The aim of the project is to reveal the expression of design-based thinking solutions and their application in forming competitive advantage.
Issue: 2016 According to the European Commission’s Innovation Barometer, 63% of Lithuanian businesses do not use design solutions in their product styling, design or business strategy development processes, while the European Union average of around 50% and about half of all businesses already integrating design solutions in their activities. There is not enough research in Lithuania to reveal design-based thinking solutions in forming competitive advantage, expression, applicability and benefits.
Scientific discussions on the formation of competitive advantage take place in the works of both foreign and Lithuanian scientists. With the rapidly changing business environment leading to ever-increasing competition across industries, companies are constantly analyzing competitors’ actions, consumer needs and looking for market development opportunities to form a competitive advantage. Opportunities to build competitive advantage are explored from resource theory, marketing and corporate economics, and through new concepts such as design-based thinking, which help companies create a culture that fosters new ideas and creative solutions, and find non-standard solutions for competitive advantage.
The solution of the problem addressed in the project would help to reveal design-based thinking solutions as new management solutions focused on the development of competitive advantage and to substantiate the applicability and benefits of design-based thinking solutions.
Project funding:
Project is funded by EU Structural Funds according to the 2014–2020 Operational Programme for the European Union Funds’ Investments priority “Development of scientific competence of researchers, other researchers, students through practical scientific activities” under Measure No. 09.3.3-LMT-K-712.
Project results:
The main result of the project is based on the acquired scientific competence through the research practice, during which actively student participated in the research process, getting acquainted with its‘ specifics and solving relevant problems by collecting primary information and generating conclusions based on the results of empirical research.
Based on the analysis of the scientific literature and the results of the empirical research, the conclusions are formulated as the suggestions that can be applied as the opportunities and guidelines for the development of competitive advantage using the design-based thinking method:
1. The concept of design-based thinking is perceived as a value-added tool, drawing on the resources available to the company and improving existing processes at all levels of the company. Academically, design-based thinking can be considered as a methodology for analyzing concepts and ideas. Design-based thinking is based on identifying problems by exploring consumer and business issues through the elements and principles of design-based thinking.
2. In a business environment, leaders and innovators often position themselves not by seeking alternative solutions, but by focusing on new opportunities, combining business and consumer opinions, experiences, competencies, and suggestions, and prioritizing the consumer and the value it brings to form a competitive advantage. The expression of design-based thinking in shaping competitive advantage is reflected in product, service, innovation, demand and market growth. In this case, a design-based thinking model is used – multidisciplinary, where multidisciplinary teams come together to find and prepare a real solution within a relatively short period of time.
3. Design-based thinking is not widely used in Lithuania to develop competitive advantage, as it is still quite new, but its value is undeniable – research shows that companies applying design-based solutions increase sales and export markets by 10-20 percent.
Period of project implementation: 2019-07-01 - 2019-08-31
Project coordinator: Kaunas University of Technology
