Design methodology applied for product innovation in a multi-disciplinary project - A case study

This paper takes its departure in the results of a research project aiming to develop resource-economic and lightweight car concepts and subsystems, as well as to stimulate cross-company business networking. The project was carried out through collaboration between an automotive manufacturer, 35 automotive suppliers, and six universities, most with Swedish affiliation. The initial phase of the project was devoted to a creative concept study. For this purpose, a research team selected and facilitated systematic design methods for requirements setting, creation, and evaluation of product concepts. Through a workshop-based approach, 63 individuals organised in eight sub-teams set out on developing innovative product concepts using the methods. This paper describes these methods as well as demonstrates their application.