Innovation and Product Design
Montie Roland - Montie Design, Morrisville NC
Presentation Objectives
Gain Insight into the concept of innovation, and how it is different from invention. Building with what you've got.
Gain Inspiration
Product Development Process
Fuzzy frontend - Market research
Industrial Design - concept development, renderings, rapid prototypes
Detailed Design - code design, engineering
Doc & Test - user testing, manufacturing specifications
Launch and Management - marketing
The cost of making mistakes and having to go back and repeat steps.
Innovation (quote from wikipedia)
Who Innovates:
Manufactures - some companies need to bring in a design company which is not constrained by inherent limitations (ie politics, or tight focus) to innovate.
Users - do this in wonderful ways, but can frustrate the company that supplied the product. They miss-use the product to make it do what it should have done. Use this to come up with your next product.
Organizations -
Product vs Process Innovation
Product Innovators - Apple (Macs)
Process Innovators - ie Dell (PC)
Product Plus Process (Mfg & Service) Innovators - Apple iPod
Who has More Market Share? - Dell (PC), Apple (Music & MP3)
Innovation vs Invention
Accepted Criteria
One vs Many Products or Process
Money Spent (invention) or Money Gained (Innovation)
Invention -> Innovation
Adding to the Conversation
Deeper Understanding
Innovation is not the same as invention
Innovation is does not require invention
However, invention can contribute to innovation
Example: IBM PC history
Crossroads of Innovation
Inventing instead of innovating
Institutional Resistance to Innovation
- resistance to new ideas from other people
Example:
CRE LED Light fitting with wireless music
- repackage a loudspeaker, wireless link
Dell using compostable bamboo packaging
- Invention - design work to use new material
- Innovation - use compostable packaging material, using bamboo as a packaging material
Questions and Comments?
Coffee cups in India used to be made of clay that dissolved in the monsoon rains, now they are using paper. Even newer paper cups are compostable with embedded flower seeds to help beautify the country - now it is good to litter.
Innovation may not add value but changes perception
Subtraction ? Removing the keyboard from the iPhone
Take what already exists and put it together into a new product.
What is invention ? Most inventions are built on-top of something else.
The value of thinking though innovation is a reminder that we can do stuff that gives great value by using what is around us.