chapter data & analysis -...
TRANSCRIPT
Study of Impact of new product design process
on automobile & bamboo sector in Mumbai-Pune region
Chapter 4
Data & Analysis
Data and Analysis
This chapter discusses the secondary and primary data collected during this study.
The flow of this chapter is as follows:
A. Product Design Process case studies
To substantiate the importance of design and the design processes used, the
researcher felt the need to include research of some design companies in Pune.
Includes discussion of case studies of different products designed by various
design companies using a defined design process, its development journey, impact
on products through user feedbacks and views expressed by senior executives of
the respective product companies
B. Automobile case studies
Vehicle segments studied – Passenger Car, Sports Utility Vehicle, Light
Commercial Vehicles.
Design Processes executed by Mahindra and Tata Motors
Products commercially successful were selected and compared with similar
vehicle in the category using defined parameters
Design Audit (analysis of design features) was conducted on selected vehicles
in the above segments by this researcher.
User survey conducted to access the buying decision which eventually helps
the vehicle to succeed in the market was conducted
C. Design for Bamboo Craft
Discussion about various craft forms and craft based industries
Discussion on how design has helped the enterprises to grow
Bamboo Craft industry in India
Various bamboo craft based organizations and its journey through design
Case studies of design process used in organizations and its impact
D. Action Research case study of I-CAN Design process for Mini Orchard Tractor
and TerraBambu Pendant
1
4
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4.3 Product Design Process case studies
As part of the research methods for this study, the researcher conducted case studies
to find if a good designed product positively impacts the consumers directly and on
the society indirectly.
For this, the researcher carried out the exploratory, quantitative, qualitative study of
the design process. The study was carried out on the lines of the pioneering research
conducted by the UK Design Council. (Eleven Lessons Design Council). Like the
researchers of the UK study, this researcher planned to conduct case studies in which
a purposive sample of products and their designers of the concerned corporates were
involved. This study included design companies ( Consultancies ) who designed
Product packaging, Medical equipment, Home appliances, Electronic equipment for
different product companies.
Introduction to Product Design Process
Product Company in this study refers to the company which owns, produces, markets
and sells the product. The researcher collected feedback from members of the senior
management team. He interacted with senior executives in the management of about
ten producer companies that sell the product. Their responses were documented
verbatim to gauge the effect of design on the product as well as the organization.
Any team of industrial product designers begins its design process after a systematic
study about the clients’ requirements. The designers prepare the design after
following certain steps of the design process. Each company has different design
process of its own as this researcher learnt from the secondary data collected through
books and websites discussed in the chapter on Literature Review and later confirmed
through this study.
The researcher realized during the initial phase of the study that commonalities
between design processes of most companies’ include market study, consumers’
expectations generation of ideas, validation and selection of appropriate solutions, and
feedback from the users/consumers. This researcher formulated his strategy on data
collection based on this initial study.
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Formulation of concept of case studies of Design Process
To evolve the concept of use of design process and its importance a senior designer
Mr. Narendra Ghate, Chief Designer, Tata Elxsi was interviewed
Brief about the company: Tata Elxsi Limited is a subsidiary of the Tata Group of
companies and is headquartered in Bengaluru. It is listed on the Bombay Stock
Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India. Total Income for the year ending
March 2014: Rs. 787.78 crores.
Information gathered through emails and interview over phone on 20th
August 2012
Theme of his interview: ‘Value’ of design through his experience and why design is
more important for development of new products today.
1. Ability of the product to perform the function it is designed for is the 'hygiene'
factor. It has to happen, everybody does it. Especially since new software and
technologies assure the successful execution of the basic aspects (molding,
tooling, assembly, packaging, transport, etc). So this is no longer the reason
for product success.
2. Design, however, is broader than functionality and can access the product at
different levels. It can bring in the emotional connect and make the same
product appear more relevant which eventually leads to brand loyalty.
3. Design can access the user, understand what is relevant and guide the product
to be more apt for the user (ethnography and consumer research)
4. Design can create aspirational value and make the product more desirable
beyond its functional needs
5. Design also assesses the trends in the market and technology and can lead the
user and the product in introduction of future needs and solutions
He explained how the design process used by them brings value to the entire
activity and helps both the companies, design company and product company to
grow.
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Figure : 20 : Design Process used by Tata Elxsi
He showcased the product Clamp Meter redesign to reinforce his belief of the
positive impact of ‘Design.’ The two columns below present the old design of the
Clamp Meter, and the new meter after the design teams redesigned the product.
Old Design of Clamp Meter New Design of Clamp Meter
Figure : 21: Old and new design of Clamp Meter designed by Tata Elxsi
The new design enhanced the aesthetics, ergonomics, and user friendliness of the
product. This change of design of clamp meter significantly changed the growth
trajectory of the product company. Mr. Ghate would not make financials public in
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view of the restrictions due the confidentiality clause. He, however, told this
researcher emphatically that the redesigned meter did better sale and profitability.
It helped the company to compete in the international market and sustain its
market in India. This also gave Tata Elxsi more visibility and relevant experience
in getting more design projects in this domain. A successful design is always a
morale booster and revenue earner for the company. It helps them to grow their
operations.
Case Studies of Product Design Companies
The data of the cases are presented in this chapter as follows:
1. Company Name
2. Brief about the design company - information from interview and
literature
3. Person interviewed, date of interview
4. Design process followed by the company ( Annexure 2 )
5. Design Enabler - Product company comments ( Annexure 4 )
6. User - consumer feedback about how the product is good design.
Parameter for good design was taken as Looks ( Styling features ) and
users interface of the product. Users who have used the product were
taken as purposive samples for the verbatim feedback.
Product Company in this study refers to the company which owns, produces, markets
and sells the product. The researcher collected feedback from members of the senior
management team. He interacted with senior executives in the management of the
producer companies that sell the product. Their responses were documented verbatim
to gauge the effect of design on the product as well as the organization.
Any team of industrial product designers begins its design process after a systematic
study about the clients’ requirements. The designers prepare the design after
following certain steps of the design process. Each design company has different
design process of its own as this researcher learnt from the secondary data collected
through books and websites discussed in the chapter on Literature Review and
validated through primary data collected through interviews and interactions with
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these design companies. The researcher realized during the initial phase of the study
that commonalities between design processes of most companies’ include market
study, consumer research, consumers’ expectations, ideation, prototyping, feedback
from users and final design. This researcher formulated his strategy on data collection
based on this initial study.
Products designed by different companies using their own version of the Design
Process which were successful in the market was selected for study. Success was
determined by the market penetration and the brand establishment of the respective
company. An introductory questionnaire sent through mail and discussions over
phone as well as face-to-face interviews were conducted with the principal designers
of the product design companies and senior executives of the product companies.
Method of the study followed for this interaction was on the same lines as stated in
the preamble of Design Process case studies in this chapter.
4.1.1 Case study of Lokus Design
Person Interviewed: Siddharth Kabra, Founder Director
Date : 17 February 2012
4.1.1.1 Design Process followed at Lokus Design
Figure :22: Design Process used by Lokus Design
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A Identify
To address your business concerns, we believe in getting to the root cause of a
problem. Before plunging into the creative phase, we choose to pause and analyze the
scenarios. Most often, a fresh perspective brings to surface, issues and opportunities
which are otherwise deemed insignificant. We employ our specialist research
methodologies, observational insights and proprietary analytical processes to identify
needs, trends, complexities and potential failure modes, avoiding iterations and
unsuccessful ideas.
B Integrate
This stage of our proprietary process involves integration of the identified constraints,
systems, functions and stake holder interests, with user needs and larger business
objectives. Further filtering of these inputs and categorizing them into sectors and
priorities results into a holistic analysis. This in turn enables re-definition,
convergence and synergies for robust innovation.
C Innovate
Innovation though critical, is a much clichéd word and easy to get carried away with.
We believe that for innovation to make business sense, it needs to act as an “enabler”
rather than an “enhancer”. The key to successful innovation lies in determining what
the needs are, whether it is a concept innovation, a design innovation, innovation in
strategy or business, or as simple as a process innovation. Our radical Ideas, par
excellence creativity and unrestricted expressions fuel high-end innovation. Our
proprietary process enables us to brainstorm, think out of the box and evolve
seemingly weird ideas, which are further validated and honed to result in actionable
value propositions. Thereby, leading to a winning solution!
D Translate
We define innovation by its possibility of translating into fast, reliable and successful
solutions. Ideas or strategies are transformed into reality or practice by deploying
systems, processes and resources intelligently. The virtual image is much more
tangible now. This phase marks the Interpretation of expressions and experiences to
spatial manifestation, features to products, core concerns to opportunities and
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ultimately leading to growth and value. In the process of translating the idea to reality,
Lokus design and our Strategic Alliance Partners shows our commitment towards our
clients.
E Maximize
The final stage of our process maximizes benefits and value. An effective design
solution can provide diverse benefits other than addressing the immediate needs or
concerns. For instance, while addressing some of the core business issues of
efficiency, growth and competitiveness, our design solutions bring tremendous value
and equity, enhance perception and maximize profits. These help clients and
businesses, explore newer applications and affordances, penetrate new markets and
positions, innovate ways to create new segments and categories, thereby creating an
opportunity to become a market leader.
4.1.1.2 Product : Dabur Vatika Shampoo Bottle design
For the case study, Mr. Siddharth Kabra offered details of evolution of the redesigned
shampoo bottle of the company’s product Dabur Vatika.
Figure : 23: Dabur Vatika Shampoo bottle designed by Lokus Design
A. Brief from the Client
The company, Dabur, had offered Lokus the following brief about the company and
the concerned product, Vatika. The design company was to create contemporary
design for better shelf-impact and create and sustain the image of the products as
natural, yet modern, contemporary and have a distinct identity, reinforcing strong
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brand vision and induce purchase decision at retail points. The product Vatika has to
compete with other shampoos and other products in the segment.
The comparison between the Vatika and competing products was presented after the
market study. Competing products have been described as ‘Regular’ shampoos versus
Dabur’s Dandruff Control Shampoo.
B. Challenges
The Lokus designed team’s study indicated that the Dabur’s existing bottle design
lacked youthful appeal and failed to induce buy-decision because of the two major
factors:
Non-unique, old structure compared to the competitors
Non-communicative imagery compared to the competitors
Solution that Lokus offered after the execution of the design process
Lokus design established Vatika as a more contemporary and synchronized brand to
trigger quality and freshness in terms of product experience, packaging uniqueness,
credibility and purchase intention. Design of new bottle structure helped emote
superiority, trust, and confidence.
C. Design Process deployed
Lokus design has evolved and established the design process that can be stated briefly
as follows: (i)Identify > (ii) Integrate >(iii) Innovate > Translate >(iv)Maximize.
This design process followed is explained in stages as bellow
(i) Identify >
a. Client Brief
After several sessions with the clients, the Lokus compiled the data about shampoos
in the columns as follows:
Regular Shampoo:
Contemporary Design
Shelf impact to match that of
competitor Sunsilk
Natural / No harmful chemicals
Value add: convenience features
Dandruff Control Shampoo:
Distinct identity to cue efficacy
Unisex appeal
Natural / No harmful chemicals
Premium imagery
Adaptability to multiple
variants
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b. Target Group
c. Competitor Benchmark
Figure : 24 : Competitor Benchmarking matrix for Dabur Vatika Shampoo
d. Competitor product Form Analysis
The Design team collected and studied forms of bottles of shampoos of different
companies and analyzed these forms showcased below as follows:
Figure : 25: Form analysis of competitor shampoo bottles
( ii ) Integrate
Redefined Design Brief:
After several rounds of brainstorming between the teams of Dabur and Lokus, the
following redefined designs emerged with strong points mentioned under the heads of
Brand Value, target group (TG) expectations and Retail Space explained bellow :
Brand:
Efficacy
Unisex
Natural
Distinct,
Premium
TG Expectations:
Clean
Efficient
Confident
Safe / Not harsh
Retail space:
Stand out: distinct
High volume
perception
Quality Statement
Cuing ‘Natural’
The design team highlighted the features of form/structure of the concepts of the body
and cap design on the following lines:
Form / Structure:
Cue Efficacy through Natural Product
Unisex appeal: No rounded curves or
sharp edges
Integrate unique/differentiating
element
Premium look and finish
Cap Design:
Bottle and cap should look integrated
as one unit
Cap should look unique in the
category
Cap should be easy and efficient to
operate: heavy duty flip top cap
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(iii ) Innovate > Translate>
Different concepts created to suite the design brief
In view of the redefined designed brief, the design team presented concepts as
follows:
Figure : 26 : Different concepts of shampoo bottles
(iv) Maximize.
Combining the design elements to maximize the potential of all the options the final
stage of the design process in this case reached when the Lokus and Dabur
brainstormed to finalize the product design for the Dabur’s shampoo bottle as shown
bellow
Figure : 27: Final design of the shampoo bottle along with details of the cap
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4.1.1.3 Impact of Design :
This product was launched in the year 2012 and was a commercial success. It was
well received in the consumer studies carried out by the Dabur team. Due to secrecy
issues these studies cannot be shared here.
The impact of design was documented by recording the responses from
a. Mr Tamal Ghosh, Sr. Category Head-Packaging Development & Innovation at
Dabur India Limited ( the product company )
b. Ten consumers of the product : Users
c. Mr Siddharth Kabra, Lokus Design ( the design company )
A. Product Company
Email interview with Mr Tamal Ghosh, Sr. Category Head-Packaging Development
& Innovation at Dabur India Limited
How important was the ‘Design’ inputs for the success of the product?
The Vatika shampoo was well accepted in the market for many years. While planning
for the launch of the new product, we wanted to position our product as a premium
brand. We looked at design to be a key differentiator. The design of the bottle –
contemporary shape and the innovative cap design proved to impress our buyers. The
bottle design stood out on the shelf of shops.
How has the organization responded with the success of the product?
We are now used to and convinced about the utility of design for our products. Our
product development team has integrated ‘design’ as a key process in the new
product development cycle.
B. Design Company – Lokus Designs
Response by Siddharth Kabra, Director Lokus Design on how the design of Dabur
Vatika Shampoo bottle impacted them :
Dabur Vatika Shampoo bottle design project has helped us to understand the
toiletries’ market in general and shampoo products market in particular. This was
because of our teams efforts to use the design process meticulously. Due to a very
responsive client the development process was interesting and could come out with a
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unique design of the bottle. The entire duration of the project and the final outcome
has helped us to establish ourselves as a better design company. It will also be a
building block for getting projects in the future.
(Kabra, 2013)
C. Consumers – Users
The impact of good design was gauged with a survey conducted with the users of this
product. They were asked to rate the product on a scale of 1:10 on looks and user
interface – the key to good design. These two parameters were taken as the important
aspects to define GOOD product design. The users rated this in comparison with
similar products in the category
Users Looks ( Styling )
User Interface –
Cap design its utility Product Design
1 6 5 11
2 7 9 16
3 9 8 17
4 7 7 14
5 6 6 12
6 8 8 16
7 9 5 14
8 9 9 18
9 9 8 17
10 8 9 17
Figure : 28 : User feedback for Dabur Vatika Shampoo bottle
Some responses from the survey
Mrs Roopali Salunkhe, house wife, “The shape of the bottle is unique with nice
smooth curves. I was attracted to it when I saw it in the shop. I was not using Dabur
shampoo before. Wanted to try something new, the design of the bottle was one of the
reasons which prompted me to buy the shampoo.
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Ms Sonal Lele, engineering student – had seen the ad in a newspaper, wanted to
give it a try. Nice graphics and the fresh refreshing look pushed me to get it. I was
specially fascinated by the cap design, its features and detailing.
Ms Sheetal Wagh, college professor – Nice international, sophisticated look.
Impressed to see such a product packaging from Dabur. Did not know the
development process for such a product was so elaborate.
Mr Sanjay Nankar, proprietor of Shreya Medical Stores. - Dabur brand is getting
better and better. Interesting shapes and refreshing images are used by them to attract
the buyers. The new Dabur Vatika Shampoo bottles are in line with today’s trend of
cosmetic product bottles. The bright colours and the shape helps us to identify the
product in the stack. It is doing good with respect to sales. Their promotion campaign
also helps.
The above responses shows that the design inputs in the product helps the success of
the Dabur Vatika Shampoo.It proves that the end user who buys and uses the product
sees the benefit of a good designed product. The product company sees the benefit of
reinforcing the brand, having a product standing out from the competition. It is also
helping to increase the revenue of the company, thus helping the organization to
grow. The design company – Lokus Design sees it as a unique step in their design
journey. It helps them to understand the market to be able to design products better.
This project has helped them gain multiple projects from Dabur and other similar
companies as well.
It proves that good design impacts in a positive way
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4.1.2 Case study of Elephant design
Person interviewed: Mr. Ashish Deshpande,
Founder and Principal Designer, Elephant Design
Date : 18th
April 2013
4.1.2.1 Product : DiET Range of Coolers
Mr. Ashish Deshpande discussed the background for this product development.
Challenge
Symphony, of Ahmedabad, the world leader in evaporative air coolers, was facing
competition in domestic as well as overseas markets. Key Challenge was to create a
differentiated product in a crowded market scenario and gain domestic as well as
international markets.
Strategy
The approach lay in taking a keen look at the users of products and providing a
solution that meets their needs. To design a cooler with a style that is distinct and can
be applied to the future range of coolers of Symphony. To establish a design language
that would be unique to Symphony coolers.
Solution
The Elephant worked to create an ultra small foot print( small floor space utilization )
which has a distinct vertical format; quite unique for the product class. The
dimensions have been derived at, to enable fitting as many coolers as possible in a
shipping container, using various size configurations. This resulted in a number gain
for retailers per container ordered and volumes for the client. The cooler sports a push
button control panel and an integrated water level window in the tank. The cooler
range has been designed with different tank capacities but the assembly of the
remaining parts remained the same; to serve the needs of different kinds of users from
different markets. The product range consumes very little power while delivering
better cooling.
Result
Symphony DiET is a runaway sales success, with the first season’s production
completely sold out and today gets exported to 28 countries.
(Deshpande, 2013)
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4.1.2.3 Design process followed at Elephant
The company follows a four-step design process in all its products as follows:
A. Discover : Understand the context and the ecology of all stake holders
B. Define : Analyse the insights and prepare a strategic direction to design
C. Design : Design as per Design strategy based on form concepts, materials,
manufacturing and service
D. Deploy : Detail, prototype and test, refine, prototype and test
The key part of this process is the “Design User Research.” This is an immersive
research carried out by design teams.
Each design team has its own variation of the process with touch points with other
teams.
Before starting each project, team leaders create a frame work of the process to be
followed.Since there are 4 key steps to the process, each step has 2 or sometimes
multiple check points. Intent of each stage is defined at the first gate and progress to
meet these objectives is followed. We have imbibed the “Design Process” into the
working process of the whole organization. The process is well documented and is
followed in a step by step gated method.
A. Discover
To understand the needs of people who constantly face shortage of space, expensive
power and erratic water supply the design team studied the surrounding where the
product gets stored and used.
Figure : 29: Surrounding environment where coolers are stored and used
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B. Define
The problems which were supposed to be addressed in the new products were
1. People need smallest footprint > 1 sq ft
2. Create a design language which can become a platform
3. Commonality of parts and construction
4. Feature addition through variants
5. Design for exports
C. Design
The strategy for the design was decided and worked on as bellow
Figure : 30 : Product Design Strategy adopted for DiET cooler
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Concept Sketch
The design teams developed concept sketches, some of which were as follows:
Figure : 31 : Concept sketches of DiET cooler
Concept Model
From among the concept sketches above, the design teams developed concept models
in three dimensions as follows:
Figure : 32 : Concept 3D CAD models of DiET cooler
Intent of each the above stages are defined at the first gate and progress to meet these
objectives is followed.
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Key Check points which were used to arrive at the final design are ;
User Need Definition
Redefined Design Brief
Co Creative Ideation
Idea Selection Matrix
Prototype
Test with Users
Re Prototype
Test with Sales Channels
Design for Manufacture Evaluation
Sample evaluation
D. Deploy
With several rounds of brainstorming sessions, the following final product was
developed.
Figure : 33: Final DiET cooler product and its details
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Product Features
Mr. Deshpande explained the final product features as follows:
Figure : 34 : Features of DiET cooler
4.1.2.4 Impact of Design :
The DiET range of coolers was launched in the year 2010 and was a market success
(Joshi V. , 2013)
The impact of design was documented by recording the responses from
a. Mr Vijay Joshi, Sr V.P. ( Operations ), Symphony Limited
b. Ten consumers of the product : Users
c. Mr Ashish Deshpande, Elephant ( the design company )
A. Product Company
Email interview with Mr. Vijay Joshi Sr. V. P. ( Operations ), Symphony Limited
1. What is your view of the impact of Design Intervention on your range of
products?
Impact of design intervention in our product is important because it creates the
differentiation with competitor’s product. New design or model may open the new
market or customers.
Slim Compact Form
Diva Smart Responsive
Space SaverWorld's tallest air
cooler range Sleek Looks
Long lasting HoneycombHigh - Efficiency cooling
pad
100 ltr. / 26 gallons (US)
large tank capacity for
longer cooling
Low Power
ConsumptionConsumes 160 -
235 watts*
Modular Pedestal with
Robust Wheelsfor easy
movement
Attractive LCD
Display with
Remote in
variants
Powerful air throw
Humidity control Ice chamber for
enhanced cooling
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2. How was your team involved in the Design process ?
Team was involved in whole process starting from design of product, mold to the
production release. Design team had also added new features during the design
process. From concept to the product release, design team’s involvement is there.
3. How important is the ‘Design’ inputs for the success of the product ?
‘Design’ input is directly related to the success of the product as customers attention
is drawn by the design of product with pre assume perception. It is also necessary to
perform the product to fulfill the perception. Also design inputs are the
needs/Expectations of the customers.
4. Has Symphony conducted a user survey to gauge the impact of design
Yes, several times we have done such studies with very good specific feedback on the
features and design of the product – but cannot be shared as per company policy.
5. How has the organization responded with the success of the product ?
The DiET range of coolers have crossed one million units sale in the last four years
since its launch. We are just taking into stride the success. Getting more committed to
newer & better design.
(Joshi V. , 2013)
B. Design Company – Elephant Design
The success of DiET coolers in perticular and the impact of design on the Elephant
design company was ellaborated in an email interview by Mr Ashish Deshpande as
follows :
At Elephant, Design and Design Thinking are a tools to innovation. It is the core
strength of the organization and has been used effectively to transform several
companies, brands & products. We feel this was evident with the DiET range of
coolers which we designed for Symphony.
