This study has used design ethnography and service design thinking to understand triadic relationships in product-service systems. The data used in this research has been collected in an explorative user research phase of an overarching service design project at Scania CV. The service design project was of purpose to apply a user-centered design approach to investigate Scania Driver Services. The study finds Design Ethnography and Service Design Thinking as fruitful in understanding triadic relationships in product-service systems, but also identify challenges that require further exploration in order to enable the best possible value-propositions. The study contributes to understanding what kind of knowledge that applying design ethnography and a service design thinking approach to understand triadic relationships in product-service systems concern. A summary of knowledge identified is presented below. Understanding and knowledge concern: • Contradictions between the purchaser and end-user perception. • Actor perception of another actor(s). • Actor perceived evolution of another actor over time. • Actor change of view due to its own evolution. • Relationships of the service provider, purchaser and end user. • Misconceptions between actors. • Variation in communication between actors. • What the communication between actors is perceived to concern. • Additional actors than initially considered that are crucial for understanding the triadic relationship.

Denna förstudie undersöker hur man kan balansera en användarcentrerad arbetsprocess mot en verklig kund (som inte tillåter kontakt med de slutgiltiga användarna). Den undersöker utmaningarna kring skapandet av en tänkt kundportal för servicetjänster genom att utgå från kundens egen informationsmodell med de slutgiltiga användarnas behov. Med hjälp av fyra muntliga intervjuer och observationer har data samlats in om hur kunden arbetar med sina användare idag. Genom denna förståelse skapades en klickbar prototyp för att sedan testa denna på två användare genom Think Aloud-observationer. Utifrån återkoppling från testerna har prototypen itererats. Resultaten av förstudien visade på vikten av en förstudie kring användarnas behov innan skapandet av en ny portal och hur dennes informationsmodell ska se ut. Med hjälp av en förstudie kan även nya innovativa idéer kring den tänkta produkten vara till sin fördel. Att skapa en användarcentrerad prototyp utan användarna är ingen användarcentrerad prototyp. Förstudiens resultat visar på möjligheterna med att involvera användare i skapandet av en prototyp för att utesluta krockar mellan kund och användare. / This pilot study investigates how one can balance a user-centrered workprocess against the business goals of the client. It investigates the challenges in creating a service providing portal by using the clients own information model but having the users in focus. With the help of four oral interviews and observations, data has been collected on how the client work with their users today. Using this understanding a prototype was created to test on two users, using Think Aloud-observations. The feedback from the tests were used to iterate the prototype further. The results showed the importance of doing it before the creation of an information model. With the help of a pilot study new innovative ideas can come up. The conclusion was that working after a user-centered method does not work if the client does not allow involvement of the users themselves. The pilot study shows the possibilities in involving users in the creation of a prototype to eliminate future problems in interaction design of a portal.

The aim of this thesis is to define the concept of the career opportunity map. This map shows first-year students at economic universities the real functions at selected positions in companies. Profiles positions should also point out where management skills are applied in practise. The theoretical part of the thesis is devoted to the definition of basic concepts and techniques of Design Thinking. The next step is to outline methods that are used in the practical part. Likewise, the reader will find here the selected management approach by various authors. The practical part presents a plan of research, outputs of research with experts, outputs of the workshop with the students and the samples of profile jobs. Result of this work will define specific forms of the concept and recommendations for future extension.

