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Overcoming the Valley of Death: A Design Innovation Perspective
Author(s) -
Klitsie Joannes Barend,
Price Rebecca Anne,
De Lille Christine Stefanie Heleen
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
design management journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1948-7177
pISSN - 1942-5074
DOI - 10.1111/dmj.12052
Subject(s) - framing (construction) , business , perspective (graphical) , thematic analysis , knowledge management , marketing , public relations , sociology , computer science , engineering , qualitative research , political science , civil engineering , social science , artificial intelligence
In large organizations, innovation activities often take place in separate departments, centers, or studios. These departments aim to produce prototypes of solutions to the problems of operational business owners. However, too often these concepts remain in the prototype stage: they are never implemented and fall into what is popularly termed the Valley of Death . A design approach to innovation is presented as a solution to the problem. However, practice shows that teams that use design nevertheless encounter implementation challenges due to the larger infrastructure of the organization they are part of. This research aims to explore which organizational factors contribute to the Valley of Death during design innovation. An embedded multiple case study at a large heritage airline is applied. Four projects are analyzed to identify implementation challenges. A thematic data analysis reveals organizational design, departmental silos, and dissimilar innovation strategies contribute to the formation of, and encounters with, the Valley of Death. Arising resource‐assignment challenges that result from these factors are also identified. Materialization, user‐centeredness, and holistic problem framing are identified as design practices that mitigate encounters with the Valley of Death, thus leading to projects being fully realized.