Products with Batteries and Electronic Components - Essay Example

Products With Batterries and Electronic Components Do Not Have a Sentimental Value? Table of Content: Introduction Technological Product Design. 2.- Sentimental Value. 3.- Bang & Olufsen, iPods, Bluetooth, and Zippo lighters. 4.- Zippo Lighter-MP3 Player Conclusion. Products With Batterries and Electronic Components Do Not Have a Sentimental Value? Abstract. Products with batteries and electronic components do not have a high sentimental value like jewelry. Tech products are very volatile in their use. Technology moves too fast. Innovation is implemented everyday in a wide variety of technologies and products. So people are used to discard many of the tech products when they don’t work anymore. Lithium ion batteries do not last very long. A good idea to work on should be to use replaceable batteries in the near future for iPods and other small technological products. The process of designing tech products has to include the concept of sentimental value since this could be another source of added value that can be part of the marketing mix. The brand can benefit from the sentimental value of the company’s technological products. That is the case of the Zippo lighter. Implementing multi-media functionality in the design of the Zippo lighter can enhance its sentimental value in a great deal. In this paper the idea of a new product integrating a Zippo lighter with an MP3 player is summarised briefly. All along this paper underlies the idea that adding sentimental value to any tech product should be considered on the product design process. It means a better brand image. It also means more revenues for the designing and the manufacturing companies. The case of the Zippo lighter – MP3 player signals a path of innovation integrating the concepts of successful tech products by Bang & Olufsen, Apple, and Bluetooth technology companies. Keeping in mind the concept of sentimental value in tech products will improve the results and the performance of a tech product in the marketplace. Introduction It is a good idea to design products with the concept of “sentimental value” in mind. When it comes to designing products with batteries and electronic components, it is very difficult to add a sentimental touch in the creative process since for most people this kind of products do not have a sentimental value. This is not true for some products like the Zippo lighters, Bang & Olufsen digital products, Apple’s iPods, and many other products with batteries and electronic components, since many people consider them to be collectable, and they keep them as memorabilia to remember some precious moments in their lives. In this paper, this topic will be dealt with in greater detail taking into account different approaches to product design and sentimental value. The focus will be designing products with batteries and electronic components with a sentimental value. As an example, the case of designing a Zippo lighter/MP3 player that can be engraved will be considered. All along the way, the main idea of designing products of this kind will be studied as thoroughly as possible according to reliable sources of academic information and a personal perspective regarding the main subject under study. 1.- Technological Product Design. Vertex Product Development, Inc. (2000-2006) has a 5-step process for designing products as outlined and summarised below: “1.- Orientation & Product Specification. “The first phase in new product design & development process is a comprehensive orientation session that will allow Vertex to create the Product Specification Document. This document is a useful tool for defining and specifying project goals and objectives, prior to entering the conceptual development phase. 2.- Conceptual Development. “Vertexs industrial designers will generate line and thumbnail drawings while exploring different aesthetics, ergonomics and manufacturability approaches on a given project using the Product Specification Document as a guideline. The client is presented with multiple conceptual designs in a photo-realistic rendering format and an exploded view illustrating part breakups and preliminary manufacturing costs. 3.- Visual Mockup / Form Study. “Vertexs model shop will create full-scale mockups of the chosen designs, which will represent actual size and proportions of the proposed design approaches. These mockups will serve to assist further in the form study discussions and decision-making. 4.- Engineering & Cad Development. “Vertexs cutting edge CAD engineering software, complete with surface and solid-modeling capabilities, enables the firm to assist clients in expediting product delivery to the market which contributes to their competitive advantage in the marketplace. Vertexs 3D solid modeling capability will further accelerate the product development process as it can be downloaded to a CNC machine for tool and mold creation. 