The new, redesigned product, Symphony DiET recaptured the domestic market and
made forays in international market. Mr. Deshpande described the outcome of the
elephant’s design process, “a runaway sales success.” The first season’s production
was completely sold out in the year 2010-11. The DiET now gets exported to 28
countries. Success of “Design Process” and the final design eventually is the business,
functional and emotional acceptance of the product.To gauge the impact multiple
responses were utilized in this case
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a. User reactions : We got very good and positive response from the buyers of
the product – the details of which cannot be shared due to confidentiality
clause with our client
b. Market reaction through sales channels : Over One million units soled and
opening of exports. Today the DiET range of products are soled in over 28
countries. We feel that is the biggest impact of the design efforts
c. Manufacturing evaluation : Due to the level of detailing involved in our
design, the manufacturing team at Symphony were able to assemble the
product in 30% less time
This project gave Elephant design wide appreciation in the industry. Our association
with Symphony was strengthened further and gave us more business from them.
(Deshpande, 2013)
D. Consumers – Users
The impact of good design was gauged with a survey conducted with the users of this
product. They were asked to rate the product on a scale of 1:10 on looks and user
interface – the key to good design. These two parameters were taken as the important
aspects to define GOOD product design. The users rated this in comparison with
similar products in the category
Users Looks ( Styling )
User Interface – controls,
operating features
Product
Design
1 8 9 17
2 7 8 15
3 8 6 14
4 6 8 14
5 9 9 18
6 8 6 14
7 7 7 14
8 8 6 14
9 9 5 14
10 9 7 16
Figure : 35 : User feedback for the DiET cooler
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Some responses from the survey
Mr Sachin Ghatpande, Journalist - Super cool product. Is very handy and portable.
Does not occupy much space, looks good even when not in use.
Mrs Kanchan Thorat - It is a moving Air conditioner. Could not imagine a cooler
being so sleek and almost noiseless. Very easy to store in off season
Mr Vidyadhar, Manager at appliance shop -Very successful product. Customers
come with a firm decision to buy this product due to its popularity. Excellent in looks
and features. Becomes easy to convince people who are undecided before the shop
visit.
Mrs Rekha Nikam, house wife - My image of cooler was - a noisy, bulky,
something to hide in the balcony before I saw the DiET range of coolers. I like its
beauty, good shape gives a nice feeling.
The above responses confirm the positive impact of design on all the possible touch
points of the Symphony DiET cooler users – senior executive of the product
company, the head of the design company and the day today consumers of the
product.
4.1.3 Case Study of Design Directions
Person interviewed: Mr. Satish Gokhale
Founder Director, Design Directions
Date : 20th
May 2012
(Gokhale, 2012)
4.1.3.1 Product for this case study : Dry Powder Inhaler
Client’s name: Sun Pharma
The final product which Design Directions designed for their client
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Figure : 36 : Dry powder inhaler designed by Design Directions
4.1.3.2 Design Process followed at Design Directions:
The design team follows a design process that the company evolved and tested with
success for over several years. Mr. Gokhale offered the copy-righted design process
of the company as follows:
Copyright : Design Directions
Figure : 37: Design Process used by Design Directions
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Design Process followed:
Mr. Gokhale presented the Design Process as under. The design teams followed the
processthat began study of existing inhalers of the company and the competitors.
Define
Study of Respiratory Drug Delivery
Delivering Pharmaceutical Aerosols for Inhaled therapies, Asthma, Diabetes, and
Cancer
The design teams realized that the Client wanted an almost ideal airway ( which is the
critical function of the product ) for their new device.
Discuss
The teams studied functioning and specific features of Inhalers. The following
emerged from the discussion: Respiratory Drug Delivery Products are very successful
The Active Devices in the inhalers have: Pressurized Metered Dose
The device makes it possible that the doses provide High Fine Particle
Fraction (amount of drug that reaches the lungs in percent of released drug)
Successive rounds of discussion with executives of the clients led to identification of
important issues. These included:
1. Patient Coordination: Simultaneity of Press & Inhale (Spacers, aids for
coordination )
2. Propellant are Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), and HFA (hydro fluro alkene).
Long exposures to CFC are hazardous.
Many HFA patients complain of throat infections and discomfort
3. It was time to make a drug to suspension form
Dialogue
Executives of the client listed advantages of the dry power inhalers. These were as
follows:
Advantages of Dry Powder Inhalers
No Propellants
Automatic Coordination between drug delivery and Inhalation: Passive
Devices
Potential Drug Stability Advantages & High Dose Carrying Capacity
Using energy from the patients Inhalation
Easier to make drug in Powder form , can be used by Children
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Data
After this, different inhalers in the market were studied.
Figure : 38: Inhalers in the market
Deconstruct
Based on Order of Magnitude estimates four variants of the cone were rapid
prototyped and tested in the lab for resistance and FPF (Fine Particle Fraction). This
impacted the most critical function of the product. To ascertain the best solution to be
taken up for final development, samples different options were made.
Figure : 39 : Different options for air passage for Dry Powder Inhaler
Design
The data collected from the earlier phases of the design process was analyzed and the
product was conceptualized inside out with clear focus on the function of the product.
Depending upon the utility of the product a suitable form was derived. Major defining
parameter for the product was the appropriate use of material of construction. Various
design options were created using the above inputs.
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Demonstrate
Figure : 40 : Prototyping mold for Dry Powder Inhaler
Deliver
Impact of Design :
Figure : 41 : Final product – Dry Powder Inhaler
4.1.3.3 Impact of the design on the product and the company
A decision-maker executive of the company, SUN Pharma(name withheld on request,
for secrecy issues), was interviewed in for understanding how design had impacted
the product and the company.
When was the product launched and what was the volume of production?
The product was launched after all the necessary trials in January 2013. Monthly
production has reached around 40000 units.
What is your view of the impact of Design Intervention on your range of
products?
The product is an excellent blend of technology, science and design. The basic
intention of preventing infringement of the concept of drug delivery was achieved.
▪ Design and Development of test rigs
Test rigs for testing the performance of
the airway in the laboratory were
developed in compliance with the US
Pharmacopia.
▪ Laboratory testing of the airway
performance. The Rapid Prototyped
Airways were checked for performance
on an artificial lung model.
This product, designed as per the process
explained above, emerged a clear market
leader for our client after it was launched in
January 2013. It is recognized as the first
and the only airway to get such flow rate
independence only airway to go above 50%
FPF (Fine Particle Fraction).
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The functional critical requirement of the drug molecule delivery – quality and
quantity - was achieved through collaborative development. The other important
aspect of any product – user interface and product design – to present the product to
the customer has been excellent in this case
How was your team involved in the Design process?
It was a joint effort of the Design Directions for rewriting the design brief. Our
strength was the technical formulation of the drug, altering the size of the drug
particles, blends of carrier. To penetrate the market with a product, it was required to
have innovative features of the product. One such feature was making the product
user friendly for the visually impaired or for finding the product in dark during an
asthma attack. A dosage indicator was introduced in the product as part of that. The
engineering, chemistry team worked hand in hand with the product designers to
achieve a winning product. Tests for the drug flow by infrared cameras were
introduced as part of the designer’s inputs.
How important is the ‘Design’ inputs for the success of the product?
It was the design which helped deliver the drug in the correct quantity and the desired
location. As you can see, it is the most compact and user friendly interface. The
design helped the company the product established as a brand against competition. It
enabled the company to offer the product cheaper against the competition. Its price is
half the competition’s (Glaxco).
Has your company conducted a user survey (within the company and / or actual
customers) to gauge the impact of design?
Ten months of extensive testing and user survey was conducted before launch of the
product (details cannot be shared because of the secrecy and confidentiality clauses).
How did you respond to the success of the product?
We appreciated the value and importance of design and design process of the Design
Directions, and offered the company work on ‘Design’ of six different products. This
is how we responded to the.
This proves the positive impact of design on this medically critical and life saving
product.
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4.1.4 Case Study of Onio
Person Interviewed: Prakash Khanzode, Founder Onio Design, Pune
Date : 20th
October 2012
(Khanzode, 2012)
4.1.4.1 Product of the case study : TRIBAL ITALIA
Design of an upmarket Inverter for AMARON
Brief from the Client : Background
India’s rising electricity demand has outstripped supply. The result is increased power
outages & shortages. This led to explosive growth in the Home UPS segment. Many
players have crowded the segment leading to customer confusion and brand clutter.
Amaron mandated Onio to create a path-breaking UPS design which would be a
flagship product of a new brand Tribal Italia. Although a product in a sheet metal
enclosure format was made and launched by Amaron, it failed to make any headway
in securing market share as well as any brand presence.
Onio team observed that the new product needs to fight a well entrenched competition
with a strategy by creating a new category and achieving a category leader
positioning. Conventionally power supply products like UPS systems &gensets are
considered as utility products (read: no styling). They are mostly kept confined to
hidden areas like attics and basements. They were too technical to be “mainstream
enough” to be kept inside the home. This critical insight guided Onio to create a
stylized product category and adding enough differentiation to be a category leading
product. This strategy was presented with usage cases and scenarios. When the
strategy was finalized, the decision led to new design challenges.
Scope and Challenge
The brainstorming between the design team and the client’s executives led to the
following brief about the scope and challenge:
1. To improve the aesthetics to suit urban Indian consumers’ expectation of a
consumer electronic product
2. Physical integration for unibody( single frame ) configuration
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3. To integrate lighting as an experience enhancer without increasing the
electricity consumption significantly
4. To provide mobility without making the castors visible
5. To re-engineer the opening and closing mechanism to improvise the
battery maintenance issue in the new unified configuration
4.1.4.2 Design Process followed
Following is a guide for putting 'whole mind thinking' into innovation the this
company does. This is the design process Onio follows for their design projects.
OBSERVE
Be curious. Observe keenly. Truth is always hidden
in layers. See from a telescope and a microscope.
Don’t just report, find the root.
READ
PATTERNS
Isolated facts can confuse the mind. Read the
patterns. Connect the dots and find the story
META -
FACT
Human mind just loves stories. We are not designed
for data. Put the facts in the format that is easier on
everyone – stories and meta – facts.
SYNTHESIZE
Analysis is a different form of synthesis. Analysis
‘selects’ or ‘rejects.’ Synthesis creates your own
interpretation, formula, framework, name, concept,
product, a business or an organization.
PROTOFY
Every good idea needs one try. Every small change
must be tested. Prototyping, is a good way to ‘fail-
early and cheap;’ a must do at every stage.
OPTIMIZE
Only an intelligent mind can ‘optimize.’
Optimization takes time and energy initially. But
then, it saves millions of human effort hours later. It
saves the Earth from overload.
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ENGINEER
Engineering is not just nuts and bolts, it is a whole
mindset.It is about analyzing and structuring things
to make them optimum and predictable.
TURBO -
LEAN
Game is changing every moment. If you won it
yesterday, it does not safeguard your tomorrow.
Learn the new tools and tricks NOW.
BE POSITIVE Everyday is the first day of the rest of our lives. Be
positive about the change
REFLECT
Win or lose, reflecting upon it and writing it down
makes sure that good things spread and not so good
things are contained
Figure : 42 : Design Process used by Onio
Design Process followed for development of the Tribal Italia inverter
The design teams evolved the new inverter through on field research followed by on
desk design research, evolution of sketches of different parts of the conceptual
inverter, and the looks of the final product. The stages were as follows:
Figure : 43 : Design Process illustration for the Inverter
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ONIO’S Solution
The company presented a home inverter with a sleek and efficient product as a result
of the detailed design process explained above. After a comprehensive evaluation of
the consumer electronic market across the country, Onio came up with the following
design features for Amaron’s next gen inverters:
1. A patented cradle rocker mechanism to pull out the battery for maintenance
and hidden castors for mobility
2. Stadium shaped table top with LED-lit top – lights up during power cut
3. The table top of the inverter can be used to keep mobile phones or laptops
4. Power sockets on the body facilitate direct charging of gadgets
5. European definition in styling, leading to a clean look and minimal design
6. Easy user interface
Onio’s minimalist design proved to be a game-changer. Onio transformed the
mundane UPS into a desirable consumer durable. Many thoughtful features vastly
increased its usability. The biggest benefit was that the UPS was no longer sold
through electrical stores but had moved to glitzy retail malls.
Figure : 44 : Final Product - Tribal Italia inverter
4.1.4.3 Impact of Design :
The Amaron Home Inverter was launched in the year 2009
The impact of design was documented by recording the responses from
a. Mr Indeevar Govardhanagiri, Head of Operations, AMARON,
b. Mr Prakash Khanzode, Onio ( the design company )
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A. Product Company
Mr Indeevar Govardhanagiri, Head of Operations, AMARON, responded to the
questions of this researcher, on impact of the design on the product via email
1. What is your view of the impact of Design Intervention on your range of
products?
We definitely gained attention and mind space of our channel partners and end
customers.
2. How was your team involved in the Design process?
My team was interacting closely with Onio Design team at every stage of the process
but in hindsight the interaction should have been more.
3. How important is the ‘Design’ inputs for the success of the product?
The product did not get commercial acceptability as expected, although it had all the
ingredients for success. We could not iron out the cost and mechanical hitches. There
was no issue on the Design of the product. The organizational commitment to market
this revolutionary design evaporated with failure to get initial sales.
4. How has the organization responded with the success of the product?
The users who bought the unit are proud owners. As an organization we were hoping
for more sales.
B. Design Company
Mr Prakash Khanzode, in an interview on 20th
October 2012 explained the impact of
design with respect to the Inverter project
1. Styling of Industrial Utility item has become household necessity needed design
up-gradation. This project gave us the opportunity to work on a seemingly
unexplored product category. We were able to understand various aspect of design
of such a product, which helped us get more projects of similar nature. The
product company realized the importance of home appliances styling as a
necessity of the product category which gave them an edge in this segment with
respect to competition
2. We were able to provide the much needed portability for a product like an home
inverter. The heavy battery handling was minimized and changed from stationary
utility product to portable power source. We got very positive response from the
customers about the product.
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3. For the consumers the ease of usability with respect to periodic flooding (refilling
of water) was made as a clean and convenient operation
4. The issue of safety was addressed by concealing the open hazardous connections
between the power electronics and the battery, keeping it out of reach from
people, animals and pests. Use of good quality plastic that work indoors compared
to industrial packaging with toxic effects was used which also took care of
insulation.
The design intervention in this project clearly demonstrated that good design
impacted various aspects of the product for the common consumer, the product
company and us as the design company
4.1.5 Case Study of Ticket Design
Person Interviewed: Bala Mahajan, Founder Ticket Design, Pune
Date : 2nd
November 2013 (Mahajan, 2013)
4.1.5.1 Product Advanced Telematics – Appliance design for Tata Motors
Figure :45: Before after product comparison of Trackit
Figure :46: Trackit - Final product
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The Advanced Telematics product was designed by Ticket Design (ID) while
electronics design and manufacturing was done by Tata Motors ltd. This device is an
advanced vehicle tracking system launched by Tata Motors in their Novus Heavy duty
trucks.
Tata Motors has launched an advanced vehicle tracking system in their Novus Heavy
duty trucks in association with Daewoo Korea. The project was kept under covers for
quite some time. This device is an advanced vehicle tracking system for Novus Heavy
duty trucks. Using this system a truck owner can track his trucks anywhere in India on
a map from any internet connected computer. The device uses the global positioning
satellite and the mobile phone network to achieve this.
Challenge
Tata Motors has been the industry leader in the commercial vehicle segment in India.
With the ever increasing communication and transport infrastructure and to meet the
growing demand for online fleet management Tata Motors developed a working
prototype of a tracking system. The challenge for Ticket Design was to have the right
fit between technology and the users to ensure a successful working product in the
market that can compete internationally.
4.1.5.2 Design Process followed
Figure : 47 : Design Process used by Ticket Design
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a. Insights
User and Scenario definitions were made after interacting with the users – drivers &
truck fleet owners. This helped in understanding the market, the need and the user.
Study of the product and its functioning.
Developing flow charts to illustrate typical usage. It helped in creating common
assumptions and give a direction for design work.
b. Ideation and conceptualization
This is the phase where we put all our creative energies together. Generating concepts
for the product/ system, through exploration of form, function, color schemes,
ergonomics, alternate use and materials. These are initially sketches which later get
translated into computer generated colour renderings.
c. Technical Design Development
Selected concept is detailed for manufacturing. The output is in the form of a 3D
model and Orthographic technical drawings.
d. Prototype Development
Prototype development provides an insight into the design as represented in the
physical form closest possible and working.
Final Design Process
To ensure the most effective design solution, Ticket Design conducted extensive
study with truck drivers and fleet owners to understand their needs and requirements.
From these studies, the interface, product packaging and feature parameters were
explored and defined, establishing the foundation for preliminary concepts and
sketches. The result was a product that is useful for the drivers as well as the fleet
owners; a product that is easy to use for users with limited literacy and life-saving in
case of emergencies.
Figure : 48 : User research for developing Trackit
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Product Features
Trackit, as it is called by TATA Motors, has icon based controls for an intuitive user
interface and simplified "yes- no" functionality. Trackit fits in the international DIN
form factor, can be dash board mounted as well as ceiling mounted by way of a
simple modular bracket. With this unique detail it caters to the retro-fitment market
too. The product has been designed using engineering plastics and uses latest
technologies of injection moulding mass production to achieve economy of scale.
Linking the service centers, hospitals to the driver was the input given as part of the
design process.
"A harmonious melding of technology and industrial design" Appliance Design
Figure : 49 : Trackit portal launched by Tata Motors
4.1.5.3 Impact of Design :
Trackit - Product Advanced Telematics – Appliance design for Tata Motors
The impact of design was documented by recording the responses from
a. Mr Rahul Shandilya, Manager development ERC ( the product company )
b. Mr Bala Mahajan, Director Ticket Design ( the design company )
A. Product Company
The researcher interacted with Mr Rahul Shandilya, Manager development ERC (
Engineering Research Center ) Tata Motors to document his responses about the
product over an email communication on 16th
April 2013.
Design inputs helped in adding special
features to the overall vehicle, making it
user friendly. An image grab of
www.mytatavehicles.com – Trackit
website elaborating on the product.
The Trackit product achieved much more than what it was designed for. The close
interaction of the design team with the field marketing and service personnel was the
turning point of the product. Many new features got added to the product as a result of
the design process deployed.
The product launched in 2006 to be fitted on one model of the truck went on to
become a necessity of all high end truck projects. With its success it also got a push
for the retrofit market.
The features which are common in today’s products was very contemporary at the
time of the launch. The truck connectivity with the head office, user-friendly interface
for the drivers, tamper proof design of the product were the unique features offered
first time in this truck segment. It created a benchmark for such tracking devices for
truck fleet owners. Track it is even a recommended product in the Tata world truck
program the PRIMA.
This is a clear design benchmark to follow for our future developments in this same
field.
B. Design Company
The impact of design on the Trackit device was elaborated in a face to face interview
with Mr Bala Mahajan of Ticket Design.
One of the parameter of success of the product for us was the receipt of two
prestigious awards – the Appliance Device Design Excellence Award from USA in
2007 and the Business World NID Design Excellence award 2008.
The project gave us good visibility in the international market. The project was a good
example of use of technology for India centric product development. The design team
got key insights in Indian consumer understanding for such a technically advanced
product generally used in developed countries. This gave us a platform to prove our
capability of developing an ‘India centric’ product for global companies. Appropriate
language and icons simplified its use which helped it to be popular with the average
or no education drivers. The success of the product can be gauged with its increasing
demand for the retrofitting market.
Launched in 2006 still in use on the latest Tata trucks.
The product did not remain as a tracking device. It went on to become a must have
device with features like both side communication, entertainment, information,
medical services – more human centric device
C. Consumers - Users.
The impact of good design was gauged with a survey conducted with the users of this
product. The truck driver, fleet owners were interviewed to take their inputs regarding
the product. They were asked to rate the product on a scale of 1:10 on looks and user
interface. These two parameters were taken as the important aspects to define GOOD
product design
Users Looks ( Styling ) User Interface Product Design
1 9 8 17
2 7 8 15
3 7 9 16
4 7 7 14
5 8 8 16
Figure : 50 :User feedback for Trackit
Some responses from the survey
Figure :51: Trackit product features for the users benifit
Mr Bhausaheb Pawar, Driver Tata Prima - Interesting. Good features. Easy to use
for me. Feels high tech.
Mr Jadhav, Truck Fleet owner - Useful to keep track of my trucks. Customers
whom I deliver the goods are happy. Reliability increased. Definitely useful. Should
be incorporated into my other trucks.
Mr Sunny, Driver - Useful if I get lost or delayed. Simple to operate. Advantageous.
Summary and conclusion of Ticket Design case study
The above responses confirm the positive impact of design from everybody who has
come in contact with the Trackit device - senior executive of the product company,
the head of the design company and the day today users of the product.
4.1.6 Summary & Conclusion of Design process case studies
To study the Design processes used in the industry the researcher felt the need to
study various design processes used in the design companies. Methodology adopted
for this research was Qualitative. He selected 6 design companies, Tata Elxsi, Lokus
Design, Elephant Design, Onio Design, Design Directions and Ticket design
operating from Pune for this study. The products studied by this researcher as part of
this case study were from the industrial, consumer durables, automobile equipment,
medical device, home appliance and FMCG sectors. The aim was to study product
design processes deployed in a various different field of the industry.
It was observed that all these companies had their individual Design Processes suited
for their respective philosophies. All the design processes were based on the Double
Diamond model of Discover, Define, Develop & Deliver.
The use of the design process for developing the product is useful and ensures that all
the aspects of the product requirement are taken care off. The design processes of all
the companies are focused on satisfying the needs of the user.
A robust design process followed judiciously ensures a good designed product. A
good designed product positively impacts the design company, product company and
the user. The entire ecosystem revolving around the product gets positively impacted
due to good design. The key constituents of the society get directly as well as
indirectly impacted as a result of a good designed product. The good designed product
is developed and brought into the market with a view of satisfying the needs of the
customer. A happy customer who is referred as ‘user’ in this study gets directly
impacted positively with a good designed product. His / her needs and wants get
satisfied.
The design company and the product company get the indirect benefit of increase in
business due to a successful good designed product. Since the company
manufacturing and selling the product grows the cycle of the industrial output
increases impacting the entire value chain positively, thus positively impacting the
society
This proves the hypothesis
H1 : A good designed product positively impacts directly as well as indirectly
on the society.
4.4 Automobile case studies
The previous section of this chapter dealt with design processes evolved and practiced
by design companies in Pune region of India who offered design services. The case
studies pertained to products in the Product packaging, Medical equipment, Home
appliances, Electronic equipment industry.
