CASD: Competitive Advantage through Strategic Design

DAE project team members: Jonathan Wray, Cynthia Hathaway and Karianne Rygh

This project focussed on research around the use of so-called ‘design thinking’ as a competitive tool for companies both within and outside of the design industry.

‘Design thinking’ is characterised as a creative, user-centred and vision-based approach to generating ideas and creating processes, rather than being technology and market-driven. ‘Design thinking’ becomes strategic if it is adopted in the fuzzy front end of innovation, where opportunities are identified and ideas generated, or when it informs decision-making at later stages. It can help firms to realise a portfolio of Product Service Systems (PSS), that can be combined and that are recognisable, legitimate and coherent for customers.

Achieving effective strategic ‘design thinking’ enhances the competitive position of Product Service Systems (PSS).

CASD was a part of CRISP (Creative Industry Scientific Programme), a multi-partner initiative focussing on Product Service Systems.

→ A publication on the project can be read on ISSUU