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In East Asia, novelty or "cuteness" of a product, i.e. the look of things, is mostly what counts. That's how East Asian makers try to stay ahead of the competit
by suction 4y ago
In East Asia, novelty or "cuteness" of a product, i.e. the look of things, is mostly what counts. That's how East Asian makers try to stay ahead of the competition, because actual innovation that goes beyond the surface (no pun intended) is hard and not actually encouraged in societies with a confucian view of the workplace.
- user_named 4y agoSource?
- suction 4y agoLiving many years in Japan and China and really understanding the culture?
- user_named 4y agoNope.
- suction 4y agoYuup.
- MontyCarloHall 4y ago>actual innovation … is not actually encouraged in societies with a confucian view of the workplace. How does this follow? If the implication is that collectivist societies frown upon excelling relative to one’s peers (which is not true, BTW), then wouldn’t the exact same logic apply to novelty or cuteness? No, this is the result of corporate bean counters thinking they should maximize short term profit with a splashy product, rather than maximize long term profit with high quality and reliability, which take more time for the market to recognize.
- jacquesm 4y agoI think this is too shallow a dismissal of innovation in an area so large that it spans 35% of the globe, and there are quite literally numerous existence proofs that it isn't correct. The idea that all innovation happens in the United States and Europe is fairly ridiculous, innovation happens on all levels of product development, both deep in the guts of products as well further up as well as sometimes entirely new classes of products.
- suction 4y agoEast Asian societies which have not yet let go of Confucianist mindsets are not 35% of the globe.
- nottorp 4y agoI have anecdata. I worked for an European guy who was designing new (and at least in his mind) innovative hardware from scratch in the US. And getting it manufactured in China. The Chinese looked at him like he was insane because he was designing everything from scratch instead of cloning something.
- nemothekid 4y ago>In East Asia, novelty or "cuteness" of a product, i.e. the look of things, is mostly what counts. I find it hard to believe that this is an exclusively an east asian thing. Apple spent a decade chasing thinness over all else.
- suction 4y agoGuess why - because the East Asian customers want thinness and lightness over power. I know because in Japan, when people saw my Mac (a 2013 MBP), first they were like "oh a Mac, can I try it?", but as soon as they held it, they were extremely surprised by its weight (compared to some 11" Toshiba notebook they preferred). It's understandable because in Japanese and Chinese cities, city people rarely drive but lug around their computers in bags, up and down stairs, standing for 1-2 hours in the crowded subway, etc.
- user_named 4y agoComplete bullshit.
- suction 4y ago...but enough about your opinions...