This chapter deals with case studies of design processes of in-house designers of the
auto makers in the Pune – Mumbai region. The researcher selected two leading
companies having their design centers in the area of research – Mahindra & Mahindra
– Kandivali, Mumbai and Tata Motors – Pune. These companies constitute major
market share( SIAM reports )in number of units manufactured in the Pune-Mumbai
region. ( Ref the charts bellow for the market share ). The Utility vehicles, Passenger
and the Light Commercial Vehicles segment were selected for this study.
Source : SIAM data of vehicle production of 2010
Figure : 52: Market share of OEM’s for various vehicle segments
Vehicles selected for this research
Segment Successful Vehicle :
Considered successful on
basis of number of units
sold than the comparison
vehicle in the same
segment
Comparison vehicle
1 UV- Utility Vehicle Mahindra XUV 500 Tata Sumo Grande
2 Light Commercial Vehicle Tata Ace Mahindra Maximo
3 Passenger Car - Sedan Tata Manza Mahindra Logan
4.2.1 Mahindra XUV 5OO
The research data and analysis of the Mahindra XUV 5OO is explained in the
following order.
A. Company background
B. Product details
C. Design Audit : Study of product features
D. Design Process used
E. Interviews with the design team
F. Impact of Design : User survey and analysis
G. Conclusion
Company Background
Mahindra was founded in 1945 as a steel trading company. It entered automotive
manufacturing in 1947 to bring the iconic Willys Jeep onto Indian roads. Over the
years, they have diversified into many new businesses in order to better meet the
needs of customers. They follow a unique business model of creating empowered
companies that enjoy the best of entrepreneurial independence and Group-wide
synergies. This principle has led to the growth into a US $16.5 billion multinational
group with more than 180,000 employees in over 100 countries across the globe.
Their operations span 18 key industries that form the foundation of every modern
economy: aerospace, aftermarket, agribusiness, automotive, components, construction
equipment, consulting services, defense, energy, farm equipment, finance and
insurance, industrial equipment, information technology, leisure and hospitality,
logistics, real estate, retail, and two wheelers. (www.mahindra.com, 2014)
Mahindra Automotive sector
Figure : 53 : Mahindra & Mahindra main plant at Kandivali, Mumbai
The country’s first utility vehicle was introduced by Mahindra in 1947. The company
continues to lead in utility vehicle segment. Its products include utility vehicles like
Scorpio and Bolero, and has other vehicles such as cars, electric vehicles, pickups,
and commercial vehicles. Its acquisition of the Ssangyong Motor Company in 2011
has brought a major South Korean utility manufacturer with a presence in more than
90 countries into the Mahindra fold. Mahindra vehicles are used in Australia, Europe,
Latin America, Malaysia, South Korea, and South Africa.
Mahindra vehicles meet global regulatory requirements such as End of Life Vehicles
Directive (ELV) in the European Union (EU). All the EU export vehicles are ELV
certified, ensuring safe dismantling and recycling of fluids in environment friendly
manner, meeting recycling target of 85% and recovery standard of 95% where not
more than 5% of the vehicle weight are sent to landfill. (www.mahindra.com, 2014)
Source : www.mahindra.com
4.2.1.1 Product Details
Mahindra XUV 5OO
XUV 500 is a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) by Mahindra & Mahindra launched in
September 2011. It was designed and developed at Mahindra's design and vehicle
build center in Kandivali in Mumbai, Nashik and Chennai. It is manufactured in
Mahindra's Chakan & Nashik plant.
4.2.1.2 ‘User’ reactions
The vehicle received tremendous response during and after the launch. The vehicle
was overbooked and had a waiting period of 4-6 months for delivery. The euphoria
around the vehicle after its launch was very high. There were instant feedbacks and
compliments on various medias from the auto critics as well as the general public.
Some of the reactions are presented bellow
Figure : 54 : Market Feedback about the vehicle on www.carkhabari.com
Figure :55: User Feedback about the vehicle on www.carwale.com,
specific importance given for looks – indicated by a boarder
4.2.1.3 Design Audit : Study of product features by this researcher
Figure : 56 : XUV 5OO overall vehicle features
A detailed study of the product features, which the researcher refers to as a Design
Audit was conducted by him. It involved analyzing the good design features as
perceived by the researcher. Product images were taken and the features were
explained. This was conducted to understand the finer aspects of the product styling,
considered as ‘good design by the researcher.
Figure : 57 : XUV 5OO Exterior details Figure : 58 :XUV 5OO Interior
As shown in the images above, the vehicle has modern and contemporary styling. The
exterior design of the vehicle has strong curves to give it a rugged and masculine
looks. The vehicle has an overall agile look with a ready to pounce stance. Good
ground clearance gives comfortable ride experience. Interiors have a sleek and classy
look with dual tone interiors. The overall interior gives a feeling of sufficient space.
The seats and the accessories are ergonomically designed to add the much needed
comfort for the passengers.
4.2.1.4 Design Process of Mahindra Automotive
Mahindra and Mahindra has the Integrated Design and Manufacturing ( IDAM )
center in Kandivali, Mumbai which is responsible for the design and styling of all the
Mahindra vehicles. It has an experienced and expert team of designers from across the
globe. The styling team of XUV 5OO was led by Ms.Ramkripa Ananthan has around
20 design & styling professionals. The entire development team was headed by Mr
Bidyabijay Bhaumik, Vice President , New Product Development ( retired in March
2013 ). Both of them provided critical insights in to the development process during
separate interviews conducted by the researcher, as follows:
Design Process used by the design team at Mahindra
The design team has categorized the process as per following titles :
A. CONTEXT
B. IMAGERY
C. IDEATION
D. FEASIBILITY
E. DETAILING
The further explanation of the design process was not shared due to company policy
for secrecy.
Ms Ramkripa, elaborated the process on an email and with reference to the Pool 19
Magazine (Ananthan, 2012). Following are the excerpts from the interaction with
reference to the design process followed at Mahindra.
A. CONTEXT
“The team at Mahindra studied the various markets and interacted with customers to
understand needs. We studied trends and predicted what the possibilities were for the
future. We brainstormed to derive a theme for the product. And then we started
sketching. The theme was ‘feeling the power’ which we felt was a perfect fit for our
customer profile and the Mahindra DNA.
Using this brief, the designers, exterior, interior, created moods, collages of reference
images, and character sketches; and with these visual influencers, created sketches
and renderings. The market and designers are like two sides of a mirror. I’d like to
think that the market is what we do. Or, if that is too contentious or conceited, we do
what the market is or will be.”
B. IMAGERY& C. IDEATION
Evolution of the Product Form :
An example of a beautiful automobile is one that evokes speed when standing still and
one that triggers emotions when seen in action. With its powerful build and feline
grace, the cheetah was the inspiration of the XUV500. It had evolved from the
detailed study of the African wild cat – the Cheetah . The cheetah is the fastest animal
on land. It is also exceptional in its agility and balance. And anyone who appreciates
good design will agree that the team stuck with the initial inspiration throughout the
project as it progressed from the sketch till it became real life wonder. (MPL
Automobiles, 2013)
Figure : 59 : Illustration explaining the product form based on the Cheetah
Sketch source : www.mahindraxuv5OO.com
D.FEASIBILITY
The ideation of using the Cheetah as an inspiration led to various feasibility options
worked out by the team in the form of sketches – hand as well as computer aided
designs.
Image source : Source : POOL Magazine Jan 2012, Page 18
Figure : 60 : Hand sketch of the external form of the vehicle
Figure : 61 : Hand sketch of the interior of the vehicle
E. DETAILING
The feasible solution are evaluated and finalised to be taken further in the design
process. Product detailing was worked out by deploying prototyping methods. A
scaled model as well as a full scale clay model was machined to give the final
detailing of the vehicle form.
Figure : 62 : Full Scale and reduced scale model for vehicle detailing
FINAL Product
The vehicle, when it was launched, met the desired designed features. The muscular
wheel arches accentuate the XUV500's impressive, broad stance. The distinctive,
cheetah paw-shaped door handles give it the minute details on which the design team
worked on . The intimidating jaw-like honeycomb grille emphasizes the fierce,
assertive look of the vehicle. The unique projection headlamps with the signature
LED parking lights add a touch of class.
Figure : 63 : Final product detailing of XUV
Source : www.mahindraxuv5OO.com
For convenience and reducing the complexity of data transfer, the images were told be
taken from www.mahindraxuv5OO.com website. (mahindraxuv5OO)
4.2.1.5 XUV 5OO design journey from Mr Bidyabijay Bhaumik perspective
Interview with Mr Bidyabijay Bhaumik, Vice President, New Product Development
Mahindra & Mahindra on 30th
March 2014 on his perspective on design &
development of the XUV5OO.
1. What according to you is the mantra for ‘Design’ success ?
• Design is a necessary factor in success. This is not the only factor, as there are
other considerations / factors for commercial success also. But today it is definitely
one of the most important factors
• The feel of the product – overall product experience is important. The product
needs to touch the ‘Emotions’ of the owner. Tata Nano as an example was a very
good logical design but had no emotional connect or had a wrong emotional connect.
The designer has to keep himself involved completely in the product to get good
results. Product should become more important than the designer.
• Design coupled with engineering achieved through execution excellence
• Interaction and inputs of cross functional team gives wholesome success
• Manza and Safari have made a mark
• Buying decision appeal to the emotions – in case of Nano it hit the wrong
emotional cord with the user. The user felt let down by the positioning of the car as
poor man’s car.
• Anand Mahindra’s ideology is “Design as a custodian of Brand” should be the
philosophy of designing any product.
• Design and styling are extremely important for the initial pull. It creates a set
of expectations from the product, which is the first step of success.
2. What is the role of effective leadership to achieve success through design?
Maturity of the leadership in the entire structure becomes very important for the
success of the vehicle. In any organization, there are pockets of expertise – it needs to
be channelized towards the common goal. The best experts within and outside needs
to be pooled in. The team leader of the program and the overall leader sets the tone of
the ‘Design’ leadership for a given vehicle program. Challenging the different stake
holders to achieve a particular feature / aspect of design element becomes very
critical. It is the responsibility of the topmost leader to lead from the front and be
supportive to the team’s decision than an individual. The entire design process
becomes important compared to an individual view or input.
2. The XUV 5OO experience
• The project had a clear focus from the very beginning. The market segment,
features, brief was clear from start-to-end of the program. This becomes the
foundation stone of a successful design process.
• The vehicle was to be designed for diverse users.
• A team was constituted to listen to the choices of the customers, what the user
segment likes. Views were captured verbatim and tried to understand the
alternative metaphor to be used.
• Metaphor selected was of Cheetah –
a. It helped to reinforce the ‘segment’ to which the vehicle was targeted at.
b. It touched the emotions of the user.
c. Created expectations and a will to deliver.
The morale of the entire Cross functional team was upbeat. All were involved with a
passion to use the process of development of the vehicle.
Market research created the useful data for starting the development. Designers drove
the cross functional team to put down the design brief. The critical task was to listen
to the user and not to get biased as an individual. The correct profiling of the user was
carried out of the prospective users.
The concept at various stages was sounded out to a select customers.Inputs were
solicited from experts from the field who feel pulse of the maket. Auto enthusiasts
were also consulted for their inputs
Technology was mapped with the expectations of the users – this also involved lot of
prediction of technology and gauging between the needs and the wants of the users.
Unique features which were worked upon from the beginning was to have
- Monocoque body
- Unique head lights
- Tail lamp cluster
- Electronics to be used – smart
An apt example of ‘Devil is in the details’ – is also experienced in this vehicle design
XUV 5OO’s success lies with the emotional connect which the product could get
from the users. This was achieved by the correct mix of design depth, latest
technology, excellent execution and good leadership.(Bhaumik , 2014 )
4.2.1.6 Impact of Design
User Study :
A qualitative research was conducted by this researcher to understand the user
perception about the XUV 5OO. To access the impact of good design of the vehicle a
user study was carried out. The sample of the users was purposive and snowball
method. The specific profiling of the samples was not done on purpose, since the
perception of the common person was to be captured for this study – irrespective of
economic, educational, societal profiling.
To gauge the impact of design on XUV 500, a vehicle in the same vehicle category
was to be companred with. The nearest competitor in the Sports Utility Vehicle
segment was the Tata Safari. The comparison was based on the number of units sold
of the vehicle to decide the success of the vehicle. Mahindra XUV was considered
successful vehicle for this study. The parameters of good design was Looks and
Comfort features for buying decision of the consumer. This researcher administered a
questionaire ( Annexure 1 ) to users of XUV 5OO and the Tata Safari between the
period June 2009 – September 2013.
One purpose of the questionaire was to understand the factors impacting user buying
decision of XUV 5OO. The users were asked to rate their preferences on a scale of
1:10 for Looks, Comfort, Noise level, Milage-Performance, Safety & Price. The
outcome of the data was averaged to identify the trend. It was observed from the
bellow table that Looks and Comfort were the two equaly important parameters in
adition to techincal and performance of the vehicle for user buying decision.
Figure : 64 : Parameters for user buying decision for XUV 5OO
The basis for success of the vehicle was the production figures of Mahindra XUV
5OO compared with Tata Safari as per the SIAM ( Society of Indian Automotive
Manufacturers ) data. The data of production of vehicles in the year 2012-13 shows
that Mahindra produced 1,45,623 Utility Vehicles as against Tata who produced
14,373. Of these Mahindra XUV 5OO was about 40,000 against Tata Safari of 7,000.
The production figures of XUV 5OO and Tata Safari are on the basis of the
components supplied by Tier 1 manufacturers to these respective companies discussed
in the last section of this case study
Figure :65 : Production figures of the UV segment of vehicle as per SIAM data
8.8 8.52
7
7.92 8.36
6.76
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10Looks
Comfort
Noise level
Mileage -performance
Safety
Price
Category
Segment/Subsegment
2012 2013 2011-12 2012-13
B: Utility Vehicles(UVs)
B: Utility Vehicles/ Sports Utility Vehicles; 2x4 or 4x4 offroad capability ;
Generally ladder on frame ; 2 box ; 5 Seats or more but upto 10 Seats
UV2:Length 4400 - 4700 mm, Price Upto Rs. 15 Lakh
General Motors India Pvt Ltd (Tavera) 2,069 2,008 22,216 20,846
International Cars & Motors Ltd (Rhino) 38 0 478 259
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (Scorpio, Xylo, Bolero Plus, Xuv500) 13,759 13,297 116,705 145,623
Tata Motors Ltd (Safari, Sumo Grande) 2,132 1,159 18,282 14,373
Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd (Innova) 6,834 7,479 57,723 77,720
Total 24,832 23,943 215,404 258,821
ManufacturerMarch April-March
For the month of Cumulative
SIAMSub-segment & Company wise Production, Domestic Sales & Exports Report for the month of March 2013
Production
4.2.1.7 Comparison vehicles
The comparision study between the Mahindra XUV 500 and Tata Safari was focused
on the user centric aspects of the Design, which was Looks and Comfort. Fifty users
each of Mahindra XUV 5OO and Tata Safari were interviewed and quationnaire was
adminstered. An indicative list of ratings is documented bellow.
Mahindra XUV 5OO Tata Safari
Figure : 66 : Comparitive data of XUV 5OO and Tata Safari
User Comfort Looks Good
Design
1 6 9 15
2 7 8 15
3 5 7 12
4 8 8 16
5 9 9 18
6 6 8 14
7 8 7 15
8 6 8 14
9 8 9 17
10 7 8 15
11 6 9 15
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
44 6 7 13
45 8 8 16
46 9 8 17
47 8 9 17
7 7 14
User Comfort Looks Good
Design
1 8 6 14
2 6 5 11
3 9 6 15
4 8 6 14
5 5 7 12
6 6 4 10
7 8 5 13
8 7 5 12
9 8 5 13
10 8 6 14
11 7 4 11
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
44 6 5 11
45 4 6 10
46 8 6 14
47 7 4 11
48 7 5 12
4.2.1.8 Analysis of data
For Testing the Hypothesis 2 : “Good Designed and Styled vehicles in the same
segment are more successful than others” the T-test analysis was conducted on the
above data ( for complete data refer Annexure 5 )
Group Statistics
Vehicle N Mean Std.
Deviation
Std. Error
Mean
Comfort
Mahindra
XUV 500 50 7.36 1.114 .223
TATA Safari 50 6.68 1.314 .263
Looks
Mahindra
XUV 500 50 7.88 1.013 .203
TATA Safari 50 5.20 .913 .183
Good
Design
Mahindra
XUV 500 50 15.24 1.615 .323
TATA Safari 50 11.88 1.536 .307
Figure : 67 : T-test analysis for comparision between XUV 5OO and Tata Safari
Lower Upper
Equal variances
assumed.613 .438 1.974 48 .054 .680 .344 -.013 1.373
Equal variances
not assumed1.974 46.742 .054 .680 .344 -.013 1.373
Equal variances
assumed.000 .985 9.825 48 .000 2.680 .273 2.132 3.228
Equal variances
not assumed9.825 47.487 .000 2.680 .273 2.131 3.229
Equal variances
assumed.001 .981 7.538 48 .000 3.360 .446 2.464 4.256
Equal variances
not assumed7.538 47.882 .000 3.360 .446 2.464 4.256
Std. Error
Difference
95% Confidence
Interval of the
Difference
Independent Samples Test
Levene's Test
for Equality of
Variances
t-test for Equality of Means
F Sig.
Comfort
Looks
Good Design
t dfSig.
(2-tailed)
Mean
Differenc
e
Hypothesis 2A :
There will be difference between XUV 500 customers and TATA Safari customers in
terms of their preference to comfort.
Result: XUV 5OO customers prefer comfort of XUV 5OO more than TATA Safari
customers do.
Hypothesis 2B :
There will be difference between XUV 5OO customers and TATA Safari customers
in terms of their preference to Looks of the vehicle.
Result : XUV 5OO customers prefer looks more than TATA Safari customers do
In conclusion :
Hypothesis 2 :
There will be difference between XUV 5OO customers and TATA Safari customers
in terms of their preference to Good Design and style of the vehicle
Result: XUV 500 customers prefer Good Design and style of the vehicle more than
TATA Safari customers.
4.2.1.9 User Feedbacks
Some verbatim user responses from the survey:
Mr Sameer Wagale, Sr Executive in multinational company
I am a proud owner of the vehicle which gives me satisfaction about my status. The
unique looks of the vehicle was the first thing which attracted me to the XUV 5OO.
Hats of to the team which developed such a vehicle in India for India.
Mr Prasanna Naik, Businessman
Amazing experience. I am a loyal Mahindra customer, I owned a Mahindra Scorpio
for six years. I had pre-booked the XUV immediately at its launch. Sexy styling and
dominating road presence is what I like most about the vehicle.
Mr Milind Sangwar, Corporate Executive
My black XUV 500 gives me an emotional boost. I consider it a reflection of my
personality – strong and sturdy. Great job by Mahindra to bring out such a
contemporary vehicle.
Mr Rohidas Godambe, Real estate consultant
I think I earn a different respect when I move around in this vehicle. It has very nice
looks which goes well with my attitude. I love the interior space where I spend most
time of my day travelling. XUV is a good vehicle for the comfort it gives on long and
rough rides in the countryside where roads are not proper.
4.2.1.10 Feedback from Product Company
Interview with Mr Vijay Nakhara, Head Marketing Mahindra Auto Sector over email
on his views of the design of the XUV 5OO on 25th
February 2014 (Nakhara, 2014).
We get many feedbacks about the good looks of the vehicle. Some customers are very
specific about their responses, which surprise us. We had a very successful run for a
year after the launch. We were pre-booked for 6 months. The production had to be
ramped up suddenly to meet the demand. Frankly we did not expect such a response.
It captured the imagination of the section of the market which was taken up by the
aspirational buyers for an SUV. It helped reinforce the Mahindra brand producing
rugged and in addition now a better looking vehicles.
We did our independent survey on the customer response as is the standard practice
after one year of the launch. It was very encouraging to know that the customers were
very happy with the overall experience of the vehicle. The styling was unique and had
a very strong road presence. A very peculiar situation about this vehicle was that there
was not a defined profile of the user who were major buyers of the vehicle. It was
appreciated and bought by cross section of customers – doctors, industrialists,
corporate executives, politicians, lawyers, real estate operators. That was the biggest
certificate of the impact this vehicle had made on the masses.
4.2.1.11 Conclusion of the Mahindra XUV 5OO case study
The above responses from the buyers, users, the design professionals and the
marketing executive from Mahindra proves the success of the XUV 5OO was due to
the good design of the vehicle compared to its nearest competitor the Tata Safari. The
hypothesis“ Good Designed & Styled vehicles in the same segment are more
successful than others” is proved with the T-test analysis done for the XUV 5OO and
Tata Safari.
4.2.2 Tata ACE and Tata Manza
Tata Motors also introduced India’s first Sports Utility Vehicle in 1991 and, in 1998,
the Tata Indica, India’s first fully indigenous passenger car. In January 2008, Tata
Motors unveiled its People’s Car, the Tata Nano. A development, which signifies a
first for the global automobile industry, the Nano brings the joy of a car within the
reach of thousands of families.
The research conducted by this researcher involves the study of two of Tata Motors
successful products in recent years. The Tata ACE – India’s first mini-truck in the
Light commercial vehicle segment and Tata MANZA – one of India’s indigenously
developed vehicle in the passenger segment.
The research data and analysis for this section is explained in the following manner
A. Company Background
B. Design Process used with the background of Tata ACE
C. Interviews with Tata motors design team
D. Product details of Tata ACE
E. Design Audit : Study of product features of Tata ACE
F. Impact of Design : User survey and analysis of Tata ACE
G. Conclusion of Tata ACE study
H. Product details of Tata Manza
I. Design Audit : Study of product features of Tata Manza
J. Impact of Design : User survey and analysis of Tata Manza
K. Conclusion of Tata Manza study
Company Background
Figure : 68 : TATA Motors plant in Pimpri, Pune
This study has the first part based largely on secondary data. This included
information culled out from websites mainly tata.com and tatamotors.com, proved in
this chapter hereafter. This is intended to be backgrounder for other secondary data,
and primary data collected by this researcher as follows:
Tata Motors Limited is the largest manufacturer in Indian automotive industry. It is
the leader in commercial vehicles, and among the top in passenger vehicles. Tata
motors is part of the Rs 6,00,000 crore Tata group. The Tata group’s mission is to
improve the quality of life of the communities it serves globally, through long-term
stakeholder value creation based on leadership with trust.
