MANAGING THE UNKNOWN – DESIGN THEORY AND METHODS FOR INNOVATION

This 30-hour face-to-face course is an in-depth introduction to design theory. The theory of design (C-K theory) unifies theories of creativity and theories of knowledge and allows the development of methods and organizations adapted to the collective and constructive exploration of the unknown. These approaches are essential today for those who wish to train in the management of innovation, scientific entrepreneurship, and the management of contemporary transitions. The course alternates between theoretical lessons in the morning and practical workshops in the afternoon. Practicing designers will also be invited to speak about their experience of design in various areas (business, science, art). The course begins with a presentation of the challenges posed by reasoning in the unknown and design theory. From this theoretical basis, we will discuss changes in the organization of design, particularly in companies (history of R&D, recent development of "innovation" functions, etc.). We will deepen the question of expertise and knowledge structures adapted to generativity (in engineering, science, design). We will then deal with cognitive aspects (fixations, defixations) and the resulting leadership issues. We will then study the questions of evaluation and economic management and the forms of risk management in the unknown. Finally, we will address the issues of governance and management at the level of innovation ecosystems (“entreprise à mission, architects and colleges of the unknown).

Main notions:

• C-K reasoning: knowledge of the main notions (C-space, K-space, operators, double expansion); capacity to build a simple C-K; capacity to evaluate a C-K (see workshop and exercises 1)
• Knowledge for generativity (independent knowledge; splitting); capacity to ‘split’ a knowledge model (see workshop and exercises 3)
• Fixation, defixation – leadership for defixation
• Organization principles of rule-based and innovative design (dominant design, value management / design space) (see workshop and exercises 2)
• Economic evaluation in design (value of design genericity; value of knowledge); capacity to rely on economics criteria for improved exploration (see workshop 4)
• The design logic in science – double impact research
• Design ecosystems, models with two interdependent designers

Courses – with readings for each course

Reading available here: https://filesender.renater.fr/?s=download&token=6a7963aa-4a47-4b66-8178-86c605df5c1a Day1: Design theory

• Course: Introduction: managing in the unknown
• Course: design theory
• Innovative design workshop 1: recognize/propose a concept, first partition, dichotomy, de-partition

To be read before the course: Le Masson, P., Weil, B., and Hatchuel, A. (2017). “Chapter 4: Designing in an Innovative Design Regime - Introduction to C-K Design Theory.” Design Theory - Methods and Organization for Innovation, P. Le Masson, B. Weil, et A. Hatchuel, eds., Springer Nature pp. 125 – 168 You can focus on 4.1 and 4.2. 4.5 is an example of C-K application. Complementary reading (not compulsory but relevant for the course): Hatchuel, A., and Weil, B. (2009). “C-K design theory: an advanced formulation.” Research in Engineering Design, 19, (4), pp. 181-192. Day 2: Design-oriented organization – from R&D to RID.

• Course: History of R&D – rule-based design, dominant design
• Course : design oriented organizations in companies - Conference by D. Laousse, Innovation Department SNCF
• Innovative design workshop 2: C-K on dominant design

To be read before the course: For the history of engineering department: See 2.6 (pp. 49-58) Le Masson, P., Weil, B., and Hatchuel, A. (2017). “Chapter 2: Designing in a Rule-Based Regime - Systmatic Design Theory and Project Management.” Design Theory - Methods and Organization for Innovation, P. Le Masson, B. Weil, et A. Hatchuel, eds., Springer Nature pp. 19-61 For RID organization (basics): read 5.2.4.2 KCP (pp. 218-222) and 5.7 Thales case (pp. 303-307) Le Masson, P., Weil, B., and Hatchuel, A. (2017). “Chapter 5: Designing the Innovative Design Regime - C-K Based organizations.” Design Theory - Methods and Organization for Innovation, P. Le Masson, B. Weil, et A. Hatchuel, eds., Springer Nature pp. 187-336 Complementary reading (not compulsory but relevant for the course): Design theory and the history of engineering department: Le Masson, P., and Weil, B. (2013). “Design theories as languages for the unknown: insights from the German roots of systematic design (1840-1960).” Research in Engineering Design, 24, (2), pp. 105-126. For the history of industrial research labs: see 3.7 (pp. 97-109) Le Masson, P., Weil, B., and Hatchuel, A. (2017). “Chapter 3: Designing in a Rule-Based Regime - Systmatic Design Theory and Project Management.” Design Theory - Methods and Organization for Innovation, P. Le Masson, B. Weil, et A. Hatchuel, eds., Springer Naturepp. 63-124 For RID organizations: the whole chapter 5! Day 3: design cognition and designing decision in the unknown

