Collaborative design processes: Developing adaptive processes for OBM firms and design agencies across varying levels of design maturity

Abstract

This study investigates how collaborative design processes can be developed to enhance cooperation between OBM (Original Brand Manufacturing) firms and design agencies operating at different levels of design maturity. The central aim is to develop collaborative design processes (CDPs) that foster mutual understanding, strengthens inter-organisational integration, and supports design-led innovation and competitiveness. Focusing on South Korean OBM firms transitioning from OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturing) and ODM (Original Design Manufacturing) models, the research examines how design collaboration operates in practice within industrial contexts characterised by engineering-dominant structures and hierarchical cultures. Through ten qualitative case studies in consumer electronics, robotics, and industrial appliances, the study examines how OBM firms and design agencies interact, negotiate, and co-develop design solutions across differing organisational and cultural settings. A qualitative multi-case study methodology was adopted, incorporating semi-structured interviews, participatory observation, and comparative analysis of collaboration structures. The theoretical framework integrates the Danish Design Ladder (DDL) with an empirically grounded Collaborative Design Process (CDP) model, revealing how varying levels of design maturity shape collaboration dynamics, decision-making, and innovation outcomes. Findings indicate that most OBM firms remain at early design maturity stages (1–2), where collaboration is transactional and output-oriented. A few firms display Stage 3 characteristics (Design as Process), showing emergent integrative practices, while Stage 4 (Design as Strategy) remains largely unattained. Persistent barriers include engineering-dominant hierarchies, fragmented communication, and insufficient design leadership. The study contributes by proposing collaborative design processes that align design agencies’ methodologies with the evolving maturity of OBM firms. Theoretically, it positions design as a collaborative and dynamic organisational capability. Practically, it provides actionable insights for managers and designers to embed structured collaboration, bridge internal–external expertise and advance towards design-led innovation systems.