Inventions, and Design Driven Innovations
iPhone — One of the most innovative products launched.
There is a crucial connection between the countless important inventions that are done throughout the world and the products/services we make on top of these inventions, to make these principles be used by the general public. The role of design is immense in converting a theoretical invention or discovery into an everyday item. This story goes over some case studies I observed to exceptionally make use of applied design to create something interesting.
Inventions are new processes, products, or services that are a direct outcome of years of study and research (Merriam-webster, n.d.), but often times these new outcomes are just concepts or theories, as was the case with the patent of the Omnidirectional, vertical-lift, helicopter drone, by Edward G. Vanderlip, who had filed for the patent in 1962 as a device that could aid helicopters during a power failure.
The Patent of a vertical lift drone by Edward G. Vanderlip
But fast forward to the twenty-first century, we can see drones being used in a variety of use cases like cinematography, drone-related sporting activities, food Deliveries, first-aid emergencies, etc. Having ventured into these varied markets has enabled the technology to advance at a rate that wouldn’t have been otherwise possible. Design has afforded people from different backgrounds to get their hands on the technology, tinker with it, and create a completely new piece of innovation out of it. Over the years drones have become faster, agile, and able to lift heavier payloads, because of the small incremental innovations each player in the market is responsible for.
DJI the leading company in the drone market comes out with ever-impressive drones, which lets cinematographers get gorgeous wildlife shots, add DYI / modular options for hobbyists, where even newcomers get the chance to witness a bird’s eye view of flying, hence further having more people getting their hands on the invention and tweaking it to create a completely new piece of innovation. Their latest product “DJI FPV” combines the thrill of racing drones with a small, agile, and rugged body, with the functionality of a Cinematic drone, by utilizing powerful cameras. The competition within the industry also gives rise to some very user-friendly features such as subject following, Video stabilization, Higher image quality, and rugged/modular body design. All these added features are a direct consequence of a unique problem discovered with each user flight, which is in huge contrast to the limited vision the invention of a vertical lift-off drone originally had during its conception. (Camera Drones, n.d.; Cruz, 2020a)
DJI FPV Drone
Inventions have always been the stepping stone to something new, but Design has truly been the motivator for unlocking the true potential of the invention and turning it into a new, exciting, and usable innovation, something widely used and accessible for the public. While inventions might highlight a new process or product, innovation is the application of this new process or product with the help of design. Inventions if not explored in different situations and for different needs, will often go unaltered. Design caters to this by approaching inventions with a new perspective and problem at hand and tries to alter the invention to a degree such that, a need is fulfilled. which gives rise to new innovative concepts and branches of the same invention.
One classic example is of 3D printers, although the technology of stereolithography (the principle behind 3D printing in the 1980s, developed by Japanese inventor Hideo Kodama, for quickly prototyping using a resin which would instantly be cured in contact with UV light) was founded in the 1980s, but due to numerous patents with stereolithography, FDM, and SLM technologies, these inventions never saw consumer homes or varied use cases and remained difficult to operate, expensive and involved huge post-processing.
It was not until 2008, when the patents expired, did small startups around the world got their hands on the technology and started innovating with it, which resulted in the opening of the 3D-printing industry to a wide range of avenues like healthcare (printing hearing-aids, prosthetic limbs), constructions (printing low-cost houses), Space explorations (NASA investing in technologies that can help them print colonies on planetary bodies using materials available there), Rapid-prototyping (making easier for companies to fail early and more often during the design process), Manufacturing (Companies like Adidas using this technology as a tool to manufacture sustainable products), These innovations were designed by keeping a particular problem in mind and understanding its root cause and solving for that.
Competition for 3D printing space habitat
Rapid prototyping has always been the dream for many engineers and industrial designers, which drove the scope to use 3D printing and physically scale it down for everyday use. The same is the case for space exploration, where an unmanned process was required for building reliable structures, and the same invention has been innovated but this time the scale had been increased along with altering the technology to work with widely different materials and environments, where one innovation was needed to fit on a desk, one was needed to work under hostile environments on different planets. For the longest time, 3D printing remained off-limits for the everyday user, but the role of design ensured competition and the need for innovation which drove down costs, increased demands, and added features. (2021b; Sham, 2022)
Design helps us spot trends and figure out vacuums in the market that need products and services. This trend-spotting becomes the basis for user study, problem area research, ideations, iterations, prototyping, and gathering insight, which leads to an innovative concept, product, and service, which often utilizes inventions as the backbone for its functioning. This means many times the intended use scenario of the invention might be interpreted differently by the innovators depending on the problem that is being addressed.
GPS technology was discovered by scientists who were tracking Sputnik-era satellites and found a phenomenon known as the Doppler effect, which became the pillar behind the Navigation technology. In the1970s, GPS was primarily created by the US Navy to help in location tracking for their troops and vehicles, however, with the liberation and popularization of technology, many gates opened for consumer brands to use this technology and introduce it to the mainstream consumer.
