Managing design heritage - grandfather rights as a precursor for creative preservation

This paper explores how creative preservation, affected by a regulatory framework, unfolds in the design of complex systems. Based on a case study of the Boeing 737 aircraft, it focuses on the role of grandfather rights, as part of the regulatory framework of aircraft design, as a precursor for creative preservation. The paper analyzes three design decisions related tot the evolving Boeing 737 aircraft models over a period of six decades and highlight the changing logic of creative preservation in relation to technology maturity, increasing complexity of design decisions, and expanded stakeholder involvement. Overall, the paper demonstrates that the management of design heritage is a ‘living system’ and that foundational practices may slowly become ineffective.