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Design as a Tool for Innovation

The chapter appears in an edited collection that emerged (in part) from the European Commission (Pro Inno) funded ‘InnoGrips’ project. The book features contributions from high-profile authors from one of the world’s leading science, technology and innovation research centres. It forms a part of Routledge’s highly regarded RIOT series, and was designed to (a) set-out the challenges that confront policy makers re: supports/stimuli for innovation, and (b) provide steers to assist the policy development process.

The chapter, based on a systematic review of state-of-the-art literature, an extensive programme of interviews, and analysis of original cases, draws together current and evolving discourses with respect to the role of design in innovation. Whilst design is now recognized widely as a key component in - and driver of - innovation, this acknowledgement has yet to be embedded fully in the development of policies and initiatives that are configured to promote and exploit its value. The key contributions of the chapter are four-fold: first, it articulates clearly the role(s) of the contemporary designer and establishes the linkage between design and innovation; second, it reviews the international spectrum of design/innovation support models and maps key trajectories in their development; third, it examines the applicability and performance of existing initiatives and their articulation with evolving design practice; and fourth, it sets-out the challenges and options for the creation of next-generation design support policies.

The novelty of the chapter resides in its use of original interview and case-based materials to drive a detailed discussion of future requirements vis-à-vis design support initiatives, and to set-out qualified and evidence-derived options for policy. It was designed to stimulate thinking and debate in the policy and academic communities, and policy options discussed in the chapter might reasonably be expected to form a foundation for the development of future design support programmes.