Framework for Understanding Design Heuristics and Sources of Bias in New Product Development

Abstract

Product development, whether incremental or radical, is inherently complex and uncertain, requiring rational decision-making by product designers to enable effective ideation. However, heuristics (or mental shortcuts) often impact this decision-making process, introducing cognitive biases that can significantly impact design outcomes. This is especially problematic for New Product Development (NPD). Despite this impact, research on the sources of these cognitive biases within NPD, particularly during the ideation phase, remains limited. Through a systematic literature review, the present study first identifies the body of research dealing with heuristics and cognitive biases in NPD. Secondly, the study identifies a comprehensive set of available design heuristics and cognitive biases, which are four design heuristics and 37 cognitive biases, and subsequently provides an overview. Finally, we develop a framework that proposes a new view on cognitive bias sources composed of three perspectives: 1) information related to the product design, 2) the nature of the design problem, and 3) designers’ cognitive reasoning. 

Article history: Received (December 16, 2025); Revised (April 30, 2026); Accepted (May 5, 2026); Published online (June 26, 2026)