Case Study for Product Development Innovation Based on Design Thinking Approach, Demonstrated by Smart Furniture Project

Abstract

The paper intends to demonstrate the functional role and application of methods provided by the design thinking mindset when the team should create an innovative product design concept in a multidiscipline environment. First, the essential description and features of a design thinking mindset are significant for the discussed topic are introduced, along with defining the specialties and expected output of the featured smart furniture project. Second, after a clear view of the applicable mindset, the paper aims to sketch the project scope by reasoning the applied design thinking methods and highlighting the product design process’s challenges. Finally, the article makes a definite conclusion for demonstrating the design thinking mindset's experienced application, completed by the detailed evaluation of research questions based on empirical data. The purpose of the article is, on the one hand, to highlight the role and significance of the design thinking mindset in an innovative project. On the other hand, emphasizing that well-chosen methods in the right team composition with a well-defined problem already carries the key to the solution. The paper's novelty is the detailed practical description confirmed by concrete results of successfully applied methods needed to design a clear vision and scope for a multidiscipline team by design thinking mindset.