Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 95-117 |
| Number of pages | 23 |
| Journal | R and D Management |
| Volume | 54 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - 2 Dec 2023 |
Abstract
In recent decades, toolkits for innovation have been increasingly used to integrate users into new product development processes. They promise to empower users in these processes by providing design freedom and iterative learning for the transformation of ideas into products. Despite these potential benefits, little is known about how these often digital toolkits compare to traditional design methods, and what role previous experience of users in new product development plays. To compare the effectiveness of toolkits for innovation with physical product modeling, we conducted a two-stage laboratory experiment in the form of an innovation challenge. One hundred non-expert and 46 expert users created new product designs, which were subsequently evaluated by an independent jury. Our results show that users with no experience in digital or physical design tasks develop more innovative product ideas when using a digital toolkit for innovation than when they use physical product modeling, while expert users seem to be able to use both methods with equal success. We, thereby, show that toolkits for innovation are a powerful way to translate users' solution information into a prototype. Moreover, our results indicate that the usage of a digital toolkit for innovation decreases the quality gap between the designs of non-expert and expert users in new product development.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Business, Management and Accounting(all)
- Business and International Management
- Business, Management and Accounting(all)
- Business, Management and Accounting(all)
- Strategy and Management
- Business, Management and Accounting(all)
- Management of Technology and Innovation
Cite this
- Standard
- Harvard
- Apa
- Vancouver
- BibTeX
- RIS
In: R and D Management, Vol. 54, No. 1, 02.12.2023, p. 95-117.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Toolkits for innovation
T2 - how digital technologies empower users in new product development
AU - Schäper, Thomas
AU - Foege, J. Nils
AU - Nüesch, Stephan
N1 - Funding Information: Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.
PY - 2023/12/2
Y1 - 2023/12/2
N2 - In recent decades, toolkits for innovation have been increasingly used to integrate users into new product development processes. They promise to empower users in these processes by providing design freedom and iterative learning for the transformation of ideas into products. Despite these potential benefits, little is known about how these often digital toolkits compare to traditional design methods, and what role previous experience of users in new product development plays. To compare the effectiveness of toolkits for innovation with physical product modeling, we conducted a two-stage laboratory experiment in the form of an innovation challenge. One hundred non-expert and 46 expert users created new product designs, which were subsequently evaluated by an independent jury. Our results show that users with no experience in digital or physical design tasks develop more innovative product ideas when using a digital toolkit for innovation than when they use physical product modeling, while expert users seem to be able to use both methods with equal success. We, thereby, show that toolkits for innovation are a powerful way to translate users' solution information into a prototype. Moreover, our results indicate that the usage of a digital toolkit for innovation decreases the quality gap between the designs of non-expert and expert users in new product development.
AB - In recent decades, toolkits for innovation have been increasingly used to integrate users into new product development processes. They promise to empower users in these processes by providing design freedom and iterative learning for the transformation of ideas into products. Despite these potential benefits, little is known about how these often digital toolkits compare to traditional design methods, and what role previous experience of users in new product development plays. To compare the effectiveness of toolkits for innovation with physical product modeling, we conducted a two-stage laboratory experiment in the form of an innovation challenge. One hundred non-expert and 46 expert users created new product designs, which were subsequently evaluated by an independent jury. Our results show that users with no experience in digital or physical design tasks develop more innovative product ideas when using a digital toolkit for innovation than when they use physical product modeling, while expert users seem to be able to use both methods with equal success. We, thereby, show that toolkits for innovation are a powerful way to translate users' solution information into a prototype. Moreover, our results indicate that the usage of a digital toolkit for innovation decreases the quality gap between the designs of non-expert and expert users in new product development.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85168132534&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/radm.12642
DO - 10.1111/radm.12642
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85168132534
VL - 54
SP - 95
EP - 117
JO - R and D Management
JF - R and D Management
SN - 0033-6807
IS - 1
ER -