TY - JOUR T1 - Taking Real-Life Seriously: An Approach to Decomposing Context Beyond “Environment” in Living Labs JF - Technology Innovation Management Review Y1 - 2017 A1 - Lynn Coorevits A1 - An Jacobs KW - context KW - innovation process KW - Living lab KW - real-life AB - The maturity of living labs has grown over the years and researchers have developed a uniform definition by emphasizing the multi-method and real-life, contextual approach. The latter predominantly focuses on the in situ use of a product during field trials where users are observed in their everyday life. Researchers thus recognize the importance of context in living labs, but do not provide adequate insights into how context can be taken into consideration. Therefore, the contribution of this article is twofold. By means of a case study, we show how field trials can be evaluated in a more structural way to cover all dimensions of context and how this same framework can be used to evaluate context in the front end of design. This framework implies that living lab researchers are no longer dependent on the technological readiness level of a product to evaluate all dimensions of context. By using the proposed framework, living lab researchers can improve the overall effectiveness of methods used to gather and analyze data in a living lab project. PB - Talent First Network CY - Ottawa VL - 7 UR - http://timreview.ca/article/1047 IS - 1 U1 - imec-MICT-Ghent University Lynn Coorevits is a Senior User Researcher for imec-MICT-Ghent University, where she focuses on tools and techniques for open and user innovation, such as sensors and design thinking. Her current research focuses on the adoption and attrition of wearables as well as optimization of context integration in living lab projects. She works on several SME living lab projects ranging from the financial to social industry. She holds master’s degrees in Psychology and in Marketing Analysis from Ghent University in Belgium and has 9 years of experience in innovation research and consultancy. U2 - imec-SMIT-VUB An Jacobs is an Assistant professor at imec SMIT (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Belgium. Since 2005, she has participated in and coordinated various European Union and Flemish projects with a focus on digital innovations, human-centred design, and living lab methodologies. As a methodologist, she supports the Care Living Labs Flanders. One of her current research interests is on human–robot collaboration, with current and finished projects in hospital, care, and manufacturing settings. ER -