Term
| Describe the Product Cycle (the steps) |
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Definition
Inception and design
Production
Sales
Use
Retirement |
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Term
Discuss the role of the designer in the
product cycle. |
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Definition
Designing is part of the product cycle: as a need
is generated, a product is designed, made and
sold, eventually becoming obsolete. The cycle is
complicated by distributors, retailers, accountants
and production engineers, all of whom have an
influence over the cycle. Although the designer
is an integral part of the process, he or she is not
necessarily in control (unlike in the design process).
Computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-
aided manufacture (CAM), where a prototype is
produced by the designer from his or her personal
computer (PC), blurs this distinction. |
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Term
Outline the product cycle in terms
of early, mature and late stages of
development. |
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Definition
In the early stages of the product cycle, many
changes to the product take place until it develops
to the mature stage, where it is diffused into the
market, gains acceptance and sells well. In the late stage, the product begins to decline in need and
therefore in sales. |
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Term
Identify products that are at the
early, mature and late stages of their
product cycle. |
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Definition
The ballpoint pen is in the mature stage, as it still
sells well although the design does not change
much. The cassette tape is in the late stage, as it
has been overtaken by successive generations of
products. |
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Term
Compare the design cycle with the
product cycle. |
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Definition
the design process is aimed at
producing a suitable solution to a problem, and
that the product cycle is concerned with putting
that solution into commercial practice. |
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Term
Discuss why for many products the
product cycle has shortened. |
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Definition
Laptop computers are an intensely competitive
market, with size and power being key issues. |
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Term
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Definition
| The process of discovering a principle. A technical advance in a particular field often resulting in a novel product. |
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Term
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Definition
| The business of putting an invention in the marketplace and making it a success. |
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Term
| Outline the stages of innovation. |
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Definition
| Developing an idea into a viable product; its production; marketing and sales; followed by redesign; and the cycle or spiral continues. |
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Term
Discuss the importance of technology
to invention and innovation. |
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Definition
| Technology uncovers new possibilities for materials, manufacturing techniques and processes. |
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Term
Discuss the importance of technology
to invention and innovation. |
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Definition
| Technology uncovers new possibilities for materials, manufacturing techniques and processes. |
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Term
| Explain why the majority of inventions fail to become innovations |
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Definition
Marketability
financial support
Marketing
the need for the invention
Price
Consumer or Business resistance to change
aversion to risk |
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Term
Explain the relevance of design to
innovation. |
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Definition
For continued innovations (re-innovation),
products and processes are constantly updated
(redesigned) to make them more commercially
viable and to give consumers choice and improved
products. |
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Term
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Definition
| The design containing those implicit features of a product which are recognized as essential by a majority of manufacturers and purchasers. |
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Term
| Diffusion into the Marketplace |
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Definition
| The wide acceptance (and sales) of a product |
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Term
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Definition
| The initial impetus for the development of a new product is generated by a demand from the market. |
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Term
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Definition
| The impetus for a new design emanates from a technological development. |
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Term
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Definition
| The impetus for a new design emanates from a technological development. |
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Term
| Give examples of dominant designs |
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Definition
| Ballpoint Pen BIC, Apple Ipod, Coca Cola |
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Term
| The difficulties of getting a product to diffuse into the marketplace. |
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Definition
Consider local, national and global competition.
