IntroductionThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of prescribing a traditional foam cosmetic cover versus a more recently developed 3D printed cosmetic cover on the satisfaction and psychosocial wellbeing of prosthesis users.MethodsTranstibial and transfemoral prosthesis users were randomly assigned into two groups. One group was fitted with a foam cosmesis with a nylon stocking while the other received a 3D printed cosmetic cover. Cosmeses were worn for 12 weeks before being switched to the alternate design. Outcomes related to satisfaction and psychosocial wellbeing (ABIS-R, TAPES, QUEST) were collected on 3 occasions. Linear mixed effects models assessed for differences between the cosmetic covers.Results10 participants completed all outcome measures on 3 occasions. Significant differences in favour of the 3D printed cosmesis were observed for TAPES general psychosocial adjustment (p = .03), TAPES aesthetic satisfaction (p = .04) and ABIS-R (p = .025). Adjustment to physical limitations were higher for the foam cover (p = .008). No differences were observed in QUEST scores. Covariates; age, time since amputation, extroversion, did not have any significant effects.ConclusionResults suggest that cosmetic cover design can significantly affect prosthesis users' psychosocial wellbeing and satisfaction with aesthetic appearance. Variance between participants is high indicating diverse preferences.

Introduction: This study aimed to quantify the relationship between prosthetic users' emotional response to prosthesis aesthetics and specific product properties.

Methods: Words representing prosthesis users' emotional response (Kansei) to different aesthetic designs of prostheses were identified via interviews and mood boards. A group of experts consolidated the words into thematic groups, each represented by a single, high-level 'Kansei' word. 53 lower limb prosthesis users completed a questionnaire, rating their perception of 13 aesthetic designs using the 'Kansei' words. Quantification Theory Type 1 was applied to explore the relationship between words and product properties. Sub-analyses assessed for differences based on sex, age and level of extroversion.

Results: 5 high-level Kansei words were identified ('Natural', 'Technological', 'Cool', 'Unique' and 'Functional'). The Kansei word 'Natural' had a strong association with realistic looking prostheses while the words 'Technological', 'Cool' and 'Unique' were strongly associated with expressive designs which incorporate hard, colourful covers. The word 'Functional' was not a reliable predictor of product properties. No major differences were observed within sub-grouped categories.

Conclusion: Kansei words identified in this study can be used to help guide clients in their aesthetic design choices and to assist designers in achieving the desired response from their products.

Today, far too many products are scrapped due to surface related issues, products with perfect function but with minor surface blemishes. The complaints are often offset by goodwill commitments from suppliers at great cost to them and delivery delays and lead time costs for customers. The reason is that the industry relies on several non-standardized classification systems for surface quality that are based on various combinations of and designations for surface defects, assessed by visual inspections at a defined distance to determine the severity of any detected surface deviations. These similar classification systems provide far too much scope for subjective and non-repeatable assessments causing communication problems between customer and producer at all stages in the supply chain. To challenge this situation, a common toolbox to communicate, describe and define surface quality should be developed, i.e. a standardisation of surface quality assessment including various effects and defects with a jointly established nomenclature and evaluation parameters. This work presents the first step of a research project bringing together 11 suppliers and OEMs along the supply chain, from the delivery of raw aluminium to finished alumina profiles included in consumer products. The final goal of the project is to develop an ‘objective classification of visual requirements’ on alumina profiles towards increased sustainability and decreased material wastage. Presented result is a common terminology with links to the process chain, surface defect geometry and visual appearance aiming at making the communication between producers and buyers of the aluminium profiles clearer and more unambiguous when it comes to specification and requirements of profile surfaces in each of the supply-chain links. Future work will add measurable parameters specifying surface quality.

Large costs and lead-time losses are created by returned aluminum products - to a great extent unnecessarily. Much of the metal product complaints are due to visual surface defects. Today, the aluminum industry relies on several non-standardized classification systems for surface quality assessments which provides far too much scope for subjective and non-repeatable surface estimations. To challenge this situation, a common toolbox to describe and define surface quality in a more objective way needs to be developed. A first step towards such standardization is to speak the same language, thus this study is based on a state-of-the-art survey covering terminology and descriptions of surface defects in literature, and a round-robin assessment collecting terms used by employees at seven companies within the aluminum industry. The literature study showed that most attempts to catalog and categorized various types of defects on commercial aluminum extrusions are based on the origin of defects and how to prevent and/or reduce them, thus the vocabulary is production-oriented and most terms are not useful from the customers' nor the designers' point of view when coming to describe desired surface effect, i.e. perceived surface quality. The round-robin assessment confirmed the large variation of terminology used, and that defects were judged differently also within the same company due to experience and field of work. A common vocabulary is suggested to be based on the relationships between used expressions; from general terms at stages linked to consumers, designers and sale, tracing towards more technical terms the closer the stage where the origin of the defect can be found. This structure, in combination with e.g. manufacturing cost, is expected to guide customers towards more sustainable surface quality choices that, together with more consistent surface assessments along the production chain, is expected to strongly reduce unnecessary scrapping. 

