c Product innovation (2-2) Invcntion) 8) | Hs Uinnow ation) = ‘This topleconsiders the relationship between the design cycle and the product cycle. \t moves on to ‘explore the role of invention in innavation and the impact of market pull and technology push on product innovation = The process of discovering a principle. A technical advance in Ga ‘ perticular field offen resulting in a nevel product Invention, creation of new devices, objects, ideas, or procedures useful in accomplishing human objectives. The process of invention |s Invariably preceded by one or more discoveries that help the Inventor solve the problem at hand, In comman usage the term Invention is applied only to the production of new materials or ‘operable devices, and the term Inventor is applied to @ person who has produced 2 new device or materia. Credit for invention has frequently been clalmed for someone who concelved an idea, but the inventor is the person who not only had the idea but also worked out the method of putting it into practice. Thus Leonardo Da Vine! conceived of fying machines and selfpropelled vehicles and worked cut ingenious possible designs, but he didnot Invent either the airplane or the automobil ‘The element of novelty has various forms; it may be ‘a new device or process, or even material, but it may also consist of 2 combination of existing knowledge in 2 manner not previously thought of lames Watt added 2 separate condensing chamber—2 new device ~ to Thomas Newcomen's atmospheric engine and created the steam engine ‘The wag Setar cannlibe Giaero 1902 1 The basic patent of the Wright brothers was essentially a combination of existing techniques, 28The business of putting an invention in the marketplace and ‘making it 0 success | Innovation ~ -~ For innovation to occur, something mare than the generation of a creative idea or Insight i required: the Insight must be put into action to make a genuine cifference, resulting fr exemple in new or altered business processes within the organisation, or changes inthe products and services provided. Itcan be Viewed 25 the useful aplication of new inventions or discoveries, romp of noite dei Brow thePhone Sandi he / haa wre Bora hot montoe boa rigor une ne 2. -Devaloping an idea into a vile product diem ROE 2 - Production 1. - Marketing and sales. . - Redesign; and the cycle or spiral continues. For continued innovation (reinnovation), products and processes are constantly updated (re-designed) to ‘make them more commercially viable and to give consumers choice and improve products. The i phone 4 isan example of product re-innovation. The Gluco M writ band isin ts early stages of product innovation ‘The importance of science to invention and innovation Science and scentifie understanding explains how the worlds. Without this the technology used the product cannot be expoite. Science snot invented it already exists. Scientific principles are used in new contexts. Sometimes called transfer technology, Scientific research uncovers possibilities fora product or process. Teflon (non stick pans are just one of many applications for PTFE ,Teflon®.) ‘See The Teflon Case Study Appendix No 23‘The importance of technology to invention and innovation == Technology uncovers new possiblities for materials, manufacturing techniques and processes 1D Advances in technology aids invention and innovation which leads to new or cheaper products through advances in materials, manufacturing techniques, and processes. {The advance in technology improves product quality {The internet and mobile phone ae emerging communication technologies which were non- existent thiny years ago. Due to the increased sclentiFic research, there has been an exponential increase inthe advancement of technology recently Why the majority of inventions fail te become innovations. —— Marketobilty ~See Sinclair 5 Case study Appendix No, 2 1 Low product demand or not ready saleable Financial support 1 Theres itle monetary backing from the organisation or an outsider. The Invention would need more sponsors to financially aid the product. Marketing 1 isthe process of geting products from the producer or vendor to the consumer or buyer, which Includes advertising, shipping storing, and seling. 1 Poor marketing strategies or wrong target markets 1 Invention would need to be advertised asa product the public would want, 1 Trends in innovation. The need for the invention 1D Examples include alternative energy resources to combat our insatiable need for oll however ol prices are low or there is a ready supply of cl then the alternative energy invention wil nt take hel. Price Affordable, cost effectiveness or value for money .. therefore t may be too expensive to purchase, or to manufacture and the consumer may net see it worth Is cost compared to its use {Keep in mind, the product's price needs to be equivalent tothe income ofthe specific age group that would buy the majority ofthe product. 1D Resistance to chonge 1 People and organisations can be resistant and reluctant to change, feling comfort and security in the familar thus resist new ieas/products 1 Aversion to risk { "Riskaversion is conceptin economics, finance, and psychology related tothe behaviour of consumers and investors under uncertainty aspen ou2onThe relevance of design to innovation ————— 1 For continued innovations rednnovation), products and processes are constantly updated (redesigned) to make them more commercially viable and to give consumers choice and improved products. 1 The majesty of products that remain in the market place for a considerable period of time are subject to re-innovation to keep ahead of competition, fulfl consumer needs and increase demand. A new model usually means an increase in sales. Design fs vital to innovation due to Innovation being the key to developing products and services. 