Towards describing co-design by the integration of Engineering Design and Technology and Innovation Management literature

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the available literature concerning the understanding and improvement of co-design processes. The most pertinent aspects of such processes are presented through an interdisciplinary analysis incorporating contributions from literature in the fields of Engineering Design (ED) and Technology and Innovation Management (TIM). Interactions between design and third parties in a range of co-design situations are examined via a targeted literature review, and a map is developed containing a network of keywords. As a result of this review, key aspects from the literature are summarised and connected through an initial framework characterising, the what, when, who, how and why of co-design. The research motivation arises from the Danish Industry Complex Cleantech Solutions initiative and its need for a conceptual background that integrates the multiple perspectives addressing co-design.