DG4S32 - Design-led Innovation Principles and Methods 05 Dec 2019 - 31 Aug 2026 | Version 1

Associated Module Information

Module Code: DG4S32
Module Title: Design-led Innovation Principles and Methods
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Fashion, Marketing and Photography
Faculty Sub Group: Fashion Marketing and Photography
Module Leader: Philip Harfield
Module Team: Steven Wright
First Intended Intake: SEP 2020 Final Year of Intake: 2025
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 7
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100811 - creative management
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 1
Valid From 05 Dec 2019
Valid To 31 Aug 2026

Module Aims

To enable critical exploration of innovation frameworks and key principles. To develop deep understanding of the role of innovation professionals in delivering value to businesses and organisations.

Specific aims are:

  • To enable in-depth understanding of innovation theory, through investigating the key principles in the management of innovation in commercial businesses, public sector, third sector and values-led organisations
  • To critically reflect on the use of various established innovation management methodologies, including design thinking, lean start-up and agile processes
  • To contend the value of such methods in supporting business transformation to deliver technical products, social services and business models

Content Summary

The exploration of key innovation principles and methods within this module will be supported through external partner insight lectures highlighting developments in public and private sector practice. Content includes:

  • Exploration of fundamental innovation methods and tools to create new business opportunities, value propositions and customer loyalties
  • The role of digital transformation in disrupting and enabling change, such as crowdfunding, participatory design and mass customisation
  • Critical review of innovation typologies (value-led, values-led and technology-led)
  • Exploration of radical and incremental innovation outcomes reflective of whole systems thinking

Through exploring alternate incremental and radical innovation case studies, students will be challenged to extrapolate on their value in answering unmet user/customer/stakeholder needs.

Teaching within the module will include complimentary formal teaching and informal group working sessions which investigate a breadth of approaches to product, service and business model innovation.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 8
Seminar 24
Tutorial 4
Independent Study 104
Directed Study 60
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Articulate advanced understanding of diverse innovation principles and frameworks and their implication to organisational user/customer/stakeholder value proposition
LO2 Articulate advanced understanding of design-led innovation methods and tools applied to organisational change projects

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Presentation (Asynchronous) 1 Business redesign proposal: Presentation of business redesign project to support a holistic value proposition 20 N/A 50 No 40
Asynchronous Assessment Case study 1 Innovation methods case study: the development of a structured case study exploring the theoretical and applied aspects of innovation methods 0 N/A 50 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Presentation (Asynchronous) 1
Case study 1

Reading List

Kelley, T., and Kelley, David., 2015. Creative confidence: Unleashing the creative potential within us all. New York: William Collins. 658.314 KEL

Kelley, T., and Littman, J., 2001. The art of innovation: Lessons in creativity from IDEO, America's leading design rm. New York: Currency/Doubleday. 658.4063 KELKumar, Vijay., 2012. 101 Design Methods a Structured Approach for Driving Innovation in Your Organization. Wiley. Online

Laloux, F. (2014) Reinventing organizations?: a guide to creating organizations inspired by the next stage of human consciousness. First edition. Brussels: Nelson Parker.

Lizier, A. L., 2017. Investigating work and learning through complex adaptive organisations. Journal of Workplace Learning, 29(7/8), 554565. doi:doi:10.1108/JWL-05-2016-0033.

Nesta., 2014, Development Impact and You. [Online]. Nesta. Available from: http://diytoolkit.org/

Osterwalder, A. (2014) Value proposition design?: how to create products and services customers want /. Hoboken?: John Wiley & Sons.

Radjou, Navi, and Jaideep C. Prabhu., 2016. Frugal Innovation : How to Do More with Less. 658.4063 RAD

Ries, E., 2011. The Lean Startup. New York, Crown Business.

Roger, M., 2013. The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking is the Next Competitive Advantage. Boston: Harvard Business Review Press. 658.4063 MAR

Roth, B., 2015. The Achievement Habit: Stop Wishing, Start Doing, and Take Command of Your Life. Harper Business.

Spiller, C., Barclay-Kerr, H. and Panoho, J., 2015. Wayfinding leadership: Groundbreaking wisdom for developing leaders. Wellington, NZ: Huia Publishers.

Uhl-Bien, M., and Arena, M., 2017. Complexity leadership: Enabling people and organizations for adaptability. Organizational Dynamics.