Rethinking the prototyping process for applying design thinking to business model innovation

Abstract

This research proposes a prototyping perspective in design for business model innovation to facilitate disruption. The value of design-led approach for managing innovation has been recognised under the concept of ‘design thinking’. In the research on innovation, the concept of business model innovation has been discussed as business models started to be acknowledged as a key aspect of managing innovation. Although experimentation for business model innovation is argued to be of importance, how to apply prototyping of design thinking to business model innovation has been limitedly theorised. This research is based on a literature review to articulate theoretically the concept of prototyping in business model innovation. Through the literature review, this research identifies four key dimensions of prototyping in business model innovation: purpose, process, context and engagement. This paper focuses on the Process dimension to interrogate the existing argument.