The purpose of this study is to find out if the gap between theory and practice is also visible in the Swedish design industry and how the gap could then be reduced. Previous research describes a lack of UX (User eXperience) work in design processes and a study has therefore been conducted with the aim to formalize guidelines for how companies, which do not include UX and users in their design processes, should develop their UX work in order to offer better artifacts. The results of the study shows that the majority of designers have UX as a design approach. Designers in the industry often know what UX means and why it is important but seems to find it hard to make customers realize the value of the UX work, which force designers to use UX as a way of thinking instead of the way of working. The results of the study presents new guidelines that companies can use to develop their UX maturity and work which is necessary for survival. We can make several conclusions from the result. UX is necessary to deliver high quality products and services to users but restricted by the customers motivation, time requirements and financial resources. Because of that, designers must have rhetorical knowledge and be able to shape and function communication that leads the client to understand the value of UX. If design companies do not involve UX in their design processes, possibly through user tests and demonstrations, the company's risk to losing important competitive advantages. This study provides a good basis for further research in the subject. The study ends with recommendations until further work on topics that were to be done for this study. / Syftet med denna studien är att ta reda på om klyftan mellan teori och praktik även syns i den svenska designbranschen och hur klyftan i så fall skulle kunna minskas. Tidigare forskning beskriver en avsaknad av UX-arbete (User eXperience) i designprocesser och en studie har därför genomförts med målsättningen att kunna formalisera riktlinjer för hur företag, som inte inkluderar UX och slutanvändare i sina designprocesser ska utveckla sitt UX-arbete för att kunna erbjuda bättre artefakter. Resultatet från studien visar att majoriteten av designers har UX som förhållningssätt inom design. Designers i branschen vet oftast vad UX är och varför det är viktigt men upplever att det är svårt att få beställaren inse värdet av UX-arbetet, vilket gör att designers tvingas använda UX som tankesätt istället för arbetssätt. Vid intervjuerna framkom det riktlinjer som företag kan använda sig av för att börja med UX. Från resultatet kan vi dra flera slutsatser. UX är nödvändigt för att kunna leverera artefakter med hög kvalitet och värde för användarna men begränsas av beställarens tidskrav och ekonomiska resurser. Designern behöver ha retoriska kunskaper och kunna forma en fungerande kommunikation som leder till att klienten förstår värdet av UX. Om designföretag inte involverar UX i sina designprocesser, förslagsvis genom användartester och demonstrationer, riskerar företagen att tappa viktiga konkurrensfördelar. Denna studie skapar en bra grund för vidare forskning inom ämnet. Studien avslutas med rekommendationer till fortsatt arbete, kring ämnen som var för omfattande för att ta upp i denna studie.

<p>This thesis is an article-based (3-paper format) dissertation. In the first article, the research team adapted an input-process-outcome (IPO) model of group-level processes in the classroom, as a theoretical framework, to examine students’ experiences regarding pre-college engineering curricula, classroom environments, and their experiences with the creative process in the two engineering courses offered in a university-based summer enrichment program. Applying provisional and open coding to semi-structured interview data from 16 participants, an Input-Process-Outcome Model of Collaborative Creativity (IPOCC model) was developed. In this study, I grouped our findings under Inputs, Group Processes, Outcomes, and Mediating Factors. The IPOCC model expands the 4P model of creativity to incorporate more collaborative contexts. According to the 4P model, creativity can be viewed from four different perspectives: Person, Process, Product, and Press. The IPOCC model suggests that in K-12 collaborative practice, creativity involves group-level considerations in addition to individual-level components. The IPOCC model offer insights for educators in terms of input components, group processes, and mediating factors that can facilitate learners’ engagement in creative teamwork. Findings of this study indicated that a combination of challenging tasks, open-ended problems, and student teamwork provides a rich environment for learners’ engagement to think creatively.</p> <p>The purpose of the second study was to systematically investigate how novice/K-12 students’ visual representation of design ideas has been operationalized, measured, or assessed in the research literature. In the different phases of screening in this systematic review, inclusion, exclusion, and quality criteria were applied. From an initial sample of 958 articles, 40 studies were included in the final step of the coding process and qualitative synthesis. Applying provisional and open coding, three broad themes, and 23 characteristics were identified that have been used by researchers to conceptualize sketching of ideas, in novice/K-12 design activities: Communicating Ideas, Visual-Spatial Characteristics, and Design Creativity. We propose this Three-pronged Design Sketching (3-pDS) framework to examine K-12 design sketches. </p> In K-12 settings, one major challenge of conducting research on the influence of engineering education programs and curricula involves assessment. There is a need for developing alternative, effective, and reliable assessment measures to evaluate students’ design activities. The third study aimed to address this need by developing the idea-Sketching Early Engineering Design (i-SEED) Scale to assess pre-college learners’ freehand sketches in response to a design task. Applying the Three-pronged Design Sketching (3-pDS) as a theoretical framework, the purpose of this study was to examine evidence of content validity, construct validity, and internal consistency of the i-SEED Scale data. The data collection took place in a residential summer enrichment program for students with gifts and talents at a Midwestern university. Following different stages of scale-development design, a sample of 113 design sketches were scored in this study, and the scores were used to provide evidence of the validity of the data for the i-SEED Scale. The sketches were generated by 120 middle- and high-school students in a collaborative design-oriented course. Exploratory factor analysis results supported a three-factor model for the i-SEED Scale, including Visual-Spatial Characteristics, Design Creativity, and Communicating Ideas.