5.- Functional Prototype. “Vertexs model making shop will fabricate a working pre-production prototype for testing and evaluation. This model will be an accurate representation of the finished product, as well as the final checkpoint for the finalized engineering assembly. This functional prototype will display tolerances, clearances, and part fits and will be an accurate representation of the assembled product.” (Vertex Product Development, Inc., 2000-2006). This paper deals mainly with the first two steps of this process considering the validity of adding a sentimental value to a product with batteries and electronic components. It will be seen that this approach is pertinent while designing such a product. Sentimental value is an added value to any product. That is obvious in most of the cases. That is logical most of the time. Even though it is a technological product, the human ingredient cannot be forgotten. The end users might consider the product to have a special sentimental value for them depending of the kind of technological product and the life events that give a sentimental meaning to that technological product. It must be kept in mind that product design is a combination of art and science. But it also has another ingredient: business, commerce or marketing. The psychology of the consumer should be taken into consideration when designing any product. When it comes to designing a technological product, this is also true. Innovation should also be taken into account in order to be a successful designer. All of these points were addressed from a different angle by P. Volsi (2007) at the II International Symposium on Design "Re-generation, re-vision, re-volve: new vision from next generation of artists and designers" in the following terms: “I feel that a review of the present industrial system of production, of which Industrial Design is perhaps the most ‘dazzling’ part, is of particular interest. I.D., however, is also the part which holds the least decision power: it is the logic of Marketing which is currently the foundation which strongly conditions all the processes of product development, thus relegating the Designer to the role of an alchemist of fascinating and schizophrenic products. In order to survive or to be predominant in the global market, industry puts innovation at the service of marketing rather than at that of the quality of the project, and this constitutes the constant of the reality of present day industry. Innovation is a virtuous circle without the possibility of re-conversion, with the risk of being excluded from the race; but at the same time, it does not constitute a guarantee of success, in that, in any case nowadays, it has become a common input to all the industrial realities.” (Volsi, 2007). For Volsi, technology innovation is occurring at a very fast pace, and at the same time the technological products lose sentimental value for their users. In most of the cases this is true since most of the technological products are discarded when obsolete. Volsi states his point of views as follows: “The progress of technology, of nano-technology, of electronics and of innovative materials is proceeding, however, too fast. This leads to the industrial production of objects, the carriers of many innovative contents, which are characterised as products of great strength in a linguistic sense. The power of market penetration however relies on the passivity with which the latest novelty is more and more greedily accepted and consumed, novelties for which, in fact, there is always a strong demand from the market. (…) There is just not enough time for a reflection on the destiny of the product and on its cultural impact, and thus production and consumption take place so rapidly, while the sentimental value of an object is very superficial, in view of its ever more precipitous both functional and cultural perishability.” (Volsi, 2007) But Volsi’s vision is very ample when it deals with technological product designing. Volsi holds an interesting position about the future of the designer in this new fast-paced scenario: “The logic of a Design which responds exclusively to the laws of the market and of the industrial technology push is now a prevailing factor, while on the other hand the gap which exists between the functional structure of the product and the consumer is simply unfillable. (…) In the future, the Designer will, therefore, also have to concern himself with the engineering of materials, in order to be able utilise and shape the new opportunities offered by technology. He will however have to focus his attention above all on the objectives and the aims of the project, rediscovering that it will be the concept of