The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) recognized Bombardier Recreational Products, The Coca Cola Co., Starkey and Oral-B as its 2011 Catalyst Design Case Study winners.
A jury of 18 design and business leaders chose these four cases because they either demonstrated design's power to generate revenue or positively addressed a social challenge.
Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) used consumer-inspired designs to create a new motorcycle category with the three-wheeled Can Am Spyder.
The Coca-Cola Co. dipped into its design past to leverage one of the world's strongest brands into the future with the Freestyle Fountain. Breaking prevailing limitations on dispensing efficiency and consumer selection birthed a new business model so efficient it pulls additional consumer traffic to its food service locations.
Digging deep into the experience of hearing aid users drove a game-changing design for Starkey's Zon hearing aid. From a small player in the industry to design leadership, Starkey saw its new Zon unit immediately become its most successful product in its 40-year history.
Oral-B needed to maintain its leadership position in the toothbrush market with a new, breakthrough design. A full re-evaluation of the basic toothbrush and design improved not only ergonomics but hygienic performance, creating the first $5 manual toothbrush and the leader in dental professional recommendations as well as retail profitability.
"IDSA's Catalyst Design Case Study program describes how design works within corporations and helps to accelerate a broader understanding of design's impact on business, the environment and society," said CEO Clive Roux. "This year alone Catalyst has reached over 2,000 people in over 33 countries around the world. If you haven't read them, take a look."