In the 1980s, the first commercial GPS tracking device was launched, the NAV1000 by Magellan, but this suffered low interest from the public due to it weighing 1.5 pounds, and costing $3000, it also suffered from the limited accuracy, due to the very limited experiments done with this technology. But in the year 2000, when the government had completely opened the technology for use in the consumer sector, companies like Garmin launched wearable fitness devices with the ease of location and fitness tracking which was a big opportunity in the consumer space, especially after the popularization of personal music devices like the iPod which made people wander more, and companies like Qualcomm innovated further and combined Mobile cellular signals to carry GPS signals, which made the innovation by Apple and Google to create digital maps possible. As more motivated companies got their hands to the product, the invention changed from strictly being used for war efforts, to guiding people across the streets of New York. These innovations also helped physically scale down the technology.
Google Maps using GPS signals and Augmented reality for a more immersive way finding experience
This invention is particularly interesting as companies who were able to tap into the right market at the right time by taking advantage of the vacuum in the market, and applying design were able to seal a spot in the consumer industry for themselves. Google maps have taken the throne for the most used location and directional service since its inception in 2005, and even Garmin has been able to compete with giants like Apple and Google, by having a strong market presence with their tough utilitarian devices. Their position has also let them build on the invention and technology by adding features like traffic mapping, terrain maps, estimated time for arrival (All these which interlinked information from different devices and used it to guide other users).
More recently, AR is being infused with GPS-based navigation tech which is helping people get more informed and immersive directions. Along with navigation, the use of this piece of invention opened doors to an Augmented game (Pokémon Go), which tapped into the existing GPS trackers in consumer electronics to enable them to explore the surroundings around them while having fun. Design gives us these opportunities, to think laterally or outside the box, to explore and test the absolute limits of a piece of technology and convert even a piece of military technology into a fun AR cartoon-filled exploration game. (Abril, 2020; Global Positioning System History, n.d.; Team, 2022)
Design along with constraints and problems also gives us the opportunity to look at situations through a different set of lenses, trying to find “Jugaad” (DIY) solutions that are driven by a designer’s past experiences. The 20-cents paperfuge is one such innovation by Manu Prakash and Saad Bhamla (Strickland, 2017b), Stanford Bioengineers. The need was inspired by a lack of cheap, fast, and accessible centrifuges in third-world countries. Paperfuge took the basis of an old Indian toy “Fhirki”, which suspended a button across a string and when the string was coiled and stretched, the button would spin at a whopping 125,000 RPM (crossing dedicated Plasma centrifuges speeds, which normally top at 15,000 RPM, which were also heavy, expensive, and resource-intensive (Gonzalez, 2017)), which enabled the simple contraption to separate plasma from blood, required to test for malaria and HIV infections. “This is a great example of how extremely creative people can originate important new ideas by relaxing and observing the world around them,” — Ray Baughman. (Gonzalez, 2017b; Strickland, 2017a)
Prototype of the paperfuge in action
Paperfuge is a great example that when design thinking is applied to a problem area, inventions from different sectors, even ones formerly used in toys can also serve different purposes, to create something so unique, new, and innovative that it feels natural.
Most of the common stuff we use daily now is a combination and perfection of innovations done years ago, which were in turn designed and built on inventions from centuries ago. One such Innovation was that of the original iPhone, which was launched in 2008 by Apple. Not only did this device need inventions and innovations from different fields of technology to align at the same time, but it also required a headstrong vision about delivering a new experience to consumers, a device that could enable them to interact directly with the software.
The iPhone was however not the first touchscreen phone on the market, moreover, companies like Motorola, Blackberry, Nokia, dominated the market with their phones, as they were good with either productivity workflows, with connectivity, or with music, but each lacked the feeling of a comprehensive device. And the true innovation in the iPhone revolved around the combination of all the inventions and interventions in the fields of electricity and battery technology, Cellular and Wi-Fi- connectivity, Computer processing, Touch and high-resolution displays, Camera systems, and User interface, into one comprehensive product. In a nutshell, it is a prime example of how engineers, marketing, advertising, sales, and designers understood not only the market space and trends, but also technology and most importantly the users, and about how to apply design to an opportunity area. (iPhone: How Did We Get There? [Technology History Infographic], n.d.-a; Lyytinen, 2017)
The original iPhone
Since 2008, Smartphones have now become iterative, where the industry stands awaiting a big upheaval, and companies like Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Apple have been exploring the next steps in innovation, by combining AR/VR technology with communications, which will aim to further increase the level of immersions with the real and virtual world together. This would be the next big innovation in personal communication building on inventions and innovations like motion tracking, Voice recognition, Gesture controlled interaction, etc.
