13/03/14
Professor Tom Inns has a very varied background:
- Studied mechanical engineering at Bristol
- Studied industrial design engineering masters at Royal College of Art
- Worked with James Dyson when he had 8 workers
- Sponsored by Rolls Royce
- Brunel design researcher and academic
- Did a lot of research and design projects in animal welfare with the RSPCA
- Professor of design at Dundee for 12 years
- Now director of GSA.
What struck me is that even though you may get a job after graduation, there is no reason to say that is what you'll do all your life until you retire at 65 (or if the government keeps increasing it maybe: 99!)
We then went on to think about successful products. We think of Apple as one of the most successful companies in the world right now. However, this has not always been the case. The apple newton for example was a terrible failure.
It also depends what we consider to be a "success". PDMA.org say 56% of new products are successful in the market place. Business wise no-one can argue that Apple are a successful company, but at what cost. Apple products are made in an 'apple town' which had the highest suicide rate in china.
