DESIGN THINKING AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT

Paola Belingheri, Henry William Chesbrough, Ginevra Assia Antonelli

Course code:

DM14

General discipline (SSD):

SECS-P/10

Course year:

Semester:

Primo Semestre

Partition of students:

Unique

Credits:

Teaching language:

English

Total lesson hours:

Academic year:

2024/2025

Description

Extended program and reference teaching materials

Instructional goals

This course provides students with a detailed overview of innovation management to understand its characteristics, distinctive processes, benefits and challenges. Furthermore, the second part of the course will focus on the role of creativity in the innovation process and provide students with tools and techniques to enhance their creative mindset. In particular, among the tools to stimulate innovation through creativity, the process of Design Thinking will be illustrated as well as experienced by the students, by asking them to tackle a marketing-related real-world problem in teams through the design thinking framework.

Intended learning outcomes

At the completion of this course, students will be able to: Knowledge and understanding Describe innovation processes Identify the Benefits and challenges of innovation Identify disruptive technologies Recognize conditions to encourage and nurture creative thinking Recognize the characteristics and the benefits of Design Thinking Explain Open Innovation characteristics and peculiarities Applying knowledge and understanding Use strategic tools for innovative projects management Apply the Design Thinking tools to deal with real challenges Apply the creative process to the organizational context Making Judgements Distinguish different types and sources of innovation Compare and contrast the open and closed mindsets Communication Skills Explain the Importance of Innovation Synthesize aspects of creativity Synthesize the phases of the Design Thinking process Learning Skills Experience the innovation process Develop creative thinking Experience the Design Thinking process

Course Contents

Reference Books

The key textbooks for the course are: Mumford, M.D. (2011). Handbook of organizational creativity. Academic Press (Section A- except for chapter 3) Osann, I., Mayer, L., & Wiele, I. (2020). The Design Thinking Quick Start Guide: A 6-step Process for Generating and Implementing Creative Solutions. John Wiley & Sons. Selected Material from Luchs, M. G., Swan, S., & Griffin, A. (2015). Design thinking: New product development essentials from the PDMA. John Wiley & Sons https://mollyclare.com/writing/design-dash Selected articles and reading materials will also be presented weekly on the platform.

Teaching Methods

Fully asynchronous TA consultations Group project work Case Studies Individual exercises

Assessment Method

For students followiing the course: Fully asynchronous TA consultations Group project work Case Studies Individual exercises For students not following the course: Study all the materials from the innovation part of the course (lessons 1-6) Redesign an everyday experience through the design thinking methodology (lesson 7-12) and hand in a report. The final grade will be give as a result of an oral exam.

Thesis assignment criteria

Active attendance at the course; Quality of the proposed issue for the thesis

Week 1

Session 1: "The Innovation Process, from inception to launch" Asynchonous lesson Key phases of the journey of an innovation project Stage Gate Process Representation of the innovation process (Innovation Funnel) E-tivities Self-check quiz Stage Gate process creation exercise Related Material Selected readings Videos Session 2: "Innovation as a Portfolio of Projects" Asynchronous lesson Different types of innovation projects 3 Horizon Framework E-tivities Self-check quiz Innovation portfolio creation exercise Related Material Selected readings Lecture slides Videos and podcast Materials: Optimizing the Stage Gate Process: What Best Practice Companies are Doing”, by Cooper, Edgett and Kleinschmidt, Research-Technology Management, vol. 45 (5) 2002 Paul Hobcraft (2014). Exploring the Three Horizons Framework How to articulate innovation activity into the future in a consistent, evolutionary and coherent way. To Succeed in the Long Term, Focus on the Middle Term, by Geoffrey Moore, HBR July-August 2007

Week 2

Session 3: "Profiting from Innovation (PFI)" Asynchronous lesson Ways to profit from innovation The role of Intellectual Property to profit from innovation The role of Complementary assets as profit enablers E-tivities Discussion PFI framework exercise Related Material Selected readings Lecture slides Videos Session 4: "Disruptive Technology" Asynchronous lesson Disruptive technologies Role of incumbent firms' (and their business model) responding to disruptive technologies E-tivities Discussion Adobe vs Canva exercise Related Material Selected readings Lecture slides Videos Materials: Teece, D. J. (1986). Profiting from technological innovation: Implications for integration, collaboration, licensing and public policy. Research policy, 15(6), 285-305 People don’t need a profit motive to innovation, by Eric von Hippel “What is Disruptive Innovation?” by Clay Christensen (2015) Bower, J. L., & Christensen, C. M. (1995). Disruptive technologies: catching the wave.

