Product evolution: how new (types of) products come about & develop over time into families of advanced versions

This thesis presents a Theory of Product Evolution which builds on the work of many scholars who have described evolutionary patterns in innovation processes. It challenges the popular notion that we owe the availability of products solely to genius inventors. Instead arguments are presented to show that a process of variation, selection and retention driving the accumulation of ‘know-how’ (to make) and ‘know-what’ (function to realize) provide an explanation for the emergence of products and their subsequent development into families of advanced versions. This theory employs the Product Evolution Diagram as an analytical framework to reconstruct the development history of a product family and picture it as a graphical narrative. Two retrospective case studies explore how products come about and develop over time into a family of advanced versions. The cases studied illustrate that the process of evolution in products cannot be understood if described in technology terms alone. It reveals that contextual factors are part and parcel of the evolution of products. Product Evolution will be of interest to design students and professionals, as well as general readers who want to find out more about how new (types of) products emerge.