1 Designied innovation allows the organisation to focus on the customer as a strategy for evelopment and a collaborator in mutual service innovation ~ A design that contains those implicit features of a product that are | / Dominant recognised as essential by a majority of manufecturers and purchasers Design vy Dominant Design: It is @ concept identifying key features in designs that become a traditional stendard in the market pace. Dominant designs don't necessarily have to be better than other designs found on the market, however ‘they will provide a minimum require set of important and base features. Definition of dominant designs according to Webster's Ditionary: standard, which becomes generally accepted after a period of rapid technological chonge Example: ‘The “QWERTY” keyboard layout was specifically designed (to make people Inefficientito replace the flaws ‘ofthe mechanical typewriter by changing the order ofthe leters on the keyboars. Now ils recognised as ‘well used worldwide and preferred over the more logical an formal keyboard layout. Qy the way, did you know that you can type faster one handed than on a QWERTY keyboard _—______ brarmales ofa dominant desi a) Is the process by which a new idea or new preduct is ‘accepted by the market ‘The Product Diffusion Curve ‘The Product Diffusion Curve sa useful model that helps identify who shouldbe targeting at different stages ofthe life ofa product or service. The Product Diffusion Curve madel uses a bell-shaped 1 curve or an s-sheped curve to show the stages in which a successful product s adopted by people within a market. People within the market are represented depending on how quickly they accept and purchase new products. Some. welcome novelty, adopting new products as soon as they come to market. Others only purchase new products when I becomes the last resort, ‘According to the model, five ciferent groups of people wil purchase a product at ciferent stages ofthe product’ if, http: www mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_93.htm Innovators: this group include Inthe-know consumers who are willing to take a risk on anew product Innovators either have a pressing need, or are wealthy 25% 135K! UK | O48 | 16% ‘enough not to worry too much ifthe product doesn't work. They'll most likely be knowledgeable and self-confident and (ifthey'e tobe influential) may be people that others look upto Tie Te arly Adopters: tis group gauge the response of the Quicicavcam Early Adopters: this group gauge the response of th re neiinmquartucenimaminatenypnetineseipeares !ROVTOTS before rushing In purchasing a new product. They'll probably be educatec and somewhat product savvy. Early Majority: this group are more cautious and prefer to avoid the risk associated with purchasing an ‘unproven product, Generally, members ofthe Early Majority group accept @ product only after it has been approved by members of the Early Adopters group, walting for the recommendations of product ‘endorsements from those who have experience with the product, Late Majority: this group are more sceptical They are late to jump on board and do so only after anew product becomes mainstream, laggards: this group are more than simply sceptical. In fact, they generally da not accept a new product until ‘more tractional alternatives no longer ae avaiable, 32The initial impetus for the development of a new product is ‘generated by @ demand from the market Market pull.) Designers often produce ideas for product in respanse to market forces. This is also clled consume pull Examples of market Influences include: a demand from consumers for new or improved product. 1D 2 competing products launched by another manufecturer 1 a manufacturer wants to increase ther share ofthe market. “Market research plays an important role in the development of new products. Manufacturers can draw ‘upon useful information already avallable within their organisation. Sales and accounts departments wil ‘maintain records that can indicate which products and accounts are most profitable and will show i there Isa pattern in the sales of particular products. Market" Pull approaches: implemented on platforms Platforms are open ended and can evolve based on changing needs 1 Has low market related risk because application Is known 1D Has ow technology related risk because solution isnt krown 1D When the market asks for better safety features Ina car then this would be market pul {where the meer fr anoy design enanetes fren rete “iene Products may be redesigned because of chenges in materials or manufacturing methods. This s called technology push. Technological changes may allow a manufacturer to make the product more chesaly, ‘more efficiently. This can reduce manufacturing costs ‘Technology Push approaches: 1 Typified by programs, but not necessarily software programs Internal development comes up with a patent or a technological device to full the need ofa customer 1D Has high market related risk because application snot known Has low technology relate risk because application Is known {Innovation is created, then appropriate applications ae sought to fit the innovation Die the market ask “please give me an iPod with downlaed store" or a camera phone? Mast likly not; s0 this. would be a technology push. 3{ “consumer | Consumers adopting an innovation: is not alNays an easy process eaene aces aoe ‘The difcuties of getting a product to diffuse nto the marketplace, Consider local, national and global competition. The problems of getting novel products to market include product launches and marketing, Some sucessful innovations such asthe microwave even andthe dishwasher, ware inal slow to achieve consumer acceptance. When consumers resist adopting an Inevation because it requires them to alter established hebis, the innovations caleda resistant innovation. Five barriers which prohibit consumers from adopting innovations. = — ‘usage barriers’, ‘value barriers’, ‘risk barriers’, ‘tradition barriers’, and ‘image barriers’ 1 ‘Usage barriers’ refer to consumer resistance to an innovation that isnot ‘compatible with existing workflows, practices or habits "Value barriers’ appear when an innovation does not offer a strong performance-to-rice value compared to other competing products 2 “Risk barriers become relevant when customers are uncertain about physical sks, economic risks, functional fisks or social risk from using product. 1 “Tradition barriers’ occur ‘when an innovation requires a customer to deviate from establsh traditions’. 