Which effects are claimed with user-toolkits for innovation and design?
Dominic Lindner · 2014
This study analyses the effects created by so-called toolkits for user innovation and design (TID), a new method of integrating customers into product development and design. Toolkits allow customers to create their own product, which in turn is produced by the manufacturer. User toolkits for innovation are linked to a product or service type and to a specified production system. This study analyses the effects derived from the use of TID. The effects are divided in the effects for the owner of the toolkit and the user. The claimed effects in the literature are tested with a simple toolkit in a user study. Outcome shows that TID has several psychological, functional, social and process effects which are different for customer groups. The effects also change the way for manufacturers.