Thus far, many contributions in the field of design have described design's role in the life cycl... more Thus far, many contributions in the field of design have described design's role in the life cycle of a successful Social Innovation (SI). Design, in fact, has been proposed by many authors to be the most suitable approach to developing SI initiatives from their start-up to release. In particular, some authors have proposed Design Thinking as the best methodology for the development of new SIs; while others, promote Participatory Design as the best method to support SIs, heralding its process of collaboration, networking and coproduction. Nevertheless, many research results have demonstrated that the need to find a balance between social and economic objectives is one of the main barriers to SI. This paper discusses these general results as they have been elaborated in the context of the SIMPACT European project and focuses on the value of design competences to better design SI products, services and brands, which is explored through the discussion of two well established cases of SI in Europe.
Designers today live in interesting times, riddled with complex, ‘wicked’ problems amidst advanci... more Designers today live in interesting times, riddled with complex, ‘wicked’ problems amidst advancing technological landscapes that are transforming: the object of design, the spaces in which it is conducted, the actors involved, the stages in which it operates and the value it delivers. The paper explores each of these aspects, presenting the main arguments of current academic debate and extracting skills that service designers should acquire when moving forward. Understanding the role of service designers and the skills needed is a useful pursuit for the discipline as a whole, which finds itself in a moment of reflection and selfassessment. Remaining relevant as professionals is a key issue for many service designers as they face problems whose solutions are often open-ended, systemic and done with the engagement of non-designers. The paper concludes by proposing a skills framework for the contemporary designer to serve as a prototype for future reflection and debate.
Considering the specificity of the SI process and the complexity of SI Business Models, as emerge... more Considering the specificity of the SI process and the complexity of SI Business Models, as emerged from the analysis presented and discussed in Part I of this deliverable (Rizzo, Komatsu & Deserti, 2015), Part II of the deliverable will undertake a multidisciplinary study to advance the understanding of the different factors influencing its peculiar nature. The literature review will contribute from one side to build a theoretically sound and comprehensive deepening of the numerous factors that underlie the actual economic structure of social innovations, and, from the other, will enhance differences or similarities with other forms of innovation. The factors and concepts affecting the social innovation business structure, which emerged from the cases reported in D3.2, have been organized following the first categorization of SI economic principles, objectives & components.
ABSTRACT The innovation demand placed on both profit-driven and mission-driven organisations is s... more ABSTRACT The innovation demand placed on both profit-driven and mission-driven organisations is steadily rising in the face of changing technological and social paradigms, set against a generalised atmosphere of fiscal austerity. Hence, mission-driven organisations have undergone a series of transformations in order to find new revenue streams and to better serve their beneficiaries. These transformations are apparent in the area of social innovation, which is characterized by its search for new ways of financing solutions to cope with societal challenges. As mission-driven organisations adopt profit-driven strategies and for-profit organisations adopt mission-driven strategies, they each take on new and sometimes borrowed characteristics, evolving into hybrid organisations. Social innovation research is increasingly devoted to distinguishing features of mission-driven and profit-driven organisations. In fact, we can learn more about mission-driven organisations by looking through the lens of social enterprise. This article contributes to the ongoing debate of mission-driven organisations by analysing how new forms of business models combining mission-driven and profit-driven logics and features are designed and shape organisational behaviour in the field of social innovation. Results illustrate that while mission-driven organisations are often prompted to use models, tools and logics coming from the for-profit sector, more emphasise should be placed on output-oriented models and tools that support the specificities of their business models.
ABSTRACT The problems society faces today are increasingly complex and rooted in likewise complex... more ABSTRACT The problems society faces today are increasingly complex and rooted in likewise complex socio-technical systems. Unfortunately, the structures meant to face these challenges are not suitably equipped. There is a mismatch between the need and the capacity to respond. Design methods and approaches are now being employed to help capacitate cities and communities and structure social innovations around larger transition visions. As social innovations are highly context-dependent, the distinctive characteristics of the local context become important to the success or failure of such initiatives. In the paper, the authors explore this topic through the study of two cases in which top-down visions, negotiated at the niche-level, gave way to the structuration of an empowered ecosystem of actors, serving as a platform for iterative, social change. The cases are analyzed through an ‘Onion model’ in which four contexts are explored: roles, functions, structures and norms.
Addressing the challenges of brand design in the field of social innovation is an emerging and ti... more Addressing the challenges of brand design in the field of social innovation is an emerging and timely question, particularly for social brands who are faced with the challenge of competing in terms of quality with other brands. The paper discusses the value that design can attribute to the branding of ethical products through a case-based discussion of two companies: Libera Terra and Lush. Libera Terra is a social enterprise based in Italy that employs disadvantaged workers to produce organic food and wine on lands confiscated from the mafias. Lush, on the other hand, is a handmade cosmetic retailer based in the UK who is working on maintaining brand perception despite becoming a global chain. The paper explores the role of design in the brand management of social enterprises and how integrating design culture into these organizations could help the sector mainstream their products and services.