Utopia, detached from marketing, which will indicate the correct road to follow.” (Volsi, 2007). In spite of the current state of affairs regarding the designers, Volsi is optimistic about the future ahead: “Only by putting in the foreground the improvement of the quality of life, both in its aspects linked to the private individual but above all by referring it to the social aspects, at present badly neglected and relegated to sporadic, virtuous examples, will a balance be found between man, his fellow creatures and the environment which embraces us all.” (Volsi, 2007). R. Wallace in the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, 2006, holds a very useful perspective for the designer that can complement Volsi’s ideas about the near future of consumer electronics. For Wallace, it is not a matter of technology, but of design. Wallace takes an example Intel to express his points of view about technology and design: “Technology is dead. Welcome to the Age of Design. Intel etched techs epitaph in stone at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last month when it summarily buried the dropped "e in the companys logo and raised up a sexy swoop around the Intel name with the tagline "Leap Ahead. The geeky, nerdy "Intel Inside logo, a fixture since 1991, is now, along with Silicon Valley, six feet under. Intels new CEO, Paul Otellini, is the first nontech exec to head the house that Noyce, Moore and Grove built.” (Wallace, 2006). Wallace’s assertions are quite radical as he remarks that technology is becoming less relevant in technology-based consumer products. For Wallace, the consumer is the priority in this world dominated by technological advances. His remarks are quite radical: “Slowly but surely, microprocessors, chips, computers, operating systems, the very network itself, are becoming less relevant to consumers and less important from both a marketing and product-positioning perspective. (…) And while it may be arguable whether technology is actually dead, it most certainly wants--and needs--to become transparent, if not completely invisible to todays techless, clueless consumer. This reality has been manifest at CES for years and is clearly embodied in Intels "Leap Ahead" marketing campaign--a new direction with a tagline that is marketing shorthand for "all that matters is the experience." (Wallace, 2006). All of this means that consumer products should be designed with a human-centric perspective. In this case, the sentimental value of technological products is relevant. That is why Wallace stresses the importance of taking into account the human experience when designing products for the market: “Within the industry, a rising sentiment and chorus of complaint holds that the tech sector has gotten too geeky and nerdy for its own good. And for some die-hard techy ideologues, thats just fine. "Things," not "people," are what count in electronic design, some would have us believe. But the chorus of dissent against this sentiment is on the rise, and ever so slowly, the social sciences and the cultural realities of a flat but highly diversified tech sector are beginning to bubble to the surface. (…) It appears as though the cold, soulless world of submicron silicon geometrics and robotic place and route iterations are giving way to a warmer, fuzzier engineering realm in which designing for the human experience is trumping the engineering ego trip.” (Wallace, 2006). Wallace put as a living example the case of an iPod in order to address the issue of the relevance of design over technology. The emerging direction in design is called “humanitarian dimension” as the future economic driver of the economy. Wallace makes his remarks along this line of thinking as can be seen as follows: “Design, not technology, has captured the consumers imagination, as anyone who has twirled a fingertip around iPods elegantly simple dial pad can attest. (…) The potential of great design has also captured the imagination of the worlds leaders and, knowing Aart de Geus, Id say hes ahead of the curve and prescient in his notion that the "humanitarian dimension" is the next great global economic driver. (…) When "all that matters is the experience," design moves to the front of the bus and technology takes a back seat. That was the message at both CES and at Davos this year.” (Wallace, 2006). Wallace sums up his ideas about the future trends of design in the following terms: “As technology, culture and media converge, designers of all stripes, including electronic engineers, are being compelled to take a "cross-disciplinary" approach to product design. That was the resounding message at this months Media Summit New York, where the seamless media-technology-interface-for-consumers theme echoed the Great Leap Forward motif of CES. (…) "Its not about content, its about