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Design Driven Innovation: Changing the Rules of Competition by Radically Innovating What Things Mean
Until now, the literature on innovation has focused either on radical innovation pushed by technology or incremental innovation pulled by the market. In Design-Driven How to Compete by Radically Innovating the Meaning of Products, Roberto Verganti introduces a third strategy, a radical shift in perspective that introduces a bold new way of competing. Design-driven innovations do not come from the market; they create new markets. They don't push new technologies; they push new meanings.
It's about having a vision, and taking that vision to your customers. Think of game-changers like Nintendo's Wii or Apple's iPod. They overturned our understanding of what a video game means and how we listen to music. Customers had not asked for these new meanings, but once they experienced them, it was love at first sight.
But where does the vision come from? With fascinating examples from leading European and American companies, Verganti shows that for truly breakthrough products and services, we must look beyond customers and users to those he calls "interpreters" - the experts who deeply understand and shape the markets they work in.
Design-Driven Innovation offers a provocative new view of innovation thinking and practice.
It's about having a vision, and taking that vision to your customers. Think of game-changers like Nintendo's Wii or Apple's iPod. They overturned our understanding of what a video game means and how we listen to music. Customers had not asked for these new meanings, but once they experienced them, it was love at first sight.
But where does the vision come from? With fascinating examples from leading European and American companies, Verganti shows that for truly breakthrough products and services, we must look beyond customers and users to those he calls "interpreters" - the experts who deeply understand and shape the markets they work in.
Design-Driven Innovation offers a provocative new view of innovation thinking and practice.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 3, 2009
76 people are currently reading
1552 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 28, 2015
Good cases, biased opinion, trivial theory.
Good Cases: All the stories / examples are interesting, and the dynamic nitty-gritties are pointed out, e.g. the highly circumstantial success of Fiat Panda.
Biased Opinion: In order to make a strong case for Design-Driven Innovation (DDI), the author has to antagonize the whole discipline of User-Centered Design (UCD). UCD is described as something similar to asking the users what they want, which is scandalously biased. It's true that UCD puts emphasis on users, but that in no way implies we can not articulate or facilitate brave new insights by understanding the users and their contexts. Thus DDI is actually NOT in any conflict with UCD. The author takes a very narrow view of UCD just to highlight how different DDI is, which a shame.
Trivial Theory: The framework the author presents is vague and close to truism. Saying something like "to implement disruptive innovation you need to gain the right insights, find the right people, etc." is similar to saying "to innovate you need to be innovative", which doesn't really yield any more useful information. Although the characteristics of successful radical innovations in the past are summarized, that alone by no means affords a proven theory - it's just a déjà vu case of correlation vs. causation. Just because many radical innovators have something in common doesn't justify that you can follow the same rule and succeed.
The book has a promising point that I can totally agree with, but the author simply fails to deliver anything convincing to make that point.
Good Cases: All the stories / examples are interesting, and the dynamic nitty-gritties are pointed out, e.g. the highly circumstantial success of Fiat Panda.
Biased Opinion: In order to make a strong case for Design-Driven Innovation (DDI), the author has to antagonize the whole discipline of User-Centered Design (UCD). UCD is described as something similar to asking the users what they want, which is scandalously biased. It's true that UCD puts emphasis on users, but that in no way implies we can not articulate or facilitate brave new insights by understanding the users and their contexts. Thus DDI is actually NOT in any conflict with UCD. The author takes a very narrow view of UCD just to highlight how different DDI is, which a shame.
Trivial Theory: The framework the author presents is vague and close to truism. Saying something like "to implement disruptive innovation you need to gain the right insights, find the right people, etc." is similar to saying "to innovate you need to be innovative", which doesn't really yield any more useful information. Although the characteristics of successful radical innovations in the past are summarized, that alone by no means affords a proven theory - it's just a déjà vu case of correlation vs. causation. Just because many radical innovators have something in common doesn't justify that you can follow the same rule and succeed.
The book has a promising point that I can totally agree with, but the author simply fails to deliver anything convincing to make that point.
November 10, 2010
The are a few books that I would call incrediable, but this is one of them. Roberto Verganti is Professor of Management of Innovation at Politecnico di Milano and founder of PROject Science, a consulting institute.
Verganti outlines a systematic approach for using your network of relationships to produce radical new meanings for products and services. He possess the thought that creative and innovative design is not making something better, but redefining what its meaning is to the world.
Although this sounds like a design book, it actually is a great management book for understanding how to engage your company to provide innovations in your industry.
I recommend this book for all those in management and looking to get the best out of all their employees.
