Competing through design

Companies may have difficulty in adapting design as a strategic tool in industrial competition if they do not have an understanding of its meaning and value in practice. Part of the problem stems from the lack of a clear typology of design dimensions and attributes—the equivalent of marketing's 4 “P”s (Lorenz 1995). This research provides a fresh look at the design factor and a new typology and framework that will allow companies to analyse and adapt their values, image, process and production (VIPP's), thereby gaining competitive advantage by design.