June 24, 2013
Sometimes it takes conflict and tension — self-inflicted
headaches — to spur innovation. Take Toyota. In the late 1980s, Ichiro Suzuki,
its chief engineer, wanted to build a fast, light, fuel-efficient, comfortable,
sleek, and inexpensive car that could compete with the luxury sedans of BMW and
Mercedes. His goals weren't only lofty; they were contradictory, and seemed
impossible to achieve. Car design, at that point, required a series of compromises
between aesthetics and aerodynamics. If you were designing for speed, for
example, you had to live with less fuel efficiency and more noise. But Suzuki
refused to compromise. His team performed a complete design re-think, and after
a series of headaches, the Toyota team engineered the first Lexus, which cost
$30,000 less than its competitors. Sometimes, it turns out, you can have your
cake, and eat it, too.
SOURCE: Use Tension and Conflict to Create Breakthrough
Products by Matthew E. May
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