Innovating through design

Innovating Through Design. Roberto Verganti Professor of Management of Innovation, Politecnico di Milano Visiting Scholar – Harvard Business School Director, MaDe In Lab roberto.verganti@polimi.it © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

The importance of design in global competition © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

A success rooted in managerial practices …Northern Italy, is the centre of the design world. Not just because of the design that comes from Italy, but, above all, because of its manufacturing culture; there is no other place in the world where you can find such a vast array of manufacturers who know the value of design Ron Arad © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Agenda Design and innovation strategies The interpreters Managing Design Driven Innovation © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Design FUNCTION (TECHNOLOGY) USER (NEEDS) FORM (STYLING) © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

The challenge of Artemide © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Artemide Metamorfosi: The Human Light “Every market-oriented company has understood that design is an advantage. As a result all companies can use it. Design must not only be the instrument that gives a nice form. Rather it must anticipate a need, proposing a vision” Carlotta De Bevilacqua, Vision Group, Artemide “In a moment of total disarray in the world of design, we decided to work not only on the object, but more so on light, in particular its color” Ernesto Gismondi, President, Artemide © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

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 © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Design FUNCTION (TECHNOLOGY) USER (NEEDS) MESSAGE Meanings (LANGUAGE) Emotional value Symbolic value FORM (STYLING) © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Innovation strategy Radical Improvement FUNCTION (technology) Incremental Improvement Generation of Adaptation new meanings to the evolution of socio-cultural models MEANINGS (languages) © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Alessi: Family Follows Fiction “At last the route to be followed for the new workshop - that of \"the object-toy\" - became clear. And it would be conceived beyond aesthetics or style. ‘In a room full of objects a child chooses one to relieve his boredom and solitude; why that object in particular?’ ” Alberto Alessi © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Understanding user needs “Market? What Market? We do not look at market needs. We make proposals to People” Ernesto Gismondi, President, Artemide “Working within the metaproject transcends the creation of an object purely to satisfy a function and necessity. Each object represents a tendency, a proposal and an indication of progress which has a more cultural resonance” Alberto Alessi © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Design driven The only time we did market research was with Beogram 4000 (in 1972). Marketing people said it would sold 15 units in Denmark and 50 in the world. It turned out of being one of our most successful products Paul Ulrik Skifter, Former CFO Bang & Olufsen, June 2005 In our firm developing a product is like conducting an orchestra: The customers are the audience, Flemming Møller Pedersen, Director, Design & Concepts, Bang & Olufsen, June 2007. Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Innovation strategies Radical Improvement TECHNOLOGY PUSH PERFORMANCE (technology) DESIGN PUSH design driven Incremental Improvement MARKET PULL user centered Generation of Adaptation new meanings to the evolution of socio-cultural models MEANINGS © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano (languages)

Radical Improvement TECHNOLOGY PUSH PERFORMANCE (technology) DESIGN PUSH design driven Incremental Improvement MARKET PULL user centered Generation of Adaptation new meanings to the evolution of socio-cultural models MEANINGS © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano (languages)

Understanding user needs Design driven User centered Interpreter Firm Users Socio-cultural context Firm Users Now Socio-cultural context Future © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

The interpreters and the design discourse Firms in other industries Publishing Designers Education & Research Users Firms Suppliers Showrooms Design Services Events Artists © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Can it happen here? Firms in other industries Publishing Designers Education & Research Users Firms Suppliers Showrooms Design Services Events Artists © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

The process Interpreter Interpreter Interpreter Interpreter Interpreter Interpreter Interpreter TALK Interpreter LISTEN THINK USER Development New New Knowledge Languages and Products Base Meanings © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Very often design is the most immediate way of defining what products become in people's minds Our goal wasn't just to differentiate our product, but to create products that people would love in the future. Jonathan Ive, VP of Industrial Design, Apple © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Alessi Kettle model 9093 Design Discourse in Milan 3. “Talk” to the (Memphis etc.) community -Books -Exhibitions -Limited series -… 1. “Listen” 4. Product 2. Think (research): Alessi’s Development “Tea and Coffe Piazza” for the Kettle immersion Model 9093 New Vision and Language Global Design Discourse (architects overseas) © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Tools Interpreter Interpreter Interpreter Interpreter Interpreter Interpreter TALK (cultural products) LANGUAGE LISTEN MINING (immersion) THINK New Languages and (research) Meanings Knowledge Base SEMINAR SERIES DESIGN KNOWLEDGE DIRECTION REPOSITORY WORKSHOP PROCESS © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Conclusions Every product has a meaning. Radical Improvement FUNCTION (technology) Incremental Improvement Generation of Adaptation new meanings to the evolution of socio-cultural models MEANING (language) © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Conclusions Every product has a meaning Design does not necessarily imply getting closer to users User centered Design driven Interpreter Firm Users Users Firm © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Conclusions Every product has a meaning Design does not necessarily imply getting closer to users A networked research process Firms in other industries Publishing Designers Education & Research Users Firms Suppliers Showrooms Design Services Events & Art Exhibitions © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Conclusions Every product has a meaning Design does not necessarily imply getting closer to users A networked research process The design discourse is everywhere © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Innovating Through Design. Roberto Verganti Professor of Management of Innovation, Politecnico di Milano Visiting Scholar – Harvard Business School Director, MaDe In Lab roberto.verganti@polimi.it © Roberto Verganti, Politecnico di Milano

Innovating through design

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