As the corporate environment changes rapidly, the importance of developing of new products has stressed in recent years. In accordance with the shifts in value system and consciousness of the customer, design becomes one of major strategic factors in product development. Therefore, there is a strong need for developing design initiative products in order to cope with the ever-increasing competitive pressure.
This study aims to identify the nature of design initiative products in relation to the optimization of new product development process. The study also aims to develop a flexible organization model which can provide a useful basis for developing effective design initiative products. Followings are of the contents of the study: First, the basic concept of new product has been studied as a result of critical literature review in the nature of new product, process and developmental organization. Then, the meaning of design initiative products in line with method, process and propulsion has been established closely. Finally, variable organizational structures for design initiative products are studied.
Major findings of the study can be summarized as follows: Firstly, the design initiative product is a profitable product which id developed by active participation and positive role of design in whole states of product development process. Secondly, The design initiative products are categorized to six distinguishable types - new concepts making, improvement of differentiation, promotion of value added, usability increasing, advanced production economical efficiency - in relation to the nature of products. Thirdly, organizational structure for developing design initiative products have to be based on the combination of team organization and modified to network organization. It is basically a variable and flexible organization that has the property of elastic re-construction for effective answer to development of multiformal design initiative products. The increasement of flexibility is permitted fully in order to maintain the organizational transformation, if needed. Although any team members can be alternated, a design champion has to be involved in the whole process continuously for the consistency. Finally, most suitable minds are invited to construct a variable and flexible organization in the every critical stage of the design initiative product development.
