Competing by investing in Industrial Design Engineering The Dutch Experience JC Delft University of Technology Design for Sustainability program

Industrial Design Engineering mission statement Contribute to knowledge, skills, methods and professional attributes in the field of integrated product development. The aim is to study, innovate and improve (the development of) durable products for people, on the basis of the integrated interests of users, industry, society and environment

Industrial Design Engineering IDE, ID, DE, D Creating products (service systems) for people……… Industrial design is the art of combining elements from different disciplines which are concerned with function, market and production

Industrial Design Engineering current facts Start in year program About 1800 students (35% female) Yearly intake of >300 freshmen 50 PhD’s 2500 graduates 24% of them work independent Around 200 Industrial design offices in Netherlands

Industrial Designer profile Analytical skill Technical understanding Creative / inventive abilities Understanding of spatial dimensions Planning skills Communicative skills Uncertainty reduction

Industrial Design May enhance product performance Reduce manufacturing costs May improve ergonomics features of products May attribute an aesthetic appeal May result in an unique, original product May play a role in a firm’s corporate reputation

Industrial Design Engineering in Practice in Holland Case examples of Dutch IDE offices –Well Design –Flex Product Development –NPK –Fabrique –Springtime Added value of IDE to competitive advantage of SME industry in Holland

Rood Runner Rood Runner for the Dutch Post Company To deliver more mail with less effort Increased efficiency with car quietness Ergonomics Electric engine delivers 50% to the drivers cycling power Closed container to protect the mail Opens by an electronic lock when postman arrives First batch of 500 Rood Runners on the road

Syntens Former Innovation Centers 18 branches To support SME’s in innovation 2 days of free consultancy To link SME’s with Design offices and Engineering offices Financed by the ministry of Economical Affairs Special programs like Ecodesign, ICT, Quality etc.

Competing by investing in Industrial Design Engineering A research by BNO and the Dutch Ministry of Economical Affairs

Impact o design on company performance Not so many studies. Scotland, 1987: Firms with high sales growth have greater involvement of professional designers UK, DIG 1992: Firms with ‘good design’ perform significantly better France 1995

Research Question Can SME’s improve their competitive position by investing in Industrial Design? Compare industries that invest more or less in Industrial Design Research in two branches of Industry: –Furniture Industry –Instrument Industry 47 companies Invest = putting into service of industrial designers in the product development process.

IDE within SME’s (1) Out of the 47 companies: –18 always bring an Industrial Designer –6 regularly –10 occasionally –13 never Bigger companies invest more –However there are also small design driven companies Series size is important to invest in IDE Space for development important Depends on market segment –Modern furniture companies invest more.

IDE within SME’s (2) 18% of the 34 companies (that use IDE) have their own employed Industrial Designer Most of them are the furniture manufacturers. Instrument manufacturers prefer to hire ID consultants. Mostly they have a sustainable relationship. Furniture companies change more often of hired ID consultants.

Reasons to hire ID consultants Furniture industry Knowledge of the branche/market 59% Style of design 53% Reputation 47% Design, style, aesthetics oriented Instrument industry Knowledge of the branche/market 53% Has been working earlier for the company Take care of a big part of the product development process Technical / functional oriented In both cases involved in all processes of the product development process Especially translating the program of requirements into product concepts

Why (not) involving IDE experts? Yes…because: Creative input in the product development process. To make their products different in the market. Not..because: Already enough expertise within the company. The market is not asking for it.

The added value of IDE on the product performance? High score for product aesthetics Instrument Industry: Also improved user friendlyness Shorter product development traject: IDE consultant = network manager towards mould suppliers etc.

The added value of IDE on the company performance Company level: Better imago/reputation of the company More export and turnover Increase of succesfull introduced products into the market. The coming years 53% will use more IDE experts 39 % the same….

Economical analyses Research after profit, turnover, export and innovation. There is a positive relation between investments in IDE and the growth of turnover, market share, ROI, innovation Instrument industry also: More profit More export Faster product development

Conclusion resarch Investing in Industrial Design contributes to better product and company performance

IDE Education IDE at the three Technical Universities ID at the European Design Center IDE at polytechnics D at Art schools

Universities in the Netherlands Groningen TU Twente Nijmegen Wageningen Utrecht Amsterdam Rotterdam Leiden Tilburg TU Eindhoven Maastricht

Industrial Design Engineering design projects Products with realistic context Increasing complexity Different accents Individual + team projects Studio work Related to Industry (increasing form design 4 to 7)

Design 1 Design 2 Design 3 Design 4 Materialization Design 5 Environment & innovation Design 6 In collaboration with Industry Design 7 Master

Design 2 example Design 4 example

Example Design Education Design assignment 5 Product Innovation and the environment. Student act as design team/consultants Staff acts as “coach” or company director Assignment based upon real company case Group work, every two days a new chairman Every two days presentation to “company”

Design 5 SWOT Strategic gap Innovation need Search fields Product ideas Product selection and detailing Market implementation Consultant report to company director

Example Bos Limited produces sandwich panels, cabin and tuck containers Has to face stiff competition and is not using all of its production capacity Looking for innovation… Support by Gnosis, Timeflies, Loox and Green Pepper……

Examples ? ?

Foldacabin

Industrial Design Engineering final year project Product Design or Innovation Management Practical or research 95% of the projects in industry Individual project months duration Integrating all study areas Ending with working prototype Contract between company & faculty (fee, rights, confidentiality )

Questions….discussions…