It is widely recognized that design is an important dimension of innovation. Recently, a lot of researchers focus on the relationship between design and technology in order to achieve the innovation. This paper defines design as “Design is making sense (of things)”. In this definition, the relationship between design and technology means how the technological innovation contributes to improving semantic values (meanings), but only a few studies examined this issue. The purpose of this paper is to show what kind of technologies contribute to a radical innovation of meanings and how companies strategically make a decision to invest the technology for rational values, which is spec and functionality, or the one for meanings. This paper has a qualitative and quantitative analysis of Flat Panel Display industry. In qualitative analysis, this suggests that FPD industry transition their technology development from the technology for rational value to the one meaning because of technology commoditization. In quantitative analysis, this paper suggests that technology research and design research have some effect on their output each other. Few studies examined the empirical evaluation of the meanings from a technology perspective in the design management discipline. Therefore, this framework might plays a significant role in order to address the interdisciplinary research in the design management and technology management disciplinary.
