IB Design Technology 5.2 Innovation Questionbank

A start-up company enters a market with a simplified, low-cost alternative to a complex medical device. While the device initially lacks the high-end features of established products, its ease of use and affordability eventually allow it to capture the majority of the market from the established leaders.

Which type of innovation does this scenario describe?

Table 1 shows a comparison between two cooling products that share the same core functional technologies.

In 1858 Leonard Bailey produced the Bailey Wood Plane. The body of the plane was made from cast iron rather than timber. It also had a cam lever lock to secure the lever cap (a). In 1867 he added a longitudinal adjuster – a “Y” lever operated by a screw set vertically behind the cutting unit (b).

Despite the development of electric wood planes, the Bailey Wood Plane is still used in workshops today, see Figure 1.

Figure 1: Bailey Wood Plane

HolidayWithUs enables people to rent out their properties using the company website, see Figure 1. Instead of staying in hotels or guesthouses, people can now stay in private homes. This has completely changed how people travel.

Figure 1: A screenshot of the HolidayWithUs website

What is this type of innovation known as?