Design process and knowledge searching model based on user creativity

Abstract

With the rising of the open innovation notion, satisfying user's creative needs of has become a focus in new product development. Products that facilitate user's creativity can be regarded as a kind of creative platform. Extending the concept of user innovation, this study explored two issues based on «user creativity orientation». First, a design process based on user's creativity platform (UCP) is proposed for designers and enterprises, which includes eight steps: (1) explore user's creativity needs, (2) classify functionality of the product, (3) develop primary and secondary components, (4) design a creativity-friendly interface, (5) prototype components, (6) examine UCP product features, (7) evaluate user's creation experience, and (8) assess the potential creativity of the user's outcomes. Through the process, a set of school-aged toy allowing user successive design are developed for children. The proposed model is feasible and effective and can elevate the idea of design from the level of pure product design to a creative platform and experience design, assist industries in developing platform products and meeting the users' needs for self-accomplishment. Additionally, in order to explore the user's search behavior for design knowledge in self-design activity, this study proposes a methodology and tools and takes the highly-involved LEGO players as the subjects to construct a "model of user's search behavior for design knowledge". With the proposed method, the users can be categorized by length of involvement and breadth of experience content into four kinds of status types of users, and nine essential knowledge attributes and eight key search approaches can be gained. According to the constructed model, the enterprise's role as enabler and users' role as designer can be further explored in design research and marketing strategy of products. The design knowledge and skills of highly-involved users will advance form a few individual hobby to a creative experience industry. It is also anticipated to offer enterprises with effective applications of users' design resources and create new energy on knowledge economy. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.