• Course: design and cognition - conf. by Justine Boudier, Mines Paris - PSL
• Course: design and decision
• Innovative design workshop 4 : defixation, design decisions
• Conference by Maria Elmequist (Chalmers Univ)– creativity processes in companies

Read one of the two below before the course – the other as complementary readings: For design theory and cognition: Agogué, M., Kazakçi, A., Hatchuel, A., Le Masson, P., Weil, B., Poirel, N., and Cassotti, M. (2014). “The impact of type of examples on originality: Explaining fixation and stimulation effects.” Journal of Creative Behavior, 48, (1), pp. 1-12. For designing decision in the unknown: Le Masson, P., Hatchuel, A., Le Glatin, M., and Weil, B. (2018). “Designing decisions in the unknown: a generative model.” European Management Review, 16, (2), pp. 471-490. Day 4: formal foundations of design theory and the generativity of knowledge

• Course: formal foundations of design theory: forcing and generative processes – conference by A. Hatchuel, Academy of Technologies
• Course: design & art - teaching splitting knowledge at Bauhaus
• Innovative design workshop 3: splitting a knowledge model

Read one of the two below before the course – the other as complementary readings: For design theory and forcing: Hatchuel, A., Weil, B., and Le Masson, P. (2013). “Towards an ontology of design: lessons from C-K Design theory and Forcing.” Research in Engineering Design, 24, (2), pp. 147-163. For splitting knowledge and Bauhaus: Le Masson, P., Hatchuel, A., and Weil, B. (2016). “Design theory at Bauhaus: teaching “splitting” knowledge.” Research in Engineering Design, 27, (April 2016), pp. 91-115.   Day 5: design in science, design in firm’s governance

• Course: design & science (Models with two interdependent designers – design ecosystems) – conf by Quentin Plantec, Toulouse Business School
• Course: governance of the innovative firm – conf by Kevin Levillain, Mines Paris, chair of governance and theory of the firm

Read one of the two below– the other as complementary readings: For design and science: Plantec, Q., Le Masson, P., and Weil, B. (2021). “Another way to gt the Nobel Prize: the role of the industry in the emergence of new scientific breakthroughs.” R&D Management Conference, Glasgow, UK. For design and governance: Levillain, K., and Segrestin, B. (2019). “Commitment in the unknown: An innovative use of the Profit-with-Purpose corporate framework to ensure responsible innovation.” XXVIIIè Conférence de Management Stratégique AIMS, Dakar, Sénégal, 23. Another Complementary reading on design and governance (related to Decision in the unknown, day 4): Lévêque, J., Levillain, K., and Segrestin, B. (2020) “A Model of the Innovative Purpose for Responsible Innovation: Towards Design-Based Governance.” 16th International Design Conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia. Day 5 afternoon: Course evaluation – conclusion & debriefing with students

Evaluation

• Quiz / knowledge acquisition
• Exercises

Recommended reading

Le Masson, P., Weil, B., and Hatchuel, A. (2017). Design Theory - Methods and Organization for Innovation, Springer Nature. Note: there is a French version of this book: Le Masson, P., Weil, B., and Hatchuel, A. (2014). Théorie, méthodes et organisations de la conception, Sciences de la Conception, M. Nakhla, Presses des Mines, Paris. 464