Founded by Jamsetji Tata in 1868, the Tata group is a global enterprise headquartered
in India, and comprises over 100 operating companies, with operations in more than
100 countries across six continents, exporting products and services to over 150
countries. The revenue of Tata companies, taken together, was $103.27 billion
(around Rs624,757 crore) in 2013-14, with 67.2 percent of this coming from
businesses outside India. Tata companies employ over 581,470 people
worldwide.(TATA , 2014)
Tata Motors Limited is India’s largest automobile company, with consolidated
revenues of INR 2,32,834 crores (USD 38.9 billion) in 2013-14(Tata Motors, 2014).
It is the leader in commercial vehicles in each segment, and among the top in
passenger vehicles with winning products in the compact, midsize car and utility
vehicle segments. It is also the world's fifth largest truck manufacturer and fourth
largest bus manufacturer.
The Tata Motors Group’s over 60,000 employees are guided by the mission “to be
passionate in anticipating and providing the best vehicles and experiences that excite
our customers globally.''(TATA , 2014)
Established in 1945, Tata Motors’ presence cuts across the length and breadth of
India. Over 8 million Tata vehicles ply on Indian roads, since the first rolled out in
1954. The company’s manufacturing base in India is spread across Jamshedpur
(Jharkhand), Pune (Maharashtra), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Pantnagar (Uttarakhand),
Sanand (Gujarat) and Dharwad (Karnataka). Following a strategic alliance with Fiat
in 2005, it has set up an industrial joint venture with Fiat Group Automobiles at
Ranjangaon (Maharashtra) to produce both Fiat and Tata cars and Fiat powertrains.
The company’s dealership, sales, services and spare parts network comprises over
6,600 touch points, across the world. (Tata , 2014).
The foundation of the company’s growth over the last 68 years is a deep
understanding of economic stimuli and customer needs, and the ability to translate
them into customer-desired offerings through leading edge R&D. With over 4,500
engineers, scientists and technicians the company’s Engineering Research Centre,
established in 1966, has enabled pioneering technologies and products. The company
today has R&D centres in Pune, Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Dharwad in India, and in
South Korea, Italy, Spain, and the UK. (Tata Motors, 2014)
Tata Motors launched the first indigenously developed Light Commercial Vehicle in
1986. In 2005, Tata Motors created a new segment by launching the Tata Ace, India’s
first indigenously developed mini-truck. In 2009, the company launched its globally
benchmarked Prima range of trucks and in 2012 the Ultra range of international
standard light commercial vehicles. (Tata Motors, 2014)
4.2.2.1Tata ACE , product details
Reactions from auto critics and experts regarding the Tata ACE
The Tata ACE was described as testimony of the company’s efforts to identify new
categories and develop logistic solutions that will improve the lives of the people.
Ravi Kant, Vice Chairman, Tata Motors.
(Kant, 2005) The Tata Ace was award winner in the category “Best commercial
vehicle design” for year 2006, BBC Top Gear’s annual.
Market Response:
Tata Motors launched the mini truck in May 2005 at a price of Rs 225,000 and had a
capacity of 0.75 tons. With this launch, the company created a new product category
called the mini-truck in the Light Commercial vehicle segment.
The ACE received tremendous response that exceeded Tata Motor’s expectations.
The company covered 25% of the country in the initial period after launch. It met its
annual production target of 30,000 vehicles in less than a year. The ACE contributed
15 % companies volumes in 1st year, 54% first time buyers, 33% previously owned 3
wheelers, 30% owned LCV Encouraged TATA to double the production capacity.
(Slide share, 2007)
Academic interest
Many researchers from India and abroad have done study on various aspect of Tata
ACE. This researcher felt it appropriate to share one interesting analysis done by Mr
Sumit K Rana, of IIM Shilong in Jan 31, 2010as part of his academic requirement for
explaining the position of Tata ACE with respect to other competition vehicles. The
bellow image shows his take on how the different vehicles can be positioned on the
basis of Style, Comfort and Performance for Tata ACE. It shows how Tata ACE
product positioning is on a higher level against competition products.
Figure : 69: Product Positioning of Tata ACE
Mr. Swapnil Salunkhe of ERC ( Engineering Research Center ) Tata Motors offered
the following data to this researcher for the study:(Salunkhe, 2012)
A. Background of the introduction of the product:
Since the start of the 21st century, India has been undergoing changes in the
transportation industry. The increased traffic congestion in cities, forced development
of the satellite cities and industrial towns. With government initiative massive road
network was set up. This gave a boost to the commercial vehicles market to take
goods and people to the remotest of the villages. Many experts and town planners
conducted detailed research and predictions for envisaging the changing face of the
cities and the transportation needs. These led to understanding of consumer insight
and the successful development of Ace.
To prepare the concept note on the basis of the market study, the following
stakeholders were identified: truck owners, drivers, distributors, mechanics, end-user
customers, and opinion leaders.
The uniqueness of this project has been the involvement of consumers from stage one,
which helped the organization change its product centric approach to a customer
centric one. (Kumar, 2006)(Kumar V.). Another change that was seen in the
organization while developing Ace was the involvement of the design team with the
consumers.
At Tata Motors the core intention while undertaking this project was to understand the
capability to engineer and execute a completely integrated value chain in an industrial
system through internal skills.
Girish Wagh, the Head, Small Car Project of the Tata Motors, and his team, spent
nearly six months on the field interviewing over 600 customers, drivers, owners, end
users, mechanics as well as opinion makers, across the country to understand the area
covered by commercial vehicles (Kumar V.). The objective was to identify the key
contributors in a product that would make a significant contribution to the perceived
customer benefits of the end product. The focus lay on identifying the core
competencies of Tata Motors that would enable commercial vehicle business to
deliver a fundamental customer benefit. In other words, an in-depth search was
undertaken by asking: what is it that causes customers to choose one commercial
vehicle over another? To identify core competencies in a particular market, questions
such as "why is the customer willing to pay more, or less for one product or service
than another?" "What is a customer actually paying for?”(Gopalan, Ace breaks new
ground, 2006), (Kumar, The Winning Edge, 2006)
4.2.2.3 Design Process used
A. Product Development Brief :
On the basis of the survey conducted by the cross functional team, the design team
came out with the following development brief :
The stake holders - consumers expected a vehicle that would have these factors:
High Status
Feel Good
‘Better Marriage Proposals’ for vehicle owner’s family members
The consumers - users wanted the following to be considered in the new design :
Low price
Maneuverability
Fuel efficiency
Additional Payload
Comfort
Durability
B. User Survey:
The design team carried out a user survey with the following objectives:
Assess whether there existed a demand for such a vehicle, (mini-truck).
Theme of the survey was “from the customer, for the customer.”
Gain consumer insights
The respondents were 4000 drivers of trucks and three-wheelers.
Information analysis and findings
There was market for a vehicle that offered the price, fuel efficiency and
maneuverability of a three wheeler but with the safety, durability, additional
payload and comfort of a four-wheeled truck
Customers also viewed four wheelers as a higher-status vehicle
Customers wanted a product that would travel across the length and breadth of
the country and would withstand overloading
People wanted a vehicle with a feel good factor for the driver
In order to convert the prospective consumers into potential consumers the
price had to be below Rs. two lakhs
45% of Ace’s customer base would come from people planning to purchase
three wheelers, 15 % from potential pickup and light-commercial-vehicle
purchasers, and 40 % from first time commercial-vehicle purchasers
The survey indicated the following:
Performance sensitive : Status, brand image and speed; willing to pay a higher price
for features.
Balanced-perspective : owner – entrepreneurs; justified on ROI ( Return on
Investment ) + comfort & convenience
ROI-sensitive : lowest cost per mile of transport; fleet owners/operators
Acquisition price-constrained : future potential
Some of the insights that were highlighted during this survey were:
Aspirational product- A four wheeler which was seen as a status symbol and an
aspirational product as people owning three wheelers wanted to upgrade.
Operating Economic- Consumers who owned smaller businesses wanted a vehicle
that was cost effective and fuel-efficient and at the same time helped them transport a
small amount of load. It was realized that the selling point for this commercial vehicle
was that ‘ACE was not being sold but a customer’s business.’Check the text(Gopalan,
2006)
There was an emerging need to develop a CV which would not just focus on
‘customer drivenperformance, reliability and quality targets’ but also on areas of
safety, stability, comfort and price.
Thus came in ‘ACE’ a low cost, rugged and affordable logistics solution, which
would generate significant business opportunities in the country by catering to the
need of ‘lastmile’ distribution. Market studies indicate that around 54% of the ACE
customers are new entrants in the commercial transportation business; and that
endorses the ability of ACE to provide better employment opportunities.
(Gopalan, Ace breaks new ground, 2006), (Kumar, The Winning Edge, 2006)
4.2.2.4 ACE Evolution Journey
The researcher came across a very important secondary data from The TMTC Journal
of Management that provided the detailed information on the ‘New Product
Introduction Process’ that included the design process followed by the top automaker
in India. It was from The TMTC Journal of Management which published a detailed
interview by Mr. Girish Wagh, Head Small Car Project Tata Motors, titled, Scoring
an ACE at Tata Motors.The interview throws light on innovation that led to the
development of ACE, as follows: .
1. What is the origin of the idea for developing the ACE mini-truck ?
The idea of developing ACE was inspired by Mr Ratan Tata’s intent of making
products/services which will address the needs of the “Bottom of the Pyramid”. The
entire exercise started with Lord and Prof Kumar Bhattacharya of Warwick
Manufacturing Group (WMG), challenging Tata Motors to develop a cheap, nasty and
rugged transportation vehicle, Mr Ravi Kant formed a core team of individuals to
work on this challenge.
A comprehensive study of the commercial vehicle market in year 2000 was
conducted, addressing the fundamental demand drivers ( GDP growth, Industrial
Input of Production, Road Development Projects), global trends, segment-wise future
market attractiveness and Tata Motor’s competitiveness, and likely competitive action
in each segment. This study indicated tow segments as the drivers of future growth –
small commercial vehicles and tractors in the heavy commercial vehicles.
Small commercial vehicles were dominated by three wheelers and experiencing
explosive growth. Extensive field visits ( Voice of Customer and Quality Function
Deployment ) to understand the need gaps in the existing products, as well as visits to
developed countries to understand the global trends in this segment were done.
Existing three-wheeler owners indicated a need of a vehicle which is safe, stable,
provides weather protection, emits less smoke, has operating economics and
commands a pride associated with ownership of the vehicle. These inputs coupled
with global trends, led to the development of a four-wheeled, safe, low cost and fuel-
efficient small commercial vehicle.
2. How did you proceed from the stage of isolating the idea to fruition ?
Once the opportunity was identified, the core team was expanded to include
enthusiastic design engineers from ERC on the team. The new members of the team
also visited the field to gain first hand experience of customer needs. After the field
visits, customer requirements were translated into engineering and design parameters
after which the team engaged itself on the drawing board and arrived at the product
concept through intense discussions and study of benchmark vehicles.
Conceptualization of the product went through various rounds of reviews with the
senior management to ensure that the right product concept was arrived at.
During this period, an extremely enthusiastic, energetic and passionate team was
continuously challenged to think out of the box by the experienced presence and
guidance of seniors like P M Telang and R RAkarte. The concept was finalized, in
alignment with the key inputs viz. customer needs, regulatory requirements and
objective of providing a safe, stable and economical business opportunity to the
customer at the lower end of the commercial vehicle market.
3. Which New Product Introduction (NPI ) procedure did you employ for
developing ACE?
Dr Stan Manton from WMG advised Tata Motors during this time to lay down a New
Product Introduction process (NPI). Based on the inputs from WMG, which included
study of the New Product Introduction process at other world-class auto majors, Tata
Motors’ NPI process was developed. It is a Stage Gate process, consisting of stages
concluding with gate reviews, with clearly defined deliverables at each gateway. Each
stage was detailed at granular activity level, with defined timelines, resource
requirements, roles and responsibilities of participating agencies and interdependence
of activities. Measures were identified for various activities to monitor the efficiency
and effectiveness at sup-process level. A pictorial representation of the NPI Process is
as follows:
Tata’s New Product Introduction Process
Figure : 70 : New Product Introdiction Process at Tata Motors
4.2.2.5 Industrial Design & Styling in NPI (New Product Introduction) process
The researcher collected primary data from Mr Pankaj Jhunja, Head of Studio, TATA
Design International, Tata Motors, during an interview in Pune. The data related to
Design Process followed the details about the New Product Introduction at the Tata
Motors.
Date of interview: 24th
Nov 2013
Place of interview: Tata Motors
1. What stage in the NPI process is the ‘Design’ teams involvment start and
end ?
It is integrated in the overall NPI process from the Product Strategy Review (DR0)
stage of a new program/project initiatian. There are sub processes defined with
respect to the required inputs and desired outputs which are internal to the TATA
Design team. The Desgin Studio, as the team is called, works in unision with the CFT
( Cross Funtional Team ) formed for the project. They are fully involved in the
following NPI stages - Concept and Project Approval ( DR1), Concept and Project
Approval (DR2).
Broadly the design team works with the following phases – Conceptualisation,
Creative, Maturation and Validation
2. What is the strength of TATA Design International ?
We are a team of about 140 professionals with diverse natinalities - India, Japan,
Britain, France, and Italy spread across three locations , Pune-India, Turin-Italy &
London-UK. The team consists of profesionals in the field of Styling, Digital
sculptors, CAD designers, Percieved Quality, Prototyping, Clay modelers, Studio
engineering, Fabrics and colour. The biggest group sits in the Pimpri facility, near
Pune.
3. What is the Design philosophy of Tata Design Studio ?
TATA Motors recently launched its vision statement for the brand. We follow the
same priciple of this vision statement which is “Design, Driving comfort &
connectivity” in our activities.
Deisgn Philosophy of Tata Motors
At Tata Motors, we are redefining the way we design. DesignNext, our
new design language, shapes our philosophy in engineering vehicles that
not only look good but feel good too. For our range of commercial
vehicles, we are incorporating key elements of which an excellent
combination of sleek, smart styling and enhanced comfort that increases
driver productivity.
All-new, next-generation designs for the Tata Truck range, delivers state-
of-the-art, world-class aesthetics
Interiors designed for professionals that are comfortable, intuitive and offer a
fatigue-free ‘work environment’
Beautiful and professional styling with all-new engineering aggregates that
ensure cost saving and productivity(Tata Motors Next Level design, 2014)
I believe that “Good design is not what you can add but depends more on what cannot
be taken out of a product.” Its more about purity, basics of purpose, its intent &
aspiration. The higher you go in a vehicle category the aspirational value increases
and there is more posibility of styling intervention. It is to do with how much the
customer will pay for a better looking styled vehicle. The percieved quality index
goes higher as you go up the value chain.For example the ‘design & styling’ is
apparent and integral to the up coming products like Bolt, and Zest
Figure :71 : Future Products from Tata Motors – Bolt and Zest
4. What is your view on ‘Styling and Design’ intent of ACE ?
ACE will not be considered as a case of Best Stying and Design example. However,
the styling team had an important role to play in the success of the product. The
design brief during the start of the project for the entire CFT would have been basic,
clean, simplicity and purity. The extensive user research conducted by the team had
led to the development of a vehicle which will fulfil the aspirational requirement of
the user along with being highly functional and efficient. We were able to create a
product which met these needs and wants of the user. The Styling and design intent
was beautifully internallised in the whole development process.
5. What according to you was the success of the product ?
- Ergonomics played a critical role in the success of the design for a product in
this category. The user got good ingress-egress room, higher seating, good
visibility all around, comfortable interior space.
- White colour of the vehicle gave the user a sense of purity & cleanliness. The
vehicle was percieved as a higher class car like vehicle. The user took more
care to keep it tidey and clean.
- This vehicle helped create ‘businessman’ out of common people
- Social status of user increased : In rural India marriage value of a groom went
up!
(Jhunja, Design Process at Tata Motors, 2013)
4.2.2.6 Design Analysis conducted by the researcher
It was the first time a new segment was created with the launch of the ACE. The
features of the interior and exterior were unique in the market. Efforts were taken to
give the comfort of a car for the interior space and utilities design. Exterior body
styling was given due importance to elivate the esteem value for the user of the
vehicle.
Product Features :
Comfort
Sheet metal cab with doors, roof lining, floor mat, protection from rain heat
and cold
Control pedals, gear shift and parking brake ergonomically positioned for
comfort
Higher door opening angle and low floor height for easy boarding
Sun visor for protection from direct glare
Shorter turning radius
Style:
Styled dashboard with tray, digital clock, radio fitment provision, utility tray
and clearly visible instrument cluster
Smooth external finish – exquisite look
Flat faced large commercial vehicle look
Lockable glove-box for keeping valuable documents
Exterior :
Flat front, clean uncluttered front grill with TATA motors trademark
Wide windscreen creating feeling of openness – purity.
Feature line above wheel arc to enable continutiy for passenger version
Styling feature on the door to brake the monotony and an opportunity to add a
distingusing belt line feature for the front door as well as the body panel for
passenger version
Clean clutter-free overall form to depict – purity, simplicity and clean
Smooth external finish – exquisite look
Flat faced large commercial vehicle look
White color for executive look like a CAR
Figure :72 : Tata ACE – Load Carrier and Passenger Carrier on the same platform
Interior
Figure : 73 : Interior of the Tata ACE
The new vehicle had the following features that can be seen also in the pictures
below:
Car like interiors – with upholstery, dash board & trims
Gives a feeling of large space
Comfortable seats
Styled dashboard with tray
digital clock, radio fitment provision , utility tray
clearly visible instrument cluster
Lockable glove-box for keeping valuable documents
The exterior looks – stylying was unique for this segment of vehicles and first time in
the market. It gave a feeling of elegance and high status thus improving the social
status of the owner / driver. The single piece front panel with bold head lamps gave a
good stance to the vehicle. The contoured profile over the wheel arch which
maintained the continuity of the front and the rear made the vehicle looked
contemporary. The interior gave a feeling of private usable space for the occupant. It
gave a car-like feeling which for the owner / dirver was unique in the type of vehicles
he used before. It was first of its kind feeling for him which increased the morale of
the driver. Features similar to a car interior are provided for the benefit of the driver.
(Jhunja, Design Process at Tata Motors, 2013)
Variants on the same Platform
Success of the ACE led to the development of a series of products in the same family
ACE Zip : Load Carrier ACE Zip Plus : Passenger Carrier
Figure : 74 : Variants on the ACE platform
4.2.2.7 Quantitative study
Impact of Design on the success of the product. The success of the product was
gauged by the number of vehicles produced as per the SIAM report. The nearest
competitor in the Light comercial vehicle segment was the Mahindra Maxximo. The
parameters of good design was Looks and Comfort features for buying decision of the
consumer. This researcher administered a questionaire tousers of Tata ACE and
Mahindra Maximo from June 2010 – September 2013. ( Annexure 1 )
The users selected were
From urban and adjoing rural parts around Pune
Drivers and/or owners who was in the transportation business.
Had used a load carrier before
4.2.2.8 Impact of Design
User Study :
A qualitative research was conducted to understand the user perception about the Tata
ACE. To access the impact of good design of the vehicle a user study was carried out.
The sample of the users was purposive and snowball sampling. The specific profiling
of the samples was not done on purpose, since the perception of the common person
was to be captured for this study.
Mr. Ashith Shetty, Product Manager of the Tata ACE marketing team, told this
researcher that the team profile the customers as per following categories (a) Owner
Driver (b) Load Operator (c) Fleet Owners. He shared the information that the Owner
Driver customers of the ACE are the most sensitive to the vehicle design and comfort
issues. (Shetty, Owner drivers are sensitive to design and comfort Tata ACE,
2012)Since the Owner Driver was the relevant category of this research, the user
study was conducted for the Owner Deriver profile.
To gauge the impact of design on Tata ACE, a vehicle in the same vehicle category
was to be compared with. The nearest competitor in the mini-truck Light Commercial
Segment was the Mahindra Maxximo. The comparison was based on the number of
units sold of the vehicle to decide the success of the vehicle. The Tata ACE was
considered successful vehicle for this study. The parameters of good design was
Looks and Comfort features for buying decision of the consumer. This researcher
administered a questionnaire ( Annexure 1 ) to users of Tata ACE and the Mahindra
Maxximo between the period June 20010 – September 2013.
One outcome of the questionnaire was to understand the factors impacting user
buying decision of Tata ACE. The users were asked to rate their preferences on a
scale of 1:10 for Looks, Comfort, Noise level, Mileage-Performance, Safety & Price.
The outcome of the data was averaged to identify the trend. It was observed from the
bellow table that Looks and Comfort were the two equally important parameters in
addition to technical and performance of the vehicle for user buying decision.
Figure : 75 : User buyer decision parameters for Tata ACE
The basis for success of the vehicle was the production figures of Tata ACE compared
with Tata Safari as per the SIAM ( Society of Indian Automotive Manufacturers )
data. The data of production of vehicles in the year 2012-13 shows that Tata produced
1,97,774 Goods carriers in the Light Commercial Vehicle segment as against
Mahindra who produced 45,079is the same period. Of these Tata ACE were about
1,00,00 against Mahindra Maxximo about 40,000. The production figures of Tata
ACE and Mahindra Maxximo are on the basis of the information of components
supplied by Tier 1 manufacturers to these respective companies discussed in the last
section of this case study.
6.96
5.54
5.32
2.28
4.1
5.68
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Mileage
Comfort
Looks
Safety
Noice Level
Price
Factors impacting user buying decision -
of TATA ACE
Figure :76 : Production figures of the LCV segment of vehicle as per SIAM data
4.2.2.9 Comparison Vehicle
Tata ACE was compared against Mahindra Maxximo, a mini-truck in the same
segment for this research. It was launched in February 2010.
Tata ACE Mahindra Maxximo
The comparision study between the Tata ACE and Mahindra Maximmo was focused
on the user centric aspects of the Design, which was Looks and Comfort. Fifty users
each of Tata ACE and Mahindra Maxximo were interviewed and quationnaire was
adminstered. An indicative list of ratings is documented bellow. ( For complete data
refer Annexure 6 )
Figure : 77 : Comparitive data of Tata ACE and Mahindra Maxximo
4.2.2.10 Analysis of data For Testing the Hypothesis 2 : “Good Designed and
Styled vehicles in the same segment are more successful than others” the T-test
analysis was conducted on the data
Tata ACE
Mahindra Maximo
User Comfort Looks
Good
Design
User Comfort Looks Good
Design
1 7 6 13
1 7 5 12
2 6 5 11
2 4 5 9
3 3 6 9
3 5 7 12
4 7 7 14
4 8 7 15
5 6 8 14
5 3 4 7
6 4 6 10
6 6 5 11
7 8 9 17
7 4 8 12
8 7 7 14
8 7 6 13
9 6 7 13
9 3 6 9
10 5 5 10
10 7 4 11
11 7 5 12
11 6 4 10
12 4 9 13
12 4 6 10
13 6 6 12
13 5 6 11
14 4 8 12
14 3 7 10
15 7 8 15
15 8 4 12
16 6 9 15
16 3 5 8
17 6 6 12
17 8 7 15
. . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . .
