Another type of innovation: aesthetic innovation
Regular readers of this blog know that there are dozens of "types" of innovation. Open any book on innovation and you'll see reference to product innovation, process innovation, operations innovation, value innovation, market innovation etc. etc. Some books include many of these types while others offer just a couple.
The variation of types of innovation can lead to a lot of confusion. However, you can often place these types into two broader categories: innovation that occurs on the value-creating side and innovation that occurs on the cost side. That said, doing this for service-heavy product offerings becomes a difficult task. Is a bus driver creating value or is he a cost?
After reading a bit of The Substance of Style by Virginia Postrel the other day at the book store, I thought I'd add yet another type to the ever-growing list of innovation types: aesthetic innovation. One of the main messages in this book is that product quality is pretty much a given these days and that aesthetics are, contrary to what some people argue, indeed valued by customers. Here's a taster of the tone of the book:
"GE believes in the aesthetic age. This is not a hip San Francisco style shop. These executives don't get their photos in fashion magazines or go to celebrity-filled parties. They don't dress in black, pierce their eyebrows or wear Euro-style narrow eyeglasses. This is General Electric. Jack Welch's company. Thomas Edison's company. An enterprise dedicated to science, engineering and ruthless financial expectations. GE doesn't invest in ideas because they sound cool. When a trend comes to Selkirk, it's no passing fancy." (p. 4)
But how can firms get aesthetics right? This must surely be a huge challenge. Here in Taiwan, Asus, an OEM/ODM firm that is trying to build its own brand, has added a bit of leather to some of its own-brand notebook computers. How will Asus' country-markets respond to this mash-up of hardware and skin, or as Asus puts it, "fusion of technology and craftsmanship"? Will the Germans go for it? Will the Australians lap it up? Will the Indians reject it?
innovation management in Asia
The variation of types of innovation can lead to a lot of confusion. However, you can often place these types into two broader categories: innovation that occurs on the value-creating side and innovation that occurs on the cost side. That said, doing this for service-heavy product offerings becomes a difficult task. Is a bus driver creating value or is he a cost?
After reading a bit of The Substance of Style by Virginia Postrel the other day at the book store, I thought I'd add yet another type to the ever-growing list of innovation types: aesthetic innovation. One of the main messages in this book is that product quality is pretty much a given these days and that aesthetics are, contrary to what some people argue, indeed valued by customers. Here's a taster of the tone of the book:
"GE believes in the aesthetic age. This is not a hip San Francisco style shop. These executives don't get their photos in fashion magazines or go to celebrity-filled parties. They don't dress in black, pierce their eyebrows or wear Euro-style narrow eyeglasses. This is General Electric. Jack Welch's company. Thomas Edison's company. An enterprise dedicated to science, engineering and ruthless financial expectations. GE doesn't invest in ideas because they sound cool. When a trend comes to Selkirk, it's no passing fancy." (p. 4)
But how can firms get aesthetics right? This must surely be a huge challenge. Here in Taiwan, Asus, an OEM/ODM firm that is trying to build its own brand, has added a bit of leather to some of its own-brand notebook computers. How will Asus' country-markets respond to this mash-up of hardware and skin, or as Asus puts it, "fusion of technology and craftsmanship"? Will the Germans go for it? Will the Australians lap it up? Will the Indians reject it?
innovation management in Asia
Labels: innovation
posted by Gordon Graham at 12:58 AM
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