What does it mean to be design-led?

Reference: Beverland MB and Farrelly FJ (2007) What does it mean to be design-led? Design Management Review 18(4).

Notes: An interesting question, unfortunately the paper fails to address it in a meaningful way, or even address the core issues of design-led strategies. The positive aspects include:
1. What does it mean for design to be the "dominant logic" of a company?
2. Good design strategy doesn't mean good design, as obvious from Fisher and Paykel appliances: interesting briefs, awful user interfaces. Refreshing to see in this paper examples that are not the usual Apple, etc.
3. The authors get close to a very important issue but miss it with the Ford Ka case: design-led has key implications mainly outside the design departments, it is about enabling understanding of design in areas such as engineering and marketing.
4. Perhaps their most valuable insight is that design-led does not mean designer-led.

Abductive theory construction

Reference: Timmermans, S., & Tavory, I. (2012). Theory construction in qualitative research from grounded theory to abductive analysis. Sociological Theory,30(3), 167-186.

Abstract: A critical pathway for conceptual innovation in the social is the construction of theoretical ideas based on empirical data. Grounded theory has become a leading approach promising the construction of novel theories. Yet grounded theory–based theoretical innovation has been scarce in part because of its commitment to let theories emerge inductively rather than imposing analytic frameworks a priori. We note, along with a long philosophical tradition, that induction does not logically lead to novel theoretical insights. Drawing from the theory of inference, meaning, and action of pragmatist philosopher Charles S. Peirce, we argue that abduction, rather than induction, should be the guiding principle of empirically based theory construction. Abduction refers to a creative inferential process aimed at producing new hypotheses and theories based on surprising research evidence. We propose that abductive analysis arises from actors’ social and intellectual positions but can be further aided by careful methodological data analysis. We outline how formal methodological steps enrich abductive analysis through the processes of revisiting, defamiliarization, and alternative casing.

Notes: A clear and well framed analysis of the role of abductive reasoning in research.

Research into Design Across Boundaries

Title: ICoRD’15 – Research into Design Across Boundaries Volume 2 Creativity, Sustainability, DfX, Enabling Technologies, Management and Applications

Editor: Chakrabarti, Amaresh (Ed.)

Description: This book showcases over 60 cutting-edge research papers from the 5th International Conference on Research into Design – the largest in India in this area – written by eminent researchers from across the world on design process, technologies, methods and tools, and their impact on innovation, for supporting design across boundaries. The special features of the book are the variety of insights into the product and system innovation process, and the host of methods and tools from all major areas of design research for the enhancement of the innovation process. The main benefit of the book for researchers in various areas of design and innovation are access to the latest quality research in this area, with the largest collection of research from India. For practitioners and educators, it is exposure to an empirically validated suite of theories, models, methods and tools that can be taught and practiced for design-led innovation.

Link: http://www.springer.com/gp/book/9788132222286

Notes: A collection of recent ideas presented in Bangalore earlier this year.