Design has emerged as a discipline equipped to tackle the complex problems of the 21st century, p... more Design has emerged as a discipline equipped to tackle the complex problems of the 21st century, primarily for its human-centered and experimentation approach and participative qualities. Through the discussion of a case study of a government design lab, formerly inside the Finnish Immigration Service, the question of how design can help public sector organizations better respond to their pressing needs is addressed, in an attempt to explore the value of design as it is being used by the increasing population of policy labs in governments across Europe. While these labs have been charged to bring innovation to government, there are several factors that hinder their roles as "challengers" of the system. Given the temporal constraints and limited decisionmaking power of policy labs, cultivating a culture of design has been identified by the authors as a promising outcome, acting as a generative tool for organizational change through its capacity to mediate between the production and consumption of products/services.
Design has emerged as a discipline equipped to tackle the complex problems of the 21st century, p... more Design has emerged as a discipline equipped to tackle the complex problems of the 21st century, primarily for its human-centered and experimentation approach and participative qualities. Through the discussion of a case study of a government design lab, formerly inside the Finnish Immigration Service, the question of how design can help public sector organizations better respond to their pressing needs is addressed, in an attempt to explore the value of design as it is being used by the increasing population of policy labs in governments across Europe. While these labs have been charged to bring innovation to government, there are several factors that hinder their roles as “challengers” of the system. Given the temporal constraints and limited decision-making power of policy labs, cultivating a culture of design has been identified by the authors as a promising outcome, acting as a generative tool for organizational change through its capacity to mediate between the production and consumption of products/services.
Purpose The third sector is a producer of trust and positive social interactions, while the mafia... more Purpose The third sector is a producer of trust and positive social interactions, while the mafias destroy trust and social norms. Confiscation of assets and reusing confiscated assets are important tools from an economic and symbolic point of view for contrasting the mafias and promoting a sustainable and fair economy. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of the third sector for reusing confiscated assets. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a theoretical analysis of why a third sector role is utilized for reusing confiscated assets, thus focusing on the economic, social and cultural dimensions. Italian legislation and data are presented for showing the relevant and innovative role of the third sector for reusing confiscated assets. A case study of the city of Forlì, based in Northern Italy, is presented and is of particular interest because it is a part of Italy that does not have a historical presence of the mafias. The University of Bologna is now a par...
Thus far, many contributions in the field of design have described design's role in the life cycl... more Thus far, many contributions in the field of design have described design's role in the life cycle of a successful Social Innovation (SI). Design, in fact, has been proposed by many authors to be the most suitable approach to developing SI initiatives from their start-up to release. In particular, some authors have proposed Design Thinking as the best methodology for the development of new SIs; while others, promote Participatory Design as the best method to support SIs, heralding its process of collaboration, networking and coproduction. Nevertheless, many research results have demonstrated that the need to find a balance between social and economic objectives is one of the main barriers to SI. This paper discusses these general results as they have been elaborated in the context of the SIMPACT European project and focuses on the value of design competences to better design SI products, services and brands, which is explored through the discussion of two well established cases of SI in Europe.
Designers today live in interesting times, riddled with complex, ‘wicked’ problems amidst advanci... more Designers today live in interesting times, riddled with complex, ‘wicked’ problems amidst advancing technological landscapes that are transforming: the object of design, the spaces in which it is conducted, the actors involved, the stages in which it operates and the value it delivers. The paper explores each of these aspects, presenting the main arguments of current academic debate and extracting skills that service designers should acquire when moving forward. Understanding the role of service designers and the skills needed is a useful pursuit for the discipline as a whole, which finds itself in a moment of reflection and selfassessment. Remaining relevant as professionals is a key issue for many service designers as they face problems whose solutions are often open-ended, systemic and done with the engagement of non-designers. The paper concludes by proposing a skills framework for the contemporary designer to serve as a prototype for future reflection and debate.
Considering the specificity of the SI process and the complexity of SI Business Models, as emerge... more Considering the specificity of the SI process and the complexity of SI Business Models, as emerged from the analysis presented and discussed in Part I of this deliverable (Rizzo, Komatsu & Deserti, 2015), Part II of the deliverable will undertake a multidisciplinary study to advance the understanding of the different factors influencing its peculiar nature. The literature review will contribute from one side to build a theoretically sound and comprehensive deepening of the numerous factors that underlie the actual economic structure of social innovations, and, from the other, will enhance differences or similarities with other forms of innovation. The factors and concepts affecting the social innovation business structure, which emerged from the cases reported in D3.2, have been organized following the first categorization of SI economic principles, objectives & components.
