The new product design process and design for environment - "Crossing the chasm"

This paper examines the role played by environmental issues during the new product design process. These issues are studied through an exploratory res earch project based on case studies of ten companies. The firms studied can be categorized into one of five major groups: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards. These groups strongly parallel the model of new product acceptance initially developed in the computer ind ustry, as Presented by Moore (1991). Of interest is the gap that exists bet ween the early adopters and early majority users. This gap forms a chasm. T hose factors that account for acceptance of environmentally responsible man ufacturing in the innovators and early adopters are significantly different front those factors observed in the early majority late majority, and lagg ards. This paper examines these and other differences, and the impact of th ese differences on the acceptance and use of environmental concerns within the new product design process.