Radical Design and Technology Epiphanies: A New Focus for Research on Design Management

The past decade has ushered in a growth of interest on design, both among scholars and practitioners. The consequence has been the development of a wealth of new theories on design, innovation, and design management. After a decade of studies, we have developed significant understanding about how firms may better analyze customer needs through user‐centered design, how they can generate better ideas through brainstorming methods and multidisciplinary teams, how consumers value the form of products. Yet, as often happens in research, many studies have focused on the most visible and measurable forms of design (those connected to the clear processes and methods of user‐centered design). The consequence is that, apart from a few exceptions, the focus of theory development has been on incremental innovation enabled by design: better user interface, improvements, differentiation, nice ideas and features that get rapidly imitated and obsolete. Scholars have often neglected some of the most intriguing forms of design, i.e., when design brings a radical perspective, when it contributes to the redefinition of an industry, and the creation of a new paradigm. In this short note I hope to set the stage for this new frontier of research in design management. In particular I propose two fields of investigation: the role of design to radically innovate the meaning of products and services, and the interaction of radical design with radical technologies, which I call technology epiphanies, i.e., the identification of the most powerful meaning enabled by a breakthrough technology.     

服装造型设计新方法研究——几何切割法运用于“一块布”设计中的应用实践

三宅一生的"一块布"设计给许多服装设计师以灵感,但这种概念设计也只能应用于极小部分服装的设计,并且没有将这种原始服装设计方法的精髓展现出来。本文将对于切割手法在"一块布"服装造型设计中的具体应用手法进行研究,探寻一种新的服装设计切入点。     

天南星的研究进展

传统药用植物天南星具有悠久的药用历史,其含有生物碱、甾醇类、有机酸等有效成分。具抗惊厥、镇静、镇痛、抗炎、抗肿瘤、抗心律失常等多种药理作用。本文综述了天南星的化学成分、药理作用以及临床应用等研究现状。     

Selling and sales management: An introduction to the special section and recommendations on advancing the sales research agenda

Effectively managing the sales function is a prerequisite for success in business markets. Thus, practitioners are increasingly interested in improving the performance of their sales function. However, there is evidence pinpointing that academic research in the area may be experiencing a decline in its status among other subject areas in the marketing discipline. Fortunately, advances in the field of selling and sales management as reflected in the organization of specialized conferences/meetings and the development of special journal issues hold the promise of enhancing the status of sales within marketing academia. Following this stream of activities, this IMM special section on “Selling & Sales Management” aims at stimulating the level of discourse regarding how research in our field can be advanced. The present article introduces the special section; next, it summarizes the articles comprising the special section; and, finally, it concludes with some thoughts on fruitful research opportunities in the sales area.     

Research on Basic Design Education: An International Survey

This paper reports on the results of a survey and qualitative analysis on the teaching of ‘Basic Design’ in schools of design and architecture located in 22 countries. In the context of this research work, Basic Design means the teaching and learning of design fundamentals that may also be commonly referred to as the Principles of Two- and Three-dimensional Design. The body of knowledge associated with Basic Design may be regarded as part of the general theory of teaching and learning design as practiced in many design schools and which has its origins in the classical design schools such as the Bauhaus. In the author’s perception and practice, the pedagogy of Basic Design promotes a holistic, creative and experimental methodology that develops the learning style and cognitive abilities of students with respect to the fundamental principles of design. This includes an understanding of the elements of shape, colour, texture, light, and rhythm in a manner complementary but usually unrelated to the common design methods teaching approach. As is well known among design practitioners, including architects and industrial designers, a deep understanding of the purpose of these fundamental design elements and principles is still relevant to contemporary design practice. The main objective of the research described in this paper was to determine the status and development of Basic Design pedagogy in a significant number of contemporary design schools. On the basis of the results of two surveys conducted in 2001–2002, this paper will identify and illustrate interesting aspects concerning the programmes and organisation of courses delivered by teachers of ‘Basic Design’. This work will also survey the viewpoints of Basic Design teachers in elementary years of design courses and of those teaching design through projects during the subsequent years of the same courses. Interestingly, the design project teachers surveyed in this research expressed a desire to be more involved in the teaching of Basic Design fundamentals which indicates strongly that Basic Design principles are still relevant in contemporary design education terms as they have ever been and that more research is needed in order to better understand and apply the related pedagogy.     

The Challenge of Integrating AI & Smart Technology in Design Education

This paper examines some of the many problems and issues associated with integrating new and developing technologies into the education of future designers. As technology in general races ahead challenges arise for both commercial designers and educators on how best to keep track and utilise the advances. The challenge is particularly acute within tertiary education where the introduction of new cutting edge technology is often encouraged. Although this is generally achieved through the feedback of research activity, integrating new concepts at an appropriate level is a major task. Of particular concern is how focussed areas of applied technology can be made part of the multidisciplinary scope of design education.The paper describes the model used to introduce areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to undergraduate industrial design students. The successful interaction of research and education within a UK higher education establishment are discussed and project examples given. It is shown that, through selective tuition of research topics and appropriate technical support, innovative design solutions can result. In addition, it shows that by introducing leading edge and, in some cases, underdeveloped technology, specific key skills of independent learning, communication and research methods can be encouraged.     