contact--contact with people," Rushkoff observed, echoing the design themes of Davos and CES. These are trends that seem certain to reshape the future of product-development cycles in the media world as bits and bytes and speeds and feeds and the chips "inside" technology itself give way to more human-centric, experience-driven device and interface designs.” (Wallace, 2006). It is important to note that Volsi’s ideas are not really opposing views to those of Wallace. Instead both positions complement each other. On one side, there is the reality that technological products don’t have a very strong sentimental value for their users, but at the same time it is true that the designers cannot forget about the human dimension of their technological products. The human experience, the human contact and the people-oriented products should be the priority of designers in a fast-paced designing process driven by technological advances and pervasive innovation in the consumer electronics sector. By studying the new trends in this sector it is possible to sense that the most innovative products are the ones that fulfil better the human needs for contact and experience. So there is no substitute for great design. The most popular products as considered by PC World (2006) and Business Week (2007) are the ones with the creative touch that takes into account the enhancement of the human experience. At ArtsHole.Co.Uk (no date), there is a wide selection of products designed from a human-centric frame of mind. But taking care of the environment is also a priority when it comes to designing innovative products. That is what the companay Mio Culture is all about. They specialise in recycling and designing new products from discarded materials: "Trash, and old furniture that people throw away how its broken tells a story," says Jaime of how garbage-day strolls can inspire him as much as the art of favorites Antonio Gaudi and David Smith. "You have to wonder, "How do things lose value so quickly? (…) The solution isnt to always make products that are built to last. "It would be erroneous to approach [all] things that way," he explains.” (Howard, 2005). As it will be seen later, garbage is a serious problem in today’s world. That is a matter of concern that will be addressed below. So far we have seen eclectic positions about technological product designs. Volsi and Wallace complement and supplement their ideas when taking from a synergic point of view. Their ideas should be a catalyst for better design practices that takes into consideration the sentimental value of products designed with batteries and electronic components. 2.- Sentimental Value. The concept of “sentimental value” is defined by MoneyGlossary.Com (no date) as follows: “Value arising from an emotional relationship between the owner and an asset.” MSN Encarta Encyclopedia (2007) defines it in the following terms:. “Value based on emotional association: a value placed on something because of its emotional associations rather than its monetary worth.” Both definitions shed light about the concept of “sentimental value” from two different perspectives. When dealing with technological product design, both definitions can be applied as a whole. For example, a particular MP3 player can have sentimental value because of the songs that we were used to listening with that digital music player. We can associate it to a loved one when we listened to music together. We can associate it to a specific song that we first heard on that particular MP3 player. So that MP3 player holds a sentimental value for us, and we would like to keep it forever. That is an example of a product with batteries and electronic components that has a sentimental value. In Search Your Love (2006) the subject of memorabilias is studied with the following ideas about sentimental value: “Memorabilias are a very good solution to the problem of making you home look special. The items that are combined under the general name of memorabilias can be quite multifarious and in fact the options to choose from are indeed numerous, but there is one special quality that all of the memorabilias are required to possess. It reveals exactly what people appreciate most in memorabilias - their ability to evoke thoughts about events that will be a pleasure to recall.” (Search Your Love, 2006). But it is not possible to keep all the sentimental-value products. Sometimes this can lead to an obsessive-compulsive disorder called hoarding. Professor Randy Frost is an expert on this topic, and Frost deals extensively with its causes and consequences in several research studies that Frost has undergone by himself and with other fellow researchers. As Frost (2003) explains it, sentimental value is one of the reasons behind hoarding: “People who hoard not only acquire more than most people but