Industrial design is all about taking risks. If you’re unwilling to take risks, you’ll never create anything innovative or groundbreaking. However, risk management is essential to ensure that your bets pay off.
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” – said Steve Jobs.
When most people think of industrial design, they think of products like chairs and lamps. But industrial design is so much more than that. Industrial designers create the systems and processes that make our lives better. They improve the efficiency of factories, office furniture’s ergonomics, and household appliances’ safety. In other words, industrial designers make the world a better place.
So with Jobs’ words in mind, let’s look at how two companies have taken risks and triumphed in the world of industrial design.
First up is IDEO, one of the world’s leading design firms. IDEO has helped create some of the most iconic products of our time, including the first Apple computer mouse and the Palm V PDA. But that’s not all they’ve done. IDEO has also helped design the US Postal Service’s mail sorting system, the Barbie doll, and even hospitals.
What makes IDEO so successful is its willingness to take risks. They’re constantly pushing boundaries and experimenting with new ideas. This approach has led to some of their most groundbreaking work.
For example, IDEO was recently commissioned to redesign the airport security experience. However, IDEO took a completely new approach rather than simply trying to make the existing system more efficient. Instead, they looked at the entire system, from check-in to baggage claim, and identified opportunities for improvement.
IDEO’s redesign of the security experience was so successful that officials implemented it in airports worldwide. But that’s not the only example of their work making a real-world impact.
IDEO has also worked on projects like redesigning the voting experience in the US, which has led to more people getting out and voting. They’ve also designed a school in Uganda, which has helped improve education in developing countries.
IDEO’s success comes from its ability to take risks and think outside the box. And that’s something we can all learn from.
So, what about you? What risks are you willing to take in your work? How can you push boundaries and create something truly innovative? Only by taking risks can we hope to achieve great things.
The second company I want to talk about is 3M. You might not know this, but a product designed by 3M has touched nearly everything we use in our daily lives.
From sticky notes to dental floss, Scotch tape to sandpaper, post-it notes to earplugs, there’s a good chance you’ve used a product designed by this company.
But what makes them so successful? Well, much like IDEO, they’re not afraid to take risks. They have a long history of taking risks and innovating.
One of their most famous products is Post-it notes. Of course, if you’ve ever used one, you know how convenient and valuable they are. But did you know that they were invented by accident?
In 1968, a researcher at the company was trying to create a new type of adhesive. But instead of creating a strong adhesive, he accidentally made a weak one. So rather than giving up, he decided to see if there was any use for this new adhesive. And that’s how Post-it notes were born.
Today, Post-it notes are used by millions of people around the world. And it all started with one person’s willingness to take a risk.
So, there you have it. Two companies that have achieved success by taking risks. What will you do to push boundaries and create something innovative?