前药原理与新药设计

探索前药原理在新药设计中的规律,推动新药研究工作的开展,通过文献检索,综合、归纳、分析、概括前药原理在新药设计方面的典型事例。前药原理在新药设计中广泛应用,不仅可对经典的含羧基、羟基、氨基药物进行结构修饰制成前药,还可制成偶氮型前药、曼尼希碱型前药、一氧化氮型前药及开环、闭环等新型结构的前药,既保持或增强了原药的药效,又克服了原药的某些缺点。利用前药原理设计新药投资少、风险小、成功率高,适合我国国情,是值得推广的新药研究途径。     

生物电子等排原理在新药设计中的应用

探索生物电子等排原理在新药研究中应用的规律,推动新药研究的进展;通过查阅文献资料,阐述生物电子等排的定义及各类生物电子等排的特点、使用范围、典型事例;表明生物电子等排既有外层电子总数相等的原子或基因的替换,也有在体积、形状、构象、电子分布、脂水分配系数、pKa、化学反应性(包括代谢相似性)和氢键成键能力等重要参数上存在相似性的原子或基团的替换,是对已知药物的结构改造或结构修饰;所产生新化合物优于、近于或拮抗原来药物的作用,具有成功率高、风险小、投资少的特点,在新药研究中占有重要的地位。应用生物电子等排体进行新药设计,尤其适合我国制药工业现有的实际情况。     

Perspective: A Review of Marketing Research on Product Design with Directions for Future Research

The authors provide synthesized summaries of research on product design conducted over the 20‐year period from 1995 to 2014, as well as suggestions for future research. Building on the conceptual model of product design proposed by Luchs and Swan, the current project describes research findings based on a review of 252 articles drawn from eight of the academic journals most influential to marketing thought, and identified by their inclusion of the terms “product design” or “industrial design” within their abstracts, subject terms, and/or author supplied keywords. Specifically, the authors provide integrated summaries of 25 product design subtopics organized within Luchs and Swan's original 11 product design research topic categories, which, in turn, address the following three general product design research categories: context and strategy, product design process, and product design consequences. These summaries are followed by suggested future research opportunities to address gaps in the literature. In addition to seeking inspiration for future research based on a review of extant research, the authors illustrate an approach for exploring research opportunities based on current and emerging industry trends, such as sustainability, the sharing economy, and the emergence of consumer‐oriented health and performance management products. For each identified industry trend, the authors provide illustrative design implications with consequent illustrative research opportunities. This balanced approach to identifying near‐term research opportunities based on extant research and based on industry trends, i.e., looking forward and externally, may in turn improve the potential impact of future research on both knowledge development and on industry practice.     

FCC policy research

Since 1967 the Federal Communications Commission has conducted a programme of research and policy studies to provide guidance on long-term technical and policy problems in all areas of telecommunications. This programme is now under the direction of the Office of Plans and Policy, which undertakes studies and research projects using the skills and expertise of its multidisciplinary staff. It organizes and implements conferences and symposia on behalf of the Commission, whereby Commission staff can interact with outside experts on topics of significant policy concern. Finally, it manages the FCC's programme of contractual research studies.     

Product Design Innovation and Customer Value: Cross‐Cultural Research in the United States and Korea

Innovation is one of the key drivers of success that a firm must utilize to develop a competitive advantage. The ability to innovate is especially important for a firm's survival in dynamic, changing environments. Customer demands are constantly changing, and more purchases are made when a firm's product design incorporates what customers perceive as cutting‐edge innovations. Satisfying customer demands is a distinct challenge for product designers because firms must develop a clear understanding of what aspects of design the customer wants. Although the importance of design has increased, very little research has been done to explain the relationship between product innovation and product design. Studies indicate that design innovation may create greater customer value through improvements in design value. Previous research has been limited and has not provided a clear concept of design innovation or defined the relationship between design innovation and marketing competencies. This paper seeks to offer a conceptual definition of design innovation, and to define the link between design innovation and marketing competencies. This paper utilizes cross‐cultural research to discover how these concepts differ due to cultural differences between the United States and Korea. This research contributes substantially to our understanding of the relationship between design innovation and customer value.     

参加2012 API石油行业大会及展览会技术报告

介绍了2012 API石油行业大会及展览会概况和会议主要内容,对API标准的发展现状和我国石油管标准与API标准的关系进行了分析,指出在采用API标准的基础上,制定非API标准和补充技术条件的必要性及将我国科研及标准化成果推向国际的意义。     

Servitization and deservitization: Overview,concepts, and definitions

The topic of servitization has generated a considerable body of research and many conferences, as well as industry engagement. Yet, despite the extensive literature associated with this now-mature discipline, there is no broad-based consensus on the core concepts and definitions deployed by servitization scholars, and both terminology and usage often seem ambiguous. This paper examines challenges related to service growth strategies, as well as strategies involving deservitization or a retreat from service offerings. Showing that these strategies have been pursued for more than fifty years, clarification is sought here by framing the corresponding processes and proposing definitions for four core terms: servitization, service infusion, deservitization and service dilution. It becomes clear that in focusing on the organizational change entailed by these processes, future research must elucidate “softer” issues such as leadership and business logic.     