46 7 6 13
46 6 5 11
47 7 7 14
47 4 7 11
48 8 7 15
48 4 6 10
49 6 6 12
49 7 6 13
48 6 8 14
48 7 4 11
49 6 7 13
49 6 4 10
50 8 6 14
50 3 7 10
Group Statistics
Vehicle N Mean Std.
Deviation
Std. Error
Mean
Comfort
Tata ACE 50 6.20 1.354 .271
Mahindra
Maxximo 50 5.24 1.809 .362
Looks
Tata ACE 50 6.84 1.214 .243
Mahindra
Maxximo 50 5.64 1.221 .244
Good
Design
Tata ACE 50 13.04 1.837 .367
Mahindra
Maxximo 50 10.88 1.900 .380
Figure :78 : T-test analysis report for Tata ACE and Mahindra Maxximo
Lower Upper
Equal
variances
assumed
6.516 .014 2.124 48 .039 .960 .452 .051 1.869
Equal
variances not
assumed
2.124 44.464 .039 .960 .452 .049 1.871
Equal
variances
assumed
.123 .727 3.485 48 .001 1.200 .344 .508 1.892
Equal
variances not
assumed
3.485 47.998 .001 1.200 .344 .508 1.892
Equal
variances
assumed
.001 .977 4.087 48 .000 2.160 .529 1.097 3.223
Equal
variances not
assumed
4.087 47.945 .000 2.160 .529 1.097 3.223
Comfort
Looks
Good Design
Levene's Test for
Equality of
Variances
T-test for Equality of Means
F Sig. t dfSig.
(2-tailed)
Mean
Difference
Std. Error
Difference
Independent Samples Test
95%
Confidence
Interval of the
Difference
Hypothesis 2A :
There will be difference between Tata ACE customers and Mahindra Maxximousers
in terms of their preference to comfort.
Result: Tata ACE users prefer comfort of Tata ACE more than Mahindra
Maxximousers.
Hypothesis 2B :
There will be difference between Tata ACE users and Mahindra Maxximo users in
terms of their preference to Looks of the vehicle.
Result : Tata ACE customers prefer looks more than Mahindra Maxximo users.
In conclusion :
Hypothesis 2 :
There will be difference between Tata ACE customers and Mahindra Maxximousers
in terms of their preference to Good Design and style of the vehicle.
Result : Tata ACEusers prefer Good Design and style of the vehicle more than
Mahindra Maxximousers.
4..2.2.11 User Feedbacks
A Some verbatim user responses from the survey were as follows:
Mr Ganesh Naik
I am in the transport business for the last 15-16 years. I have driven many load
carriers till date. Tata ACE is my best vehicle so far. Great in looks and comfort. It
gives me pleasure and pride to park the vehicle infront of my house. It has made my
life easier and helped me prosper.
Mr Raju Bansode
Feel like driving a car. My family was so excited when we bought this vehicle. We
drove to Jejuri to take darshan on the first day. My family takes good care of this
vehicle unlike my earlier transport vehicle.
Mr Sudhir
I operate from Chakan to Warje area. Gives me comfort for long journey every day.
The white colour prompts me to take good care of my vehicle. Is good value for
money for me.
Mr Suhas Jadav
Driving the ACE for more than 5 years now. I have 2 more Tata ACEs which I have
bought since then, which has helped me increase my business. Very satisfied with the
vehicle. Helps me commute with ease.
B Product Company
Interview with Mr Ashith Shetty, Product Manager Tata ACE, Pune region conducted
on 17th
August 2014 on his view of the Tata ACE market. (Shetty A. , 2014)
We approach the market withthe following target customer profile groups(a) Owner
Driver (b) Load Operator (c) Fleet Owners. Of these the Owner Driver is the most
demanding with respect to the features of the vehicle.
We sold about 10 lac ACE vehicles between 2005 to 2012 and the refresh version
having sold 50,000 vehicles since 2012. The original ACE is also running even today.
It is one of the longest running and highest selling product in this segment in India till
date.We also export Tata ACEs to the neighboring countries.
Tata ACE has such tremendous response in the market that even by paying a premium
of about Rs 30,000 over the Maxximo we have 72% market share in this segment of
vehicles in India. Customer definitely prefers our vehicle due to its features which are
unique for the segment. Looks and car like features for the cabin being the unique
selling points of our vehicle in addition to performance pay load and the TATA brand,
in that order of importance.
Tata ACE was the first vehicle in the goods carrier segment to use white and ivory
color for its vehicle. It helped us to create a premium look to the product which
helped the perceived value of the vehicle for our customer. It also has an advantage of
matching the colour in case of modifications or repair of the vehicle. Customers take
extra care of the vehicle due to this which adds up to our brand value.(Shetty A. ,
2014)
4.2.2.11 Conclusion of the Tata ACE case study
The above responses from the buyers, users, the design professionals and the
marketing executive from Tata Motors prove the success of the Tata ACE was due to
the good design of the vehicle compared to its nearest competitor the Mahindra
Maxximo. The hypothesis “ Good Designed & Styled vehicles in the same segment
are more successful than others” is proved with the T-test analysis done for the Tata
ACE and Mahindra Maxximo.
4.2.3.1 Tata MANZA
Tata Manza is the contemporary Indian sedan from Tata Motors. It is built on the
Indigo platform. It was launched on 14th
October 2009. Manza is available in eight
variants, four each in petrol and diesel.
Image source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tata_Manza
‘User’ reactions
The vehicle received good response during and after the launch. The euphoria around
the vehicle after its launch was very high since it was the first indigenously developed
contemporary looking car from Tata motors. This was distinctly different and much
better looking than the earlier version from Tata Motors – the Indigo CS. There were
instant feedbacks and compliments on various medias from the auto critics as well as
the general public. Some of the reactions are showcased bellow:
“At first I should say that the looks are much refined from any car from Tata. The
interior is very spacious and well designed, loaded with lots of features which are not
available in this segment”-
Race Head on http://www.carwale.com/tatacars/manza/userreviews/24649.html
“What is the first impression that comes into your mind when you think of Tata cars?
Most would say a taxi. But one look at the Manza and all those impressions will be
out of the window. Instead you start to think of Style, Luxury and the word BIG
comes to your mind - especially when you have a look at the boot.The Manza has a
very elegant poise. The clean lines, steep Windscreen angle and loads of chrome all
around add to its character” – Susmit on http://www.carwale.com/tata-
cars/manza/userreviews/25096.html
Interior
Tata has improved its build quality with the Manza and dual-tone interiors of the car
and well finished plastic parts and colors lend it an airy feel, according to Adil Jal
Darukhanawala, veteran auto expert who is also the Editor-in-Chief at Zigwheels, The
Times of India. (Darukhanwala, 2009). According to him, it is sleekly styled, very
well built and turned out with a poise and presence which is right up there.
The seats have comfortable padding and the interiors are extremely spacious. When
you compare it to its competitors the interior quality seems to be much better as well.
It has class leading rear legroom despite the generous amount of seat-travel for the
front passengers. Tata Manza has tilt adjustable steering, adjustable driver seats, 4
speaker and two tweeter music system with support for USB, MP3, AUX and
Bluetooth capabilities. It also has steering mounted controls. It has a very respectable
amount of interior features and comes with a large 460 liter boot to carry your entire
luggage.
4.2.3.2 Design Audit : Study of product features
A detailed study of the product features, which the researcher refers to as a Design
Audit was conducted by him. It involved analyzing the good design features as
perceived by the researcher. Product images were taken and the features were
explained. This was conducted to understand the finer aspects of the product styling,
considered as ‘good design’ by the researcher.
Exterior
Exterior Design & Styling
The overall look of the Tata Manza is elegant and sleek. It gives a contemporary look
to the vehicle and is seen inline with the styling trends of that period.This is made
possible due to good work on the detailing of the vehicle sections. It is explained in
the following images of the vehicle features
Figure 79: Manza exterior good design elements
Interior Design :
Manza interiors has a distinct fresh look and innovative features to add more comfort
to the riding experience. It has various unique details like the storage spaces, seats,
driver consoles to name a few. These features are elaborated in the following images
with their explanations.
Figure : 80: Tata Manza interior space
Figure : 81: Manza interior good design elements
As shown in the images above, the vehicle has modern and contemporary styling. The
exterior design of the vehicle has strong curves to give it a stylish and sleek looks.
The vehicle has an overall sophisticated look for todays corporate look car. Interiors
have a sleek and classy look.Due to the use of light grey interior colour, the overall
interior gives a feeling of sufficient space. The seats and the accessories are
ergonomically designed for a good vehicle experience
Design Process Used
Tata Manza is designed and developed at the Tata design studio and development
center in Pune. The design process explained earlier as part of the Tata ACE study
remains the same as used for the design of the Tata Manza so is not repeated again in
this section.
4.2.3.3 Impact of Design
User Study:
A qualitative research was conducted to understand the user perception about the Tata
Manza. To access the impact of good design of the vehicle a user study was carried
out. The sample of the users was purposive and snowball sampling. The specific
profiling of the samples was not done on purpose, since the perception of the common
person was to be captured for this study.
To gauge the impact of design on Tata Manza, a vehicle in the same vehicle category
was to be compared with. The nearest competitor in the entry level sedan was
Mahindra Logan. The comparison was based on the number of units sold of the
vehicle to decide the success of the vehicle. The Tata Manza was considered
successful vehicle for this study. The parameters of good design were Looks and
Comfort features for buying decision of the consumer. This researcher administered a
questionnaire ( Annexure 1 ) to users of Tata Manza and the Mahindra Logan between
the period June 2011 – September 2013.
One outcome of the questionnaire was to understand the factors impacting user
buying decision of Tata Manza . The users were asked to rate their preferences on a
scale of 1:10 for Looks, Comfort, Noise level, Mileage-Performance, Safety & Price.
The outcome of the data was averaged to identify the trend. It was observed from the
bellow table that Looks and Comfort were the two equally important parameters in
addition to technical and performance of the vehicle for user buying decision.
Figure : 82 : User buyer decision parameters for Tata Manza
The basis for success of the vehicle was the production figures of Tata Manza
compared with Mahindra Logan as per the SIAM ( Society of Indian Automotive
Manufacturers ) data. The data of production of vehicles in the year 2012-13 shows
that Tata produced 27,298 Manza as against Mahindra who produced 15694 Logan’s
in the same period.
Figure : 83 : Production figures of the sedan passenger car as per SIAM data
4.2.3.4 Comparison Vehicle
Tata Manza was compared against Mahindra Logan, in the compact sedan passenger
car segment for this research.
Tata Manza Mahindra Logan
The comparision study between the Tata Manza and Mahindra Logan was focused on
the user centric aspects of the Design, which were Looks and Comfort. . Fifty users
each of Tata ACE and Mahindra Maxximo were interviewed and quationnaire was
adminstered. An indicative list of ratings is documented bellow. ( for complete data
ref Annexure 7 )
Figure : 84 : Comparitive data of Tata MANZA and Mahindra Logan
Analysis of data
For Testing the Hypothesis 2 : “Good Designed and Styled vehicles in the same
segment are more successful than others” the T-test analysis was conducted on the
above data
Tata Manza
Users Comfort Looks Good
Design
1 6 8 14
2 7 7 14
3 5 6 11
4 6 7 13
5 7 8 15
6 7 8 15
7 7 7 14
8 6 7 13
9 5 8 13
10 7 7 14
11 6 7 13
12 6 7 13
13 5 7 12
14 7 6 13
15 7 7 14
16 8 8 16
17 7 6 13
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
42 7 5 12
43 6 7 13
44 7 6 13
45 6 8 14
46 5 7 12
48 8 7 15
49 6 8 14
50 7 6 13
Mahindra Logan
Users Comfort Looks Good
Design
1 6 5 11
2 7 5 12
3 6 4 10
4 6 4 10
5 7 6 13
6 4 4 8
7 5 4 9
8 7 6 13
9 5 5 10
10 6 4 10
11 8 4 12
12 5 5 10
13 7 6 13
14 7 5 12
15 5 4 9
16 6 6 12
17 5 4 9
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
. . . .
42 6 3 9
43 5 3 8
44 6 4 10
45 6 5 11
46 4 3 7
48 5 5 10
49 6 4 10
50 7 5 12
Group Statistics
Vehicle N Mean Std.
Deviation
Std. Error
Mean
Comfort
TATA
Manza 50 6.46 .884 .180
Mahindra
Logan 50 5.88 1.013 .203
Looks
TATA
Manza 50 6.96 .806 .165
Mahindra
Logan 50 4.52 .918 .184
Good Design
TATA
Manza 50 13.42 1.139 .232
Mahindra
Logan 50 10.40 1.658 .332
Figure :85 : T-test analysis report for Tata Manza and Mahindra Logan
Lower Upper
Equal
variances
assumed
.070 .792 2.126 47 .039 .578 .272 .031 1.126
Equal
variances not
assumed
2.132 46.582 .038 .578 .271 .032 1.124
Equal
variances
assumed
2.218 .143 9.860 47 .000 2.438 .247 1.941 2.936
Equal
variances not
assumed
9.886 46.640 .000 2.438 .247 1.942 2.935
Equal
variances
assumed
4.006 .051 7.393 47 .000 3.017 .408 2.196 3.838
Equal
variances not
assumed
7.448 42.637 .000 3.017 .405 2.200 3.834
Sig.
(2-tailed)
Mean
Difference
Std. Error
Difference
95% Confidence
Interval of the
Difference
Independent Samples Test
Levene's Test
for Equality of
Variances
T-test for Equality of Means
F
Comfort
Looks
Good Design
t dfSig.
Hypothesis 2A :
There will be difference between Tata Manza customers and Mahindra Logan users in
terms of their preference to comfort.
Result: Tata Manza users prefer comfort of Tata Manza more than Mahindra Logan
users.
Hypothesis 2B :
There will be difference between Tata Manza users and Mahindra Logan users in
terms of their preference to Looks of the vehicle.
Result : Tata Manza customers prefer looks more than Mahindra Logan users.
In conclusion :
Hypothesis 2 :
There will be difference between Tata Manza customers and Mahindra Logan users in
terms of their preference to Good Design and style of the vehicle.
Result : Tata Manza users prefer Good Design and style of the vehicle more than
Mahindra Logan users.
4.2.3.5 User Feedbacks
Some verbatim user responses from the survey
Mr Yashodhan Bhosale, Businessman in an MSME
I liked the car for its features and gave me the best value for money. It has good sleek
features which looks modern. The interior space is also good with nice fit and finish. I
liked the metallic maroon colour which was not available in this range of cars.
Dr. Nitin Jadhav, Physician
The car has very nice looks and good interior space. I like the comfortable riding
experience on rough roads which is my requirement.
Mr Anirudha Anagal, Chartered Accountant
Best in class vehicle. A refreshing feeling after the experience of my earlier Indica.
Very nice finish of interior as well as exterior.
Mr. Ravi Girisagar, Marketing professional
It is my first sedan car after the Maruti 800. Very spacious and elegant looks. Gives
comfortable feeling during long journeys. Nice features for the interior – especially
liked the storage area in the dashboard and the center console – music system and the
mobile type keypad.
Product Company
Interview with Mr Aayaz Attar, Area Sales Manager, Passenger cars, Tata Motors,
Pune region conducted on 24th
January 2013 over email on his view of the Tata Manza
market. (Shetty A. , 2014)
We had a winning product after a very hard market penetration of the Indigo CS
product line for seven years. The nice built of the Tata Manza was helpful to position
the car in the entry level segment of the compact sedan car. With increasing models of
sedan cars entering the market, Tata Manza proved to be good alternative and the best
value for money car.
4.2.3.6 Conclusion of the Manza case study
The above responses from the buyers, users, the design professionals and the
marketing executive from Tata Motors proves the success of the Tata Manza was due
to the good design of the vehicle compared to its nearest competitor the Mahindra
Logan. The hypothesis “ Good Designed & Styled vehicles in the same segment are
more successful than others” is proved with the T-test analysis done for the Tata
Manza and Mahindra Logan.
4.2.3 Impact on the down stream value chain of Auto OEMs
The researcher due to his association with the auto component industry for last ten
years has got various insights of the companies associated with the manufacuring of
the vehicles for various OEMs ( Original Equipment Manufacturer ) which he terms
as the ‘down stream value chain’. The first link with the OEMis termed as a ‘Tier 1’
company. In the auto industry today the success or failure of a product manufactured
by an OEM is largely dependent on associates or suppliers or vendors providing
components and sub assemblies. Due to the success of the Mahindra XUV 5OO, Tata
ACE, and Tata Manza a strong supplier base was established and have grown. The
ACMA ( Automotive Component Manufacturers Association ) reports have shown an
year on year growth of this industry to the tune of 20-30% in the last 5-6 years.
Sourcing Strategy :
Vehicle components are outsourced to the tune of 80%. It gives almost around 20%
cost reduction to Auto OEMs. This helps to build a thriving Auto component industry.
Success of any vehicle impacts the growth of the these Tier 1 suppliers.The Auto
OEMs save huge money in producing & stocking of finished components as well as
the infrastrucutre required for running the operations. The responsibility of
manufacring and supplying quality components just in time for the assembly at the
OEM plant lies with the Tier 1 suppliers.
The researcher interacted with Mr Gagandeep Singh, CEO and Mr Prashant Shrawak,
GM Business development Bright Autoplast Pune to understand the dynamics of this
autocomponent business. Bright Autoplast is a major supplier of plastic molded parts
to various OEMs. They supply components like inner trim pannels, driver console to
XUV 5OO and the door inner panels to Tata Manza. With the increase in sales of the
vehicles, Bright Autoplast business increases and helps them to grow.(Singh G. ,
2014)
Mr Sajal Ghosh, Head, Business Development and R&D, Tata Composites part of the
TACO ( Tata Auto Component division ) Pune explained the how the success of Tata
ACE helped their company to grow. His company has developed and sale the biggest
body panel required for the Tata ACE called the front panel. This single component is
6 kgs in weight and made of Sheet Molding compound. The company sales for
financial year 2013 was around Rs 100 Crores. The ACE front panel business share in
this sales is about 25%. The sale of this component has seen an year on year growth of
20% since 2007. It has helped the company to establish itself as a mjor composites
manufacturer in India. (Ghosh, 2012)
Figure : 86 : Tata ACE front panel made of SMC composites manufactured by Tata
Composites
The above study shows how the entire value stream of any successful product impacts
various stake holders. It helps everybody associated with the successful product to
grow. This in a way impacts the society at large, the people involved and the allied
industries systematically shows progress.
4.2.4 Summary & Conclusion of Automobile sector case studies
This chapter dealt with case studies of design processes of in-house designers of the
auto makers in the Pune – Mumbai region. The researcher selected two leading
companies having their design centers in the area of research – Mahindra & Mahindra
– Kandivali, Mumbai and Tata Motors – Pune. These companies constitute major
market share in number of units manufactured in the Pune-Mumbai region. The
Utility vehicles, Passenger and the Light Commercial Vehicles segment were
selected for this study. Methodology adopted for this study was Quantitative and
Qualitative.
The basis for success of the vehicle was the number of units produced for a certain
vehicle based upon the data available from SIAM. With this background the
following successful vehicles were selected for study and compared with a
competition vehicle from the same segment.
Segment Successful Vehicle :
Considered successful on
basis of number of units
sold than the comparison
vehicle in the same
segment
Comparison vehicle
1 SUV Mahindra XUV 500 Tata Sumo Grande
2 Light Commercial Vehicle Tata Ace Mahindra Maximo
3 Passenger Car - Sedan Tata Manza Mahindra Logan
The study of these successful vehicles involved the following steps :
Vehicle Segment understanding, Product details, design audit, design process used for
the development, interaction with senior design team to understand the evolution of
the product, factors affecting buying decision, user survey through a questionnaire, T-
test on the data collected, verbatim user feedbacks, interaction with the senior
marketing executives of the company to know the impact on the market and the effect
of the success of the product on the associated component manufacturing sector.
The analysis of the data collected from the above study led to the following
conclusions
1. Design process for development of a vehicle is very critical and important
2. parameter to launch a successful product.
3. The core of any design process for having success is ‘User Centricity’. To
satisfy your user – the customer is the driving factor to achieve commercial
success.
4. Every successful vehicle company has a defined and very robust design
process.
5. Good looks and user comfort are equally important factors for the buying
decision of a vehicle for the customer in addition to the performance and
safety of the vehicle.
6. The efforts of the marketing and sales team becomes easier if it has a better
designed product to sale.
7. The brand value of the company increases with a satisfied user which is
possible when the company takes efforts to fulfill the emotional needs and the
experience of using the product. This is achieved by a better designed product
in addition to the performance of the vehicle.
8. As per the T-test analysis, one of the major factors affecting the success of the
Mahindra XUV 5OO was due to the good design of the vehicle compared to
its nearest competitor the Tata Safari.
9. As per the T-test analysis, one of the major factors affecting the success of the
Tata ACE was due to the good design of the vehicle compared to its nearest
competitor the Mahindra Maxximo.
10. As per the T-test analysis, one of the major factors affecting the success of the
Tata Manza was due to the good design of the vehicle compared to its nearest
competitor the Mahindra Logan.
11. The entire value stream of any successful vehicle impacts various stake
holders. It helps everybody associated with the successful product to grow.
The Tier 1 component manufacturing industry grows with the succes of a
vehicle model. This in a way impacts the society at large, the people involved
and the allied industries systematically shows progress.
This proves the hypothesis
H2 : Good Designed & Styled vehicles in the same segment are more successful
than others.
4.3 Design for CRAFT
Many groups are active in India to create value through ‘Craft.’ This has helped
establish prominent brands in the ‘Craft’ industry. Organizations like FABINDIA
have created benchmarks of developing successful brands and taking the corporate
route to success. Many successful brands have been established today centered around
craft-based products, ‘design’ being the key for setting the standards for its success.
Commercial ventures using design
A part of this research was on impact of design, particularly craft-based enterprises.
This researcher was interested in understanding utility and effect of design
particularly on bamboo craft. To get idea about this, he collected data from designers,
and design activist-academics listed below:
Prof. A G Rao, Prof. M.P.Ranjan Ms. Rebecca Reuben, Mr Sunil Joshi, Mr Sanjiv
Karpe, Mr Uttam Bannerji, Mr. Ashish Deshpande, Siddharth Kabara, Mr Satish
Gokhale, Mr. Prakash Khanzode, Mr. Bala Mahajan, Ms. Rashmi Ranade, Ms.
