Interaction design for open innovation platforms: A social exchange perspective

Digital Machines, Space, and Time

Interaction design for open innovation platforms: A social exchange perspective

Anja Leckel, Krithika Randhawa, Frank T. Piller

kHUB post date: July 2025
Originally published: May 6, 2025 (PDMA JPIM • Vol 42, Issue 4 • July 2025)
Read time: 75 minutes

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We investigate the interaction design preferences of solution seekers and problem solvers on open innovation (crowdsourcing) platforms. Drawing on social exchange theory (SET), we hypothesize that seekers and solvers have different preferences for the configuration of four central interaction design features of a crowdsourcing platform: communication channels, collaboration options, selection of winning submissions, and feedback mechanisms. Based on a conjoint study with 842 respondents, we show conflicting preferences for the configuration of these features, but also find a surprisingly consistent “best” configuration that can balance the individual preferences of both seekers and solvers. In addition, we identify social trust, risk aversion, and the need for cognition as three personal characteristics of individuals in seeker organizations and solvers that influence their preferred configuration of platform design. Our findings help intermediaries operating a crowdsourcing platform to offer nuanced platform interactions that align how individuals in seeker organizations (e.g., project managers) and individual solvers create and capture value in crowdsourcing. Furthermore, we contribute to the micro-foundations of open innovation by proposing SET as a novel perspective to examine how the expectations and value drivers of all parties involved in a crowdsourcing project can be balanced.

Practitioner Points

  • Interaction design is crucial to making open innovation and crowdsourcing platforms successful. Only nuanced platform interactions between seekers and solvers create and capture value in crowdsourcing.
  • Platforms need to enable two-way communication between seekers and solvers. This can be facilitated through digital workshop formats or question and answers (Q&A) sessions.
  • Involve solvers in the preselection of the winning solution but leave the final decision to the seekers. This helps balance differing preferences.
  • Feedback is important. Individualized or at least semi-personalized feedback to solvers is crucial for maintaining engagement and willingness to participate.

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