Title: Managing product identity through style recurrence

Authors: Kuohsiang Chen, Cheng-Chen Shao

Addresses: Department of Industrial Design, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan. ' Department of Industrial Design, National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Road, Tainan 70101, Taiwan

Abstract: The development of new products has a crucial part to play in a corporation, and consistent formal style can add value to new products. In other words, it is the uniqueness and consistent style of a corporation that creates its distinct identity. Most of the previous research on corporate identity focused on the issues of the conceptual planning of a design strategy and a logo design. Research of practical norms for product design, however, are largely ignored. This research aims to construct a framework for managing corporate product identity through style recurrence. First, the strategy of a corporate identity and its product identity was recognised. Then, the generation rules for its product style were established to be used as a practical norm for product design. Finally, the practical norm of design was examined against the strategy of corporate identity and product identity to test its usefulness. A programme was written to demonstrate such an idea, and it proved to be comprehensive and effective.

Keywords: corporate image; corporate identity; product identity; product style; form generation; new product development; style recurrence; product design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPD.2005.008008

International Journal of Product Development, 2005 Vol.2 No.4, pp.371 - 385

Published online: 25 Oct 2005 *

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