Neelam Chibber and Ms. Gita Ram , Mr. Rajendra Sapkal, Mr.Sandeep Sangaru, Mr.
Sanjeev Karpe, Mr. Sunil Joshi, Mr. Uttam Banerjee, Mr. Abhay Karde
Primary data from them were collected from them through face-to-face interviews and
through email. Secondary data was collected from websites and brochures of the
following enterprises: INTACH, Fabindia, Mother earth, Industree, and bamboo-
related production centres Bamboo Masters, Lavasa Bamboo Center, Sangaru
Designs, Rhizome, Konbac, Vedha India, Bambooed. Main focus of the study was
how design helped the product designers and their enterprises helped them grow.
These individuals and the organizations were selected for this study on the basis of
their reputations in the field of crafts, in academics, and their availability to the
researcher in the design field of Pune and Mumbai, which were the main centers of
this research. The researcher wanted to understand how design interventions had led
to evolution of these enterprises into successful ‘brands.’
4.3.1 INTACH Pune
INTACH Pune has been actively involved with the craft revival and community
activities. The Intach has launched a craft revival programme at Tambat Ali, with a
main aim to improve the livelihoods of the craftspeople by providing design and
marketing interventions that would cater to modern-day lifestyles. Along with socio
economic documentation and awareness activities, the areas of intervention covers
activities from establishing raw material supplies, developing new designs,
prototyping, tooling, pricing, packaging, ensuring a smooth supply chain, establishing
market linkages, promotion and advocacy. With focused design intervention,
INTACH has been able to develop this craft from a traditional entity to a more
contemporary product offering. Ms Rashmi Ranade, a product designer by profession
has been working with the Copper craftsman for the last 12 years. Her efforts have
been to develop new contemporary products in the traditional copper ware using
design processes. (INTACH) .
INTACH, Pune, has launched a brand named COPPER to develop and market
products made with traditional techniques in copper craft. These have been very
successful in India and abroad. The activists had a special focus on training the crafts
persons in design. This has been helping them in utilizing contemporary design,
special packing design and appropriate brand design which helped their products to
succeed in the market. (Ranade, 2013)
Case Study on INTACH
Tambat (Copper) Craft Livelihood Development Project
The Tambats are copper smiths who migrated to Pune from the Konkan, during the
Peshwa reign in the 18th century. The traditional copper wares were utensils and
ritual objects shaped manually from sheets of copper. The unique feature of their craft
is the high skill, beautiful beaten work (mathaarkaam). Over a period of time the
community of Tambats congregated together into a residential cum
workingneighbourhood. This grew into what is known as the Tambat Ali, situated
within the Kasba Peth area, in Pune city.
Traditionally, copper is considered an important metal in India and is used for making
utensils and ritual objects. Every household used copper and brass utensils, for
cooking. Attracted by the prosperity and opulence of the Peshwa regime, many more
Tambat families migrated to Pune from the Konkan. In addition to kalashand toap,
they also made coins (nanis) in copper and brass, letter forms for printing (khillas)
and armor for the Peshwa rulers.
The process of crafting a piece
The traditional process of the craft is completely manual. Their raw material is a sheet
of copper or brass. It usually begins with cutting (katarkaam) out a sized and pre-cut
circular copper sheet which is then hand-beaten to raise it up (kholkaam) over either a
base pattern or directly on the anvil (kharvai). The base shapes are welded together by
the zalkaam (welding) process and heated on an open furnace (bhatti) so as to ensure
fusion of the separately made parts. Once assembled, the object is acid-washed
(ujalkaam), with the help of a wirebrush to even out weld marks and remove patches.
The acid wash is followed by a water bath after which the object is ready for
ornamentation (matharkaam), a hand-hammered or beaten effect achieved by making
small indentations with differently-profiled hammering tools. This operation is a
unique feature of the craft, and is skill intensive, passed down through apprenticeship
and honed over many hours at the anvil. It needs strength, dexterity and a keen hand-
foot-eye coordination.
The following pictures shows different contemporary products designed by the
designers along with the traditional craftsman. It is a unique blend of contemporary
design and traditional artistry. This is a good example of how ‘design’ has helped the
craft to grow and impacted the artisans by providing them means of livelihood and
increasing their social-economic status
Figure :87 : COPPER range of products along with the craftsman
4.3.2 FabIndia
Fabindia is India's largest private platform for products that are made from traditional
techniques, skills, and hand-based processes. Fabindia links over 55,000 craft based
rural producers to modern urban markets, thereby creating a base for skilled,
sustainable rural employment, and in the process, preserving India's traditional
handicrafts. Fabindia's products are natural and craft based, and help artisans improve
their livelihood through design intervention. The artisans and others associated with it
because the activities bring positive monetary impact.
Fabindia has more than 100 stores in the country with a turnover of Rs 350 crores
impacting to around 55,000 artisans’ lives. (Singh, 2011). Fabindia managing director
William Bissell (Bissell, 2013) confirms that the turnover and impact on the lives
these artisans are due mainly to the designs offered by trained and untrained artists in
urban and rural setup.
Following are some products produced by the craftspeople through design
interventions:
Figure: 88: Products designed and developed for Fabindia
4.3.3 Mother Earth & Industree
Mother Earth and Industree are enterprises set up by Neelam Chibber and Ms Gita
Ram to promote art and culture of rural artisans. Both the activities give special
emphasis on design for craft.
Following is brief information about these enterprises.
Mother Earth is a lifestyle brand that offer Indian designs. It opened its 11,000 sqft
large flagship store in Bangalore in 2009. It now has now expanded into scores of
shops. It sales its products via multi-brand outlets, franchisees, online, exports and
television, in addition to its own six stores.
The activists of the enterprises believe that “the future of craft lies in design. Craft is a
means of production and needs a consumer. The consumer has access to the best
design in the world in today's global market. So it just design that is going to make a
difference.” (Chibber, 2011) . The brand “Industree” was co-founded by Ms Gita Ram
and Ms Neelam Chhiber to tap the market of home accessories produced by artisans
from rural India, in 1994. In 2009, envisaging the true potential future ventures
invested in the company and the brand was rechristened as “Mother Earth.” (Chhiber,
2012)
Mother Earth has its mission to provide quality goods and to protect the environment.
It has working to create livelihood through a business for the poor.
Following are among the few products of the enterprises:
Figure : 89 : Products from Mother Earth
INDUSTREE’S Design Enterprise
Following is the secondary data about the craft-based activities of the supply chain of
Industree. For Neelam Chhiber, a graduate of the National Institute of Design in India
and the co-founder of Industree, the supply chain that connects the rural artisans with
urban markets is dysfunctional. Despite good intentions and policies of central and
state governments, volunteer designers, and business experts, economic development
did not take place in the country. The enterprises such as the Industrees can show the
lot to improve the situation. One way is to lead investors to experiment with
innovation with design knowledge. (See excerpts of Industree’s report in Annexure)
www.industree.org.in
4.4 Bamboo Craft
Traditional Bamboo craft is being practiced primarily in the North Eastern states,
some parts of Maharashtra, and Kerala in India. The country is the second largest
grower of bamboo after China.
India is had a rich source of bamboo material, and the Indian artisans had a practice to
produce stunning utility articles. These items are meant for household uses. In modern
days, various forms of decorative items are also made out of bamboo. Baskets of
different kinds have significant place. The ordinary work baskets of daily laborers are
made of bamboo. There is a great demand of decorated travel basket in modern days.
It forms an important feature in the indigenous economy of a rural India.
The decorative value of Bamboo craft items is huge. The utilitarian aspect of these
bamboo articles serves as an added attraction. The range of bamboo products is wide
from boxes, chairs, teapots, baskets, hand bags, etc. Carving work on bamboo is also
seen in some cases. The fancy bamboo products are largely destined for city markets.
The centers of production of traditional and fancy products are also different. While
the traditional artisans are found in the villages, the production unit for fancy bamboo
items revolves around the cities. The craft of Bamboo is full time employment of
thousands of people in India.
A research paper titled Bamboo as a Designer Material : Its Properties and
Manipulation” by Prof M P Ranjan presented at the “JAGRUTI” craft design
seminar cum workshop on bamboo held in May 1993 at IDC, IIT, Powai, Mumbai,
was among the first documents on the issue. It elaborated the utility of Bamboo as a
material for contemporary use. It was later published in the proceedings volume titled
“Bamboo Craft Design” edited by A G Rao and Madhavi Koli, Industrial Design
Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Powai, Mumbai in 1994. Bamboo played a
significant role in the evolution of man and guided the technological destiny of early
man in Asia with proof of its use a million years ago. In this paper titled "Bamboo and
Human Evolution," Geoffrey G Pope argued that if this idea was accepted then
bamboo takes on a much greater significance in the evolution of human civilization.
Being such an ancient material and available in such abundance in India, Asia and
over much of tropical Africa and Latin America, modern man is missing nature's cues
by not sustaining his association with this material in new ways to meet contemporary
needs of the society. (Pope, 1989)
A judicious mix of design thought and understanding of these properties listed below
helps in the success of the designed products :
Composite nature of bamboo, the distribution of fibres, its density and
orientation, linear arrangement in the internodes and cross-linking at the nodes
and in branching.
Physical strengths and weaknesses, tensile strength, rigidity, flexibility and
resilience of culm and a variety of splits such as half-rounds, quarters, radial
and tangential.
Surface quality of culm and splits, impermeability and porosity of particular
parts and their response to aging, to smoking and mechanical and chemical
finishes.
Morphology of culm parts and use by virtue of shape and structure such as
roundness of culm, hollowness of culm, and shape advantage of branches,
nodes, and diaphragm.
(Ranjan, Bamboo as a Designer Material , 1993)
In addition to these properties, there are certain characteristics and manipulation
techniques which help in designing the products made of bamboo
Splitting of bamboo, variety of sections and variety of orientations.
Bending of bamboo splits by a variety of methods
Localised application of heat
Reduction of thickness or width
Separation of fibres by mechanical action
Separation into multiple longitudinal splits
Soaking in water to induce flexibility
Use of thin cross-sections that are inherently flexible
Mechanical flattening of bamboo culms into sheets
Enhancing tensile property by twisting into ropes
(Ranjan, Bamboo as a Designer Material , 1993)
In the “Bamboo and Cane Crafts of Northeast India” published in 1986, Prof M P
Ranjan gives insights about the traditional wisdom of the people of the Northeast
about bamboo and its properties and applications. The correlations between a set of
properties — both strengths and weaknesses — need to be examined and articulated
clearly. (Ranjan, Bamboo and Cane Craft, 1986)
This knowledge becomes a critical input for those involved in product innovation and
design. For instance, bamboo is both popular and notorious for splitting easily along
its length. While this property of most bamboos enables industry and craft to generate
consistent splits with ease, this very property is a hindrance when developing nail
jointed bamboo structures. When nails are driven into its culm, it acts as a wedge that
separates the fibres longitudinally, thus weakening the nail jointed construction.
Bamboo splits easily at that point and weakens the joint. Yet the designers working
with bamboo many a time tend to look at timber and wood processing know-how as a
source for analogies and principles which they could apply to bamboo quite
indiscriminately. (Ranjan, 1986)
This becomes the basis of the Design processes to be deployed by the designers while
designing and developing products from Bamboo.
The bamboo craft in Tripura can broadly be classified into constructed, loom-based,
interlaced, and fine handicraft products. The loom-based products are a combination
of textiles and bamboo. The study and documentation of the looms, materials and
processes undertaken by the National Institute of Design is part of a larger project, in
keeping with the greater view of developing handicrafts in a sustainable manner.
(Bardakau & Prajapati, 2001)
4.4.1 Product innovation for different needs
One can also notice the need for the craft to be more consumer based. The output can
be more when there are faster methods of splitting of bamboos and design of such
products that can be produced in large quantities with consistent quality.
Unfortunately, in recent times, the youth are opting for other professions, which
would provide them greater financial security. Daily wages received as a rickshaw
puller or a wage laborer is more than what they would get in a day producing bamboo
baskets. As a result more and more craftsmen are turning away from this craft.
Existing traditional products can be categorized into four categories :
Loom-based products
Interlaced products
Constructed products and
Fine Handicrafts
(Bardakau & Prajapati, 2001)
Institutes like the Bamboo and Cane Development Institute (BCDI) have been set up
to promote this age old craft. It provides training to students interested in taking up
this craft as a profession and admits those with a prior basic knowledge in this
material. It is a Central Government Training Centre and offers training to interested
students from all over the country.
4.4.2 Product Ideas in Bamboo craft
Keeping in mind the skill of the craftsmen and interaction with marketing outlets the
local craftsmen can be encouraged to innovate and produce newer products.
Ideas for new products could be classified into different categories:
Loom woven products with variations in weave or weft
Nylon in the warp
Making value added products out of mats woven on looms
Book-covers
Collage of mats to make lamp shades
Mats curved in cylindrical fashion tomake lamps
Jewellery boxes
Stationary
Double cloth weave with machine split bamboo weft to make
holders
Screens and chicks
Checkered patterns with same yarn used in the warp and weft
Architectural products
Framework for exhibition purposes
Laminated bamboo doors and windows
Products made from machine splits
Window blinds with bamboo splits
Garment hangers
Table mats with thread passed through drill made holes through
the bamboo split
Small utility items
Jewelry from Bamboo culm/ carved bamboo culm
Carved bamboo culm used as key rings, cutlery
Pen stands from bamboo culms
Bamboo straws
Ideas for interlaced products
Accessories like key chains
Containers /bags /pouches and Packaging
Use of design processes for these products becomes imperative to the commercial
success of the products
4.4.3 Institutional Initiatives : Bamboo Product Design in India
Contemporary bamboo product design in India has been evolved and promoted by
two pioneers from the academic field. Prof A G Rao of IDC, IIT Bombay and Prof.
M P Ranjan of NID. They have dedicated their respective lives to Design and
Bamboo. Their pioneering and persistent efforts have defined the way ‘Bamboo’ is
looked up with admiration and a definitive mode of livelihood generation. Both have
been instrumental in institutionalizing contemporary bamboo craft products based on
the value of ‘Design.’
This researcher met both of them separately for interviews for primary data for this
study, including the recent history and background of initiatives to develop design
processes. (See Annexures) (Rao, 2011) and (Ranjan, 2012)
4.4.4 NID Design model
The interaction with Prof Ranjan helped this researcher understand the NID design
model which he has worked on for various projects. He believes and has proven with
many examples the positive impact which the process had on the outcome of the
products designed by him and his team over the years.
Figure :90 : Systems Design – the NID model
Need defining involves a great deal of design research. The user groups are closely
involved in the articulation and validation of the need for innovative solutions. An
indepth study of the user and the task scenario leads to the conceptual development of
possible models for the future and these are expressed in the form of visual scenarios
that analyzed by the team, enabling user participation in the process of selection and
mobilization. Such a participation by potential users at an early stage of the design
process ensures the resolution of extremely complex variables, many of which are non
technological in nature. A clear vision that emerges as a result of these iterations
brings with it a great deal of commitment and motivation to sustain the innovative
edge.
While the risks are reduced considerably by the various design strategies and iterative
processes employed by the designer, the risks are still very much there at every stage
of the work as it progresses and it therefore needs to be carefully nurtured. Alternate
scenarios visualized by the designers provide valuable decision pathways for
systematic product and strategy development. The clarity of purpose provided by
these visions bind the partners to make the major commitments that are needed by all
stakeholders for product realization. Here the traditional skills and sensibilities of the
designer is able to generate numerous concepts that suit the scenario and offer the
same for executive decision and these in turn bring forth the necessary investments
for implementation and testing. Tangible models are the outcome of this third stage of
the NID design process. A good prototype in hand is only the beginning for starting
the journey for delivery of the product involving many players.
The integral business model and the strategic framework that supports and gives value
to the product concept come into active play. A good product without an appropriate
business model once again leads to a dead end and this needs to be developed as an
integral part of the whole offering in a seamless manner.
We have tested this process in real world settings and we believe that our artisan
partners and those from Industry need to understand and adopt these processes in all
their initiatives to face global competition.
The four-stage model for design process is expressed in the Figure 96 . These are
iterative stages and many optional details are considered at the micro level and the
macro level. The design synthesis and innovation is therefore a multistage process
that revisits each stage several times for confirmation and review.
The NID model is used to design and develop products in bamboo involving the
bamboo crafts persons and all the related stakeholders. Some examples of the
evolution of bamboo products is explained bellow
4.4.5 Products designed in Bamboo
To illustrate the importance of design processes for product development, various
product examples designed in Bamboo are showcased bellow. This was part of the
project by NID students of Furniture Design using the experience they gained at
Common Facility center in Guwahati.
Systems Modeling – An integrated design process
Figure : 91 : System model for bamboo product development
A. Breeze – Cutlery set for fine dinning
Objective : To arrive at a design of
a cutlery set for Airline catering
keeping in mind parameters such as
light weight, ease of manufacture,
economical production and using
natural resources.
Figure : 92 : Bamboo cutlery set
Inspiration :
By simply observing leaves . There is a uniqueness and humbleness in the way leaves
fold. The way the edges fold up, down, sideways.. The way it cups rain drops. A
natural stance as if in prayer or the way it cups the breeze and flutter in the wind .The
leaves flutter and being so light and fragile, sail along with it, gently lands and
patiently waits for yet another gust.
Thought processes are dependent on
interrelationships. In order to build
scenarios, various aspects of the system
need to be integrated in a physical
model. As designers this helps to
understand the levels of design
intervention in a system. Systems
modeling equips us develop conceptual
tools in tackling design, but to deal with
other related issues.
Parameters
The design has been brought about keeping in mind parameters such as: the
environment, ease of manufacture resource renewability, hygiene, and the finer details
of ergonomics.
Functions :
The cutleries are multipurpose in its usage:
To be used for scooping, poking and eating. twirling, cutting, slicing, and smearing
B. Cube Stool and Seating systems
The Cube stool, the Two and Three Seater Cube Sofa, are products which reflect
many years of research and understanding of potential innovations in the properties,
possibilities and linkages of bamboo as a material that apply to the development needs
of small rural communities and individual craftsmen particularly in the Northeastern
region. The Cube Stool and Sofa were designed by M P Ranjan as a solution to the
complex set of conditions faced by craftsmen in the bamboo using cultures of
Northeast India.
Figure : 93 : Craft Eco system for seeding innovation by MP Ranjan
Each design represents a systems approach and follow a larger strategy that was
proposed for creation of CFCs (Common Facility Centres (Ranjan, Commin Facility
Centers UNDP Vision Report, 1999) with the use of simple machines for splitting and
processing bamboo splits into uniform cross-sections with a downstream organization
method that uses a very high degree of labour in an extremely decentralized manner.
This strategy is, in his expert opinion, ideally suited for seeding innovations with high
market potential into crafts clusters thereby creating the climate for growth and
development in which the local people remain in control.
Furniture using bamboo strips
These set of furniture items was developed using design process, traditional artistry,
modern techniques using appropriate mechanization. It helped develop contemporary
products using innovative design solutions. The following products are an outcome
of a detailed design process as explained above. The important aspect of this
development was the ‘user’ user as the designer, as the craftsman, and user as the
customer. This helped build a sustainable model for business. These and many such
products were developed by NID with a design focus.
Chair Modha ( stool ) Laundry basket
Figure :94 : Bamboo furniture products developed by NID – Prof M P Ranjan
Chair Metal and Bamboo Stool Chair modules
Figure :95 : Bamboo furniture products designed by Nirav Shah, NID
Figure :96 : Circular Stool made from bamboo strips designed by Pragna Shah, NID
Figure :97 : Bench and center table designed by Shalika Kharbanda, NID
Figure :98 : Chair in metal rod and bamboo strips designed by Gautam Dangi, NID
These unique products in bamboo helps create opportunities for the craftsman, the
designer and the entrepreneur to satisfy the user. The unique blend of design
knowledge and the crafts skill helps the team to create livelihood for the artisans. This
proves the impact ‘design’ has on the commercial success of a venture in bamboo
craft.
4.4.6 Commercial organizations working in Bamboo products
Commercial organizations working in the field of Bamboo craft has been established
and running successfully reaping the benefits of contemporary design. These
organisations have been successful in promoting bamboo craft for economic growth.
Study of this aspect was essential for this research to understand if design and design
processes are important and useful for entrepreneurs. This was essential and relevant
to find the perceptive of the entrepreneurs on the role of designs in their increased the
turnover. Following are brief introductions of some commercial organizations
operating from Pune, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kudal, Nagpur, Mumbai and Kolkata.
The data is compiled through personal interviews of the designers and decision
makers of these organizations. Due to the lack of structured information available
with them on design processes the observations are captured in the form of their
experiences and explorations. It is an exploratory and quantitative research for this
part of the study.
4.4.6.1 Bamboo Masters, Pune
Bamboo Masters is an organization based in Hadapsar, Pune which specializes in
creating items out of bamboo since year 2004. Their product range includes bamboo
lamps, office stationary items, furniture, architectural structures, and bamboo house
etc. It specializes in custom designed products for various applications. With design
as a focus, they involve around 100 artisans, directly or indirectly in their activities.
Rajendra Sapkal, master craftsman and founder of this organization attributes its
success to constant innovation in product design and the skills of his people. (Sakpal,
2011) The researcher has been working with this group of artisans since year 2004.
The products designed by the researcher are manufactured with them.
The action research done as part of this research was conducted with Mr Sapkal of
Bamboo Masters which is explained latter in this chapter.
The products which has been developed using the ICAN design process are
showcased bellow
Waste paper basket Card Holder Center Table
Chair
Figure :99 : Bamboo Products developed at Bamboo Masters
4.4.6.2 Lavasa Bamboo Center – Bamboosa, Pune
LAVASA is a self sufficient lake city situated at 65 km West of Pune. The valley of
Lavasa is home to six species of Bamboo, giving Lavasa an insight to come up with a
bamboo workshop which would utilize these resources in a sustainable and fruitful
manner to generate livelihood for the local population. Lavasa Bamboocrafts Limited,
is established KONBAC, the daughter concern of INBAR (International Network for
Bamboo and Rattan). The bamboo center employs over 25 workers.
The operations and activities were explained by Mr Mahendra Ghamre, Lavasa
Bamboo Center project Manager on 26th
of January 2013.
