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This paper considers the role of lean product development (LPD) as part of a company's overall innovation strategy. Our discussion contends that the value-concept in LPD is too strongly tied to product features, and that this may lead to: (i) overemphasis on utilitarian value, (ii) preference for reliability over validity, and (iii) a defensive approach to market-trends. These factors can compromise the philosophy's ability to maximize customer value, and represent a challenge in making LPD fit beyond incremental innovation in the technological domain. Lean innovation (LI) is therefore introduced as an extension of LPD, building on a value concept that embraces emotional as well as utilitarian characteristics. It is suggested that lean principles should not be limited to product development, but should concern all aspects of a company's innovation efforts relevant to offering a pleasurable customer experience.

This research focuses on exploring which factors influence organisational creativity the most, and what actions are the most effective to enhance organisational creativity of design companies and departments in Taiwan. The survey showed that the most influential five factors to organisational creativity were in the order of design environment, team climate, group/organisation culture, design process and motive of work. The survey also showed that the most effective ways of improving organisational creativity were in the order of effective knowledge/experience sharing among colleagues, cultivating the designers' world view, accumulations of team design experiences, visiting domestic and foreign design exhibitions and diversified design work experiences. After the data from the questionnaire were further analysed by t-test, one-way ANOVA and Scheffé post hoc multiple comparisons, the study also showed that the most effective ways of improving organisational creativity were in the significant difference between the design company and design department. Furthermore, in terms of demographic variables of gender, employees' education, professional training, age and working experiences, the study result also implied that the most effective ways of improving organisational creativity could be different under different situations. With follow-up interview, we also found that due to the differences of business conditions, interviewees also had different perspectives referring to the definitions of good ideas. It drew various degrees of attentions when valuating creativity and improving it in the organisation. Thus, in order to get an effective creative performance, while facing different layout strategies and environments, administrators must adjust these measures to fit into their own need according to the conditions or restrictions of the organisations.

The design process can be conceptualized in at least three different ways: 1) as a process of transforming inputs into outputs, 2) as a flow of information through time and space, and 3) as a process for generating value for customers. Case studies and research findings to date indicate that design management in construction is deficient from all three of these points of view. In this paper, a series of experiments aiming at creating clarity and introducing systematic management principles from all three perspectives is described. The results of these experiments suggest that the use of relatively simple, albeit theory-driven, tools can achieve major improvements in the process of construction design. It is argued that only when based on suitable conceptualizations, and informed by empirical data, can effective methods be devised to ameliorate construction design and engineering.

This paper describes a design-planning study for a building facility renewal project. The study concentrates on the design management role of a project management organization. The objective of the paper is to determine from empirical observations how early project design is carried out. The background and context of the management organization is described, the client's design objectives are outlined and design process models are developed to illustrate the evolution of the design. One of the objectives of this paper is to highlight instances where sequential design and information flows cause reactive design tasks to be initiated. This untimely flow of information affects the quality of decision making. The study identifies the need for more proactive design planning at the outset of a design project and interactive design approaches throughout the duration of the design project. The research reveals the relationships and the effects design contract delivery methods, organizational management behavior, and communication technologies can have on design tasks and the subsequent quality of the decision making process. Recommendations are made to improve design processes used within the project management organization based on lean design principles.

Innovative design management in architecture is urgently required due to the escalating complexity of building projects. At present, collaborative design must deal with multidimensional technical and social complexities. This paper critically appraises different design management approaches that are the implications of different ways of seeing design. It distinguishes the view that focuses on the end product of design from the one that focuses on the creation process. The last one includes design-methodological, engineering, and social psychological approach. For a successful implementation, different approaches have to be used complementarily. Therefore, a coherent design management framework is needed.