Week 3

Session 5: "Sources of Innovation" Asynchronous lesson Sources of external knowledge for innovation Make, buy or collaborate choices for innovation generation Introduction to Open Innovation E-tivities Self-check quiz Thyssen-Krupp innovation process exercise discussion Related Material Selected readings Lecture slides Videos Session 6: "Customer Co-creation" Asynchronous lesson Customer engagement in the innovation process Company internal management of customers' co-creation E-tivities Self-check quiz Co-creation exercise Related Material Selected readings Lecture slides Videos Materials: The era of open innovation." MIT sloan management Review 44.3 (2003): 35-41. “Open Innovation in the 21st Century”, chapter 2 in Open Innovation Results, by Henry Chesbrough (Oxford University Press, 2020) Krishnan, M. S. (2013). LEGO® Products: Building Customer Communities Through Technology. Harvard Business School Case. Ramaswamy, Venkat. 2009. "Are You Ready for the Co-Creation Movement?". IESE Insights, Third Quarter (2), 29-35.

Week 4

Session 7: "Innovation and the Business Model" Asynchronous lesson Business Model Business Model Canvas The role of business model in innovation projects' evaluation and inherent bias E-tivities Self-check quiz Business Model Canva exercise Related Material Selected readings Lecture slides Videos Session 8: "Innovation in Services vs. Products" Asynchronous lesson Innovation in Services Innovation in Products Service Blueprint Innovation in Services and Products: main differences E-tivities Self-check quiz Service blueprint exercise Related Material Selected readings Lecture slides Videos Materials: Henry Chesbrough and Richard Rosenbloom (2022). The role of the business model in capturing value from innovation: evidence from Xerox Corporation's technology spin‐off companies, Industrial and Corporate Change. Chapter 4 of Open Innovation, The Business Model: Connecting Internal and External Innovation, by Henry Chesbrough Lusch, R. F., Vargo, S. L., & O’brien, M. (2007). Competing through service: Insights from service-dominant logic. Journal of retailing, 83(1), 5-18. Bitner, M. J., Ostrom, A. L., & Morgan, F. N. (2008). Service blueprinting: a practical technique for service innovation. California management review, 50(3), 66-94.

Week 5

Session 9: "Open innovation" Asynchronous lesson Vertical Integration Open Innovation Open Innovation and Intellectual Property E-tivities Self-check quiz Want/Find/Get/Manage model exercise Related Material Selected readings Lecture slides Videos Session 10: "Innovation Ecosystems" Asynchronous lesson Innovation ecosystems (characteristics, typologies, and relevance) Innovation risks E-tivities Discussion iOs vs Android exercise Related Material Selected readings Lecture slides Videos Materials: Chesbrough, H. W. (2011). Bringing open innovation to services. MIT sloan management review, 52(2), 85. “The Logic of Open Innovation” by Henry Chesbrough, California Management Review Annabelle Gawer and Professor Michael Cusumano, "How Companies Become Platform Leaders", MIT Sloan Management Review, 2015: 68-75 “Match Your Innovation Ecosystem to Your Innovation Strategy”, by Ron Adner, Harvard Business Review, April 2006: 2-10

Week 6

Session 11: "Moonshot Models of Innovation" Asynchronous lesson Innovation policies Moonshot models of innovation Innovation and Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) E-tivities Self-check quiz US vs EU innovation policies exercise Related Material Selected readings Lecture slides Videos Session 12: "Failure Cases in Innovation" Asynchronous lesson Failure in Innovation Innovation risks E-tivities Self-check quiz Reflection of failure exercise Related Material Selected readings Lecture slides Videos Materials: Mariana Mazzucato’s book, The Entrepreneurial State (2015), titled “The State Behind the iPhone”, chapter 5 Mazzucato, M. (2018). Mission-oriented innovation policies: challenges and opportunities. Industrial and Corporate Change, 27(5), 803-815. Chapter 8, “Open Innovation Best Practices”, in Open Innovation Results, by Henry Chesbrough “The Other F Word”, by John Danner and Mark Coopersmith