also throw away less. Hoarders save more things, but interestingly, their reasons for saving are the same as everyone else’s. People save things for three basic reasons. Some objects have sentimental value, usually through a connection to important life events. Other objects have instrumental value; that is, we need them to fulfill some tangible purpose or to complete an activity. Still other things may have little sentimental or instrumental value, but we simply like them. People who hoard use these same reasons for saving; they simply apply them to more things. (…). Hoarding is much more than a problem with acquisition and saving; more than anything, it is a problem with organization.” (Frost, 2003). As it can be seen from the findings of Frost and other researchers, there is a basic need in most of the people to do some kind of hoarding at different levels. Frost gives the findings of one of his studies as follows: “Frost and Grosss 1993 study of hoarders found that the most likely justification for keeping an item was future need ("I might need this someday"), followed by lack of wear or damage ("This is too good to throw away"), sentimental saving ("This means too much to me to throw away"), and lastly potential value ("This may be worth something someday"). The difference between people who hoard and people who dont, is that hoarders apply these values to a far larger number of items.” (Frost, 2007 On the other side of the coin, we are faced with the reality of planned obsolescence related to tech products. J. Glave interviewed Giles Slade, author of the book “Made to Break”, which deals with this subject of bad garbage: “To be clear, Made to Break is not a book about e-waste. (There are several of those out there, including Elizabeth Grossmans excellent High Tech Trash.) Rather, it is a meticulous history of planned obsolescence -- the practice of engineering or designing products in such a manner that they become either socially undesirable or non-functional after a given time period. Under the banner of "innovation." Slade argues that this technical and psychological obsolescence -- and the parallel phenomenon of disposability -- have over the course of a century become so ingrained in western consumer culture that our very economy depends on it to survive.” (Glave, 2006). A very pertinent topic related to consumer behaviour is the irrationality of the consumer. This subject has been studied by many scholars and theorists in the past. J. Waldfogel (2002) states the following about it: “Scholars working on the border of economics and psychology have assembled an impressive body of evidence that consumer behavior is not fully rational. As a result some observers (see Kahneman, 1994) question whether consumer choice warrants deference. We address this question by asking whether consumers or others are better situated to make consumption choices. Based on a new survey of both holiday gifts and items consumers purchase for themselves, we present direct evidence that consumers’ own purchases generate between 10 and 18 percent more value, per dollar spent, than items received as gifts. Our estimates therefore support economists’ faith in consumer sovereignty, place some limit on the reach of the behavioralist critique of economics, and, in addition, confirm the substantial deadweight loss of Christmas.” (Waldfogel, 2002). So the consumer is king. And the consumer likes to keep products as memorabilia or as collectables. Jewelry holds the most sentimental value according to Gillett’s Jewellers (no date): “Anniversary gifts symbolise your love for each other. They hold a special significance, more so than for any other gift. Jewelry is the perfect anniversary gift. Studies have shown that when asked why they prefer jewelry gifts, ladies say that jewelry is the gift that best says "I love you". (…) Jewelry, unlike any other gift, holds the greatest sentimental value. And with jewelry, the sentimental value doesnt fade within a few days like flowers do, nor add to the waist-line like chocolates will.” (Gillett’s Jewellers, no date). In this paper we are dealing with the sentimental value of tech products, but it is useful to understand the concept of sentimental value from the consumption of other products like jewelry. It can help us to understand better why tech products do not have a high sentimental value for many of their consumers. 3.