Design-Driven Innovation: A Systematic Review

This paper consolidates the state of academic research on Design-Driven Innovation (DDI), covering systematically the literature published since the advent of the concept by Roberto Verganti in 2003. DDI brings a different perspective about innovation that is the opposite to the user-centric paradigm that has drawn attention during the last years. DDI claims that the creation of radical innovations (technology epiphanies) lies within the firm - through the support of interpreters - by proposing to the user new meanings in products, services and business models. The review suggests that DDI is a nascent concept that is gaining acceptance especially from 2009. We provide a quantitative and qualitative analysis from a selection of various research papers with diverse perspectives. Our results identify the main concepts associated to DDI, its evolution over time, the main authors, schools and journals, the most relevant papers contributing to the development of this line of research, identifying the main research methodologies and industries targeted in the studies. Furthermore, we contrast DDI with Design Thinking in order to highlight differences and common traits. Finally, we also present a research agenda as well as some implications for managers, entrepreneurs and policy makers.