The Design of Crowd-Funded Products

Crowdfunding is an emerging phenomenon where entrepreneurs publicize their product concepts to raise development funding and collect design feedback directly from potential supporters. Many innovative products have raised a significant amount of crowdfunding. This paper analyzes the crowd-funded products to develop design guidelines for crowdfunding success. A database of 127 samples is collected in two different product categories from two different crowdfunding websites. They are evaluated using a design project assessment scorecard, the Real-Win-Worth framework, which focuses on the state of maturity on various customer, technical and supply chain dimensions. Our analysis identified key RWW factors that characterize successful design for crowd-funded products. For example, success at crowdfunding is attained through clear explanation of how the design operates technically and meets customer needs. Another recommendation is to not emphasize patent protection, for which crowd-funders are less concerned. Also, evidence of a strong startup financial plan is not necessary for crowdfunding success. These key RWW factors provide guidelines for designers and engineers to improve their design and validate their concepts early to improve their chances for success on crowdfunding platforms.SUTD-MIT International Design Centre (IDC

Why Open Source?: Exploring the Motivations of Using an Open Model for Hardware Development

Following the successful adoption of the open source model in the software realm, open source is becoming a new design paradigm in hardware development. Open source models for tangible products are still in its infancy, and many studies are required to demonstrate its application to for-profit product development. It is an alluring question why entrepreneurs decide to use an open model to develop their products under risks and unknowns, such as infringement and community management. The goal of this paper is to investigate the motivations of entrepreneurs of open source hardware companies. The leaders and founders of twentythree companies were interviewed to understand their motivation and experiences in creating a company based on open source hardware. Based on these interviews, we generated a hierarchical framework to explain these motivations, where each level of the framework has been defined, explained and illustrated with representative quotes. The motivations of open source action are framed by two categories in the paper: 1) Intrinsic Motivation, which describes the motivations of an entrepreneur as an individual, who needs personal satisfaction, enjoyment as well as altruism and reciprocity; 2) Extrinsic Motivation, which describes motivations of an entrepreneur whose identity is as a for-profit company leader

A Global Collaborative Effort to Enhance Design in a Mechanical Engineering Curriculum in Saudi Arabia

In 2008, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Saudi Arabia and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) partnered together to develop project-based curricular material to be tested out in a new undergraduate course offering in KFUPM’s Department of Mechanical Engineering. This paper details some of the unique challenges to collaborating across countries and time zones, and the approaches the KFUPM-MIT team used to address these. These approaches have so far included the establishment of a shared vision for the project and the use of an array of technologies to facilitate distance communication. The paper concludes with a description of lessons learned that might be useful for future programs that plan to engage in international collaboration on design education.Jāmiʻat al-Malik Fahd lil-Batrūl wa-al-Maʻādi

Set-Based Thinking in the Engineering Design Community and Beyond

Since a series of academic case studies had revealed Toyota’s unique product development practices to the world, a flurry of research has been conducted into set-based design, also known as set-based concurrent engineering. In this paper, we review work related to set-based design across academic communities in efforts to find common themes and influences. After a review of this literature, we inductively arrive at two Principles of Set-Based Thinking: considering sets of distinct alternatives concurrently and delaying convergent decision making. These Principles allow us to articulate a working description of set-based design. We then examine these two Principles at work in a case example of a common theoretical construct in design. Topics: Engineering design, Design, Decision making, Product development, Concurrent engineeringCenter for Clean Water and Clean Energy at MIT and KFUP

Build Your Firm With Strangers?: Longitudinal Studies on Open Source Hardware Firm Growth

The success of many open source software projects revealed the power of voluntary collaborative production of large/complex software systems. The research community is therefore curious about the viability of open source projects in other areas. In around 2000, open source practices started to take place in the commercial hardware realm, and so far, the phenomenon has not been fully explored. Using grounded theory, the authors studied 31 firms for an average of 2.3 years, discovering a 4-phase growth pattern of open source hardware firms, including starting the firm, identifying core competencies, business model improvement and business maturation. The firms behaviors in each stage are reported, as well as the evolution of community demography, behaviors and impact in different growth phases

Exploration of the Use of Design Methods With the Design Structure Matrix for Integrating New Technologies Into Large Complex Systems

Integrating products of basic technology research and development efforts into Large Complex Systems (LCSs) requires systematic approaches. It has been observed that because of the complexity associated with LCSs, no single structured design method will suffice for integrating new technologies into an LCS. In this work, we explore through the literature how an integrated design approach involving the Design Structure Matrix (DSM) with several design methods (mainly those involving other matrix-based methods) might support the introduction of new technologies into large complex facilities. The survey presented in the paper could provide support for future investigations on how to align the outcomes of R&D processes with the requirements of introducing new technologies in target LCSs. Also it could help in developing future understandings about transitioning basic outcomes of R&D into technology products and services.Center for Clean Water and Clean Energy at MIT and KFUP

The Characteristics of Innovative, Mechanical Products—10 Years Later

Ten years prior to this paper, innovative mechanical products were analyzed and found to embody multiple innovation characteristics—an average of two more than competing products in the marketplace. At the time, it was not known whether these products would be successful over time and whether the number or type of innovation characteristics would be related with success. In this work, products from the previous study were categorized into well- and under-adopted products. Also, each product was categorized according to the type of firm that launched it: a new venture or an established firm. The innovative products enjoyed a success rate of 77% on average. The success was not dependent on the number or type of innovation characteristics embodied by the product. However, products developed in new ventures embody, on average, one more innovation characteristic and enjoy a slightly higher success rate than those launched by established firms