Verganti outlines a systematic approach for using your network of relationships to produce radical new meanings for products and services. He possess the thought that creative and innovative design is not making something better, but redefining what its meaning is to the world.
Although this sounds like a design book, it actually is a great management book for understanding how to engage your company to provide innovations in your industry.
I recommend this book for all those in management and looking to get the best out of all their employees.
September 2, 2010
I was a little reluctant at first, but have to say this was a rather insightful read.
My main takeaway: We do need to infuse user-centricity into the culture at our organizations, but more importantly- an understanding that it is the context in which our audience lives, works, and plays is how they ascribe meaning to the products and services they use, but even more importantly still is that this context can be changed, or designed.
With this in mind, we can create markets and ecosystems of innovative products and services by proposing solutions they didn't even know they wanted.
My main takeaway: We do need to infuse user-centricity into the culture at our organizations, but more importantly- an understanding that it is the context in which our audience lives, works, and plays is how they ascribe meaning to the products and services they use, but even more importantly still is that this context can be changed, or designed.
With this in mind, we can create markets and ecosystems of innovative products and services by proposing solutions they didn't even know they wanted.
November 19, 2017
"Rynek? Jaki rynek? Nie patrzymy na zapotrzebowanie rynku. My składamy ludziom propozycje." - tym cytatem z Gismondiego bym podsumował "Design Driven Innovation". Verganti pokazuje ciekawe, troche inne spojrzeni na tworzenie radykalnych innowacji - design driven innovation.
Książka bardziej przekazuje pewną ideę, niż pokazuje jak w praktyce ją wykorzystać (i za to ode mnie mały minus). Powinien ją na pewno przeczytać każdy, kto tworzy nowe produkty i usługi. A szczególnie polecam ją wszytkim UX designerom, którzy projektowanie produktu/usługi sprowadzają do tworzenia interfejsu i ścisłym skoncentrowaniu na aktualnych potrzebach użytkowników. Po jej lekturze, myślę że w końcu zmienią zdanie ;)
Książka bardziej przekazuje pewną ideę, niż pokazuje jak w praktyce ją wykorzystać (i za to ode mnie mały minus). Powinien ją na pewno przeczytać każdy, kto tworzy nowe produkty i usługi. A szczególnie polecam ją wszytkim UX designerom, którzy projektowanie produktu/usługi sprowadzają do tworzenia interfejsu i ścisłym skoncentrowaniu na aktualnych potrzebach użytkowników. Po jej lekturze, myślę że w końcu zmienią zdanie ;)
May 25, 2017
It was a great read, corroborating many of the thoughts I have had about design and innovation especially with respect to proposing meanings vs user-centred design.
Two of the very key things I will leave with: Italy's renown for design is actually due to their manufacturing know-how not (necessarily) an abundance of design talent; and business leaders should 'think outside their networks' as against the more common 'think outside the box'.
Two of the very key things I will leave with: Italy's renown for design is actually due to their manufacturing know-how not (necessarily) an abundance of design talent; and business leaders should 'think outside their networks' as against the more common 'think outside the box'.
June 17, 2019
The book has a good main argument: innovation should not only focus on technology but also the meaning of things. The first chapters explain this with a few good examples and are quite an enjoyable read. The rest of the book (except for the last chapter perhaps) gets a little repetitious and boring. I think the best parts can be interesting to anyone interested in innovation, design and branding.
October 17, 2020
The book has a lot of great points about management and business overall but I guess it’s more interesting from a leadership point of view than an operational point of view.
Cases are good to understand how DDI can help companies be more radically-driven towards innovation but I found it difficult to apply, especially as it’s conflicting with the fastness and user-centered theories.
Nice theories, though.
Cases are good to understand how DDI can help companies be more radically-driven towards innovation but I found it difficult to apply, especially as it’s conflicting with the fastness and user-centered theories.
Nice theories, though.
August 23, 2020
Great book that provides insight on why some products change the way we consume, interact and buy. Explores why meaning is most important when analyzing the wild success of products. Definitely not more of the same, uses consistent cases throughout the book. Uses apple which is an easy case but goes into a depth and angle that normally isnt explored.
March 30, 2018
The biggest enemy of design-driven innovation? User-centered approaches.
May 23, 2018
The concept of design driven innovation is pretty amazing, but the examples were too repetitive and it didn't have a nice flow.
July 23, 2019
Interesting process for innovative product development but only for "hardware" products, not usable for software
September 15, 2019
این کتاب فوقالعاده با عنوان " نوآوری طراحی محور " به بهترین حالت توسط آقای مهدی مقیمی به فارسی ترجمه شده است
مطالعه آن را به طراحان و صاحبان و علاقمندان حوزه کسب و کار پیشنهاد میدهم.
