Invention Isn't Everything: Consumer Design Rules

This Element is an excerpt from From Concept to Consumer: How to Turn Ideas Into Money (9780137137473) by Phil Baker. Available in print and digital formats.

The invention is often just 5% of what’s involved in making a product succeed....

I remember my first day at Polaroid in June 1967. I entered the secure area behind the frosted glass door with “Product Development” stenciled on it. Behind this door, some of the world’s great consumer products were being invented and engineered. The legend of Edwin Land, Polaroid’s CEO and a modern-day Edison, permeated the area. It was my dream job....