Value Dimensions in Creative Collaborations for Social Innovation

Abstract

Designers are increasingly involved in creative multi-stakeholder collaborations for social innovation, developing interventions to address complex societal challenges. Traditional impact measurement of social innovation often focuses on the measurable impact or value of the intervention on societal indicators. However, the complexity of creative multi-stakeholder collaborations requires a broader perspective on what is considered valuable beyond measurable societal impact. We studied the subjectively anticipated and experienced value of ten creative multi-stakeholder social innovation projects, as well as the value conflicts they generated. The most commonly reported value dimensions were innovation value, commercial value, network value, identity value, and learning value. Value conflicts arose from differences in how the innovation process was valued versus how the innovation outcome was valued. From a complexity perspective on social innovation, we argue that value assessments of creative multi-stakeholder collaborations should include additional value dimensions that support continuous social innovation. We discuss how network value and learning value are essential for continuous social innovation, and how these forms of value are captured both individually and collectively. The collective nature of value capture strengthens the argument that social innovation requires long-term commitment from design practitioners, extending beyond single design projects.