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Essay Two CCDN371 Anne Galloway 21 March 2011
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"Innovation is a popular buzz word in design today. What are three ways in which design can be innovative or support broader cultural innovations? Do you think designers are able to be more or less innovative when they work with nondesigners?" To be innovative in design can mean many different things to a designer and the society in which they design for. In this essay I will identify three ways that design can be innovative or support cultural innovation. The three methods of innovation I will focus on are incremental, radical and disruptive. I will also discuss the benefits for innovation through the collaboration of designers and non‐designers. One way in which design can be innovative is through incremental innovation. This is an iterative type process in which the designer uses prior knowledge and experience of earlier design solutions and existing ideas (Erlhoff & Marshall, 2008). This design process leads to products and experiences that are easily embraced by society for example the Spork. This design of the spoon‐fork aka Spork is not intended to radically change the way we eat our food instead it is a logical combination of two common objects (spoon and fork) in an effort to make eating certain situations easier and more efficient (Kelleher, 2005). The design of the Spork is in many cases more is useless than its predecessors and has become more of a novelty object (Spork.org, 1996). Incremental innovation may seem like a pointless consumer driven process. Yet, incremental innovation is an important component for maintaining revenue and market share (Hangshuai, 2009). Incremental innovation also achieves an important mission for designers as it paves the way in society for more radical designs (Erlhoff & Marshall). An example of this is the evolution of the portable music device. This began as a portable transistor radio in 1954 and developed into the Sony Walkman (1979).
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Each incremental step providing new functions via the downsizing of technologies found in home audio appliances. This incremental innovation process eventually led to the Sony Discman in 1984. Then came the radical innovation in the digital format in which music was stored known as the MP3 format. This changed the way music was brought, distributed and listened and provided designers with a blank canvas to design the future portable of music devices including the iconic Apple iPod (2001) (McKinnon, 2005). Radical innovation is the direct alternative to incremental design. Radical designs are also based on previous concepts but the level of innovation brings considerable change to the broad spectrum of similar devices or experiences (Erlhoff & Marshall, 2008). Radical innovation plays an important part in the professional success of a designer and design companies because radical innovation creates growth in commercial and cultural regions (Hangshuai, 2009). A contemporary example of radical innovation is the software that brought us Wikipedia and its subsequent culture of Wiki’s (Kelleher, 2005). A Wiki is a new form of website or web engine that allows to any visitor to the site to add, edit and delete information(wiki. (n.d.).) This software is not only technologically innovative it has provided a new way to share all kinds of information globally across cultures. This radical innovation has already generated culture rich archives such as Wikipedia and the identity of the Wikipedian “a person who enthusiastically contributes to Wikipedia (wikipedian. (n.d.).) However, due to the radical nature of the change stimulated by this form of innovation it is hard to judge its potential value and effect on society, which can often lead to complex ethical problems (Erlhoff & Marshall,
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2008). Google Maps and in particular Street View is an example of this complex problem presuming the intentions of Google are for the greater good (Kelleher, 2005). Their innovative mapping project has radically changed the way we can view the world. Yet, many people find the idea of their homes being photographed and published online where they are made available to anyone to be a breech of privacy (Rogerson, 2009). This highlights a new and interesting grey area for design innovation in the digital age and raises the question of whether a digital code of ethics needs to defined. This digital code of ethics will help to create guidelines for innovative methods used to gather this often‐ personal data. For example is a car with cameras covering a 360‐degree view receiving the same data as a person walking the streets or riding a bus? (Rogerson). Either way I believe radical innovation is here to stay. Disruptive innovation is a dynamic method created by a new innovation by breaking from current and historic designs to provide an opportunity for significant change (Erlhoff & Marshall, 2008). This type of innovation requires significant change within industry in regard to industry standards, marketing and distribution methods (ibid). The result of such innovation often leaves existing objects and experiences as obsolete and is therefore quite risky for a company to implement (Hangshuai, 2009). A current example of disruptive innovation is the 3D television and its challenge to be integrated into portable mobile devices (Jumisko‐Pyykkö, 2008)). Even though there is a lot of interest in the mobilization of 3D technology it first requires full co‐operation of all parties required to provide an attractive and consistent service for the user (ibid.). This also raises problems for designers in regards to predicting user experience and