The bamboosa brand was created by the Lavasa Bamboo center as part of its efforts to
create a marketable brand which showcases product quality and good design. This
was one of the important step to establish the bamboo activity at Lavasa. The products
manufactured are sold by the name "Bamboosa" under two categories – Artifacts and
Furniture. From sofa sets to rocking chairs and double beds to display shelves, a wide
range of furniture is manufactured. The design intervention started with creating a
brand strategy. The design process of all the products happen at KONABC initially
and then the local team takes over. The designers here offer designs to conceptualize
new products of bamboo that leads to value addition and enhance profitability.
One of the positive impacts of good design of the bamboo products as well as the
manufacturing setup is the number of visitors visiting the center. Tourists visiting
Lavasa are able to take a stroll through the factory and have a look at the different
items made out of bamboo. The product line includes bamboo products such as
furniture and items of decor. By using abundantly available natural resources, the
SPV fulfils the dual purpose of creating a sustainable eco-friendly business as well as
generating employment for locals. (bamboosa, 2010)
Relaxing Chair Stool Bed
Figure :100 : Bamboo Products developed at Lavasa Bamboo center
4.4.6.3 Sangaru Design Objects Private Ltd, Bangaluru
Sandeep Sangaru, Founder of SANGARU Design Studio, is a multi disciplinary
designer, educator, and entrepreneur. He studied Industrial Design and specialized in
Furniture Design from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. The researcher
interacted with him over the email and a face to face interview on 10th
February 2013
to understand the philosophy of his organization
The company has been actively involved with the craft sector, working with local
people and local material to create global products. This has been exciting and
creatively satisfying. Craft has always been a need-based process from ages and using
design to interface skills of the artisans is something that we strive for.
We have a simple yet flexible methodology that guides us through all of our projects
Understand :
Understanding the need of customer and the capabilities, capacities of the craftsman
and technologies being used for manufacture
Discover & Define :
Exploring and discovering the various options possible and defining the design brief
for the product.
Create :
Create product ideas through sketches but largely depending upon prototyping the
various options possible.
Evolve & Execute:
With the concept prototype for review we evolve the product detailing and fine tuning
is done. The methodology and process to be adopted for executing ( producing ) the
product is worked out.
Our process is broad, with an intuitive approach to define problems and understand
our client’s needs, ensuring the delivery of innovation and excellence with every
project.” (Sangaru, 2013)
Sangaru Design Objects Private Limited (SDOPL) was established in 2004 in
Bangaluru. It is a Design lead Manufacturing company for Furniture, Products and
Accessories for contemporary urban Home, Work and Play. SDOPL was launched as
a company with the award winning Bamboo furniture line Truss-Me. Truss-Me was
awarded the Red Dot - Best of the Best 2009 for highest design quality expressing
innovation in from and function in an exemplary manner.
SDOPL also was awarded the Design for Asia Award 2011 'Grand Award' overall and
the 'Gold Award' in Home ware for Truss-Me range of bamboo furniture collection.
Company’s vision is “To bring together traditional knowledge and skills in crafts with
design and technology to make objects of daily use invaluable, accessible and
enjoyable.
Without deploying the design process, we can not imagine good business and global
appreciation of our products,” asserts Mr. Sangaru. (Sangaru, 2013)
Chair Bench
Figure :101: Products designed and developed at Sangaru Design Studio
4.4.6.4 Rhizomes, Ahmadabad
Rhizome was founded in 2009 by an industrial designer Ms Rbecca Reubens’ who
has worked extensively in the international craft development sector. The researcher
interacted with her on email and personal interview on 18th
September 2012.
The projects we work on have demonstrated that design could bring sustainability out
into the mainstream. She launched a sustainable-design firm that worked towards
achieving the fine balance between development, sustainability, and commercial
viability.
Rhizome’s provides complete design support that take products to market with a
conscious view of sustainability. The firm offers services in design, prototyping,
streamlining production protocols, technology development, market studies, and
branding.
Rhizome works to empower the grassroots people by use of design as a tool to re-
define the traditional artistry of artisans and related small or medium scale enterprises.
It works with crafts people and communities to develop products that provide
sustainable income.
One of the greatest challenges craftspeople face today is the lack of market-related
links and feedback. Rhizome connects artisans to the market, and supports them in the
areas of marketing and design, through the development of contemporary craft
designs.
Rebecca Rubens spoke to this researcher explaining how her firm maintain
sustainability and make it desirable through design. “Our work proves that design can
simultaneously be commercially-viable and positively impact sustainability. We look
beyond single individual factors—such as the user, the market and production lines—
to an integrated design brief. Most of our products are developed in collaboration with
a cross section of individuals and communities. This helps us look at all the pieces of
the sustainability jig-saw—economic, social, cultural, and ecological—to design
sustainable products in line with contemporary trends.”
The following is design process followed to make the WISHBOO CHAIR
Design Brief
This chair is part of a collection called WishWegner, which looks at reinterpreting the
brilliant work in Bamboo work in bamboo of the world renowned Danish furniture
designer Hans Jorgensen Wegner (April 2, 1914-January 26, 2007)
Design Strategy
Staying true to the logic of the form
Using bamboo’s properties as carefully as Wegner used wood’s properties
Adjusting the aesthetics and scale to make it recognizable but not identical
Features
The ‘wishbone’ part of the backrest is made utilizing bamboo’s natural joint
No other piece of bamboo can be used whole for the ‘wishbone’ component
The rest of the structure is made by turning and bending solid bamboo
The weaving is done using recycled rope from textile mill waste
Success
This chair remains one of the best-selling bamboo chairs and has been shipped to
buyers across the world including France and the United States of America.
Figure :102 : Wishboo Chair made in bamboo at Rhizome
Rhizome Framework
Rebecca Rubens has very effectively used Rhizome Framework, formulated by her, in
her design work. She has elaborately explained this design process which is
specifically created for ‘Crafts’ in her book, “Bamboo – From Green Design to
Sustainable Design.”
This researcher found her concept of the Rhizome Framework to be akin to the design
processes evolved by veteran designers from USA and UK, as also those from India.
This Rhizome Frame work is explained in detail in the Literature Review chapter of
this thesis earlier (Reubens, 2012).
4.4.6.5 KONBAC, Kudal, Maharashtra is a national award winning for
KONBAC is a for profit social enterprise which is technically backed by INBAR -
International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) an intergovernmental
network. Launched in 2004, the Konkan Bamboo and Cane Development Centre
(KONBAC) is a leader in strengthening bamboo sector initiatives, focused on
working with communities in the Sindhudurg district toward capacity building of
local artisans, product diversification and developing market linkages. The products
are manufactured by trained artisans as per international quality standards.
Sanjeev Karpe, Founder Director of KONBAC elaborates during an interview with
the researcher, “The tensile strength of bamboo is significantly higher than steel. Our
expertise is in building gazebos, cottage exteriors, small cabins and resorts. Handicraft
items such as trays, clocks, lamps and pen stands with unique contemporary designs is
our specialty. KONBAC is training local people for manufacturing bamboo crafts,
furniture, and structures. The workers are either paid on daily wage basis or hired by
the company. KONBAC believes in using “poor person’s timber for niche markets”
and has been actively promoting construction, furniture making and crafts products
development in bamboo, all of which are backwards linked into the community.
KONBAC has trained over 270 men and 1875 women in bamboo processing
techniques.
Bamboo house Drawing room chair Dinning Table chair
Figure :103 : Products designed and developed by KONBAC
These bamboo handicrafts are crafted by our creative designers. Handicrafts represent
our age old cultures and traditions. We have moulded the deep expertise of our
traditional communities to make contemporary artifacts and accessories. These
bamboo handicrafts are crafted by our creative designers with highest quality stripped
bamboo in various attractive designs.”
Karpe says “Success of our organization largely depends on the trained product
designers. They provide quality designs and design processes for the craftspeople.
These craftspeople get better earnings that lead to profitability for the enterprise. Our
products are sold to the upper strata of the community in India and are exported. We
believe that any bamboo product if it has extremely high quality standards, there is no
dearth of customer. Our customers are satisfied with the products which we deliver.”
(Karpe, 2012) www.nativekonbacbamboo.com
4.4.6.6 VEDHA India, Nagpur
Institute of Village Enterprise Development for Handicrafts Artisans ( VEDHA ) is an
NGO (established in 1995). With sustained research and development they have
designed many bamboo furniture solutions and also technologies facilitating
transformation of bamboo into "Eco-friendly, Strong, Durable, Green, Healthy,
Lightweight, Long-lasting, Sleek, Trendy & Utilitarian" products with high quality.
Sunil Joshi, has been spearheading this endeavor of creating employment through use
of bamboo. He elaborates “VEDHA INDIA, is promoting bamboo as an eco-friendly
alternative for sustainable development & livelihood and has been associated with
many rural bamboo-artisans. We have managed in our own way to enrich bamboo
handicraft and furniture sector with special thrust on innovation, designing &
manufacturing Market-led furniture customize solutions as well as standard products
are our hallmark. Our customers give us credit of creating products that help them
lead a eco-friendly lifestyle with the use of quality products.”
VEDHA has set up “demonstrative enterprise in mechanized processing of bamboo
furniture & allied products” at Bhandara, Maharashtra, in India, that has been
established under the National Mission on Bamboo Applications (NMBA) for
promotion of bamboo sector for sustainable development and empowerment of the
rural population.
The design process used at VEDHA is uniquely structured around the artisan and the
manufacturing techniques available at their facility. The unique blend of traditional
wisdom and modern manufacturing processing knowledge is the basis for developing
new designs at VEDHA.
Sunil Joshi concludes that our enterprise is sustaining on good design and equally
aligned manufacturing process working together with the traditional artisans. (Joshi,
2011)
Single seater Sofa Lamp Chair
Figure :104: Bamboo products developed at VEDHA
www.vedhaindia.com
4.4.6.7 Bambooed, Mumbai & Kolkota
Uttam Banerjee, designer and founder of Bambooed, explained the genesis of the
organization. The name 'Bambooed' originated from the idea of amalgamating a
natural substance with modern materials in product design. It represents the idea that,
if a problem is solved using bamboo or its derivatives then its solution has been
'bamboo'ed.
Uttam Banerjee interacted with the researcher over email to explain his philosophy -
We created our products to show our love for the material. We are a team of like-
minded industrial designers motivated by the versatility of this incredible material.
We wish to showcase what could be achieved through this simple yet capable material
and build a series of products that can compete with those in the mainstream. Our
focus is to use bamboo and its derivatives with other modern materials such that they
symbiotically fuse together to create unique and functional lifestyle products. We
wish to bring bamboo to the world of product design as a viable and modern material.
Positioning bamboo and other such natural raw materials into the context of modern
product design is the need of the hour. The increasing popularity of bamboo products
provides an opportunity for diverse cultures to settle their difference through trade and
cooperation that benefits everyone. The demand of wood and timber can be directly
transferred into that of bamboo, thus the current known demand has a huge scope for
growth. The idea behind Bambooed is to transform the craft based skill into a feasible
manufacturing based skill and help the artisans to evolve into new age bamboo
technologists. The aim is to advance the field of bamboo research and transform it
into a viable modern material and showcase the ability of bamboo product design
using artisan's help and application of research.
Bamboo being sustainable and having various strengths and properties, enables us to
create diverse designs, solve numerous problems and allot numerous properties to the
product, yet it also stops us from going over the top with our design ideas and keeps
us on the ground. (Banerjee, 2012)
The range of products which Uttam and his team has created are unique and are of the
highest quality standards. It showcases the use of bamboo for high end lifestyle
products fetching good money. Thus design has helped such products to get
commercial acceptability in the contemporary times.
Table Lamp cluster Wrist Watch Mug
Figure :105 : Products designed at Bambooed
4.4.7 Summary and Conclusion of design for craft & bamboo
The craft based industries have benefited with the use of design in its operations. The
use of good design practices in the craft sector has helped develop contemporary
designs using traditional skills. The importance of design has been acknowledged in
the revival of many craft form in India. Dedicated efforts have been done by
commercial organisations to develop products with modern products with
contemporary designs.
Organisations like INTACH has worked with traditional copper ( Tambat ) ware
benefiting the revival of the dying craft. With the modern products getting designed
by trained designers, INTACH was able to popularise these traditional crafted
products globally. Fabindia is one of India’s very successful brands built on the
unique combination of co-operative societies of artisans and modern designs using
traditional crafts. Industree works on the principle of empowering the rural artisans
using design as the focus of livelihood development.
The projects worked on by NID ( National Institute of Design ) students and faculty
utilises the design thinking and design processes to develop unique products for the
modern day urban user. In these efforts, design opens up the possibility of getting
instant market for the bamboo products. The unique approach of involving the rural
artisan, working with him in their own local setting and deploying modern design
process helps create products which have success in the urban market.
Commercial organisations like VEDHA, KONBAC, Bamboo Masters, Bambooed,
Sangaru Designs, and Rhizomes have used ‘design’ to their advantage to develop and
sell contemporary products in the commercial market. The success of these
organisations have shown how design helps in creating commercial success out of
products made out of bamboo.
This proves the Hypothesis :
H3 : Adoption of New Design processes in developing new products in Bamboo
craft sector has a positive impact on the success of the artisan
entrepreneur.
4.5 Action Research
A very important part of the present study was Action Research. As explained by
Prof. Rory O'Brien, the faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto, the
action research is known by many other names, including participatory research,
collaborative inquiry, emancipatory research, action learning, and contextual action
research.
It is “learning by doing” - a group of people identify a problem, do something to
resolve it, see how successful their efforts were, and if not satisfied, try again. While
this is the essence of the approach, there are other key attributes of action research
that differentiate it from common problem-solving activities. A more succinct
definition is,
"Action research aims to contribute both to the practical concerns of people in
an immediate problematic situation and to further the goals of social science
simultaneously. Thus, there is a dual commitment in action research to study
a system and concurrently to collaborate with members of the system in
changing it in what is together regarded as a desirable direction.
Accomplishing this twin goal requires the active collaboration of researcher
and client, and thus it stresses the importance of co-learning as a primary
aspect of the research process."
What separates this type of research from general professional practices, consulting,
or daily problem-solving is the emphasis on scientific study, which is to say the
researcher studies the problem systematically and ensures the intervention is informed
by theoretical considerations. Much of the researcher’s time is spent on refining the
methodological tools to suit the exigencies of the situation, and on collecting,
analyzing, and presenting data on an ongoing, cyclical basis.
Several attributes separate action research from other types of research. Primary is its
focus on turning the people involved into researchers, too - people learn best, and
more willingly apply what they have learned, when they do it themselves. It also has
a social dimension - the research takes place in real-world situations, and aims to
solve real problems. Finally, the initiating researcher, unlike in other disciplines,
makes no attempt to remain objective, but openly acknowledges their bias to the other
participants. (O’Brien, 2001).
4.5.1 I-CAN Design Process
Many practicing designers, academicians & experts have come up with different
Design processes for development of new products. Design Thinking or Design
Process has been an integral part of many product successes. The experience of
handling different design projects, analyzing different types of design process and this
researcher’s understanding led to the evolution of a design process, which he calls ‘I-
CAN Design’.
I-CAN Design, a design process was formulated for evolving any product design.
Inspiration, Conceptualization, Adaption and Nurture are the four pillars of this
Design Process. Each phase is subdivided into activities which helps in coming out
with the optimized solution for the given product problem. I-CAN Design suites
product development for any industry or field. This universal design thinking
approach optimizes the development time and the intended solution.
Design Thinking or Design Process is a multi-disciplinary activity. Nobody can work
in isolation. It has to be a team work. Every member of the team is equally important.
Every individual in the design process has to be well equipped, passionate about
his/her work and should have the confidence within. The philosophy of ‘I-CAN
Design’ is that the activity starts with ‘Individual’ who is expert in a particular field.
The input is pooled in for the common goal and at the end that ‘Individual’ is
responsible for the delivery of the product aspect which the individual is expert of.
Thus a group along with an individual’s identity works for the bigger and common
goal of problem solving.
I-CAN Design process map
Figure : 106 : I-CAN Design Process
The philosophy of the I-CAN Design Process is explained as follows
Initiate it at the Start
Involve design thinking at the very start of the development process. Ideally should be
done before any bias is built for the direction to take. Design thinking will help exlore
a wheel barrow of ides more quickly than you one could otherwise do.
User centered approach
Human behavior, needs and preferences to be given equal importance along with
Technology and business economics. This will allow the development team to
differentiate between the needs and the wants of the user. It captures the unexpected
insights’ and helps us to conceive a product which correctly reflects the aspiration of
the user.
Fast Prototyping and testing
The wheel barrow of ideas needs to get tried out at quick succession. The cycle of
rapid prototype, experimentation, re-modification has to be fast. Teams should be
given sufficient freedom to make quick prototypes to test out your ideas which helps
finalise the design quickly
Expert opinion
The design ecosystem has to be nurtured by taking in inputs of the entire spectrum of
experts. The quantity and quality of these inputs from diversified individuals helps in
arriving at the best solution. Use what every modes of communication to get
maximum participation and inputs for the development program. Understanding
different materials, processes and methods of creating a product from the subject
experts helps in converting ideas to reality in a better way.
Co-create
Always respect the other person for their capability and capacity to deliver. Plan to
create in a team with parallel working with as many diversified inputs as possible.
The present study included two projects of action research as follows:
1. ICAN design process for small tractor
2. ICAN design process for bamboo product
4.5.2 Action Research for redesign of the small Orchard Tractor
This researcher has evolved the I-CAN design process as explained earlier in this
section. He had demonstrated from the qualitative data that this process achieved a
good success in respect of products designed earlier by him as part of his professional
career. It has been demonstrated that the corporate leaders, product designers,
marketing personnel and other stakeholders consider design as an important
ingredient of the product success. The present study attempted to find if the I-CAN
Design Process, can lead to similar results in the tractor industry. Tractors are
considered an off road segment in the automotive industry and is tracked as a separate
entity. This researcher got an opportunity of working for this industry as part of his
professional commitment and was in line with this research.He was encouraged to
treat this experience as an Action Research as part of the present study.
Background of Tractor Industry
The tractor industry is highly competitive but very strongly growing industry in India.
The major companies operating in India are Force Motors, Escorts, HMT, Mahindra,
Tafe, VST, SOnalika John Dere, New Holland, SAME. The total number of tractor
units sold in financial year 2014 were 643067 over same period last year sales of
538839, a growth of nearly 20% growth. Of which the small tractor in the range of
21-30HP grew from 33165 to 44864. (TMA, 2014)
Mahindra Group is the number one tractor manufacturer in India with over 39%
market share.
Figure : 107 : Market shares of tractor producing companies
Source : TMA 2014 Data
About Mahindra Group
The Mahindra group has three tractor companies in India. Strategically they operate
with three different brand names – Mahindra Tractors, Swaraj Tractors and Shaktiman
– Gujrat Tractors. Mahindra Tractors has its facilities in Kandivali (Mumbai), Nagpur
and Zahirabad. Swaraj Tractors has its facility in Ludhiana and Shaktiman-Gujrat
Tractors has its facility in Baroda.
This case study is about the re-design of the Shaktiman Orchard Tractor product
styling and production done at Mahindra Composites’s work place in Pune. The
challenge of developing the tractor styling was taken up by the researcher when he
was part of the Mahindra Composites team. The product company – Mahindra Gujrat
Tractor had developed and launched the Orchard tractor but was not getting the
required sales and visibility in the market. One of the issues identified by the team
was its styling or looks being “not modern.” It was felt to give the tractor a
completely new contemporary look. The researcher was instrumental in convincing
the management about the ability of his team to develop a better product. The
researcher and his team was given this task of redesigning and producing the Orchard
Tractor body. He convinced the management that for buyer the tractor body is the first
impression, which attracts him to the product.
Objective of the Action Research
The researcher and his team were assigned to evolve the re-design of its existing
Orchard tractor body that would compete the contemporary leaders in the market,
such as Japanese Kobota. The ultimate objective was to increase sale of the Orchard
tractor in the Indian market.
Research Questions
For the team, the research questions were:
5. Will ICAN design process be successful in the design & styling of a small
tractor?
6. Will this process be profitable to the product company?
7. Will it help the product company as a brand developing contemporary
products?
8. Will it help the design & manufacturing company of the styling components
get to establish itself as a design led organization and increase the value
addition for its customers?
4.5.2.1 Design Process Used for the study
The researcher used the I-CAN Design Process to prove that design is essential for the
success of products. He got involved in designing and product styling of the tractor
body using this process.
Period of the study: The project was started in December 2012 and completed in
October of 2013.
Plan of the study
The plan of the Action Research was as follows:
The author participated in this activity along with his team of Industrial
designers, process engineers, material experts and production engineers – as
part of the Design , styling and manufacturing team of the tractor body.
A team of engineers and product planners from the product company –
Mahindra Gujrat Tractors were also on board as part of the cross functional
team for the project
The activities were carried out at the Mahindra Composites facility in Pune
and Mahindra Gujarat Tractors facility in Baroda.
Market study of the products sold in the market.
Hereafter the following steps were carried out:
User research of farmers and users of the product
Conceptualization of the tractor body styling
Product design ideation
Product detailing, manufacturing process design, assembly design
Surface treatment and graphics
I-CAN Design ProcessThe researcher and his team followed the ICAN process in the
following manner:
INSPIRATION
A. Study of the existing competition product :
The first step of the project was to study the existing products in the market. It
allowed the team to analyse the trend in the market, and to record the strong, good and
bad features of the products.
The following products in the market were studied:
Figure :108 : Market Study of existing products
Study of Mahindra’s existing Orchard product:
A detailed study of the Orchard tractor was undertaken.
Figure :109 : Existing Orchard Tractor to be redesigned
Summary of data on the team’s observations about the existing Orchard tractor
A detailed study of the Orchard tractor gave the following learning – it issimilar to
many existing tractors, overall looks ‘old’, does not look like a state of art product,
Dashboard viewing angle was uncomfortable, overall looks are “old”.
B. User Study :
The user profile was studied jointly by the customer service staff and the design team.
The aspirations and wishes of the user were captured by administering a questionnaire
to the users of a similar product and to those who aspired to use or own such a
product. For secrecy reasons the details cannot be shared here.
As an example : User aspirations and relevance of product form was gauged in the
following manner
Figure :110 : Analysis of the user preference of relating to characteristics he would
like to see in the product
Figure :111 : Analysis of the user preference of which car styling the user relates to
the product
Several such studies were carried out to gauge the needs and wants of the user of the
tractor. These studies helped define the product design brief on which the designer
worked later.
Design Brief for the research team
Following was the design brief formulated for the product on the basis of the surveys:
a. Image make over of a “me-too” product
b. Building the brand as a contemporary – modern looking tractor
c. Establish Mahindra Composites as a Styling & Design organisation
d. A ‘Design 2 Delivery’ solution provider
e. Achieve Customer delight
4.5.2.2 ICAN Design process steps
CONCEPTUALIZE
The conceptualize phase deals with creating product concepts based on the design
brief and the related research carried out so far. A major part for the concept was that
the product should give a sense of Strength, Pride, and Muscle Power.
Scores of sketches suggesting the concepts were produced. Customer profiles were
visualised. These are presented below”
Figure : 112 : Concept phase of development
ADOPT
Various concept prototypes were made using different tools and techniques like
computer generated 3Dimensional models, scaled down models in thermocole, clay,
and wood, full scale mock up to see the overall product features. These were
evaluated amongst members of the cross functional team. The prototypes and its
process cannot be stated here due to confidentiality clause.
The product features were achieved adopting certain features and characteristics of
living things as well as products other than tractor.
Some examples are described below:
:
Figure : 113 : Adoption of product features in the styling of the tractor body
The Front grill is the symbol
of masculinity with the basic
shape of the male torso –
horizontal grill representing
abs - along with the signature
Mahindra DNA
Unique to this tractor body
concept is a waist line feature
throughout the body vanishing
at both ends to give it a
contemporary look
NURTURE
The Nurture phase dealt with the product detailing, components assemblies, hardware
accessories selection, development of the mould, fixtures for better fit and finish of
the product.
The product design and styling was achieved after considering the following points:
Proposed styling is more dynamic in looks as compared to the existing model,
which gives a static feel. This was achieved by the profile lines along the
length of the hood.
With the sharp edges on certain profiles, the design also depicts a certain
amount of confidence and aggression, which was not visible in the current
hood design.
The tractor looks more masculine with the grill modification, also magnified
by the bulging front portion of the hood.
All of this had to be kept in mind while designing, without losing out on the
manufacturability of the tractor body
The final design of the tractor is shown in the picture bellow
Figure :114 : Final styled and designed Orchard Tractor
The product features achieved the following:
• Styling features unique to the segment of tractors
• Ease of manufacturing and assembly
• Styling suitable for composite manufacturing process
• Looks masculine and strong
• Confirms to Mahindra DNA – Mahindra product ideology and identity
• Creates perception of state of art product
4.5.2.3 Impact of Design
The success of the design and styling of the tractor was gauged and documented as
follows
Product Company : Mahindra Gujrat Tractor
A. Chief Operating Officer, Mr. O. S Tyagi Interview conducted on September
22nd 2013 during the launch of the new Orchard Tractor in Haryana(Tyagi, 2013)
1. What is your first impression after seeing the tractor ?
Great styling.Beats any tractor styling in the market today. Even better than the
Kobota, which was a Japanese brand recently launched in India. (That was an internal
benchmark for the design team ). The young farmer will definitely feel that he is
riding a modern tractor.
2. What benefit do you feel this development has done to the team ?
The team is enthusiastic and happy at the outcome. Everybody is convinced about the
utility of a better designed product using the correct steps of development. They have
been aligned to the fact that styling and design is of equal importance in the
development than just making a good engine and working of the tractor. The
marketing team is upbeat about the prospects of the product. The product definitely
has a bright future.
3. What is the next step for this ?
The production should be stepped up immediately. Should be implemented and put
into production to get the benefit of the upcoming Diwali season. Similar activity of
redesigning of other tractor models should be taken up for the upcoming tractor
projects of this company. ??
B. Mr Jayant Kulkarni, Product Manager, Mahindra Gujarat Tractor, interviewed
on 16th
July 2014 over the mail. (Kulkarni, 2014)
Since the launch of the tractor, the demand is going up. The dealers are reporting
increased pull of the product from the buyers. The styling and looks of the product are
an added advantage to encash the Mahidnra brand value. The sale of these tractors
have increased to 40-45 per month of the new design from the earlier 10-15 per
month. The field marketing team is expecting the next products to have a similar
design and styling language
C. Dealer (name withheld on request)
The tractor is launched only in north India, as a strategy of the company. The email
feedback received from a dealer from Haryana echoes the sentiments of the ultimate
user as well as the dealer himself. It was as follows:
“The farmer is enthusiastic about the new product from the Mahindra Gujarat
Tractors. It is becoming easier to convince the buyer about the product
compared to the earlier situation. This tractor has become the prestige point
for the young orchard farmer who looks at it to be a modern day product.”
4.5.2.4 Conclusion of the action research of ICAN process used for Orchard
Tractor:
The above responses show the positive impact of a better designed product. It has
benefited the entire value chain associated with the product. It is only its initial market
establishing phase of last one year. The sale is picking up and is definitely poised to
be a successful product in the years to come.
The sale and profitability are the ultimate indicators of success of the product after re-
designing and the re-launch. In case of the Orchard Tractor, the Mahindra
management executives were euphoric about the redesign process because the sale
and the market response. That also spoke highly about the success of the ICAN
process, even though the sale and profitability figures were not disclosed for
confidentiality and secrecy clauses the company.
However, the response from the top executives of the Mahindra Gujarat Tractors Ltd.,
its dealer and statistics of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM),
indicate that theICAN design process was successful in the design and styling of the
company’s tractor. These responses offer answers to the research questions as
follows:
1. The ICAN process was profitable to the product company.
2. It helped the product company as a brand developing contemporary products
3. It helped the design and manufacturing company of the styling components
get to establish itself as a design led organization increase the value addition
for its customers.
4.5.3 Action Research for design of bamboo product
The present study attempted to find if the I-CAN Design Process, can lead to similar
results in a bamboo craft industry in the unorganized sector. This cottage industry has
negligible capital investment and low working capital and unskilled labor and is
without marketing and sales personnel in its employment.
Following were the members of the team who participated in the action research:
1. Nachiket Thakur: This researcher. He is an industrial product designer trained
at the Industrial Design Centre of the Indian Institute of Technology, Powai,
Mumbai and leads a team of product designers at the Mahindra Composites
Ltd, Pimpri, Pune. He used the I-CAN Design Process to prove that design is
essential for the success of products.
2. Rajendra Sakpal: Activist working among the members of the Burud
community, under the NGO, BURUD ( Bamboo Utilities, Research and
Development ) at Hadapsar, on the Eastern outskirts of Pune city from 2004.
3. A core team of four semi-skilled and unskilled artisans were included as
members of the action research.
4. Abhay Karde: Marketing consultant Karwak
Learning from the success of high technology and high worth products, the low tech
and high skill- based industries like craft is destined to benefit the most. However,
there are no studies to decide if this presumption is true. The present case study was
an attempt to find how the principles of design processes can be exploited for the
benefit of an entrepreneur in the bamboo craft cottage unit, its workers, marketing and
sales personnel, and ultimately the consumer.
Many institutions like Bamboo Studio at IDC, IIT Mumbai, NID, Ahmadabad, Cane
and Bamboo Center Guwahati, IPRITI Bangalore, KONBAC, Kudal, Bamboo
Center, Lavasa, Pune, have been benefited by ‘Design’ for their bamboo products.
Secondary and primary data collected during the present study had established that
that the design companies had affirmed that design was an important aspect of the
production at the small scale and cottage industries. Design companies Fab India, and
enterprises, such asINTACH asserted that it helped a great deal if they followed
design processes as do the large corporate organizations. The enterprises included
Industree, Rhizomes, Bambooed, Bamboo Masters, VEDA. This researcher, however,
thought it necessary if his ICAN design process could benefit everyone involved in
the production and marketing of a bamboo product.
4.5.3.1 Questions for the Action Research
He therefore set the following research questions for the study:
5. Will ICAN design process be successful in a small cottage unit of bamboo
products?
6. Will this process be profitable to the entrepreneur and will it improve the
skills of the artisans in making bamboo products?
7. Will it improve efficiency of the artisans?
8. Will it increase earnings of the artisans and the profitability of the
entrepreneur?
He used the I-CAN Design Process to prove that design is essential for the success of
products. He got involved in designing and developing products in bamboo using this
process.
The study was planned as follows:
The author participated in this activity along with people from the bamboo
community under and an NGO, BURUD ( Bamboo Utilities, Research and
Development ) at Hadapsar, on the Eastern outskirts of Pune city from 2004.
An independent brand was created as a business enterprise named ‘Bamboo
Masters’ which was spearheaded by the entrepreneur Mr. Rajendra Sakpal
The activities were carried out under the team of ‘Bamboo Masters’ at every
stage of the development and marketing of the products.
These stages were as follows:
Conceptualization of a bamboo product
Market study for need assessment, Profile of the potential consumer
Product design ideation
Production design, survey of the potential customers
Packaging, Marketing
The process for development of a bamboo product was initiated at ‘Bamboo Masters’,
at Hadapsar, on the eastern outskirts of Pune, in Maharashtra.
a. Initiate it at the Start: E very member of the team was involved from May 2008
b. User centred approach
The team adopted the User Centred Approach. It related to human behavior, needs,
and preferences to be given equal importance along with technology and business
economics. This allowed the development team to differentiate between the needs and
the wants of the user. It captured the unexpected insights and helped the team
collectively conceive a product which correctly reflects the aspiration of the user.
Fast Prototyping and testing
The wheelbarrow of ideas was tried out in quick succession. The cycle of rapid
prototype, experimentation, re-modification were executed quickly. Small teams of
‘Bamboo Masters’ members were given sufficient freedom to make quick prototypes
to test out the ideas which helped finalize the design quickly
Expert opinion
The design ecosystem was nurtured by seeking inputs from experts. This helped in
understanding different materials, processes, and methods of creating the bamboo
based product.
Co-create
The team explored ways to work with several diversified inputs.
4.5.3.2 Product :Terrabambu Pendant
The Bamboo Masters had already developed and sold Bamboo products without
deploying the ICAN process. These were well-received but the production,
productivity and quality had limitations. It was also difficult to scale up the activities
for replication and higher production volumes.
Several product variants were developed during this ICAN process as shown in the
following set of photographs:
Figure :115 : Range of the bamboo products developed as part of this study
Product description :
The Terrabambu pendant, an indoor lamp, is a contemporary product designed
using hand-woven bamboo matt, hand crafted terra cotta (baked clay) and bamboo
beads. Special focus was to deploy, promote the age-old traditional skills of the rural
craftspeople in these two sustainable and easily accessible natural materials. The
various parts were manufactured by women’s Self-Help groups and assembled
thereafter. The bamboo strips required for the product were manufactured with semi-
automated machine at a central location. This ensured the right quality, dimensions
and finish of the strips. A weaving fixture is given to the various interested people,
mostly women, who created the woven mats. This ensures that all the mats were made
of the same standard. These mats were bought back from the individual’s home or
from the Self Help group centres at the central processing location. The terracotta
piece was manufactured at the local potter as per the given design and specifications.
Converting components into the product was done at the central processing unit. The
product was marketed thru various gift shops and interior shops across the city.
This provides a sound business model for the artisans as well as the promoter of the
product. More such applications and items need to be created. This will happen only
with increasing awareness about this wonder material. The products are developed
using the modern manufacturing machines, fixtures and processing techniques. The
production approach of subassembly manufacturing at dedicated workstations gives
the best inputs from the skilled workmen. The assembly line setup ensures very good
repeatability and quality of the product.
4.5.3.3 I-CAN Design Process adopted
This time the Bamboo Masters team decided to adopt I-CAN process under the
guidance and involvement of this author. It was carried out as per the following steps:
A. INSPIRATION
Inspiration to develop a product in bamboo came from the resilience of bamboo – an
inherent characteristic of the natural material, the traditional skills of the artisans and
the possibility of getting to feel nature.
Figure :116 :Traditional crafted product in bamboo
a. Market Demand :
The Development team members at Bamboo Masters undertook a survey to assess the
market demand. It revealed that
There was a constant quest of the urban consumers to have something
different and new, using traditional artistry with eco-friendly material. Market
existed for a product which fulfilled this desire of the user.
Product applications ranging from table top accessories, jewelry to interior
decoration items were in great demand.
Outlets like Fab India are instrumental in fuelling the growth of this market.
A methodical approach was adopted to gauge the requirement of the market
through a survey conducted by KARWAK, a specialty store for eco-friendly
gift articles. Interior decoration items emerged as the most sought-after
products which needs constant innovation.
Competition: The survey revealed that there was competition to such
products made by machines and other mass-manufacturing methods from
roadside, one-off products produced by the unorganized sector
b. User Need :
The study offered the following user profile for the product:
Higher middle class and above, young middle aged 25 - 45 years, having own
house, who spend on exclusive interior use products. He needs gifting items
for his friends, family and business associates. Wants to establish himself as a
person promoting eco-friendly way of life. He takes pride in displaying his
prized possession and considers himself innovative modern by giving such
exclusive gifts.
The product should be easy to use, install, pack and transport. The product has
to be rustic yet urban and contemporary. Use of garish colours is a complete
no-no. The surface-colour should be subtle. The product should be available
easily when required.
Branding possibility is an advantage.
c. Understanding the Craft - method of manufacturing
There were meetings for discussion to understand the available craft forms – Baked
Clay and Bamboo.
The craft skills and the facilities available were analyzed. The method of
manufacturing was studied.
Bamboo strip making is a traditional art with the ‘Burud’ community in
Maharashtra. It is used extensively to make utility baskets. This skill was
taken as a source for designing the product.
The art of making pots on a potter’s wheel was another probable craft which
was studied. The possibilities of various forms getting manufactured with
what accuracy was explored.
The artisans’ limitations and strengths were analyzed to aid him to create the
product.
The artisan was considered the focal point and the first consumer of the
‘Design.’
Mr. Rajendra Sapkal, the leader of the organization, and his team were the key
members of this activity.
d. Product Integrator :
The establishment or group of facilitators who would be instrumental in integrating
the product was identified. Their requirements for manufacture of these products were
studied. They, thus, become a vital ‘user’ of the product before it would go out in the
market.
e. Marketing and Sales :
The front face of all the activities is the Marketing and Sales force. This user is of
paramount importance, whose requirements were noted down. They required a
detailed account of the nature of the product, its unique selling prepositions, and
product differentiators to aid them to market the product.
f. Design Brief :
With these user expectations, a design brief was created for an indoor LAMP as
follows:
1. Product for the urban house hold
2. Modular construction
3. Easy to install and maintain
4. Unique / different from competition
5. Should have terracotta (baked clay) and woven bamboo as a material of
construction
g. Technology :
Manufacturing process considered was the traditional potter’s wheel for the clay
component and bamboo sliver ( thin strips of bamboo to make matt ) making and
weaving for the bamboo component. These manufacturing methods, its advantages,
and limitations were studied and analyzed before the start of the conceptualization
phase.
B. CONCEPTUALIZE
Ideate:
Multiple concepts were evolved for the product. This ideation phase did not have any
restrictions as far as feasibility was concerned. The wheelbarrow of ideas was
evaluated for various criterions. Feedbacks from various stakeholders on the product
ideas were sought. The artisans were the primary source of interaction and feedback
in this development phase. In addition, the product integrators and the marketing team
gave in much needed inputs. Concepts for the method of construction of the main
body of the lamp were created. The interdependence of the baked clay component, the
diameter of the bulb and the end caps were ideated with different construction.
Various shapes, sizes were explored as follows.
Figure :117 :Concept sketches of the product under design
C. ADAPT
Quick prototypes were created using the available material, namely the paper. Various
permutations and combinations were tried out to confirm the thought process. These
mock-ups were tested for its intended purpose. The adaption of the design for the
product was strengthened by re-creating and modifying the test results. The material
and process to be used was analyzed for ease of manufacture considering the
appropriateness of the intended design.
Figure :118 : Prototypes of concepts made to evaluate the development
Various options in the Bamboo matt pattern were tried out to aid the proper throw of
light from the lamp. The possibility of foldable cylinder was also explored. The edge
detailing for the cylinder of a specific diameter was arrived at. The diameter of the
cylinder got decided in relation to the diameter of the light source. To help achieve the
desired diameter of the bamboo matt cylinder, it was decided to use the available PVC
water pipe as a reference for its repeatability.
The terracotta end caps were made accordingly. The dimensional tolerance achieved
after the clay gets dried up were tested and finalized. For fixing the bamboo cylinder
various options were tried out.
D. NURUTRE
The crucial stage of the development process is Nurturing the ‘design’ which gets
created to achieve the task at hand. The detailed component design, its detailing was
worked out. Design for manufacturability is the focal point of this phase. The decision
of the manufacturing flow, assembly details, and finalisation of the billof materials
(Product ingrediants) was taken here. Refinement in design in terms of the surface
texture, finish, colour, embellishment was done.
Figure :119 : Components of TerraBambu pendant lamp
The design was refined with all the considerations and various modular versions were
created. The different fitment methods were made as per requirement for vertical,
horizontal, and table top mountings.
Once the product was fully built, the communication material for its marketing
was conceptualised and created. The pitch was for the corporate buyer as well
as the individual buyer. The appropriate packing material was devised. An
important point to be stressed here was that the simple throwing on potter’s
wheel and bamboo matt-weaving technique were used to design this
‘terrabambu.’
Variants were developed using the basic top bottom piece in terracotta and the
bamboo matt cylinder.
Modern yet simple methods of jigs and fixtures were deployed and taught to
the traditional artisans and first time workers.
Individual components were manufactured at various locations – at the homes
of every craftsmen.
Final assembly and finishing was carried out near the point of sale. This was a
typical example of a ‘Spoke and wheel’ arrangement.
In brief, the production value chain was evolved:
Production Value chain
Figure : 120 :Production value chain of the final product
4.5.3.4 Impact of Design
Launch in the market
The product was introduced in the market in 2009, through Karwak, the marketing
consultancy, in Pune. It had already helped establish a network of workforce who got
the opportunity of working from their own homes and was still part of a bigger chain
of manufacturing this unique product.
Ensuring quality, repeatability using Appropriate Tools for
making strips used for matt making
Equal Strips for
Matt weaving
Raw material inward and
outward register
Quality check
before Matt
in-warding
Training for matt weaving
at factory
Matt weaving at
individual’s house
Conversion of
Matt to cylinder
using standard
fixture
Assembly line for
converting
components into final
product
Product
Packaging
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Mr. Rajendra Sapkal, the master craftsman, became the focal point of the creation of
this product. He managed the activity with the help four full time workers, who
assembled the entire product. A cluster of 20 to 30 women who feed in the
components to the main assembly station was evolved . The design process improved
their skills, creativity, and efficiency. The success of the activity was multiplied by
the number of people who have been impacted with livelihood development due to
‘Design.’ (Sapkal, 2010)
Product Economics of Terrabamboo pendant
The economics of one of the orders of 1500 numbers for corporate gifting for the
Diwali of that year worked out as follows:
Cost of Production: Rs. 210 per unit
Selling Price : Rs. 400 per unit
Profit Rs. 190 per unit
Following was the break-up of the cost per unit:
in Rupees
1 Strip Cutting 20
2 Matt Making 45
3 Cylinder making 30
4 Terracotta end- caps 2 numbers 30
5 Assembly 35
6 Packing 50
Total Expenditure 210
Figure :121 :The Cost break up of the final product
The cost of marketing, capex, overhead along with the profit was recovered from the
selling price of the product. The design process, and the team spirit it generated
among the production and sales staff, improved the quality of the product in terms of
looks, and utility for the users. It became easier for the marketing and sales staff to
attract the potential customers and the produce was sold off quickly compared to the
experience earlier.
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All the stakeholders in the production value chain gained a lot of insight, learning, and
a decent remuneration for the collective efforts put in by them. (Karde, 2010)
The present action research project, thus, demonstrated that the ICAN design process
can be successful in a small cottage unit of bamboo products.
This design process was profitable to the entrepreneur. He and his four semi-skilled
craftspeople categorically stated that the process helped them improve their
productivity besides improving their design skills, creativity, and efficiency. As a
result, earnings of the artisans improved. The marketing consultant and sales staff said
the design process improved the product in terms of aesthetics and utility. This
attracted the potential customers and increased the sale without loss of time.
The entrepreneur and his team of artisans continued to work on the lines they learned
in the ICAN Design Process after the action research project was over and the
researcher was not required to be associated with them. They thereafter produced the
following products successfully proving that design and design process can profitably
develop even a cottage bamboo industry.
4.5.3.5 Conclusion of Bamboo Case Study
The I-CAN design process proved to be successful in a small cottage unit. The
success could be measured in terms of profitability for the entrepreneur, Mr. Rajendra
Sakpal, who was in the business for over two decades. For him it was the first
systematic approach to design, develop and produce a bamboo product. The artisans
were able to earn better and could improve their skills. That they were happy with the
approach was proved by their continued participation during the production process of
subsequent products,
The confidence level of the sales and marketing team to take in such challenging
orders increased. Corporate gifting requirements at KARWAK saw an upward trend.
The I-CAN Design process proves to be applicable to low tech high human skill
products similar to the high technology – machine manufactured products.
The design became the key differentiator to establish a social entrepreneurship model.
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(The data and analysis of this action research was part of a paper titled “Bamboo
Product Success through ICAN Design Process” presented at the conference titled
“Knowledge Globalization Conference : 2012 organized by Foundation of Liberal and
Management Education, on January 6th
2012)
(The data and analysis of this action research was part of a paper titled “Inclusive
growth by design” presented at the Seventh International Business Research
Conference organized by Indian Education Society’s Management College and
Research on February 21st 2014. It was published in the International Organization of
Scientific Research - IOSR Journal )
4.5.4 Summary & Conclusion of Action Research
The action research on design of the TerraBambu pendant , a bamboo product shows
how the ‘design process’ – ICAN Design is effectively used to develop a successful
product. This product has helped the artisan – entrepreneur to succeed and has
positively impacted him. He is able to demonstrate how he can effectively manage a
group of artisans for livelihood development for him as well as for the fellow artisans
through a good designed product.
The outcome of this research helps to prove the hypothesis
H3 : Adoption of New Design processes in developing new products in Bamboo
craft sector has a positive impact on the success of the artisan entrepreneur.
The case studies of Orchard Tractor and the TerraBambu pendant shows how the
ICAN design process is effectively used to create the products. It also demonstrates in
a sequential manner how the different stages in the design process help the
development of a product.
It is concluded that the ICAN design process can be successfully used for the design
of the Orchard Tractor which is an example of an automobile as well as the
TerraBamboo pendant a bamboo product. This shows that the design processes for
developing any product is similar and can be used to create successful products.
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This proves the hypothesis
H4 : New Product Design Processes are common and can be effectively used
for the Automobile and the Bamboo Sector for commercial success.
(The data and analysis of this research was part of a paper titled “Competitive
advantage through Design - A Qualitative study of design processes in leading
Indian design organizations” presented at the 14th
CII - NID Design Summit on 21st
November 2014)
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