Concept design is a trendy word for stimulating product invention and creativity in companies. But maybe part of the “concept design” solution is just giving engineers the power to do what they do best: invent.
PARC is a company that sports a large name (Xerox) with a small-town feel as a subsidiary. A place for the “entrepreneurial scientist” to thrive, PARC seeks that rare combination in scientists who have a passion for deep research, a pioneering spirit, and the business savvy of an entrepreneur.
Their focus on research is what sets PARC apart from other companies. Xerox invests over $1.6B a year in research – much of it is invested in long-term research and development.
In a fast-paced corporate world of produce or die, PARC’s research culture is truly unique.
Mark Weiser, CTO at PARC, and a computer scientist, said that corporate headquarters wanted PARC scientists to keep pushing the outer limits of technology while the company figured out ways to capitalize from their innovation. “We didn’t go short term. It wasn’t one of these things where we were told ‘don’t invent anything that we don’t know exactly how to use immediately.’”
And that’s part of the secret to getting scientists to invent: give them the reins and let them enjoy hands-on innovation on their own.
But this type of research culture still requires a medium for sharing and developing ideas efficiently and effectively – sometimes with a large collaborative effort. Creo naturally brings true form to innovation during the concept design process.
Visit our robust Concept Design Resource Center for a slew of useful info, assets and tools. And watch the below video on concept design innovation in this episode of the Product Design Show where Vince and Allison delve into how Xerox and PARC have achieved creative solutions for more than 40 years.
