeness of the organizations. The interventions have been > studied through ethnographically inspired methods and an interpretative and > reflexive methodological approach. > > In the interventions established product understandings in the companies > were challenged, initially leading to friction. However, the immersion in > design hands-on meant that established meaning-spaces were gradually > expanded through processes of entwined conversation and hands-on making. In > these processes new product understandings were developed through aesthetic > deliberation and material practice, which in three cases lead to innovative > concepts that could not have been developed within the meaning-space in the > organization before the interventions. This study thus sheds light on how > the emergence of innovative concepts can be understood as processes of > meaning-making, and how design practice may provide the necessary processes > for such innovation work in multi-disciplinary contexts. It also suggests > that when design practice is abstracted away, as in the concept of design > thinking, relevant dimensions of design’s contribution to innovation may be > lost. > > The main theoretical contribution is to show the relevance of hermeneutics > as an explicit concept for understanding the contribution of design > practice to innovation. This can be seen as establishing a missing link > between design theory, design management studies and innovation management > theory. Beyond articulating the contribution of design practice to > innovation, this thesis also supports the relevance of understanding > meaning-making as central to innovation. > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > PhD-Design mailing list <[log in to unmask]> > Discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design > Subscribe or Unsubscribe at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/phd-design > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > ----------------------------------------------------------------- PhD-Design mailing list <[log in to unmask]> Discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design Subscribe or Unsubscribe at https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/phd-design -----------------------------------------------------------------