Die COVID-19-Pandemie forderte 2020 die Wirtschaftswelt heraus und provozierte in vielen Unternehmen die Dezentralisierung und Digitalisierung der Denkarbeit. Co-Creation-Workshops mussten wirkungsvoll und schnell in Online-Formate übertragen werden. Für die Produktentwicklung und -innovation der Sartorius AG bedeutete dies die Entwicklung einer digitalen Plattform: Bestehende Inhalte und Prozesse wurden überarbeitet, verbessert, erweitert und in einer digitalen Infrastruktur zusammengeführt. Ausgehend von der Plattform erhalten Mitarbeiter:innen Zugang zu einem Methodenpool, Workshop-Vorlagen und Schulungsmaterialien. So können Teams weltweit produktiv zusammenarbeiten. Die digitale Plattform ist ganzheitlich und nachhaltig konzipiert und wird durch ein analoges Method Playbook und agile Schulungen, sowie eine Webcast-Serie ergänzt, in der weiterführende Informationen on-demand abgerufen werden können. Mit der Plattform wird die unternehmensweite Innovationskultur in Zeiten der Pandemie nicht nur erhalten, sondern sogar proaktiv ausgebaut und zusätzlich werden Zeit und Ressourcen gespart.

In the age of digitization, the use of Augmented and Virtual Reality as digital supplements to the traditional museum visit become much more frequent. The author of this study investigates development process, and the way history is communicated through the Gamla Upsala AR/VR and Uppåkra VR experiences. The development processes are analysed through the lens of design thinking perspective. The analysis of history communication through digital experience focuses on reflecting the concepts of performance of knowledge, archaeological imagination and narratology, and time travel. The research is based on qualitative material gathered from institutions (Gamla Uppsala Museum and Uppåkra Archaeological Centre) and software developers (Disir Productions AB and Elkington Communications AB) responsible for the creation and use of the digital experiences. Based on the answers, a comparison of the results from is provided, with the help of the theoretical framework. In the discussion, the author places the problematics of the design, production and communication of history through digital tools into a broader context, as well as discusses the extent to which they are reflected in the Gamla Uppsala AR/ VR and Uppåkra Archaeological Centre VR. Additionally, the study debates probable solutions for using VR/AR in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

La présente thèse vise à démontrer la faisabilité d’une approche centrée sur l’expérience utilisateur (user experience) pour développer des sites web adaptés aux personnes ayant un handicap visuel. En nous appuyant sur une analyse des pratiques informationnelles d’un panel d’étudiants, nous avons conçu et développé une maquette permettant de faire la « preuve du concept ». Les résultats obtenus dans le cadre de cette recherche sont de deux types : une analyse de besoins définis à partir d’entretiens et un développement informatique / The present thesis demonstrate the feasibility of a user experience approach to develop websites adapted to people with visual disabilities. Based on an analysis of the information practices of a panel of students, we designed and developed a model for a "proof of concept". The results obtained as part of this research are of two types: a needs analysis defined from interviews and a computer development.

The wireless charging market has seen exponential growth in recent years and wireless charging is quickly becoming the standard in consumer electronic devices to eliminate inconveniences of wired chargers. The adoption of wireless charging technology is most visible in the smartphone industry. This thesis report elicits the process involved in designing a Wireless charger that complies with the Qi- Wireless Standards set by the Wireless Power Consortium. The drawbacks of current product offerings and user needs are identified, and conceptual solutions that could strengthen the wireless charging experience are explored. The most promising solution is developed upon which results in a full-scale functional prototype.

