Technology Epiphanies: The Interplay between Technology-Push and Design-Driven Innovation

By: Roberto Verganti

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Synopsis: In many cases, radical innovations like the Nintendo Wii represent the intersection of design-driven innovation and a breakthrough in technology. The most popular game console on the market has redefined what playing with a game console means, but this redefinition was the result of an advance in technology that allowed the console to sense the speed and orientation of the controller. This chapter focuses on the interplay between the radical innovation of meanings that is at the center of design-driven innovation, and the radical innovation of technologies. This interplay is at the heart of some of the most successful products in many industries and can result in the complete reconfiguration of competition in a given industry. Three cases are considered: the Nintendo Wii, the Swatch, and the Applie iPod. This chapter was originally published as chapter 4 of "Design-Driven Innovation: Changing the Rules of Competition by Radically Innovating What Things Mean."