The usage of cultural products in design thinking: An assessment of an underestimated approach

Abstract

It has been argued that cultural products (e.g., novels or movies) can be used to develop foresight or prototypes. The rationale is that cultural products not only reflect changes in the business environment but also contribute to these changes by diffusion. Therefore, cultural products are arguably valuable. However, compared to other design thinking tools such as ethnographic research, interviews or focus groups, cultural products are less prevalent. This article, which is based on an empirical study of 302 design thinkers from 2018, explores the extent to which cultural products are used in design thinking projects. Despite a lower prevalence than other design thinking tools, we find support that cultural products are positively related to the success of design thinking projects. We conclude that although cultural products are used less than other approaches, they have a significant impact. We therefore emphasize the future potential of using cultural products in design thinking.

Keywords:

• Design thinking
• design research
• cultural products
• customers
• ethnography

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The questionnaire is available upon request − please contact the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jan Oliver Schwarz

Jan Oliver Schwarz is a Professor of Strategic Foresight and Trend Analysis at the Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, Germany. He focuses his work on corporate foresight, dynamic capabilities, design thinking and the role of cultural products in management. Jan Oliver Schwarz holds a doctorate from the Berlin University of the Arts.

Bernhard Wach

Bernhard A. Wach is a visiting professor at the Faculty of Business Administration and Health at Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences. His research focus is on the field of strategic HRM, HR Business Partner and entrepreneurship. Bernhard A. Wach holds a doctorate from Paderborn University and worked in various roles in the financial industry and start-up sector.