Design activity and team interaction characteristics: A case study of protocol analysis on team-based product-service systems design processes

In this paper, the protocol analysis on team-based Product-Service Systems (PSS) design processes is conducted to study the characteristics of design activities and team interactions. For protocol analysis, the detailed coding scheme of design activities of PSS design process is proposed and the interaction process analysis (IPA) coding scheme is utilized. Two design teams are composed to conduct team-based PSS design sessions. In the protocol analysis, the patterns of design activities during the PSS design are characterized, and it is demonstrated that the individual team member leads specific design activities and spends more times on them based on his/her knowledge level in turn. In addition, the team interaction patterns seem to depend on the personalities of the individual members due to its social nature. These findings can be used for composing design teams and guiding their design process for effective PSS design.