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the potential functions for the technology in other areas of society (Jumisko‐ Pyykkö). Disruptive innovation seems like more effort than what it is worth; but it was this type of innovation that led to the incredibly successful design of the laptop computer (Erlhoff & Marshall). The incredible skill of “shaping realities”(Pantzar, 2000) is due designer’s of heuristics in their process this is also a point of difference from the inventor (Erlhoff & Marshall). Heuristics are a set of guidelines in which the design can evaluate his or her ideas in a semi rational way relying on their individual prejudices, experiences, abilities and intuition (ibid.) This innovative process is important for to the identity of a designer and their ongoing professionalization. Based on the descriptions and examples of innovation above I cannot think of a situation when collaboration with a non‐designer would create less innovation. Instead I believe collaboration is vital for increasing the user’s enjoyment and benefit of the final product or experience (Design for Future Needs). Collaboration of this nature should be essential when innovating with disruptive techniques to help speed the dynamic change. The implementation of 3D technology in mobile devices is the perfect opportunity to embrace a collaborative process. Design is fast evolving and the “days of the celebrity solo designer are over” (Thackara, 2005) design is becoming a vast network of knowledge and skills that is inspiring a culture of “open innovation(Hangshuai, 2009). The boundaries of design are expanding and companies are acknowledging this area of growth through the implementation of crowdsourcing (Open Innovators). Having global companies such as Kraft and
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Starbucks on the list for crowdsourcing projects is raising the profile of this concept and generating new buzzwords for design innovation. In conclusion I have defined incremental, radical and disruptive as being three different ways design can be innovative. I discussed what these processes mean to the designer and society. I have outlined the benefits of these for the end user by giving examples of them manifested in products and experiences. I have also discussed the open innovation revolution happening within design today and the positive benefits collaborating with non‐designers will have on the future of design.
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Bibliography Design for Future Needs. (n.d.). Design for Future Needs. Retrieved March 19, 2011 from The International Council of Societies of Industrial Design : www.icsid.org/smallbox4/file.php?sb4cb4b16589919 Erlhoff, M., & Marshall, T. (Eds.). (2008). Design dictionary : perspectives on design terminology. Basel, Boston: Birkhäuser Verlag,. Hangshuai, W. (2009). Patterns of the incremental and radical innovation in Singapore DesignDriven Enterprises. Jumisko‐Pyykkö, S. (2008). Designing for User Experience: What to Expect from Mobile 3D TV and Video? uxTV Con 2008, (pp. 1‐3). Silicon Valley, USA. Kelleher, C. (2005). HW 1. Radical Design initial web research write up. University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell. McKinnon, M. (2005, January 13). Photo Essay: Bring the Noise; The evolution of portable audio. Retrieved March 19, 2011 from CBC News : http://www.cbc.ca/arts/photoessay/bringthenoise/ Open Innovators. (n.d.). List of Open Innovation Crowdsourcing Examples. Retrieved March 20, 2011 from Openinnovators.net: http://www.openinnovators.net/list‐open‐innovation‐crowdsourcing‐ examples/ Pantzar, M. (2000). Consumption as Work, Play, and Art: Representation of the Consumer in Future Scenarios. Design Issues , 16 (3), 3‐4. Rogerson, P. S. (2009). Ethics of the Street . The Institute for the Management of Information Systems , 19 (3), 2‐3. Spork.org. (1996, September 10). Sporks. Retrieved March 19, 2011 from What are the uses for a spork?: http://www.spork.org/ Thackara, J. (2005). In the bubble : Designing in a complex world. Cambridge, USA: MIT Press. wiki. (n.d.). (n.d.). Dictionary.com website. Retrieved March 19, 2011 from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wiki wikipedian., (. (n.d.). Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon. Retrieved March 19, 2011 from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wikipedian