Using design as an initiative to start a collaborative new product development: A case study of a manufacturer in Taiwan

• Main Authors: Yung Chun Chang, 張詠竣
• Other Authors: W. K. Chiou
• Format: Others
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/7u3rf7

碩士 === 長庚大學 === 工業設計研究所 === 96 === After forty years of Taiwan’s industrial development based on original equipment manufacturing (OEM), designers hardly have the initiative to take on new product development (NPD) within organizations. Internationally, by contrast, industrial designers seeking manufacturers to start NPD, has been the trend. However, with harsh global competition, not only is the role of industrial design becoming more important but also new business opportunities based on designing capabilities have increased. Thus, this study aims to point out this opportunity for industrial designers in Taiwan who are taking the initiative to design new products with OEM companies under the current industrial transformation. The research involved a case study by an industrial designer’s actual partnership with a small and medium enterprise (SME) specialized in OEM, spending over a year and half to create a mass-produced product, and comprising NPD and data collection in order to explore the role of the industrial designer and reveal the relevant interactions. The result proved the possibility of using design to start NPD in Taiwan and indicated that the designer’s participation accelerated the manufacturer’s business transformation. The major findings suggested that it is necessary for designers to have the ability to provide a budget estimate for NPD and to establish a cost analysis mechanism for completing the design, in order to contract with manufacturers and avoid potential conflicts resulting from their cooperation.