Chapter 8 – Analysis of Experiments
lower lying objective. For instance, the objective to make neighborhoods activity-friendly is converted into the objective to realize an attractive Sports, Play and Activity Square, where residents can exercise in a safe and pleasant manner. This objective in turn means that there is a need for innovative play equipment within this Sports, Play and Activity Square. This objective can be realized by the development of entirely new play equipment, or by installing play equipment already developed elsewhere. The latter situation (installing existing play equipment in a broader context), actually involves an upward influence. The fact is that a currently functioning product is implemented at a higher system level. Before this upward influence can occur in a similar manner, the function must first actually be realized at a certain level. For instance, play equipment that is still in development is indeed a wonderful promise for the future, but has very little value for a Sports, Play and Activity Square which is opening its doors next week. Not until the new product is finished can it be utilized at a higher level. The upward motion therefore appears to take place through the actual functioning of relevant systems. Only once a product-technology system at level P is functioning well, it can be implemented at the higher product-service level Q. And this product-service system must first function well before it can be applied and before it can influence the socio-technical level R. In the multilevel design model this corresponds with the upward pointing arrow on the right, where a certain sub-element fulfills a function within an element at a higher system level. All in all we can conclude that the functioning of systems at the various aggregation levels indeed exert a reciprocal influence, both “from top to bottom” as well as “from bottom to top”, which confirms proposition 02.
8.4
P-03: Functioning of product is dependent on the system that it is a part of
8.4.1 Introduction
P-03: “The functioning of a system influences the functioning of the elements that it is composed of. The functioning of a product is therefore dependent on the product-service system, the socio-technical system and the societal system that it is a part of.” In how far can this proposition be substantiated by the results of the two innovation projects as discussed in chapters 6 and 7? This requires answers to the following three questions: •
A) Can each product indeed be viewed as an element of an overlying product-service, sociotechnical or societal system?
•
B) Does the functioning of this larger system indeed influence the functioning of the respective product in either a positive or negative manner?
The hierarchical structure of systems at the various aggregation levels is shown in Figure 5-8. The schematic indicates that each system is divided into various subsystems, which in turn are divided into sub-subsystems. A comparable schematic will be drawn up for both projects. Following this is an examination to see if products which are well adapted to the larger system that they are a part of, indeed function better than products which are not, and vice versa. P-03 reasons from the position of one product within the entire system. The analysis will therefore also be based on one concrete product in relation to the system that this product is a part of. In the first project it’s about the Guide Me localization device, in the second project it’s the Make Me Move play floor.
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