Apple, Inc - Innovative Products | iPod Nano,  iPod Touch, iPhone, iPod Shuffle

This hub compares and contrasts the differences between innovation, design, and creativity. It also defines each term and discuss their business implications in companies like Apple, Inc.

Apple Creativity Innovation and Design

Many people confusingly use words like creativity, innovation, and design interchangeably. Though you can find a company that excels in all three, like Apple, Inc., each of these terms has its own meaning. In fact, many significant differences exist between the three terms. Successful organizations must incorporate all three practices, creativity, innovation, and design, to remain competitive in their markets. The creativity of one company will often lead to the innovation of another. Design, by contrast, is typically an idea or product developed from a recognized need. Though several differences exist between innovation, creativity and design, each of these aspects of business development maintains a critical role in the forward movement of a company.

Apple iPhone  | iPhone Accessories | iPhone Applications

When companies like Apple Inc. develop a product like the iPhone, competitors must scramble to create a phone with similar desirable features to the iPhone, and add modifications that will attract additional market share. Examples of innovation are “line-extensions, me-too-products, and product modifications” (von Stamm, 2003). Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, and Verizon all released touch screen phones shortly after the release of the iPhone. Each of these companies also markets their new cell phone with emphasis on the feature that makes it different and “better.” Some cellular companies promote the easy to use keyboard of their products, while others make note of the PC compatible software of their touch screen phones. The blackberry is noted for having the best link between your cell phone and email. The blackberry and other companies try to combine other products by offering the touch screen feature in addition to the standard button options. Some cell phones are released with emphasis on storage capacity, cell phone cameras, or easy music downloads. Still, the credit of creativity belongs to Apple for the development of the iPhone, while companies such as Samsung can proudly consider themselves innovators.

Apple Solutions for Businesses and Apple Business Strategies

Many people believe that no new ideas exist, however creativity is consistently expressed in the development of new products like the Apple iPod and iPhone, business strategies, and business processes. Creativity may also be learned through a process involving “preparation, incubation, illumination, and verification” (von Stamm, 2003). The most dominant difference between creativity and innovation is the origin of the idea or concept. Creativity is the initial idea, while innovation is the growth of that idea. Many marketing companies operate to help companies in the area of creativity. With the Super Bowl just around the corner, we will likely see marketing companies at their creative peaks. Design, by contrast, is “the conscious decision-making process by which information (an idea) is transformed into an outcome, be it tangible (product) or intangible (service)” (von Stamm, 2003). Design is often a result of information providing evidence to suggest a need, and the development of a product or service to meet that need.

New iPhone Design

Many similarities exist between design, creativity, and innovation. Each is vital to a company’s ability to sustain over time. Creativity is an initial idea, and differs from design in the process for coming up with that idea. Design is a product or service that is developed through information, while creativity is an idea that forms with less prompting. Innovation is another important way that companies stay competitive. This term describes the way a company takes an idea from another company and expand on it until the product or services has a new and unique appeal.

References
von Stamm, B. (2003). Managing Innovation, Design and Creativity. Retrieved January 22, 2009 from University of Phoenix eBook Collection Database.