Week 7

Creativity Asynchronous lesson Creativity definition and characteristics How to nurture creative thinking Open vs closed mindset E-tivities Open and Closed mindsets exercise Related Material Selected readings Videos Materials: Mumford, M.D. (2011). Handbook of organizational creativity. Academic Press.(Section A- except for chapter 3). Osann, I., Mayer, L., & Wiele, I. (2020). The Design Thinking Quick Start Guide: A 6-step Process for Generating and Implementing Creative Solutions. John Wiley & Sons (pp. 17-23).

Week 8

Design Thinking: Understand and Observe Asynchronous lesson Design Thinking characteristics and phases "Understand" phase of the Design Thinking process "Observe" phase of the Design Thinking process Interview techniques E-tivities Interview exercises Related Material Selected readings Videos Materials: Osann, I., Mayer, L., & Wiele, I. (2020). The Design Thinking Quick Start Guide: A 6-step Process for Generating and Implementing Creative Solutions. John Wiley & Sons (pages 24-46)

Week 9

Design Thinking: Synthetize Asynchronous lesson "Synthetize" phase of the Design Thinking process User persona Jobs-to-be done template E-tivities User Persona and Job to be done exercises Related Material Selected readings Videos Materials: Mumford, M.D. (2011). Handbook of organizational creativity. Academic Press.(Section A- except for chapter 3) Osann, I., Mayer, L., & Wiele, I. (2020). The Design Thinking Quick Start Guide: A 6-step Process for Generating and Implementing Creative Solutions Download The Design Thinking Quick Start Guide: A 6-step Process for Generating and Implementing Creative Solutions. John Wiley & Sons (pp. 17-23)

Week 10

Design Thinking: Ideate Asynchronous lesson "Ideate" phase of the Design Thinking process Brainstorming techniques E-tivities Brainstorming and Idea profile exercise Related Material Selected readings Videos Materials: Osann, I., Mayer, L., & Wiele, I. (2020). The Design Thinking Quick Start Guide: A 6-step Process for Generating and Implementing Creative Solutions. John Wiley & Sons (page 63-73) Luchs (2015). Design Thinking. Personas: Powerful Tool for Designers (Chapter 5-6, pp. 59-81) Gallupe, R. B., & Cooper, W. H. (1993). Brainstorming electronically. MIT Sloan Management Review, 35(1), 27. Hyatt, J. (2008). Where the Best-and Worst-Ideas Come From. MIT Sloan Management Review, 49(4), 11.

Week 11

Design Thinking: Prototype Asynchronous lesson "Prototype" phase of the Design Thinking process Prototype vs MVP vs PoC Prototyping techniques E-tivities Prototyping exercises Related Material Selected readings Videos Materials: Osann, I., Mayer, L., & Wiele, I. (2020). The Design Thinking Quick Start Guide: A 6-step Process for Generating and Implementing Creative Solutions. John Wiley & Sons (page 74-83) Luchs et al., (2015). Design Thinking. Personas: Powerful Tool for Designers (Chapter 7, pp. 87-103)

Week 12

Design Thinking: Test Asynchronous lesson "Test" phase of the Design Thinking process Design Thinking in organizational contexts E-tivities Testing exercises Related Material Selected readings Videos Materials: Osann, I., Mayer, L., & Wiele, I. (2020). The Design Thinking Quick Start Guide: A 6-step Process for Generating and Implementing Creative Solutions. John Wiley & Sons (page 84-91) Luchs et al., (2015). Design Thinking. Personas: Powerful Tool for Designers (Chapter 12) Luchs et al., (2015). Design Thinking. Personas: Powerful Tool for Designers (Chapter 11)