Research Opportunities Related to Consumer Response to Product Design*

This essay identifies five research opportunities that concern consumer response to product design. The first opportunity involves the need for more research on the interaction between form and function in consumer product evaluations. To this end, more knowledge about how product appearance characteristics influence consumer evaluation of both product form and function, and how this differs between countries and in time, is needed. The second research opportunity concerns the influence of consumer input in the front end of new product development on product success. Although the positive effect of market information use on product success is known, more actionable insight into which consumer information or input is beneficial in which circumstances is largely missing. The third opportunity for research concerns how to include subjective product attributes in concept testing. Getting valid feedback from consumers, which includes functional as well as emotional and experiential aspects, can improve proficiency in the early stages of product development. In this essay, several ways of approaching this research endeavor are highlighted. Next to enhancing market receipt and the assessment of product design, two topics that concern consumer response to product design from a more managerial viewpoint are identified. The first of these is strategic management of product styling. The importance and opportunities of visual design for brand management has gained more attention in the literature; different strategies and the cases in which they are beneficial are issues for further research. And finally, the design of product service systems (PSSs) provides opportunities for future research. Here, engendering perceptual unity between products and services and an explicit managing of meanings and feelings that PSSs should communicate are issues at play.     

On Elevating Strategic Design Research*

While the popular understanding of the influence of design is growing, academic research has largely been restricted to considering consumer‐level responses to design elements. This paper reviews this past work and proposes a more strategic research agenda for the field, with the potential to explicate linkages between design elements and strategies and outcomes related to innovation and corporate performance.     

Investment in Design and Firm Performance: The Mediating Role of Design Management*

Design management is an increasingly important concept, research into which is remarkably scarce. Although the literature suggests that design management has an effect on design effectiveness, there is no empirical support for the impact of design management on firm performance. Furthermore, few studies have quantified the contribution that design makes to company performance. The aim of this paper is to analyze the effect of design investment on company performance and how this relationship is mediated by design management skills. Structural equation modeling was used to test the research hypotheses on a data set from the Italian and Spanish ceramic tile industry. Results suggest, first, that design management enhances firm performance. Second, this research also provides empirical evidence that investing in design is positively related to design management. Third, design management plays a significant role in determining the effects of design investment on firm performance. Companies that manage design effectively and efficiently attain better performance than those that do not. Therefore, good design does not emerge by chance or by simply investing in design but rather as the result of a managed process. Additionally, a methodological contribution of the present study lies in the empirical validation of a scale to assess design management skills. Finally, some suggestions are put forward for future lines of research that would complement this study and would go beyond some of its limitations.     

Research notes and communications management objectives in mergers and acquisitions

A taxonomy of managerial goals in mergers and acquisitions is developed through a cluster analysis of data from interviews with merger and acquisition practitioners. These clusters of objectives overlap with some objectives cited for mergers and acquisitions in the academic literature, but the correspondence is not complete. Further analysis shows that different types of mergers and acquisitions are characterized by different managerial objectives. The implications of this research for the development of a contingency model of the relationship between managerial objectives and mergers and acquisitions are discussed.     

Book Review

This issue's book review addresses the important topic of networking. Despite their informal understanding of the need for networks, new product managers have seldom if ever been able to access a formal treatment of this topic. Nor have conferences or seminars included this topic in their development of critical management skills. Blair Little, a professor in the School of Business Administration at the University of Western Ontario, reviews a new book that reports some very intersting Swedish thinking about networking. He reports that the book is worth considering by JPIM's readers, even in light of some unique characteristics of the Swedish environment.     

Research in technology education: looking back to move forward … again

In 2013 I published, in this Journal, a review of journals and conference publications in Technology Education from 2006 to 2010 as one measure of the nature of research that was being conducted in the area (Williams in Int J Technol Des Educ 23(1):1–9, 2013). An element of that review was a prediction of trends, from the findings, to speculate about what research areas may develop and become more significant and more common in the future. This prediction was integrated with personal experiences and understandings to result in a speculative discussion of future trends. This Research Note represents an extended review, both in terms of the journals and conferences covered, and the time period to include 2011–2013, in order to evaluate those predictions and refine possible future trends, and to answer the research question: What are the developments and trends in Technology Education research? It is hoped that this will be useful to researchers in the area of Technology Education who are planning research, and to stimulate discussion about the research that is needed in this area.     

Reflecting on the process: Building competitive dynamics research

This paper examines the process of building a competitive dynamics research program, focusing on my scholarly pursuit in the early part of my career. Reflections on the process reveal insights such as the power of staying focused, execution through time management, and research teaching integration. The paper aims to provide, through firsthand experience, some guideposts for researchers and scholars developing their own research programs and coping with the manifold process challenges in researching and publishing.