Enhancing Exaptation Through Modularity on Online Open Design Platforms

Many firms are establishing online open design platforms (OODPs) to engage users in the process of product innovation. However, while the openness of OODPs draws a large number of users to recombine existing designs for further innovation, quite a lot of the derivative works are low in originality. Exaptation, referring to the serendipitous discovery of a new function from an existing trait, has been noted as a prominent but underestimated source of originality on OODPs. Drawing on modular systems theory, we posit that the modular structure of a design can significantly influence exaptation. We also posit that this relationship is contingent on the support of user toolkits. We empirically tested the model using a large data set of 52,802 digital designs from Thingiverse, the world's largest online open design platform for 3D printing. Our analyses reveal nuanced relationships between modularity and exaptation under the support of user toolkits. We elaborate on how these findings contribute to open innovation literature and discuss what are the implications for practice.