On the Origin of Products
The Evolution of Product Innovation and Design

Provides an evolutionary perspective on the origin of products. Offers a method to give designers directions in New Product Development.

Arthur O. Eger (Author), Huub Ehlhardt (Author)

9781107187658, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 15 February 2018

322 pages
26.1 x 18.2 x 2 cm, 0.84 kg

'Eger and Ehlhardt have taken an innovative approach by applying Darwinian evolutionary principles to product design. This provides a richer understanding of the development of products and their potential for future adaptation. Using familiar products as case studies, from light bulbs to car seats, the authors illustrate the theory of product phases and how this can be used to better understand the driving forces on design specification and form. As well as outlining their own theory of new product development, they provide a comprehensive review of the most important theories of product development. This text will provide the student with an excellent grounding in product design theory and the practitioner with an enlightening new approach to the evolution of products. Highly Recommended.' Brian Price, Aston University

In this new work, Arthur O. Eger and Huub Ehlhardt present a 'Theory of Product Evolution'. They challenge the popular notion that we owe the availability of products solely to genius inventors. Instead, they present arguments that show that a process of variation, selection, and accumulation of 'know-how' (to make) and 'know-what' (function to realize) provide an explanation for the emergence of new types of products and their subsequent development into families of advanced versions. This theory employs a product evolution diagram as an analytical framework to reconstruct the development history of a product family and picture it as a graphical narrative. The authors describe the relevant literature and case studies to place their theory in context. The 'Product Phases Theory' is used to create predictions on the most likely next step in the evolution of a product, offering practical tools for those involved in new product development.

1. On the origin of products
2. Technological innovation as an evolutionary process
3. Lineage
4. Product evolution
5. Evolutionary product development: product phases
6. Retrospective case surveys based on product phases
7. Retrospective case study of general lighting solutions and the compact fluorescent lamp
8. Retrospective case study of the child restraint system
9. Example showing the application of the theory in the work of Maarten Michel
10. Abstracts of the most important theories used in this book
11. Conclusion: evolution in products
Appendix
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Industrial applications of scientific research & technological innovation [PDG], Manufacturing industries [KND], Business innovation [KJD], Business & management [KJ], Economics of industrial organisation [KCD]