The characteristics of successful meaning construction in design teams

Abstract

Creation of new meanings of products and services is acknowledged as the key skill of designers today. Still, it is also recognised as a difficult competence to acquire and moreover, there is very little guidance for novice designers or non-designers on how to practice this creation of new products meanings. In this study, we explore the meaning construction process in four novice design teams. The study reveals a remarkable difference between high-grade and low-grade students related both to their approach to a design problem as well as their prioritisation of aspects in the design process.