1D “image barriers occur when @ consumer associates an unfavourable image with 2 product, — Marketing Strategies to overcome Sources of Resistance — nee eee nore seer ae emer Mandate usage to develop market, Develop a systems perspective, Value Barre” Improve product performance. Improve product positioning. Reduce price Risk Barrer” Use well known brandname. Elicit endorsements and testimonials. Facitate til Tradition Barrier Educate customers. Use change agents, Understand and respect traction (coping strategy) image barrier” ‘Borrow 2 goed image (brand name). Make fun ofa negative image, Create a unigue image. It is diffcult to determine whether market pul or technology push isthe impetus forthe design of new products. Push and pull are present in most successful innovations. The explanation should apply only tothe origin ofthe ides or where the idea seems to have been generated 34“al ng non a ied , | pereernets one ‘An individual working outside onside an organization who Is committed to the invention of a novel product ané often becomes isolated because he o she Is engrossed with ideas that imply change and are resisted by others. Such as James Dyson, Trevor Baylis and Clive Sinclair. Ottis beco increasingly dificult tobe a successful lone inventor. Most products are now extremely ‘complex and rely on expertise from various disciplines. Most designs are developed by multidiscplnary teams. Lone inventors often find It difficult to work Inthe design departments of large companies. They are often used to setting thelr own targets rather than working as members of teams. They can be dogmatic In their methodology ‘and less flexible than team workers A set of exclusive rights granted to an inventor or their assignee fora) Jinited peried of time in exchange fer a public dsclesure of an invention. The exclusive right granted to a patentee in most countries is the right to prevent others from making, using, selling, or distributing the patented invention without permission Early inventors were usually isolated and unable to support themselves through their inventions. In some cases, although two individuals working independently achieved the seme innovation simultaneously, only one was recognised forthe discovery. For example the inventors Elisha Gray and Alexander Graham Bell applied fora patent (onthe telephone on the 378 2. wi financing from hls American father-in-law, on March 7, 1876, the US. Patent Office granted Bell Patent Number 174,485 covering the telephone patent's or ean be) a very valuable piace of property. It therefore not particularly surprising that itis dfficul, expensive and time: consuming to obtain. it cequies a lot of hard work and research, or pay @ professional patent agent to do some ofthe work ‘The need forthe idea to be patentable an inventive step. This means that the Invention must not be obvious to someone who is "skilled inthe art" to which the invention relates. ‘To decide whether the idea is inventive, it is necessary to fin out what has been done before inthe relevant ‘eld, professional searchers can be employed to loak through earlier patents and patent applications but ths ill inevitably be expensive [possibly more than £5,000] and will probably only result in a small mountain of documents in several different languages which will then have to be deciphered, “The fes required by the Patent Office to get a UK patent application through to grant is just £200. There are renewal fees to pay throughout the life ofthe patent after its granted and these can amount to something like £4,000 over a period of 16 years. And these costs relate nly to the UX. If you want to protect the idea In other countries the cost wil be significantly higher. The time taken to complete the procedure varies from country to country but typically takes between 3 and 5 years 35An influential individual, wsually working within an organization, who develops an enthusiasm for a particular idea or invention and ‘champion "champions" it within that organization eS ‘A Produet champion |sa person who takes an inordinate Interest n seeing that a particular process or product is fully developed and marketed. The cole varies from situations ealing for litle more than stimulating ‘awareness of the item to extreme cases In which the champion tres to force the Item past the strongly ‘entrenched internal resistance of company policy or that of objecting parties ‘Comparing the lone inventor with the product champion The lone inventor may lack the business acumen to push the invention through to innovation. The product champion is often a forceful personality with much influence in a company. He or she is more astute at being able to push the idea forward through the various business channels and ls often able to consider the merits of the invention more objectively. Invention success factors; Clinventors go through the following phases; Inspiration: they think of great ideal Aspiration: they seekhelp to prove the concept, buld prototypes ete Perspiration: chy strive to get products to market. (witha litle help from others) They need complementary skis, Business Development, Sales and marketing, Project Management, Design, Engineering, Legal, Finance, Manufacturing Traditionally, the major aifficult for Inventors i getting serious investors to commit to new inventions ‘The main problem is the oldest one - inthe eyes ofthe business community, the lone inventor lacks credibility —— Innovators may have difficulty in obtaining financial support for an invention — ‘Most people with money to invest wil be inclined to wait until itis clearer whether an Invention is going to be successful before investing: the problem Is to get them to take the risk. Innovation requires: taking risk, exploration and experimentation, focus on customer needs (latent anc explicit). These are all things that designers are trained to be good at; designers can also help communicate rnovel and complicated concepts to customers in easily accessible ways. It Is a reality that many inventions never get off the ground or remain unknown because of a lack of adequate funding—research, davelopment, testing, marketing end production are just a few of the costly factorsinvelve in taking an invention of ofthe drawing board and into society. 38