I see product development as series of problems I have to solve. My passion to solve problems started when I was 11 years old. When I was obsessed with the IKEA furniture my mother asked me to build, and with engineering behind the roller-coaster I was enjoying.
My Dream
The tool I use the most to solve these problems is Computer Aided Design, or CAD. It is important for me to call the software, the desktop computer, the 3D mouse and the drawing pad I use ''tools''. It should never become the main aspect of my job, just tools to accomplish this job.
Another reason why I like to be a product developer is because I see to many products ending up in trash after being used for a short period. My dream as a product developer is to create something that does not end in trash, but exists forever instead. This can be a thought, a discovery, a lifestyle, or a piece of art.
The only way you can change the world is by doing what you are good at, and never stop doing that. This lesson has been very important for me to be determined about being a product developer. Knowledge Economy
Designers operate in a knowledge economy, in which productivity is as valuable as time. During a recent project about furniture design I discovered Piet Hein Eek. Eek is famous for using left over materials to design products and using the labor put into making a product as a value on itself. This is contradicting for the time economy of the manufacturing industry, where every minute costs money. In a way it reflects the knowledge economy in which most designers operate, where productivity is as valuable as time.
Eek also says that design centered companies outperform their peers and that designers are not only valuable when they design, they are also valuable when involved in business development. As product developer I can be involved in business development in a unique way, and take my share in the growth of the company I work with.
Let grab a coffee to discuss the future of your business, I am always open to share my thoughts!
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