Design-Led Innovation for Improved Manufacturing A Case of Paints Manufacturing Companies in Nairobi

Abstract

Companies are obligated to reconsider their business approach and transform their capabilities as they adjust to the impacts of deregulation, globalization and the knowledge economy. There is an everlasting necessity for deliberate processes to facilitate organisational performance through alignment of vision, mission, strategy, culture, people, processes and products. Previous empirical research has shown Design-led Innovation as a methodology which businesses can utilize to innovate by developing capacities to be able to interact, iterate and discover novelty propositions within markets, in effect, modifying their operational and strategic fundamentals. This research sought an understanding of Design Innovation, and the appropriate process of integrating it in the manufacturing sector.
Espousing a Naturalistic Inquiry, otherwise acknowledged as Constructivism or a constructivist conception, the research was embedded within the fields of design and business. Using qualitative research methods, a sample of eight paint manufacturing companies in Nairobi, were selected and considered for data.
The research concluded that neither the innovation principles nor design practices are novel or significant in themselves. As such, a design lens is shown as the spine of the framework. This design lens comprises common practices utilised within design thinking: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver.