Merging Craft and Function: Designs that Surpass Tech Advances

Rethinking the Game: Competing with Substitute Products

Need to crunch numbers on your mobile phone? First, wake it up, unlock it, swipe around, then finally open that calculator app. Hand it to a kid with homework, and next thing you know, they're on TikTok. But with a new or good old calculator? Just math. They can play for sure, but… with math. Calculators have a great battery life, some even run on sunshine!

Corollary? The design's form factor can rival advancements in technology. Let's get real: if you apply Porter’s Five Forces, it sheds light on the threat posed by substitute products purely based on design. Such products might also be viewed as complementary, but it's typical for business strategies to focus solely on technological features and overlook the importance of form. Often, limitations are perceived negatively. But when we flip this perspective, it paves the way for fresh creative and engineering innovations.