Sources of Creativity for Product Innovation
What makes products great? What is the role of design firms in creativity and innovation, and how is this role changing? What accounts for design firms’ successes? How is the process of innovation and design changing? Does this differ between products and services? This paper reports the results of a study undertaken by the author and six others to address such questions, and is based on interviews of the founders of nearly one-hundred design firms in four countries and several industries. The sample ranged from three divisions of the largest international design firm to some of the smallest and newest ones.
Manufacturers are responding to changes in technology and market demands by trying to introduce new products into the market more rapidly. They are struggling with new technologies and converging technologies that are creating opportunities for development of whole new product categories and for the entry of new types of competitors. While larger firms enjoy great resources in technology and science, these resources seem to be growing more available and open to all. There is also a growing richness of variety in the component supply environment, which enables greater creativity, combination and variety at the system level, but at the same time also widens competition; doubly so when new materials and software capabilities are considered.
The innovation process seems to be becoming more networked, involving a greater number of actors including users, design firms and suppliers. The spread of roles across boundaries appears to be aided and abetted by open standards and increasing use of open source innovation processes. There is greater availability of a widening variety of sophisticated design tools such as computer aided design, simulation and visualization techniques, conferring innovative capabilities on smaller groups and organizations. In addition to the industrial design services they historically offered, many design firms are now providing turnkey services for new products and even entire product lines. That is they are more actively providing material and component choices and sources and marketing concepts to manufacturers in addition to product designs.
We conclude that to be successful today products must be distinguished by more than sufficient function, consistent quality and low costs. A few of the welter of products in the market seem to account for the bulk of sales and profits in many categories. We believe that these examples emphasize customer delight, elegance and enduring value. They may even acquire increasing value over time. Our findings and examples imply that much competitive advantage might be gained by reconsidering traditional products with a fresh eye and approach using newer materials and design techniques.