Title: Value proposition for designers - VP(d): a tool for strategic innovation in new product development

Authors: Paul Wormald

Addresses: Division of Industrial Design, National University of Singapore, 4 Architecture Drive, Singapore 117566, Singapore

Abstract: The construct 'value proposition' is becoming evident in the world of design, as business and marketing intersect with the processes of design. Value proposition can be a powerful way of modelling ideas for products, rather than the actual realisation of those products. The paper offers a brief overview of literature referencing value proposition, found in relevant fields of business and innovation. The paper details a primary investigation of the usage of value proposition by design companies. This is conducted through an analysis of industrial design firms' websites across six key countries. The findings are that value proposition is still a minor component of the offerings of design firms. However, it was found that larger companies do utilise similar forms of 'idea modelling'. The paper goes on to propose a structured method of building and communicating a value proposition for designers - VP(d). This offers a bridge between various pre-product and post-product states. An implication is that it strengthens design and designers' role in business and strategic innovation.

Keywords: industrial design websites; product design; new product development; NPD; strategic innovation; value proposition; product innovation; design companies; fuzzy front end; FFE; innovation tools; product idea modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2015.071229

International Journal of Business Environment, 2015 Vol.7 No.3, pp.262 - 280

Received: 09 Mar 2015
Accepted: 15 May 2015
Published online: 17 Aug 2015 *

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