TY  - JOUR
T1  - Creating Value and Innovation in Smes: The Critical Role of
Tools for Design Management
AU - Youssef, K. Ben AU - Barison, A. AU - Leicht, T. AU - Pellicelli, M. 
JO  - International Business Management
VL  - 12
IS  - 3
SP  - 323
EP  - 336
PY  - 2018
DA  - 2001/08/19
SN  - 1993-5250
DO  - ibm.2018.323.336
UR  - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=ibm.2018.323.336
KW  - crowdcrafting
KW  -open innovation
KW  -design management
KW  -crowdsourcing
KW  -co-design
KW  -Co-creation
KW  -product innovation
AB  - Design management has been widely recognised to play a key role in creating value and innovation.
However, the empirical implementation of tools for design management as well as their impact on the customer’s
brand experience is still little investigated, especially in the case of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
This study introduces concepts relevant to customer involvement in the product design process and analyses
the case of a pioneer Italian SME that produces luxury furniture. By referring to design workshops, it is
identified that crowdsourcing, co-design, co-creation and crowdcrafting as concepts of design management
play a critical role for the product innovation process of the company. A standardised questionnaire with
workshop participants is used to provide insights into the impacts of these tools for design management on
the customer experience. The findings suggest that the analysed approach satisfies customer interest and
provides the opportunity to cooperate with other workshop participants in the product development in an
inspiring learning atmosphere. Furthermore, workshop participants reported increased brand trust, willingness
to purchase and loyalty towards the brand. The study concludes with discussing managerial implications and
further research recommendations.
ER  -