Good product and process design gives a strong competitive advantage and plays a major role in product innovation. However, many small companies lack specialist industrial design (ID) skills so that key activities are often performed by non-
specialists or omitted altogether. In the case of foreign direct investment, the mother company is typically the source of all designs.
In different markets, the role and perceived importance of ID may depend upon the mode and type of competition. In consumer product markets, industrial design input typically determines the novelty or cost aspect of the product. By contrast, many industrial products compete through technical advantage, and ID input can be a key differentiating influence. In both cases, it is vital to understand that ID can deliver competitive advantage
Companies can evaluate where they, and their competitors, are on the innovation-styling spectrum (see diagram). This spectrum can be defined as the degree to which industrial design is involved in the product design process, from early involvement in strategy development through to late involvement in product styling.
A company’s design ambition can be viewed as the degree to which a company challenges the minimal requirement for industrial design involvement in its market. Typically, companies which display higher levels of design ambition than their competition can gain significant commercial advantage. This suggests that it may not be necessary for all companies to operate towards the innovation end of the spectrum, but to demonstrate sufficiently more design ambition than their competition.
However, whether a company uses industrial design to drive innovation or to re-style products, it is vital that the designer is involved early and throughout the product design process. When ID is viewed as a major contributor to innovation, it is common to have in-house or retained specialist resources, whereas in other cases, external specialists are used often on a project-by-project basis.
Industrial design will typically ensure that the investment will significantly enhance product differentiation and have a positive impact on potential sales. The actual investment made by many companies is relatively low compared to the total project spend – often less than five per cent.
In addition to the financial implications, there are many non-financial benefits to be gained from design investment. These might include enhanced teamwork, early buy in, improved corporate image, cultural change, risk reduction through modelling and prototyping, early visualisation and enhanced customer involvement. The non-financial bene-fits can often be more significant than the financial ones.
Malta Enterprise is running a five-session course on innovative product and process design, not only for those responsible for design within companies but also for company managers and owners. The course, which begins on 17 May, is being organised in collaboration with the Innovation Relay Centre Malta located at the Kordin Business Incubation Centre.
This course will be followed by a more advanced course later on in the year. Successful participants will be deemed eligible for specific design support schemes planned for later this year and intended to assist local companies in establishing their own local design capability.
Malta Enterprise’s Industrial Design Scheme envisages part financing of on-site design expertise support as well as part-financing of design capability such as specialised CAD hardware and licences.
More information is available from the Malta Enterprise website (www.maltaenterprise.com) or by sending your queries to info@malta enterprise.com.
Ing Joseph P. Sammut is Head Technology Development and Innovation, Malta Enterprise,
San Gwann Industrial Estate