We can already see some of these inventions being used in innovations like using mixed reality in schools and classrooms for educational purposes, like the “GIZA” project, where more interactive information is embedded into traditional courses, Interactive retail tech where people can place pieces of furniture in the surroundings they live in to have a more immersive consensus of what is being bought (The John Lewis Design project) or having them in the fashion industry where, the Scandinavian retailer “Carlings” developed a device which manipulated users photos to look like they were wearing a piece of clothing, which aided them with buying decisions. (Fleming, 2022)
The GIZA project — using AR for immersive learning
By rigorously using design synthesis, we can constantly innovate by understanding trends, needs of the times, and borrowing from technology and inventions to solve problems. Only when an invention is thoroughly researched and validated, can it be designed on, and only if the design process is carefully followed, can we ensure the making of something truly innovative. Very often these new innovations can also become a platform for further inventions, design, and innovations (The iPhone opened the gates to inventing a whole new sector of Digital applications, The advances in 3D printing gave rise to new inventions in the field of manufacturing, and material science)
Design is a tool, that helps us understand what the limits of technology and inventions are, and then helps us break or find a way around those limits. It is the bridge between what resources exist (Inventions/ technologies/ systems) and what ideas can exist off those resources (Innovations/ Products/ services). While inventions are a new intervention in a theoretical and scientific standpoint, a new way of doing things, a new definition of our surroundings, design is the application of these principles in day-to-day life, through new innovative products, services, or concepts.
Design helps Inventions give meaning and traction by applying these new definitions to the real world, by making them accessible. It helps us apply creativity and problem-solving techniques to end up with solutions that are completely different from where we had started. Understanding technology and the market helps us gain insight on what is the present scenario, and then following a design process, provides us with tools to convert the current resources into something exciting. Understanding users and the nuances in their lives, the problems or loopholes they encounter daily helps to understand the scope of something worth innovating.
We can think of inventions as a base or dough of a pizza, which forms the Structure for anything to go on top of it, and the rest of the sauces, toppings, and garnishes form the design interventions, which give the pizza dough its character, taste, and value. When both the pizza base and the topping combine harmoniously, we get a great pizza, in the form of innovation. And with every individual that interacts with the recipe and making of the pizza, we get a different result, something unique, like what happens with different individuals applying their own process to problems to make something new.
A Tasty Pizza
References
Abril, D. (2020, March 16). How early GPS gadget maker Garmin mapped out success against the likes of Apple and Google. Fortune. https://fortune.com/2020/03/16/garmin-survived-gps-revolution/#:%7E:text=In%202003%2C%20Garmin%20offered%20its,to%20Garmin’s%20core%20automotive%20business
Alkobi, J. (2021, December 8). The Evolution of Drones: From Military to Hobby & Commercial. Percepto. https://percepto.co/the-evolution-of-drones-from-military-to-hobby-commercial/
A. (2021c, December 10). When Was 3D Printing Invented? The History of 3D Printing. BCN3D Technologies. https://www.bcn3d.com/the-history-of-3d-printing-when-was-3d-printing-invented/#:%7E:text=The%20first%20documented%20iterations%20of,was%20polymerized%20by%20UV%20light.
Bennett, J. (2018b, April 27). 15 Patents That Changed the World. Popular Mechanics. https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/design/g20051677/patents-changed-the-world/
Cruz, Y. (2020, February 4). The Evolution of Drones, Then and Now. Enterprise Drone Solutions. https://enterprise.dronenerds.com/the-evolution-of-drones/
Eadicicco, L. (2017, June 29). This Is Why the iPhone Upended the Tech Industry. Time. https://time.com/4837176/iphone-10th-anniversary/
Fleming, T. (2022, February 3). Immersive Technology and How It Could Transform the Way We Do Business. Future Visual. https://www.futurevisual.com/blog/immersive-technology/
Global Positioning System History. (n.d.). NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/heo/scan/communications/policy/GPS_History.html
Gonzalez, R. (2017c, January 10). The Paperfuge: A 20-Cent Device That Could Transform Health Care. Wired. https://www.wired.com/2017/01/paperfuge-20-cent-device-transform-health-care/
invention. (n.d.). The Merriam-Webster.Com Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/invention
iPhone: How Did We Get There? [Technology History Infographic]. (n.d.-b). QuartSoft. https://quartsoft.com/blog/201611/iphone-technology-history-infographic
Lyytinen, K. (2017, June 27). Understanding the real innovation behind the iPhone. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/understanding-the-real-innovation-behind-the-iphone-79556
Strickland, A. C. (2017, January 16). Paperfuge: 20-cent, toy-inspired tool helps diagnose disease. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/16/health/paperfuge-whirligig-disease-study/index.html
Team, G. (2022, January 10). History of GPS satellites and commercial GPS tracking. Geotab. https://www.geotab.com/blog/gps-satellites/