Risk-Based Testing is a testing approach in software development that involves identifying, analyzing, controlling, testing, and reporting risks. The strategy provides several benefits and helps companies control risks and manage them effectively. However, the testing strategy may become challenging with new technologies, increased deployment and development of new features, and larger projects.    Westermo is a manufacturer and vendor of industrial ethernet networks and data communications products for mission-critical systems in harsh environments. Risk-based testing is a critical component of their software development process to maintain high-quality deployments. Westermo's current approach to documenting and monitoring risks is done through spreadsheets. Over time, as new features are implemented and deployed, these spreadsheets become more complex and challenging to manage. As such, Westermo is currently seeking to replace them with a new risk management tool supporting risk-based testing.  In this thesis, I investigated how one can prototype a risk management tool to support the risk-based testing process at Westermo. To this end, a deeper understanding of how current risk-based testing is performed and managed during software development was required. I also had to identify the challenges with the current approach for documenting and monitoring risks and the requirements for a new tool. I investigated these issues using a combination of qualitative research strategies and divided the work into three phases. In the first phase, I observed internal process documentation and three risk analysis workshops with a total of 14 participants held by Westermo. This was followed by interviewing two software developers and one project manager to identify requirements for a new tool. The next step was to develop a prototype and in the final phase, I evaluated the utility of the design with two focus groups for a total of six participants.  Ideally, according to the requirements I identified, the risk management tool should facilitate the documenting and monitoring of the risks and provide functions to add, manage and visualize the risks from a larger release perspective and a smaller feature perspective in a simple and efficient manner. / Riskbaserad testning är en testmetod inom mjukvaruutveckling som innebär att identifiera, analysera, kontrollera, testa och rapportera risker. Teststrategin ger flera fördelar och hjälper företag att kontrollera risker och hantera dem effektivt. Med ny teknik, ökad distribution och utveckling av nya funktioner och större projekt kan processen istället bli utmanande.  Westermo är en tillverkare och leverantör av industriella Ethernet-nätverks- och datakommunikationsprodukter för verksamhetskritiska system i tuffa miljöer. Riskbaserad testning är en viktig teststrategi i deras mjukvaruutvecklingsprocess för att upprätthålla högkvalitativa distributioner. Westermos nuvarande tillvägagångssätt för att dokumentera och övervaka risker är genom att använda kalkylblad. Med tiden, när nya funktioner implementeras och distribueras, blir dessa kalkylblad mer komplexa och utmanande att hantera. Därför försöker Westermo för närvarande ersätta dem med ett nytt riskhanteringsverktyg för att stödja riskbaserad testning.  I det här examensarbete undersökte jag hur man kan prototypa ett riskhanteringsverktyg för att stödja den riskbaserade testprocessen på Westermo. För detta ändamål krävdes en djupare förståelse för hur aktuell riskbaserad testning utförs och hanteras under mjukvaruutveckling. Jag behövde också identifiera utmaningarna med det nuvarande tillvägagångssättet för att dokumentera och övervaka risker och kraven på ett nytt verktyg. Jag undersökte dessa frågor genom en kombination av kvalitativa forskningsstrategier och delade upp arbetet i tre faser. I den första fasen observerade jag intern processdokumentation och tre riskanalysmöten med totalt 14 deltagare i Westermo. Detta följdes av intervjuer med två mjukvaruutvecklare och en projektledare för att identifiera krav på ett nytt verktyg. Nästa steg var att ta fram en prototyp och i slutfasen utvärderade jag användbarheten av designen med två fokusgrupper med totalt sex deltagare. Enligt de krav jag identifierade ska riskhanteringsverktyget kunna underlätta dokumentationen och övervakningen av riskerna och tillhandahålla funktioner för att lägga till, hantera och visualisera riskerna ur ett större releaseperspektiv och ett mindre funktionsperspektiv på ett enkelt och effektivt sätt.