On the Origin of Products by Arthur O. Eger, Huub Ehlhardt - 9781107187658

On the Origin of ProductsThe Evolution of Product Innovation and Design\nAuthor(s): Arthur O. Eger, Huub Ehlhardt\nFormat: Hardback\nPublisher: Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom\nImprint: Cambridge University Press\nISBN-13: 9781107187658, 978-1107187658\nSynopsis\nIn this new work, Arthur O. Eger and Huub Ehlhardt present a 'Theory of Product Evolution'. They challenge the popular notion that we owe the availability of products solely to genius inventors. Instead, they present arguments that show that a process of variation, selection, and accumulation of 'know-how' (to make) and 'know-what' (function to realize) provide an explanation for the emergence of new types of products and their subsequent development into families of advanced versions. This theory employs a product evolution diagram as an analytical framework to reconstruct the development history of a product family and picture it as a graphical narrative. The authors describe the relevant literature and case stu.