مطالعه آن را به طراحان و صاحبان و علاقمندان حوزه کسب و کار پیشنهاد میدهم.
July 5, 2020
Great book! Quite focused in the Italian Market, but you can surely expand the vision here to other markets
January 4, 2010
Radical innovation defines a new meaning. To really change the life and the market, design-driven innovation can't rely on the voice of the customer or market research alone. The desig-driven company needs a carefully selected network of interpreters, a network of trusted and leading individuals who are caring for the same market or clients but from a non-competitive perspective. This network forms the fertile ground for research of new trends or different meanings to be incorporated in new products and services. If a company defines a new meaning, like Apple did with the iPod/iTunes ecosystem, conventional users might not be a receptive testbed for those new concepts, but your network of interpreters might be and they also may lend you there seductive power to reach a critical mass in the market.
These key concepts are embedded in a systematic design process and illustrated with case studies derived from leading italian design-driven companies.
Design-Driven Innovation by Roberto Verganti is a thought provoking and stimulating text which is an easy read.
These key concepts are embedded in a systematic design process and illustrated with case studies derived from leading italian design-driven companies.
Design-Driven Innovation by Roberto Verganti is a thought provoking and stimulating text which is an easy read.
September 8, 2020
(Review from a few years back) A book on product innovation. It proposes the product creator should not focus on users, but instead spend his time engaging in discourse with “interpreters” (scholars, suppliers, analysts, companies in other fields, etc.) This allows him to form theories about how new products could convey new meaning to people. The most successful products innovate on both technology and meaning.
The product is delivered as a “proposal” to the end user. It is not something the user was looking for -- an innovative product will take getting used to and will stand criticism before slowly gaining widespread adoption.
The book uses a lot of examples from Italian design (e.g. Alessi, Artemide, Fiat). Overall a great read, in particular as it strikes a different tone from many other (often software-focused) product / design innovation books I've read.
The product is delivered as a “proposal” to the end user. It is not something the user was looking for -- an innovative product will take getting used to and will stand criticism before slowly gaining widespread adoption.
The book uses a lot of examples from Italian design (e.g. Alessi, Artemide, Fiat). Overall a great read, in particular as it strikes a different tone from many other (often software-focused) product / design innovation books I've read.
October 25, 2014
This book sheds a different light on what makes some products have enthusiastic and lasting adoption.
It elaborates on some forms of disruption that Clayton Christensen describes.
The idea is that some products introduce a new meaning, and then are carried by a building audience buying into the "proposal" Mae by the innovative product. It covers the examples of Swatch, Alessi, Apple, Nintendo, Fiat, and others.
I got just a couple of big ideas from this book (on importance of new meanings as uncovered by design driven innovation, and it's interaction with new enabling technologies), but they are impactful enough to make the book worthwhile.
It elaborates on some forms of disruption that Clayton Christensen describes.
The idea is that some products introduce a new meaning, and then are carried by a building audience buying into the "proposal" Mae by the innovative product. It covers the examples of Swatch, Alessi, Apple, Nintendo, Fiat, and others.
I got just a couple of big ideas from this book (on importance of new meanings as uncovered by design driven innovation, and it's interaction with new enabling technologies), but they are impactful enough to make the book worthwhile.
August 15, 2014
Theoretical book focused on the need for both technology and meaning to drive true innovation in products. True innovation is only possible when a product provides radical change in both technology and meaning. Apple changed MP3 player Wholefoods changed healthy eating from self-denial to something that people want, Nintendo changed gaming from a passive interface to an immersive interface, Apple changed music from digital mp3 players to an end-toend experience.
May 1, 2011
The book completely changes your thinking on design. It makes you want to discover what could be. The book is written with passion for better products, deeper meanings and a desire to see society progress. The strategies and outlines given in this book can radically change your thinking and give you the competitive advantage people look for.
February 23, 2015
Sono studente in economia e management indirizzo marketing e questo libro, che mi è stato consigliato da un amico designer, l'ho trovato molto interessante, in esso viene data una visione molto più ampia al discorso di innovazione rispetto a quanto mi è stato insegnato fino ad ora nel mio percorso di studi!
April 7, 2011
A great introduction to what meaning is and why business should care about it. Verganti's research providing fertile group for emergent creative communities offering alternatives in an increasingly homogenised marketplace for design.
Want to read
April 23, 2010Guy
September 20, 2011
Found this courtesy of Harvard Business IdeaCast episode 160.
Want to read
March 12, 2015referred by paul Chapman
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews