The Tenuous Relationship Between Design and Innovation

Abstract

The words design and innovation are increasingly used interchangeably to describe a method for conceiving of artifacts, services, and systems. While those terms, and their related tools and techniques, have a strong relationship to one another, they are not synonymous. This paper not only considers the problem with merging design and innovation, it also presents the case for an acknowledgement of the unique nature of Design and Design thinking, larger than and inclusiveof the professional manifestation of design in a business context.