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Innovation by Design: A Programme to Support SMEs’

The Editor of the Swedish Design Research Journal invited Malins to provide this paper for inclusion in the journal, based on his contribution made at the 9th EAD International Conference, Porto, Portugal 2011 and including also material presented at the DESIRE 10 Conference, Arhus, Denmark 2011. The article describes the work that has been undertaken with SMEs over the past four years as part of the c4di project (Centre for Design & Innovation, www.c4di.org.uk). This was a large scale European and Scottish Government funded Knowledge Exchange project, directed by Malins. The approach adopted by the project team, made use of new visual methods based on the metaphor of ‘serious play’, for example using games based on scenarios, designed to encourage a constructivist experiential learning approach. The article describes the importance of establishing core values, developing integrative immersive cultures aiming to bring about a paradigm shift to encourage innovation within SMEs.

The article provides a critical intervention into the debate surrounding the value of design thinking as a management tool, contributing to the on-going discourse initiated by commentators such as Donald Norman. This research provides a critical theoretical underpinning for various on-going Government initiatives that aim to support innovation within SMEs. The paper questions a number of assumptions present in recent government funded innovation support strategies and examines the appropriate role of Universities within Knowledge Exchange projects.

Whilst there have been many new recent commercial titles focusing on design thinking, this paper critically evaluates the techniques and approaches that have proved to be of particular value when working with companies as part of a live Knowledge Exchange project. Despite some questioning of the validity of ‘design thinking’ as a genuine management tool, this paper helps to clarify the definition and values of applying design thinking to support innovation within SMEs.