Well-known in Silicon Valley for its work on the Apple Macintosh and founder Hartmut Esslinger’s creation of the Sony Trinitron, industrial design firm Frog Design Inc. continues to hop in new directions. The Sunnyvale, Calif., company recently collaborated with Target and Disney on gadgets and toys inspired by the shapes and gestures of Disney’s most iconic cartoon characters, Mickey Mouse and Goofy. Frog has also developed futuristic hardware concepts, such as wearable computers in the form of tattoos — called Dattoos — and a rugged laptop for children that will cost less than $100.
WWD: How can companies become more innovative in design?
Hartmut Esslinger: It’s disruptive. I grew up in fashion. Each season is different; every three years, there’s a major shift. You have to be different but also you have to be you. Prada used high-tech fabrics and that created a new style. You have to look at what you have and where you want to go to, what you can go to. You have to look at this process of risking your life. That’s why a lot of innovative people are difficult to manage. It’s difficult to manage this team, to manage this company. To take the danger out, try to simulate as much as you can.
WWD: How can companies uncover customers’ latent needs?
H.E.: That’s a difficult one. When you do it well, people like it. The deepest uncovered need is respect for a person’s individuality, character, existence. People smile when you fulfill a niche. People have a lot of ideas inside of them and unfulfilled potential, and you have to find a way to let people speak up.
WWD: Which retailers do you admire for their embrace of design?
H.E.: Target, but Target is a client of ours.
WWD: How can fashion companies do a better job with technology and design?
H.E.: Fashion is great. We have a lot of clients in technology and lifestyle who have to become more fashionable. They have to because, ultimately, people want identity. You want to be yourself. A lot of products are simplistic, middle-of-the-road and full of compromises, and people think they do the job. If a product is later in its life cycle, the design will be better.
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WWD: How significant is mass customization?
H.E.: It’s the biggest driver. [But] you have to create a new business model. It cannot be more expensive. The biggest part is that you sell every piece you make. There is no waste of phones or, in the case of Target, throwing away coffeemakers because no one wanted them anymore. I have four kids and they all played with wooden blocks. The oldest one was creating castles, which means he is a very sensitive boy. The second was creating chaos, which he enjoyed very much. The 12-year-old only built towers. He is a scientist guy. My daughter made them colorful. She put faces on them. That’s what I want to do with products, so people can be themselves exactly the way you want it to be. It’s really rich.