- Bang & Olufsen, iPods, Bluetooth, and Zippo lighters. Bang & Olufsen (2007) (B&O) has been in business since 1925 producing electronic products with the consumer psychology in mind. Since its very beginning, B&O has focused its efforts to design consumer-centric products in the area of audio, phones, and TV sets. The history of B&O is filled with innovative products centered around the needs of the tech consumers. One example of its products is Serene mobile telephone, produced in partnership with Samsung (SereneMobile.Com, 2007). B&O has helped a lot in the advances in innovation and quality when it comes to produce consumer-centric tech products. Many of its own products are considered collectables. So there are several B&O collecting clubs around the world. On the other hand, Apple’s iPods have been very popular as digital music players. At Apple.Com (2007a) a great variety of enhancements and improvements can be seen. There is even the option of iPod’s car integration as it can be seen on the image at Apple.Com (2007b). BBC News reported the successful integration between iPods and Bluetooth technology (2005). Speaking about Bluetooth, BBC News states the following: “Bluetooth is becoming increasingly important in helping different devices talk to each other wirelessly, such as hands-free headsets. (…) It is also being used more by the fashion industry, such as sunglass maker Oakley and snowboarding clothes maker Burton. (…) Bluetooth invisibly helps devices talk to each other (…) Having wireless capability built into clothing and accessories means people can use devices such as mobiles more easily whilst on the move or otherwise occupied.” (BBC News, 2005). The wireless feature can add sentimental value to products that clothes and mobile telephones. Speaking about iPods, BBC News remarks the following: “Mr Ives iPod engineering and design has made the device the biggest-selling portable digital music player in the world. (…) It dominates 80% of the music player market; by the end of 2005 more than 35 million iPods will have been shipped.” (BBC News, 2005). So iPods and Bluetooth make a powerful combination. A powerful marketing “mix” when used together for the benefit of each other. One of the problems faced by iPods are the perishability of their batteries as R. Menta explains it entitled “The Curse of Lithium Ion Batteries” (2005): “Li-ion batteries replaced the NiMH and NiCd batteries in small electronics, because they offered several significant advantages like no memory effect. Unfortunately, Li-Ion batteries are less durable than the other two, with a tendency to disintegrate over time, even if not used. (…) Electronic devices with consumer-replaceable Li-Ion batteries are the way to go.” (Menta, 2005). On the other hand, there is a line of products with mass appeal since 1932. It is the Zippo lighter. This lighter has a powerful sentimental value for its users. Zippo Manufacturing Company celebrates this year its 75th anniversary (Zippo.Com, 2007a). There is valuable information about collecting Zippo lighters online (Zippo.Com, 2007b; ZippoClick.Com, 2007). There is also a wide gallery of images related to the Zippo lighter online (ZippoGallery.Com, 2007). In general, lighters have a very high sentimental value. There is even a website dedicated to showing lighter tricks (LighterTricks.Com, 2007). In MadeHow.Com (no date), the history of the Zippo lighter is featured. Zippo Manufacturing Company has a very humble beginning: “In 1931, George G. Blaisdell of Bradford, Pennsylvania, saw a friend trying to light his cigarette with an awkward lighter, but one that worked. Blaisdell acquired the American distribution rights for the Austrian product. He redesigned the case for comfort, improved the chimney (or wind hood) around the wick to make the lighter windproof, and modified the fuel chamber. Blaisdell named his lighter "Zippo" because he liked the sound of the word "zipper," which was another new and publicly acclaimed device.” (MadeHow, no date). Blaisdell was persistent on his ideas about his business of selling the Zippo lighter even though there was a well-known economic crisis in the United States: “Blaisdells timing was poor and the lingering Great Depression nearly bankrupted the company. His luck changed during World War II, when soldiers found that Zippo lighters worked in all weather conditions. Crews of Navy ships have used these lighters with their own logos since World War II, and custom lighters for soldiers have been distributed during every war through Desert Storm. The lighters had may uses in wartime; GIs heated powdered rations in their helmets with the lighters and were able to start fires in all types of weather.” (MadeHow, no date). The Zippo lighter gained more and more popularity throughout the years worldwide, and there are many Zippo lighter collectors around the world: “Collectors seek out Zippo lighters primarily because of the commemoration of large and small events on their cases. Advertisements from the 1940s and 1950s are valuable collectibles, as are lighters marking the 1969 moon landing, sports teams, many corporate clients, and a range of other historic events, personalities, and special interests. In 1997, 9,000 different images were used on