Experiments As Punctuation Devices In The FFE

The fuzzy front in product development end is frequently mentioned as the mostcritical phase of the innovation, and the five cases of successful design innovations here indicate that experiments and an experimental approach seem to be crucial in this phase. The experiments took various forms, but can be characterized as various forms of prototyping. The analysis demonstrates that prototyping works as a punctuation, as it offers those involved the option of opting out of ongoing processes, routines and engage in experimental behavior by allowing for a freer experimentation with materials, processes, methods to challenge existing knowledge and explore potential solutions. The punctuation - the prototypes - are afterwards folded into the ongoing development processes and the fuzzy front end processes can move on to the next challenge.