Abstract
Innovation is key to growth and survival for businesses today, and Design Thinking is an innovation process that has been popularised over the past decade. However, the experience of Design Thinking has been chaotic and ambiguous because Problem Definition introduces Wicked Problems into its starting phase. This study examined Design Thinking, Innovation, and Related Literature to conceptually develop a Redesigned Design Thinking Framework. The exploratory conceptual study researched Innovation Goal Setting as a conceptual alternative phase and linked it to Ideation through Intervention Theory, utilising Double-Loop Learning in Ideation implementation. A conceptual Process Guide was developed from this Redesigned Design Thinking Framework and fielded for proof of concept.To field the Process Guide, a Focused Ethnographic Case Study method was used to investigate novice transdisciplinary teams ability to co-create both the Innovation Goal and Ideation, and the success from all six teams resulted in analysis of improvements for the Process Guide, which includes the usage of AI assistance and the inclusion of Innovation Goal Setting as a non-linear and iterative process where new information allowed goals to be improved and redefined.
From this successful co-creation, Factors that Facilitate the co-creation were identified from inductive coding derived from observation video and audio data, as well as individual reflection surveys. The data was then Q-Sorted and discussed by an Individual Discussion Group consisting of representatives of the six teams. The findings were then synthesised through literature and articulated clear Roles and Responsibilities of both the Research Actors – the novice transdisciplinary team and the facilitator.
Further analysis revealed how Innovation Goal Setting enhances the current Design Thinking Process by incorporating new attributes, including Ownership, Motivation, and Invigoration, into the process. A reflection of this study also alluded to the possible reprioritisation of Problem Definition, as a post-process reflection, so that Wicked Problems are not introduced into the Design Thinking process, but upon successful implementation in achieving the Innovation Goal, Problem Definition can conclusive articulate, as a reflection, all the problems that are required to be solved conclusively, in order for the innovation goal to be reached.
This concludes the research to assist future Design Thinking practitioners, facilitators and researchers to embark on similar Redesigned Design Thinking research and projects, and further contributes to the knowledge of Design Thinking, Transdisciplinary Teams, Wicked Problems, Innovation and Innovation-Related Literature, where Wicked Problems do not enter the process, resulting in an innovation process that has better clarity in direction for ideation.
| Date of Award | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Original language | English |
| Supervisor | Tom CHEN (Supervisor) & Marjan ASLAN (Supervisor) |