On the effectiveness of experimenting with C-K theory in design education: analysis of process methodology, results and main lessons drawn

Abstract

This paper experiments a transdisciplinary design innovation way in educational contexts through workshops implementing a C-K Theory-based co-evolution between Concepts and Knowledge spaces. At l’école de design Nantes Atlantique EDNA, a ‘posture for humans’ concept subject was prescribed to students working half time in industry as a preparatory phase to the development of a contemporary day bed. The workshop permuted halfway C-K groups’ yields: cross-contents swaps brought ruptures in groups’ bias and enabled locating and addressing cognitive fixations. A log scale expressed relative ΔK increments in mobilized knowledge. Groups’ innovation capability was graded on innovation capability maturity levels relative to C constructs. Engineering students often opened large K gaps while designers amplified C jumps even if bounding K operations. The process improves C-K implementation processes for small organizations and hybridizes competencies. With its primary power to orderly address the known and the imaginary, C-K Theory helps going beyond known design innovation approaches and supports educational settings not far from what is possible about everywhere in all specialty domains.