The problems of getting novel products to market
include product launches and marketing. |
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Term
Explain why it is difficult to determine
whether market pull or technology
push is the impetus for the design of
new products. |
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Definition
Push and pull are present in most successful
innovations. The explanation should apply only to
the origin of the idea or where the idea seems to
have been generated. |
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Term
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Definition
| An individual working outside or inside an organization who is committed to the invention of a novel product and often becomes isolated because s/he is engrossed with ideas which imply change and are resisted by others. |
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Term
Discuss why it is becoming
increasingly difficult to be a successful
lone inventor. |
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Definition
Most products are now extremely complex and
rely on expertise from various disciplines. Most
designs are developed by multidisciplinary teams. |
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Term
Explain why lone inventors often
find it difficult to work in the design
departments of large companies. |
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Definition
They are often used to setting their own targets
rather than working as members of teams. They
can be dogmatic in their methodology and less
flexible than team workers. |
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Term
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Definition
| An influential individual, usually working within an organization, who develops an enthusiasm for a particular idea or invention and “champions” it within the organization. |
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Term
Compare the lone inventor with the
product champion. |
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Definition
The lone inventor may lack the business acumen
to push the invention through to innovation. The
product champion is often a forceful personality
with much influence in a company. He or she is
more astute at being able to push the idea forward
through the various business channels and is often
able to consider the merits of the invention more
objectively. |
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Term
Explain why innovators may have
difficulty in obtaining financial
support for an invention. |
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Definition
Most people with money to invest will be inclined
to wait until it is clearer whether an invention
is going to be successful before investing: the
problem is to get them to take the risk. |
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Term
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Definition
| Someone who immediately welcomes a technological change. |
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Term
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Definition
| Someone who needs some convincing before embracing technological change. |
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Term
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Definition
| Someone who resists all technological change. |
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Term
Explain how people can be broadly
classified according to their reactions
to technological change.
People's reactions to technological change vary depending on their values and personal circumstances. |
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Definition
People’s reactions to technological change
vary depending on their values and personal circumstances. First-order effects and second-order effects should be taken into account, for example, personal gain in owning a car versus social and environmental considerations |
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Term
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Definition
Long-term aims and objectives of a company and ways of achieving them by allocation of resources
Two types of strategy: Pioneering/Imitative |
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Term
| Describe the corporate strategy of pioneering. |
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Definition
Pioneering means being ahead of the competitors by introducing a new product first.
It is the most risky (costly) strategy but one with the potential for the largest gains
A pioneering company requires a strong research and development (R&D) capability, which is expensive. A pioneering company needs to be financially secure and requires product champions to push new ideas.
Consider the Sony or Apple companies and their various pioneering developments.
Good market research can offset some risk, but is problematic for novel products |
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Term
| Describe the corporate strategy of imitative strategy |
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Definition
The imitative strategy aims to develop a product similar to the "pioneered" product as quickly as possible
It takes advantage of R&D invested by others
Is less risky
based on a strong development capability
It is often best to use a combination of strategies |
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Term
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Definition
| Increasing sales to existing customers or finding new customers for an existing product. (usually through advertising) |
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Term
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Definition
| Finding new applications for existing products thereby opening up new markets. (Nylon was originally developed for parachutes) |
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Term
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Definition
| -The creation of new, modified or updated products aimed mainly at a company’s existing customers. (replacing mechanical with microelectronic controls in domestic products) |
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Term
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Definition
| Involves a company in both the development of new products and in selling those products to new companies. (different types or colors of electrical plugs) |
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Term
Describe one example of how a
company undertakes product
development. |
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Definition
Consider adding variations to a product to develop
a range of products building on an established
brand, for example, ice cream, snack food
products, chocolate products (Kit Kat, Mars bars) |
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Term
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Definition
| A broad way of categorizing the kinds of market the company is aiming for. |
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Term
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Definition
| A broad way of categorizing the kinds of market the company is aiming for. |
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Term
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Definition
| Markets divide up into smaller segments where the purchasers have similar characteristics and tastes. |
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Term
Outline two ways in which markets
may be segmented. |
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Definition
Consider income, age, lifestyle, geographical
location, and so on. |
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Term
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Definition
Flexible designs which can be adapted to changing technical and market requirements.
mobile phones or personal stereos are examples of a robust design that has become a design family |
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Term
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Definition
| The evolution of a design into a variety of products that will appeal to a wide range of customers. |
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Term
Explain the benefits for a company of
using a hybrid strategy. |
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Definition
| It is the best of both worlds where companies keep their money in both research and development as well as keeping up with imitating other companies. This way they can still stay competitive in other markets as well as be on the frontier of development. |
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