Design Capabilities for the Pursuit of Innovation in an Academic Environment

Design research is moving beyond the study of industry based practices and towards the stewardship of design-led innovation for business development and economic growth. To this end, it is now required to evidence the benefits it creates. To examine these notions further this paper presents an approach for design-led innovation within an academic context. The authors build on the concept of design capabilities to develop a framework of evaluation that provides a platform for which the impact and value of design to industry and the formation of diverse teams can be critically discussed. Furthermore, this study contributes to the burgeoning cognisance of design capabilities as a means to understand value, by indicating potential pathways towards yet further application of design research in the industry context. It closes with reflections presents how lessons from this study can contribute to future of university-industry partnership working