The Role of Digital Manipulation in Achieving Optimal Distinctiveness for Radical Innovations: A Designer Perspective

Abstract

Introducing radical innovations presents challenges to finding the right balance between product familiarity and distinctiveness, known as optimal distinctiveness (OD). Radical innovations presented as closely aligned with established products struggle for market attention, while highly distinctive ones face adoption hurdles. In contrast to existing research that mainly treats OD as a holistic construct, we take a granular view of product attributes to explore how designers can leverage digital technologies to achieve OD. This conceptual paper proposes that designers strategically present intrinsic and extrinsic product attributes to optimize adopters’ perceived product distinctiveness. Contrary to the assumption that clarity and explicitness enhance adoption, the paper suggests that controlled confusion injection or selective attribute concealment can facilitate adoption by avoiding cognitive overload. Drawing on information processing theory, we articulate a typology of manipulation tactics employed by designers to steward product OD. The study offers a fresh perspective on the complex use of digital technologies in designing radical innovations by articulating digitally enabled mechanisms underlying OD for radical innovations.