uncovering the hidden meaning of things: why design-driven ...design driven innovation roberto...

abpfdkJaofsbk=fkkls^qflkSUMMIT 2008

Uncovering the Hidden Meaning of Things: Why Design-Driven Innovation is Central in Technology-Intensive Organizations

Roberto VergantiProfessor of Management of Innovation, Politecnico di MilanoVisiting Scholar, Harvard Business Schoolwww.verganti.it

© Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

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Worldwide Sales of Games Consoles

Source: http://www.vgchartz.com/


Agenda

� Design

� Innovation strategies

� Managing design driven innovation

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Agenda

� Design




Design

FUNCTION(TECHNOLOGY)

FORM(AESTHETIC)

USER(NEEDS)

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The Challenge of Artemide

© Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano© Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

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Artemide Metamorfosi: The Human Light


Design

“The etymology of design goes back to the latin de + signare

and means making something, distinguishing it by a sign, giving

it significance, designating its relation to other things, owners,

users or gods.

Based on this original meaning, one could say:

design is making sense (of things).”

— Klaus Krippendorff, Design Issues, 1989

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Design

FUNCTION(TECHNOLOGY)

SENSE(LANGUAGE)

USER(NEEDS)

Meanings

Performance


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Agenda

� Design




Innovation Strategy

Adaptation to the evolution of

socio-cultural models

MEANINGS (languages)

Incremental Improvement

Radical Improvement

FUNCTION (technology)

Generation of new meanings

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Radical Improvement



Innovation Strategy


Alessi: Family Follows Fiction

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Understanding User Needs






Radical Improvement

PERFORMANCE (technology)


USER CENTRED

TECHNOLOGY PUSH

DESIGN DRIVEN

Innovation Strategies

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Radical Improvement



USER CENTRED

TECHNOLOGY PUSH

DESIGN DRIVEN






Radical Improvement



USER CENTRED

TECHNOLOGY PUSH

DESIGN DRIVEN


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Radical Improvement



USER CENTRED

TECHNOLOGY PUSH

DESIGN DRIVEN

InnovationStrategies

Creative Nomad, Jukebox 2001

MPMan 1997

Sony DiscMan 1999


Agenda

� Design



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Understanding User Needs

Socio-cultural context

Socio-cultural context

Firm Users

Interpreter

User centered

Firm Users

Design driven

Now

Future


The Interpreters and the Design Discourse

Firm

People

Technology Suppliers

Sociologists Anthropologists

Marketers

Media Artists

Retail and delivery

Education and research

Designers Pioneering

Projects

Cultural organizations

Cu l t u ra l Pr o d uc t i o n

T ec h n o l o g y

Firms in other industries

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© Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di MilanoAllianz Arena, design by Jacques Hertzog and Pierre De Meuron, 2002



The Process

Interpreter

Interpreter

DevelopmentTHINK

LISTEN

NewLanguages and

Meanings

NewProducts

USER

KnowledgeBase

Interpreter

Interpreter

Interpreter

Interpreter

Interpreter

TALK

Interpreter

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Tizio, Artemide, 1972Design by Richard Sapper

Halley, Lucesco, 2005Design by Richard Sapper


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Forward Looking Researchers: Memphis

“I’m always offended when they say that I play when I do Memphis work; actually I’m very serious.

I’m never more serious than when I do Memphis work. It’s when I design machines for Olivetti that I play.”

— Ettore Sottsass

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Firms as Interpreters

Flat TV with Ambilight, 2004


Technology Suppliers as Interpreters

Firm

People



Marketers

Media Artists

Retail and delivery


Designers Pioneering Projects


T ec h no log y


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Attracting Interpreters


The Crucial Role of Technologies

Bookworm, Kartell, design Ron Arad

La Marie, Kartell, design Philippe Starck

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Design and Technological Research

Concept design

Design and socio-cultural research

Technology Research

Product Development


Artemide Metamorfosi

The Human Light

Technology Kit

Light FieldsDiscussion group on Socio-cultural models

Research on light control and filtering

Development of several products

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Alessi Kettle Model 9093

1. “Listen”Alessi’s

immersion

Design Discourse in

Milan(Memphis etc.)

2. Research: “Tea and Coffe Piazza”

New Visionand Language

4. Product Development for the Kettle

Model 9093

Global Design Discourse(architects overseas)

3. “Talk” to the community-Books-Exhibitions-Limited series-…


The Process

Interpreter

Interpreter

DevelopmentTHINK

LISTEN

NewLanguages and

Meanings

NewProducts

USER

KnowledgeBase

Interpreter

Interpreter

Interpreter

Interpreter

Interpreter

TALK

Interpreter

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Cultural Prototypes

Interpreter

Interpreter

DevelopmentTHINK USER

Interpreter

Interpreter

Interpreter

Interpreter

Interpreter

TALK

Interpreter


Talk

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Conclusions

� Every product has a meaning



MEANING (language)


Radical Improvement




Conclusions

� Every product has a meaning

� Innovation does not necessarily imply getting closer to users

Firm Users

Interpreter

User centered

Firm Users

Design driven

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Conclusions

� Every product has a meaning. Companies that do not realize this,simply do not manage it nor innovate it

� Design does not necessarily imply getting closer to users

� A collaborative research process

Firm

People



Marketers

Media Artists

Retail and delivery




Cu l t u ra l Pr o d uc t io n

T ec h n o lo g y



Conclusions

� Every product has a meaning. Companies that do not realize this,simply do not manage it nor innovate it

� Design does not necessarily imply getting closer to users

� A collaborative research process

� Where technology matters

Firm

People



Marketers

Media Artists

Retail and delivery




T ec h no l og y


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Tools

Interpreter

LISTEN(immersion)

NewLanguages and

MeaningsKnowledgeBase

Interpreter

Interpreter

Interpreter

Interpreter

Interpreter

TALK(cultural products)

DESIGN

DIRECTION

WORKSHOP

KNOWLEDGE

REPOSITORY

PROCESS

LANGUAGE

MINING

THINK(research)

SEMINAR

SERIES


Forthcoming:

Design Driven InnovationRoberto VergantiHarvard Business School Press, 2009www.verganti.it

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uncovering the hidden meaning of things: why design-driven ...design driven innovation roberto...

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