Idea evaluation as a design process: understanding how experts develop ideas and manage fixations
Idea evaluation is used to identify and select ideas for development as future innovations. However, approaching idea evaluation as a decision gate can limit the role of the person evaluating ideas, create fixation bias, and underutilise the person’s creative potential. Although studies show that du...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Design Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2053470123000070/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797840133922226176 |
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| author | Justine Boudier Alexandre Sukhov Johan Netz Pascal Le Masson Benoit Weil |
| author_facet | Justine Boudier Alexandre Sukhov Johan Netz Pascal Le Masson Benoit Weil |
| author_sort | Justine Boudier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Idea evaluation is used to identify and select ideas for development as future innovations. However, approaching idea evaluation as a decision gate can limit the role of the person evaluating ideas, create fixation bias, and underutilise the person’s creative potential. Although studies show that during evaluation experts are able to engage in design activities, it is still not clear how they design and develop ideas. The aim of this study was to understand how experts develop ideas during evaluation. Using the think-aloud technique, we identify different ways in which experts develop ideas. Specifically, we show how experts transform initial idea concepts using iterative steps of elaboration and transformation of different idea components. Then, relying on concept-knowledge theory (C-K theory), we identify six types of reasoning that the experts use during idea evaluation. This helps us to distinguish between three different roles that experts can move between during evaluation: gatekeeper, designer managing fixation, and designer managing defixation. These findings suggest that there is value in viewing idea evaluation as a design process because it allows us to identify and leverage the experts’ knowledge and creativity to a fuller extent. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T16:09:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4fc6696e3c4840f7b7573b29a57602dc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2053-4701 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T16:09:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Design Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-4fc6696e3c4840f7b7573b29a57602dc2023-04-24T10:45:33ZengCambridge University PressDesign Science2053-47012023-01-01910.1017/dsj.2023.7Idea evaluation as a design process: understanding how experts develop ideas and manage fixationsJustine Boudier0Alexandre Sukhov1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7426-0337Johan Netz2Pascal Le Masson3Benoit Weil4MINES ParisTech, Centre de Gestion Scientifique, 60 Boulevard Saint Michel, 75272 Paris Cedex 06, FranceKarlstad Business School, Karlstad University, CTF-Service Research Center, Universitetsgatan 2, 65188 Karlstad, SwedenKarlstad Business School, Karlstad University, CTF-Service Research Center, Universitetsgatan 2, 65188 Karlstad, SwedenMINES ParisTech, Centre de Gestion Scientifique, 60 Boulevard Saint Michel, 75272 Paris Cedex 06, FranceMINES ParisTech, Centre de Gestion Scientifique, 60 Boulevard Saint Michel, 75272 Paris Cedex 06, FranceIdea evaluation is used to identify and select ideas for development as future innovations. However, approaching idea evaluation as a decision gate can limit the role of the person evaluating ideas, create fixation bias, and underutilise the person’s creative potential. Although studies show that during evaluation experts are able to engage in design activities, it is still not clear how they design and develop ideas. The aim of this study was to understand how experts develop ideas during evaluation. Using the think-aloud technique, we identify different ways in which experts develop ideas. Specifically, we show how experts transform initial idea concepts using iterative steps of elaboration and transformation of different idea components. Then, relying on concept-knowledge theory (C-K theory), we identify six types of reasoning that the experts use during idea evaluation. This helps us to distinguish between three different roles that experts can move between during evaluation: gatekeeper, designer managing fixation, and designer managing defixation. These findings suggest that there is value in viewing idea evaluation as a design process because it allows us to identify and leverage the experts’ knowledge and creativity to a fuller extent.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2053470123000070/type/journal_articleConcept–Knowledge theorydefixationidea evaluation |
| spellingShingle | Justine Boudier Alexandre Sukhov Johan Netz Pascal Le Masson Benoit Weil Idea evaluation as a design process: understanding how experts develop ideas and manage fixations Design Science Concept–Knowledge theory defixation idea evaluation |
| title | Idea evaluation as a design process: understanding how experts develop ideas and manage fixations |
| title_full | Idea evaluation as a design process: understanding how experts develop ideas and manage fixations |
| title_fullStr | Idea evaluation as a design process: understanding how experts develop ideas and manage fixations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Idea evaluation as a design process: understanding how experts develop ideas and manage fixations |
| title_short | Idea evaluation as a design process: understanding how experts develop ideas and manage fixations |
| title_sort | idea evaluation as a design process understanding how experts develop ideas and manage fixations |
| topic | Concept–Knowledge theory defixation idea evaluation |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2053470123000070/type/journal_article |
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