An engineering approach to mapping meanings in products and services

Gregor Waltersdorfer; Kilian Gericke; Pieter Desmet; Lucienne T. M. Blessing

An engineering approach to mapping meanings in products and services

Gregor Waltersdorfer, Kilian Gericke, Pieter Desmet, Lucienne T. M. Blessing

Design Aesthetics

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volume › Conference contribution › Scientific › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to explore how meanings in products and services can be captured, deconstructed, and finally structured, in order to facilitate the deliberate and intentional creation and conveyance of meanings to users and non-users. These analytical steps for mapping meanings are investigated in an empirical study using a qualitative approach and theoretically grounded in Peirce's triadic model of signs. This new methodology in design research seems promising to obtain a new perspective on meaning in products and services. Through the course of the empirical study, we developed a research method, which is also a design method, called MeaningMap, for organising and tructuring meanings. A first exploratory evaluation of the method with students showed its
comprehensibility and applicability for analysing and structuring meanings within a limited amount of time. We envision that the MeaningMap as a method for design as communication can support designers during task clarification in analysing the voice of customer, defining user group, specifying the intended
meanings, and deriving requirements to the communicative potential of products and services.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED17)
Subtitle of host publication	Product, Services and Systems Design
Editors	A. Maier, S. Škec, H. Kim, M. Kokkolaras, J. Oehmen, G. Fadel, F. Salustri, M. Van der Loos
Place of Publication	Glasgow
Publisher	The Design Society
Pages	331-340
Number of pages	10
ISBN (Electronic)	978-1-904670-91-9
Publication status	Published - 2017
Event	ICED17: 21st International Conference on Engineering Design - Vancouver, Canada Duration: 21 Aug 2017 → 25 Aug 2017

Publication series

Name	ICED
Publisher	ICED
Number	DS87-3
Volume	3
ISSN (Electronic)	2220-4342

Conference

Conference	ICED17
Country/Territory	Canada
City	Vancouver
Period	21/08/17 → 25/08/17

Keywords

Design methods
Product-Service Systems (PSS)
User centred design
Meaning
Semiotics

Cite this

Waltersdorfer, G., Gericke, K., Desmet, P., & Blessing, L. T. M. (2017). An engineering approach to mapping meanings in products and services. In A. Maier, S. Škec, H. Kim, M. Kokkolaras, J. Oehmen, G. Fadel, F. Salustri, & M. Van der Loos (Eds.), Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED17): Product, Services and Systems Design (pp. 331-340). (ICED; Vol. 3, No. DS87-3). The Design Society.

Waltersdorfer, Gregor ; Gericke, Kilian ; Desmet, Pieter et al. / An engineering approach to mapping meanings in products and services. Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED17): Product, Services and Systems Design. editor / A. Maier ; S. Škec ; H. Kim ; M. Kokkolaras ; J. Oehmen ; G. Fadel ; F. Salustri ; M. Van der Loos. Glasgow : The Design Society, 2017. pp. 331-340 (ICED; DS87-3).

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title = "An engineering approach to mapping meanings in products and services",

abstract = "The aim of this paper is to explore how meanings in products and services can be captured, deconstructed, and finally structured, in order to facilitate the deliberate and intentional creation and conveyance of meanings to users and non-users. These analytical steps for mapping meanings are investigated in an empirical study using a qualitative approach and theoretically grounded in Peirce's triadic model of signs. This new methodology in design research seems promising to obtain a new perspective on meaning in products and services. Through the course of the empirical study, we developed a research method, which is also a design method, called MeaningMap, for organising and tructuring meanings. A first exploratory evaluation of the method with students showed itscomprehensibility and applicability for analysing and structuring meanings within a limited amount of time. We envision that the MeaningMap as a method for design as communication can support designers during task clarification in analysing the voice of customer, defining user group, specifying the intendedmeanings, and deriving requirements to the communicative potential of products and services.",

keywords = "Design methods, Product-Service Systems (PSS), User centred design, Meaning, Semiotics",

author = "Gregor Waltersdorfer and Kilian Gericke and Pieter Desmet and Blessing, {Lucienne T. M.}",

year = "2017",

language = "English",

series = "ICED",

publisher = "The Design Society",

number = "DS87-3",

pages = "331--340",

editor = "A. Maier and S. {\v S}kec and H. Kim and M. Kokkolaras and J. Oehmen and G. Fadel and F. Salustri and {Van der Loos}, M.",

booktitle = "Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED17)",

note = "ICED17 : 21st International Conference on Engineering Design ; Conference date: 21-08-2017 Through 25-08-2017",

