Design tools as catalysts for shared problem framing in West African entrepreneurial contexts

ABSTRACT:

This article explores how design tools can enhance shared understanding of problems within West African entrepreneurial ecosystems, where new product development occurs amidst resource scarcity and intense market opportunitiies. The findings emphasize that design tools serve as flexible cognitive intermediaries that promote collaboration, uncover underlying assumptions, and foster new perspectives for solution development. Their value emerges through a progressive translation process, where researchers reinterpret these tools to bridge the diverse object worlds of entrepreneurs.