Dyson fan observations by The Think Cloud

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Observations About The DYSON fan

by a fan of DYSON

THE THINK CLOUD

(a.k.a. THE DILEMMA OF MAKING A COOL PRODUCT)

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DC01-Launched 1993.

Vacuum cleaners and appliances

have never been the same since.



In 2009 many paths crossed….

Jet Engine Outlet Vertical Fan

Turbocharger



…and Dyson took this…



…and turned it into this…

…and I spent an hour playing with it at the local

appliance store.



There was a CATCH



It Cost $299



There were even some stories of similar

concepts done 30 years earlier in Japan



Peter Gammack, Design director, Dyson …went on to clarify the

differences from prior art in a Daily Telegraph article. Below are some key

points of distinction

1. A mixed-flow impeller draws in air which is then pushed up into the

loop.

2. The air exits the aperture at high velocity and creates an area of low

pressure that draws in air from behind the fan.

3. The fast-moving air follows the precisely designed 16° aerofoil-shaped

ramp (the Coanda effect) which creates a further area of low pressure,

drawing in even more air.

4. As the air jet leaves the front of the loop, more air is entrained due to

‘viscous shearing’, amplifying the initial airflow even further.

However, the design was defended



The intellectual property

questions were answered.

Time to sell fans.

PHEW!!



But It Still Cost $299



and then came…



Low priced competition…

that looks the same!!!

$119

$78



In a recent trip to SE Asia

there wasn’t just one



or two bladeless fans



There were over a dozen

bladeless fans!!!





They tried to be different

They all had their own

factories



Variations of base and colors

…and shapes (my personal favorite)



..there was even one with an LED

mood light and air purifier



In the end

they were not different



They were copies of one of

the most original and

innovative appliance

designs EVER!!!



They cost less and in some

cases were not as well made



BUT!

They were not different

Just cheaper

So what is a company to do?

Dyson like many

designers/companies spend

millions to design-develop-validate-

produce-market their products



In all fairness it is not

just small manufacturers

who are guilty of copying



Take for instance the Apple iPad



and the NOT the Apple iPad(s) 29 ©2011 The Think Cloud. This document is intended only for the use of The Think Cloud LLC and may contain information that is privileged and


Again. So what is a company to do?



BE FIRST TO MARKET AND OWN

THE SPACE



MAKE GREAT QUALITY



POSSIBLY PARTNER WITH A

REPLICATOR TO DEVELOP A

UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP THAT

ALLOWS STRATEGIC COPYING??



IT IS A BIG WORLD OUT THERE.

6.5BILLION + PEOPLE.

THE REPLICATOR IS NOT SO

WORRIED ABOUT IP LOCKING

THEM OUT OF ONE MARKET



If you have some thoughts on

this topic or want to plan your

product development strategy

please feel free to connect

with us at

[email protected]


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