[5.3] Strategies for Innovation

Essential idea: Designers have a range of strategies for innovation.

Adaption

• where a solution to a problem in one field is found by adapting an existing solution or a technical principle from another

Adaption

Analogy

• the idea of an idea from one context to another- nature can act as inspiration. [this is like this]

Chance

• Super strong glue?

Act of Insight

• sudden insight or revelation

Though 3M's patent ran out in 1997, the term "Post-it" and the distinctive yellow colour remain registered company trademarks

Technology Transfer

• the process of transferring skills, knowledge, technologies, methods of manufacturing

Technology Transfer

• transfer often occurs from universities to business and other institutions, but can also transfer from government R&D facilities.

• transfer ensures that scientific and technological developments are accessible to a wider range of users and communities who can then further develop the technology into new products, systems or environments.

Technology Transfer

Technology Transfer – technology pushProducts may be re-designed because of changes in materials, technology or manufacturing methods. This is called technology push. Manufacturers will push their new product to market hoping that consumers will want to adapt the new technology.

Technology Transfer – technology push

Technology Transfer – market pullDesigners often produce ideas for products in response to market forces.

Market influences include:a demand from consumers for a new producta competitor releases a new product and this impacts on market share

Define adaptation.

Discuss what extent you would describe the following inventions as predominantly arising from technology push or from market pull?

(a) early motor cars(b) car airbags(c) the photocopier(d) high-yielding varieties of wheat and rice(e) the laser.

• (a) Early motor cars – push.• The invention of the motor car involved

technology push with enthusiasts trying to improve the technology and persuade people of the viability of the invention. It was regarded as a toy until improved performance and falling price made it an attractive product and market pull became an important factor encouraging further innovation.

• (b) Car airbags – pull.• Predominantly pull, arising out of the need for

greater safety.

• (c) Photocopier – pull and push.• It has been subject to both pull and push. It

started with the pull from the need to improve the method of copying documents. Once the technology had been developed it had to be ‘pushed’ onto a market that was uncertain of its need for the innovation.

• (d) High-yielding varieties of wheat and rice – pull and push.

• Pull was from the human need to feed people more efficiently and the economic incentive to capture a share of a steady market. Push was from the outcome of scientific research into biotechnology and gene manipulation opening up new possibilities.

• (e) Laser – push.• Predominantly push because it arose out of

mathematical theory and scientific research and in the early stages of its development had no obvious application. Only later, as possible uses began to be realised, did pull begin to provide an incentive for further improvements to meet the emerging needs of new applications in medicine, industry and commerce

Test Yourself• Please read the case study carefully and answer the

question.• The figure below shows the USB Snakescope camera.

It is powered by connecting it to the USB port of a computer. It has a semi-flexible tube with a webcam at the tip and transmits an image to the screen of the computer. The camera can be used to locate items in hard-to-reach places such as behind heavy furniture or underneath a cupboard. There are two LEDs which illuminate the space being inspected and a clip-on magnetic attachment enabling the user to retrieve metallic items easily.

Test Yourself• The figure below shows the USB Snakescope camera. It is

powered by connecting it to the USB port of a computer. It has a semi-flexible tube with a webcam at the tip and transmits an image to the screen of the computer. The camera can be used to locate items in hard-to-reach places such as behind heavy furniture or underneath a cupboard. There are two LEDs which illuminate the space being inspected and a clip-on magnetic attachment enabling the user to retrieve metallic items easily.

• Which ideas generating technique was used to decide on the name of the USB Snakescope camera?

• A. Adaptation• B. Analogy• C. Constructive discontent• D. Morphological synthesis

Test Yourself• The figure below shows the Towelclip, a heated towel rail

produced by the Eskimo Design company. The Towelclip is sold for approximately £350 ($700). It is manufactured from extruded polished tubular steel metal.

Discuss the relevance of adaptation to the design of the Towelclip.

Test Yourself• The figure below shows The Raven wooden coat hanger

designed by Ingibjörg Hanna Bjarnadottir. Which ideas generating technique has most likely been used for the design of the coat hanger?

Test Yourself• A solution to a problem in one design context that is used to

provide a solution to a problem in another design context is an example of

A. adaptation.B. constructive discontent.C. brainstorming.D. attribute listing.

Test Yourself• James Dyson invented the Ball-barrow in 1974 after becoming

dissatisfied with the wheels of traditional sinking into soft ground. The Ball-barrow has a ball-shaped wheel which rides over soft ground without sinking and absorbs shock when used on rough ground. It also has feet that don’t sink in mud and a plastic bin that doesn’t rust.

Outline one way in which Dyson’s Ball-barrow is an example of constructive discontent.