Making Good Designs or Making Design Good?

Prof. David Owens Owen Grad School of Management [email protected]

About Me…

 BS Electrical Engineering  PE EE (Professional Engineer)  SFO Airport: Power Systems Design  MS Product Design (ME / Art)   IDEO Product Development Inc.

Product Design (Apple, HP, Steelcase, Coleman, Wine-in-a-Box, etc.)  PhD Management Science and Eng.

  Management & New Product Development Vanderbilt & LEGO Systems (SeriousPlay.com)

Which is the Better Design?

Personal Innovation Style Survey

Please answer the following 10 questions about your working habits in your design team

1.

When I am working on a task, I tend to… E) Go along with a consistent level of work R) Work with high energy at times and low energy other times 2.

If there is a problem, I usually am the one who thinks of… R) Many solutions, some of which are unusual E) One or two solutions that that other people will generally accept

3.

When keeping records, I tend to… E) Be very careful about documentation R) Be more haphazard about documentation 4.

In meetings, I am often seen as the one who… E) Keeps the group functioning well and maintains order R) Challenges ideas or authority

5.

My thinking style could most accurately be described as… E) Linear thinker, going from A to B to C R) Thinking like a grasshopper, jumping from one idea to another 6.

If I have to run a project or group, I… R) Have the general idea and let people figure out how to do the tasks E) Try to figure out goals, time lines, and expected outcomes

7.

If there are rules to follow, I tend to… E) Generally follow them R) Question whether those rules are meaningful or not 8.

I like to be around people who are… E) Smart, stable and solid R) Clever, stimulating, and change frequently

9.

In my home or workspace, things are… R) Here and there in various piles E) Laid out neatly or at least in a reasonable order 10.

I usually feel the way people have done things in the past… E) Must have some merit and comes from accumulated wisdom R) Can always be improved upon

Scoring I

 Count the number of E’s and R’s   If R is higher, you are “Type R” If A is higher, you are “Type E”  Write this down  Subtract R from E  Write down the absolute value

Style Assessment

 Type R with dif. 8-10 : Strong R  Type R with dif. 5-7 : Mid-Level R  Type R with dif. 2-4 : Moderate R  Difference of 1 or less : MID R/E  Type E with dif. 2-4 : Moderate E  Type E with dif. 5-7 : Mid-Level E  Type E with dif. 8-10 : Strong E

Which of these is most important to the success of innovative designs?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

The Personality of the Innovator A Smart or Brilliant Idea A Good Problem that Needs Solving Persistence of the Innovator Expertise of the Innovator The Process or Schedule

Creative People may be Characterized as...

???

Creative Personality Indicators

1.

2.

3.

  Introvert or Extravert ?

Optimist or Pessimist ?

Others?...

Creativity Research Findings

Trait  Neuroticism  Extraversion  Openness (to Experience)   Agreeableness Conscientiousness Creativity Correlation -0.10

0.13

0.17

~ 0.19

What does it take to generate a truly good idea?

 Creativity?

 Luck?

 Familiarity with the problem?

 Beer?

 ??

Creativity Research Findings

Trait “Creativity” Correlation  Neuroticism -0.10

 Extraversion 0.13

 Openness to Experience 0.17

 Agreeableness ~  Conscientiousness 0.19

 General Cognitive Ability 0.26

Ranking all the factors…

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

The Personality of the Innovators A Smart or Brilliant Idea A Good Problem that Needs Solving Persistence of the Innovators Expertise of the Innovators The Process or Schedule

Ranking the Innovation Factors

Trait  Neuroticism  Extraversion Creativity:  Openness to Experience  Agreeableness  Conscientiousness  General cognitive ability  Task motivation  Domain-relevant skills  Use Creative Processes Indiv.

-0.10

0.13

0.17

~ 0.19

0.26

0.41

0.46

0.62

So What Happens in Teams?

Trait  Neuroticism   Creativity: Extraversion Openness to Experience       Agreeableness Conscientiousness General cognitive ability Task motivation Domain-relevant skills Use of Creative Process Indiv.

-0.10

0.13

0.17

~ 0.19

0.26

0.41

0.46

0.62

Team ~ ~ ~ ~ 0.11

~ 0.37

~ 0.52

What’s this about “PROCESS”…?

“S-Curve” Learning Process

4 3 1 1: Exploration 2 2: Innovation 3: Implementation 4: Exploitation Time

“S-Curve” Design Process

DIVERGE DIVERGE IMPLEMENT CONVERGE CONVERGE

So What?

 The group cannot jump ahead in the process   The group must have different

goals

at different times The group must have different

“behaviors”

at different times  The group must agree it is time to switch!

If only it were that easy….

Your Creative Personality?

  Type “E” ?

Type “R” ?

Styles Unveiled R evolutionary Innovators

 less disciplined  manipulate problems  work in short bursts  take control  challenge rules  seek radical change

E volutionary Innovators

 prefer precision  resolve problems  work steadily  act as authority  work within rules  seek implementation.

“S-Curve” Design Process

DIVERGE DIVERGE IMPLEMENT CONVERGE CONVERGE

Which is a Better Design?

“Type R” “Type E”

Paper Clip Innovation

Paper Clip: Type R

Paper Clip Type: E

Evolutionary Innovations

Final Points About Process

  You can’t ideate forever (and still get done) “Rev. 2.0” will always be better (so leave perfection for then)  Groups need processes for making decisions (before they need to make decisions)  Control your group process (and then let someone else control it)  A schedule is the only way to live (for routine innovators)

Homework

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Compile the A/R survey results for your team members Describe an example of an “A-Type” innovation (besides the ones used in class) Describe an example of an “E-Type” innovation (besides the ones used in class) Draw an “S-Learning” Curve with an arrow indicating where your team is right now on that curve.

Write a short paragraph explaining whether your team needs more “E” or more “R” guidance right now.

New Product Design & Innovation Mgt 541 / 542 (Spring 2005) Identifying Customer Needs user research Concept Generation and Selection generating good concepts Concept Testing and Costing choosing features and setting price Prototyping models with meaningful information Industrial Design usability and aesthetics Product Architecture and Specifications design for manufacturing

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Monitor Design Project

Sleep happy… Small and Intricate… Sentries against threat… Two kinds of kids… This isn’t really it… It’s how we market it…

Contact me if you are interested

MGT 541 / 542

 4 – Credit MBA Project Class  You’ll be on a team of MBA students Email: [email protected]

Questions or Thoughts?