Social product Development: Product Development in the 21st Century Socio-Sphere

The mainly prescriptive design approaches of today (e.g., Pahl & Beitz Systematic Engineering Design) were created decades ago with the aim to guide the design of mechanical machines in the post WWII era. Today, however, most design projects are interdisciplinary in nature and involve large teams of design engineers at geographically dispersed locations. Furthermore, new arrangements with customers and suppliers have altered the way engineers work and maintain their inventions. For example, Rolls Royce have adopted their business model to sell in approach called "power per hour". The "servitization" of products requires engineers to consider aspects of their product such as ease of maintenance and repair, during the development process. The purpose of this project is to investigate how the design approaches of today can be improved by incorporating elements of Social Product Development, i.e., Crowd-sourcing, Mass Collaboration, Crowd-Funding, and Open Innovation. These phenomena, while relatively well-known, have limited academic support regarding their practical application. The aim is to conceive a theoretical Social Product Development Design and Innovation Framework for 21st Century Product Development in the Socio-sphere. This new design and innovation framework is to be tested and validated, to then create a comprehensive set of guidelines to facilitate its successful transfer into industry. In a nutshell, the project is aimed at making a significant contribution towards creating the "Pahl & Beitz of 2030".