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Design+ Industrial design leads to understanding of users

Figure 5. Alessi corkscrews designed by Alessi, 2016 14

design, ranging from the mid-90s to today, converges on the
effects on users, pragmatic constraints, and the capability
to facilitate social interaction. Hence, Simon generally Figure 6. Design thinking versus user-centered design. Diagram created
defined design as a “problem-solving, process-oriented by the author
activity,” which can be found in tendencies more targeted
to product design while Krippendorff summarized design Ultimately, design imbues meaning to products: If the
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as the act of “making sense (of things).” Thus, the role of functionality purpose is to satisfy the utilitarian needs of
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the primary decision-maker in a product design process customers, the product meaning relates to a customer’s
is critical as this holds the responsibility of investigating affective and sociocultural needs. The meaning of words
the context and ideating/understanding the impact of changes gradually over time and the term design is no
alternatives before formulating a decision. exception and currently has different meanings to different
With a contemporary focus on sustainable design people. Thus, designers give meaning to products using
practices, there is an increased understanding of decisions’ a specific design language to deliver such a message;
longer-term impact revealing the power of decisions made particularly, Verganti highlights how innovation of meaning
at the very early design phase by the design team, which may “also be radical, which happens when a product has a
typically includes architects, engineers, developers, or language and delivers a message that implies a significant
18, p.12
owners. However, sometimes, it takes time to diffuse and reinterpretation of meanings.” While efforts have been
achieve design-driven innovation because users need to made to determine narrow and clear definitions of the design
understand the new meaning, find new links to their socio- process, the nature of design as an action is challenging to
pin down.
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cultural environment, and explore new symbolic values of
interaction with a final product. To do so, design research Design moves between the poles of art and science,
often focuses on what ought to be through the disruption often blurring this binary distinction, and can aid a holistic
of the status quo, but users and their values are pivotal response to the strategic aims of business and government,
to design because they are the basis of good design, a while addressing contextual factors of people and place.
quintessential essence of UCD and user experience design Products can be viewed in terms of their appeal, with
(UXD). 17 product emotions growing from users’ emotions or previous

UCD is a significant process to be applied to realize a negative experiences about a selected product. Users are
highly desirable product for a targeted audience because those who will use the very last product introduced on
the user is the constant focus starting from the first the market but, at the same time, are people with needs
ideation to the development and release stages. Thus, a and expectations as per the role and value of design in
great knowledge of the user is needed to be successful, New Product Development, which has been strengthened
19-23
with technological feasibility and business goals taken through the years. Because success requires the design
into consideration. This process can be applied in multiple of the direction of an innovation journey before designing
fields and its key principles are articulated in the ISO 9241 a solution, pushing innovation to what is meaningful is
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– 210 standards, which is called “human-centered design the core. As a result, design has a big impact on product
for interactive systems.” Instead, design thinking applies innovation, and when technological advancements
abductive reasoning to identify and solve articulated issues combine with radical innovation of meanings, it can be a
that may impact product design or organizational processes very powerful innovation strategy.
and function (e.g., Braun/Oral B Electric Toothbrush or Therefore, what is meaningful now may quickly change
Airbnb). Usually, they are compared, as shown in Figure 6. as we live in a fast-changing world, so concentrating

Volume 1 Issue 1 (2024) 6 doi: 10.36922/dp.3929