Innovation by Design: Lessons from Post Box Design & Development

The book provides an in-depth knowledge on how a product is designed and developed by Product Designers. This has been achieved through a case study of one product - the Post Box. This product was chosen for the study primarily due to its simple and non-technical nature as that would make it easy for the readers to comprehend the design process. At the same time the Post Box posed all the challenges a designer would face while creating a new product.

Through a step by step process the book gradually takes the reader through the design and development journey - right from understanding the product, identifying the user need through market research, comprehending client’s brief, generating product ideas and concepts to development of prototype, manufacturing and final performance of the product. Interestingly, the book also includes how the product had to be modified after its initial launch as a large section of the public failed to identify it as a Post Box!

To make thebook more stimulating, innovative case studies with interesting facts, figures and pictures on related issues like origin and evolution of Post Boxes in India and abroad are included. They are presented separately in boxes and columns without interrupting the flow of the core subject matter. The narrative and the language is simple and lucid and possibly balanced with a vivid formatting and layout that is easy on the eye.

Dr. B. K. Chakravarthy is a Professor in Product Innovation at the Industrial Design Centre (IDC), IIT Bombay. He has facilitated innovation initiatives in diverse contexts across several reputed organisations and has brought in the industry perspective to classrooms. To promote innovation in a sustained manner in both the academic and industry circles he established the Shenoy Innovation Studio at IDC with a mandate to humanise technology.

Ms. Janaki Krishnamoorthi is a Freelance Journalist based in Mumbai. She has been writing for over three decades on various topics including product design in several leading newspapers and magazines like the Times of India, Indian Express, Construction World and Infrastructure Today.