Joint Development -

There is a large value in getting lead users (most knowledgeable customers) involved with design. If you aggregate all the customers together you end know more then the developer themselves. This is typically because they want to modify the product to fit their particular interests and thus find the weaknesses or future potential market prior to the company seeing the shifts in market trends.

These lead users are great for understanding what trends are coming. For example, Toyota Prius owners are customizing their cars to get more power and better fuel economy in ways that Toyota did not consider.


What does it take to get this development?
- These lead user innovators should be given a good quality product that is consistant and has room to be expanded or fixed.
- There needs to be a form to get the technology to them and innovation back from them.
- A method of controlling, communicating and regulating the lead users

How does this benefit Sustainable design?
- The lead users face needs that will be general in a marketplace but face them
months or years before the bulk of that marketplace encounters them, and
- They expect to benefit significantly by obtaining a solution to those needs (personal interests)
- Another form of market analysis to find out what the market wants