Jun 15

Written by: Rachael Dalton-Taggart
6/15/2006 5:49 AM 

Today I had the priveledge of interviewing a product design company (it's for a client...I can't reveal names) that about 9 years ago switched from being an industrial design consultancy to actualy producing its own products...and then selling them to major retail chains. The conversation was inspiring. To these people, nothing is impossible! They simply keep dreaming up ideas and then seeing if they will work! 'natch, natch, luxury!' you say. Who can afford to do that. Well this 20 person company has embraced the issues of patents, IP as part of its culture and somehow empowered its people to think. And is making money while doing so. According to Tom Peters, this may be the way forward. From an April 2006 article on cnn.com: "According to Peters, future economic success will spring from entrepreneurial individuals and small firms agile enough to seize new opportunities. Freed from the constraints of top-heavy management structures, they will generate the ideas and innovations needed to survive in an ultra-competitive world." This company has a flat structure and essentially goes around trying to find new ways to solve existing problems. And they do it well. And according to them, the innovation and engineering factors are integral - not separate. What a relief! I have long argued this with COFES attendees, and I believe I have found the truth...the ideas start the process, the engineering finishes it, but there is no true defining line between the two! Both work hand-in-hand. rach