Design Thinking in Design Innovation among Small and Medium Textile Enterprises in Ghana

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Akenten Appiah-Menka University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development, Kumasi, Ghana.

2 Department of Industrial, Art Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.

Abstract

Design thinking which emanates from the concept of Design is used as an analytic and innovative process that engages a person in opportunities to experiment, generate ideas, create models and solicit feedback. The current study attempted to provide further insight into Design Thinking in textile design innovation with reference to Stanford’s Design Thinking model by Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. This is because the understanding of design thinking, which is a human-centred approach to innovation has not been fully explored among Small and Medium Textile Enterprises in Ghana. The study adopted the quantitative research approach, with the descriptive survey as the research design. The accessible population for the study included all small and medium-scale textile manufacturers located in the selected regions. A multi-stage sampling procedure involving convenient, purposive, and stratified sampling techniques was employed in this study. A sample size of 300 was drawn from the 80 Small and Medium Textile Enterprises (SMTEs). Of the 300 questionnaires administered, 273 were considered valid for further analysis, with a 91% valid response rate. The findings revealed that a wide range of concepts are gathered and analysed to define the core problems that have been identified and defined in a human-centred manner, including features, functions, and any other elements necessary to solve problems or allow customers to solve issues on their own with the minimum of effort. In view of that, SMTEs must continuously strive for innovative and creative solutions and develop innovative ways to handle problems to fulfil clients’ needs.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Design Thinking
Volume 3, Issue 1
June 2022
Pages 49-60

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