the lighters.” (MadeHow, no date). Indeed the Zippo lighter has a very strong sentimental value for its users: “Metal, reusable lighters are competitive against disposables because of their durability, reliability, quality, and sentimental value. Quality lighters are considered luxury items, however, and the competition for consumer dollars in this area is high. Lighter makers add artwork for uniqueness and adapt the outer cases to other personal accessories with the same convenience and quality.” (MadeHow, no date). The Zippo lighter has experienced the benefits of technology, and there is Zippo camera lighter marketed online (MobileWhack.Com, 2005). It is a very good idea to enrich the Zippo culture with new products like the digital camera. In this paper we deal with the design of a Zippo lighter-MP3 player. As it can be seen from all of the above about B&O, iPods, Bluetooth, and the Zippo lighter, it is possible to design technological products with a high sentimental value. 4.- Zippo Lighter-MP3 Player. A sound idea would be to design a Zippo lighter with an integrated MP3 player that can be engraved due to its potential sentimental value. There is no doubt that this product can be very successful since it is based on a winning product like the Zippo lighter. It can also benefit from the B&O, iPods, and Bluetooth technologies, taking the best features of those technologies and implementing them with this Zippo lighter-MP3 player. As it is worn out with use, it can be engraved in the future as a memorabilia or a collectable. Conclusion. Taking into account the different perspectives of Volsi and Wallace about product design it can be stated the real importance of designing technological products with the concept of sentimental value in mind. It is a challenging task, but it could be very rewarding in the long run. Every aspect of the designing process should take into consideration the potential sentimental value that our own products could have in the marketplace. The sentimental value of tech products is not very high, but this is a variable that should be kept in mind when it comes to designing them with the intention of adding more value to our technological products. References Apple.Com. (2007a). iPod. April 13th, 2007. . Apple.Com. (2007b). iPod Your Car. April 13th, 2007. . ArtsHole.Co.Uk. (no date). Product Design on ArtsHole.Co.Uk. April 13th, 2007. . Bang-Olufsen.Com. (2007). Our History. April 14th, 2007. . BBC News. (2005, June 3rd). iPod and Bluetooth Lead to Prizes. April 14th, 2007. . BusinessWeek.Com. (2007). Best Product Design 2006. April 13th, 2007. . Frost, R. (2003). Clutter Gone Wild. Smith College, Northampton, Mass. April 13th, 2007. . Frost, R. (2007, January). Hoarding Behavior. Smith College. Northampton, Mass. April 13th, 2007. . Gillett’s Jewellers. (no date). Unique Anniversary Gifts. April 13th, 2007. . Glave, J. (2006, August 1st). The iPod Is Bad Garbage. (Interview). Made to Break: Technology and Obsolescence in America. Giles Slade. Harvard University Press (2005). April 14th, 2007. . Howard, B. (2005, March 2nd). Smarter By Design. April 13th, 2007. . LighterTricks.Com. (2007, April 3rd). Lighter Tricks. April 13th, 2007. . MadeHow.Com. (no date). How Products Are Made: Volume 7. Lighter. April 13th, 2007. . Menta, R. (2006, January 16). The Curse of Lithium Ion Batteries. April 14th, 2007. . MobileWhack.Com. (2005). Zippo Camera Lighter. April 13th, 2007. . MoneyGlossary.Com. (no date). Sentimental Value. April 13th, 2007. . MSN Encarta Encyclopedia. (2007). Sentimental Value. April 13th, 2007. . PC World. (2006, January 4th). The 25 Most Innovative Products of the Year. April 14th, 2007. . Search Your Love. (2006, February 27). Memorabilias Often Have Pronounced Sentimental Value. April 13th, 2007. . SereneMobile.Com. (2007). Design. April 14th, 2007. . Vertex Product Development, Inc. (2000-2006). Typical Product Development Design Process. April 13th, 2007. . Volsi, P. (2007). II International Symposium on Design "Re-generation, re-vision, re-volve: new vision from next generation of artists and designers".25th - 29th March 2007. April 13th, 2007. . Waldfogel, J. (2002, May 13th). Does Consumer Irrationality Trump Consumer Sovereignty? Evidence From Gifts And Own Purchases. The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and NBER. April 13th, 2007. . Wallace, R. (2006, February 27th). It’s Design, Not Technology. EE Times. April 13th, 2007. . Zippo.Com. (2007a). 75th Anniversary. Zippo Manufacturing Company. April 13th, 2007. . Zippo.Com. (2007b). Zippo Lighter Collecting Information. Zippo Manufacturing Company. April 13th, 2007. . ZippoClick.Com. (2007). Zippo Lighters Collecting Information. Zippo Manufacturing Company. April 13th, 2007. . ZippoGallery.Com. (2007). A Zippo Gallery. April 13th, 2007. . Read More