Exploring the Design Space of Innovation Canvases

Abstract

Designerly innovation tools, such as canvases, are widely used for facilitating team and collaboration processes. This paper outlines the potential design space of such innovation canvases. Based on a systematic analysis of 123 existing canvases we developed a morphological box that distinguishes between six different parameters identified as relevant: (1) addressed process step, (2) involved media, (3) sequence of use, (4) available instructions, (5) number of elements, and (6) design specifics, as well as possible choices among them. The analysis also yielded several research gaps. Furthermore, we present an in-depth discussion of the possible theoretical underpinnings of innovation canvases and summarize them in a theoretical framework. The results of this paper provide references for other researchers and practitioners to better understand working mechanisms and fields of application of existing canvases and for developing such visual innovation tools for their own purposes.