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Waltersdorfer, G, Gericke, K, Desmet, P & Blessing, LTM 2017, An engineering approach to mapping meanings in products and services. in A Maier, S Škec, H Kim, M Kokkolaras, J Oehmen, G Fadel, F Salustri & M Van der Loos (eds), Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED17): Product, Services and Systems Design. ICED, no. DS87-3, vol. 3, The Design Society, Glasgow, pp. 331-340, ICED17, Vancouver, Canada, 21/08/17.

An engineering approach to mapping meanings in products and services. / Waltersdorfer, Gregor; Gericke, Kilian; Desmet, Pieter et al.
Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED17): Product, Services and Systems Design. ed. / A. Maier; S. Škec; H. Kim; M. Kokkolaras; J. Oehmen; G. Fadel; F. Salustri; M. Van der Loos. Glasgow: The Design Society, 2017. p. 331-340 (ICED; Vol. 3, No. DS87-3).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volume › Conference contribution › Scientific › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - An engineering approach to mapping meanings in products and services

AU - Waltersdorfer, Gregor

AU - Gericke, Kilian

AU - Desmet, Pieter

AU - Blessing, Lucienne T. M.

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - The aim of this paper is to explore how meanings in products and services can be captured, deconstructed, and finally structured, in order to facilitate the deliberate and intentional creation and conveyance of meanings to users and non-users. These analytical steps for mapping meanings are investigated in an empirical study using a qualitative approach and theoretically grounded in Peirce's triadic model of signs. This new methodology in design research seems promising to obtain a new perspective on meaning in products and services. Through the course of the empirical study, we developed a research method, which is also a design method, called MeaningMap, for organising and tructuring meanings. A first exploratory evaluation of the method with students showed itscomprehensibility and applicability for analysing and structuring meanings within a limited amount of time. We envision that the MeaningMap as a method for design as communication can support designers during task clarification in analysing the voice of customer, defining user group, specifying the intendedmeanings, and deriving requirements to the communicative potential of products and services.

AB - The aim of this paper is to explore how meanings in products and services can be captured, deconstructed, and finally structured, in order to facilitate the deliberate and intentional creation and conveyance of meanings to users and non-users. These analytical steps for mapping meanings are investigated in an empirical study using a qualitative approach and theoretically grounded in Peirce's triadic model of signs. This new methodology in design research seems promising to obtain a new perspective on meaning in products and services. Through the course of the empirical study, we developed a research method, which is also a design method, called MeaningMap, for organising and tructuring meanings. A first exploratory evaluation of the method with students showed itscomprehensibility and applicability for analysing and structuring meanings within a limited amount of time. We envision that the MeaningMap as a method for design as communication can support designers during task clarification in analysing the voice of customer, defining user group, specifying the intendedmeanings, and deriving requirements to the communicative potential of products and services.

KW - Design methods

KW - Product-Service Systems (PSS)

KW - User centred design

KW - Meaning

KW - Semiotics

UR - https://www.designsociety.org/publication/39638/an_engineering_approach_to_mapping_meanings_in_products_and_services

M3 - Conference contribution

T3 - ICED

SP - 331

EP - 340

BT - Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED17)

A2 - Maier, A.

A2 - Škec, S.

A2 - Kim, H.

A2 - Kokkolaras, M.

A2 - Oehmen, J.

A2 - Fadel, G.

A2 - Salustri, F.

A2 - Van der Loos, M.

PB - The Design Society

CY - Glasgow

T2 - ICED17

Y2 - 21 August 2017 through 25 August 2017

ER -

Waltersdorfer G, Gericke K, Desmet P, Blessing LTM. An engineering approach to mapping meanings in products and services. In Maier A, Škec S, Kim H, Kokkolaras M, Oehmen J, Fadel G, Salustri F, Van der Loos M, editors, Proceedings of the 21st International Conference on Engineering Design (ICED17): Product, Services and Systems Design. Glasgow: The Design Society. 2017. p. 331-340. (ICED; DS87-3).

An engineering approach to mapping meanings in products and services

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Keywords

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