John James Marshall thesis.pdf - OpenAIR @ RGU - Robert Gordon ...

“‘FutureFactories’ acts to blur distinctions between craft and design. If
the focus of ‘craft’ is taken to be the conception of form leading to one-off
production; and ‘design’ is taken to be concerned with the conception of
form leading to a specification for large-scale manufacture, then the
distinction between a craftsperson and a designer is clear… In this
context, the definitions of ‘craft’ and ‘design’ as discrete processes
become hopelessly blurred, intertwined, inextricable, and as a result,
meaningless.” (Atkinson, 2003, p.28-29)
“Obviously, ‘FutureFactories’ is not a suitable model for the production of
complex technological objects (at least not yet). But the design thinking
behind it, and the manufacturing system proposed fits far more
comfortably within the tenets of post modernism, and the drive for
individuality associated with that philosophy.” (Atkinson and Dean
2003)
2.7.6 Democratised production
In ‘Democratizing Innovation’ Eric von Hippel (2005) argues that changes in
information and communication technologies are increasingly giving users the
tools (for example access to modifiable content placed in the public domain) to
innovate for themselves and create the next generation of commodities and
services. Hippel claims that often traditional models of innovation
(manufacturer-centric) have been left behind by the distributive capabilities
brought about by technological change (user-centric) and are therefore largely
ineffective. These assertions are backed up with extensive empirical evidence in
the form of graphs and statistics. However for this study some of Hippel’s ideas
and insights are more relevant.
Hippel’s main proposition is the most effective source of innovation is
increasingly the users of products or services, not their producers or providers.
Users have a better idea of what they value from a product or service. Therefore
producers and providers should develop systematic methods to tap into and
encourage these user-driven improvements. The discussion of this user-centric
approach in the book is restricted to niche applications which are subsequently
extrapolated to indicate these methods could be applied to other mass areas of
activity.
Hippel states these user-driven innovations are primarily developed by ‘lead
users’ which are at the cutting edge of important market trends - the needs they
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