A material and surface selection within the car industry is usually based on a comprehensive study based on sensation and perception, focusing on particular perceived qualities and impressions (emotional functions) through visual and tactile interaction of plastic surfaces. On top of that 'emotional function', the 'technical function' such as surface roughness or gloss for a certain matter in symbiosis, will result in a number of material and surface proposals. The range of materials fitting into the window of these requirements varies depending on the industry's ability to hit the target specified in regard to the 'emotional functions', usually defined by the designer's intention. Thus, to be able to get a deeper understanding of how to frame the 'emotional functions' and link them to the 'technical functions', two user studies were made in this paper. The user studies were made with two different designs however with the same main research target to be able to understand the varieties of these two. The aim of doing so was to be able to find the user study design that was the most time efficient and providing the most significant data linked to the 'technical functions' and process control/traceability. However also finding the user study design with the least strains for the participating users in regard to uninterrupted brain activity. By designing the user study in relevant subsets in a certain sequence, user study design nr 2 has proven to be more time efficient and provide more data regarding the soft metrology. Future work will focus on deeper knowledge about how these surfaces different material- and surface properties correlate to the participants responses regarding perceived quality of a car interior design. The development of a new non-contact measurement is also discussed, enabling the possibility to complement and improve the hard metrology set up.

Purpose

The concept design-driven innovation focuses on innovating product meanings. It has been studied from a variety of perspectives and contexts since the early 2000s. However, a complete overview of the literature published in this area is currently missing. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive understanding of how design-driven innovation contributes to value creation in product development.

Design/methodology/approach

In this systematic literature review, 57 papers and book chapters that cover design-driven innovation were identified and analyzed. An iterative coding process was followed to derive five facets of design-driven innovation that contribute to value creation.

Findings

Design-driven innovation creates value by focusing on the intangible values of products. The following five facets of design-driven innovation that contribute to value creation were identified: development of new product meanings, knowledge generation, actors and collaborations, capabilities and process. These facets and their interrelations are presented in a theoretical framework.

Practical implications

The main practical implication of this study is that it is now clear that the five facets of design-driven innovation are interrelated and reinforce each other. Therefore, companies need to approach design-driven innovation from a holistic perspective.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to theory by presenting the theoretical framework that provides an overview of available knowledge and that creates a context for future research.

New surface treatments, novel material developments, and improved quality control procedures and advanced metrology instrumentation create a possibility to further develop competitiveness by the selection of “optimal” surface features”, to a product. The customers first apprehension of a product and the creation of desire is a very complex, but tempting process to learn more about. The interaction between the added quantitative- and the qualitative direct impressions with the customers known and unknown functional demands, social background, and expectations results in sensation and perception, partly possible to quantify and to great extent impossible to pin-down as numbers. Customer sensation and perception are much about psychological factors. There has been a strong industrial- and academic need and interest for methods and tools to quantify and linking product properties to the human response but a lack of studies of the impact of surfaces. This paper aims to introduce a novel approach to develop and join a human sensoric inspired metrology frame-work with qualitative gradings of apprehended impressions of products with varying surface properties. The aim is to establish the metrology framework to link measurable- and unmeasurable impressions of product surfaces to customer FEELING as exemplified by a set of industrial applications. In conclusions of the study, future research in Soft metrology is proposed to allow understanding and modelling of product perception and sensations in combination with a development of the Kansei Surface Engineering methodology and software tools.

Design-driven innovation focuses on the innovation of product meanings. This innovation is enabled by integrating knowledge on needs, product language and technological development. So far, it has mostly been studied in contexts where the buyer is the assumed end user. There has been little research about design-driven innovation in other contexts, such as business-to-business and public contexts. Here, companies need to create value for multiple stakeholders. In this study, these are defined as users, buyers and influencers. The aim of this study is to explore how companies consider the different stakeholders in the innovation of product meanings. Two companies participated in a case study. The results demonstrate that both companies mainly focus on addressing needs. However, while one case company prioritizes the perspective from the user, the other focuses more on the buyer. The results illustrate the increased complexity that companies need to manage in design-driven innovation in these contexts.

Design-driven innovation focuses on the innovation of product meanings. This innovation is enabled by integrating knowledge on needs, product language and technological development. So far, it has mostly been studied in contexts where the buyer is the assumed end user. There has been little research about design-driven innovation in other contexts, such as business-to-business and public contexts. Here, companies need to create value for multiple stakeholders. In this study, these are defined as users, buyers and influencers. The aim of this study is to explore how companies consider the different stakeholders in the innovation of product meanings. Two companies participated in a case study. The results demonstrate that both companies mainly focus on addressing needs. However, while one case company prioritizes the perspective from the user, the other focuses more on the buyer. The results illustrate the increased complexity that companies need to manage in design-driven innovation in these contexts.