ABSTRACT The innovation demand placed on both profit-driven and mission-driven organisations is s... more ABSTRACT The innovation demand placed on both profit-driven and mission-driven organisations is steadily rising in the face of changing technological and social paradigms, set against a generalised atmosphere of fiscal austerity. Hence, mission-driven organisations have undergone a series of transformations in order to find new revenue streams and to better serve their beneficiaries. These transformations are apparent in the area of social innovation, which is characterized by its search for new ways of financing solutions to cope with societal challenges. As mission-driven organisations adopt profit-driven strategies and for-profit organisations adopt mission-driven strategies, they each take on new and sometimes borrowed characteristics, evolving into hybrid organisations. Social innovation research is increasingly devoted to distinguishing features of mission-driven and profit-driven organisations. In fact, we can learn more about mission-driven organisations by looking through the lens of social enterprise. This article contributes to the ongoing debate of mission-driven organisations by analysing how new forms of business models combining mission-driven and profit-driven logics and features are designed and shape organisational behaviour in the field of social innovation. Results illustrate that while mission-driven organisations are often prompted to use models, tools and logics coming from the for-profit sector, more emphasise should be placed on output-oriented models and tools that support the specificities of their business models.
ABSTRACT The problems society faces today are increasingly complex and rooted in likewise complex... more ABSTRACT The problems society faces today are increasingly complex and rooted in likewise complex socio-technical systems. Unfortunately, the structures meant to face these challenges are not suitably equipped. There is a mismatch between the need and the capacity to respond. Design methods and approaches are now being employed to help capacitate cities and communities and structure social innovations around larger transition visions. As social innovations are highly context-dependent, the distinctive characteristics of the local context become important to the success or failure of such initiatives. In the paper, the authors explore this topic through the study of two cases in which top-down visions, negotiated at the niche-level, gave way to the structuration of an empowered ecosystem of actors, serving as a platform for iterative, social change. The cases are analyzed through an ‘Onion model’ in which four contexts are explored: roles, functions, structures and norms.
Addressing the challenges of brand design in the field of social innovation is an emerging and ti... more Addressing the challenges of brand design in the field of social innovation is an emerging and timely question, particularly for social brands who are faced with the challenge of competing in terms of quality with other brands. The paper discusses the value that design can attribute to the branding of ethical products through a case-based discussion of two companies: Libera Terra and Lush. Libera Terra is a social enterprise based in Italy that employs disadvantaged workers to produce organic food and wine on lands confiscated from the mafias. Lush, on the other hand, is a handmade cosmetic retailer based in the UK who is working on maintaining brand perception despite becoming a global chain. The paper explores the role of design in the brand management of social enterprises and how integrating design culture into these organizations could help the sector mainstream their products and services.
Design has emerged as a discipline equipped to tackle the complex problems of the 21st century, p... more Design has emerged as a discipline equipped to tackle the complex problems of the 21st century, primarily for its human-centered and experimentation approach and participative qualities. Through the discussion of a case study of a government design lab, formerly inside the Finnish Immigration Service, the question of how design can help public sector organizations better respond to their pressing needs is addressed, in an attempt to explore the value of design as it is being used by the increasing population of policy labs in governments across Europe. While these labs have been charged to bring innovation to government, there are several factors that hinder their roles as "challengers" of the system. Given the temporal constraints and limited decisionmaking power of policy labs, cultivating a culture of design has been identified by the authors as a promising outcome, acting as a generative tool for organizational change through its capacity to mediate between the production and consumption of products/services.
Design has emerged as a discipline equipped to tackle the complex problems of the 21st century, p... more Design has emerged as a discipline equipped to tackle the complex problems of the 21st century, primarily for its human-centered and experimentation approach and participative qualities. Through the discussion of a case study of a government design lab, formerly inside the Finnish Immigration Service, the question of how design can help public sector organizations better respond to their pressing needs is addressed, in an attempt to explore the value of design as it is being used by the increasing population of policy labs in governments across Europe. While these labs have been charged to bring innovation to government, there are several factors that hinder their roles as “challengers” of the system. Given the temporal constraints and limited decision-making power of policy labs, cultivating a culture of design has been identified by the authors as a promising outcome, acting as a generative tool for organizational change through its capacity to mediate between the production and consumption of products/services.
Purpose The third sector is a producer of trust and positive social interactions, while the mafia... more Purpose The third sector is a producer of trust and positive social interactions, while the mafias destroy trust and social norms. Confiscation of assets and reusing confiscated assets are important tools from an economic and symbolic point of view for contrasting the mafias and promoting a sustainable and fair economy. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of the third sector for reusing confiscated assets. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a theoretical analysis of why a third sector role is utilized for reusing confiscated assets, thus focusing on the economic, social and cultural dimensions. Italian legislation and data are presented for showing the relevant and innovative role of the third sector for reusing confiscated assets. A case study of the city of Forlì, based in Northern Italy, is presented and is of particular interest because it is a part of Italy that does not have a historical presence of the mafias. The University of Bologna is now a par...
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