Organizational Creativity and Innovation: Apple Case Study Analysis

This case study delves into Apple's innovation strategies, examining how the company integrates design thinking and organizational strategy to achieve competitive advantage. The analysis explores the ways innovation and strategy work together within Apple, highlighting the importance of customer experience and participatory design in product development. The role of Apple's employees and the impact of Steve Jobs on the company's innovative culture are also discussed. The study examines how Apple identifies and understands customer needs, adapting its products based on consumer choice. The conclusion emphasizes Apple's success through unique products and a vision of the co-founder and CEO, Steve Jobs. The report also references various academic sources to support its claims.

Running head: DESIGN THINKING AND INNOVATION IN APPLE
DESIGN THINKING AND INNOVATION IN APPLE
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
Apple is a major technology based organization that has its origins in the United
States. The company had acquired a unique position in the industry and its net worth had
increased more than that of the industrial giant General Electric. The major reason behind the
success of Apple is related to the consistency levels of products that have been developed by
the organization. The innovation levels within the products are considered to be highly
important for their popularity and the market share that has been gained by Apple
(Apple.com, 2019). The hardware and software products of Apple have been able to provide
major profits to the company.
The report will be based on the analysis of integration of strategy and innovation in
Apple and proper implementation of the innovation approach as well. The impact that Steve
Jobs had on the organization is also an important part of the analysis.
Ways by which innovation and strategy work together in Apple
The major strategy that had been implemented by Apple at the start of its operations
in the technology industry is based on the ways by which the computers can be designed in
such a manner so that they are provide support to individual work. An important factor that
was considered by Apple in order to develop its products is based on the levels of appeal. The
company aimed at designing the products in such a manner that will be loved by the
customers and levels of simplicity also plays a major role increasing their appeal in the
technology industry (Dam & Siang, 2018).
The interactive levels of the products of Apple are high and the company provides
major attention to the smallest details of the products. The premium positioning based
strategy that has been formed by Apple is supported by the features that are provided and
levels of sophistication of the products. The products of Apple like the Mac Computers are

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unique and simple at the same time. The design of Apple products like, iPhones, iMac, iPad
are sleek and this has helped the organization to develop its trendy image in the industry
(DeFillippi, Rieple & Wikström, 2016). Levels of innovation and strategy are provided with
high levels of importance by Apple Inc. and the CEO Steve Jobs. This has helped in proper
integration of innovation within the organizational strategies of Apple. Innovation,
development of products and the execution of operations are intertwined in Apple in an
effective manner. This able to affect the ways by which the organization is able to operate in
the industry in a profitable manner (Hestad, 2016).
Identification of the ways by which innovation approach in Apple is used to understand
needs of customers
Apple has provided huge importance to the integration of effective customer
experience within the designing of products of Apple. The designs that are developed by
Apple with the involvement of customers have been termed as participatory designs. The
company has implemented effective trial and error method in order to develop the final
designs. The product based ideas of Apple Inc. have been driven by the needs of the
consumers of users of the organization (Kahn, 2018). The changes that have been
implemented by Apple in the designs of its products are also based on the choice of
customers and the ways by which their demands and needs can be satisfied as well. The
choice of customers is considered to be a major driving force for changes which are
implemented in products like iPod. The ability of the company to change the features of its
products is based on the choice of consumers and their individual needs as well (Mickahail,
2015).

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Role played by the people of Apple in development of innovative products
The people or employees of Apple have been able to play a key role in proper
development of the products that can be offered to the consumers. The levels of innovation in
the products are influenced by the services that are provided by employees or developers who
try to understand the needs and demands of employees in an effective manner. The
employees have tried to develop the products in such a manner that is able to affect the ways
by which their demands can be fulfilled (Pisano, 2015).
As discussed by Thomke and Feinberg (2012), the experience that is provided by
Apple to the consumers is also an important part of the activities that are performed by the
developers of the organization. The design target that had been set by the company was also
based on the creativity levels of the employees. The capability levels of the employees are
able to play a major role in the ways by which Apple has been able to develop the best level
of its products in order to offer them to the customers. The philosophy of operations of Apple
has remained the same from the start its operations in the technology based industry. The
organization has been able to operate in a profitable manner with the support that has been
provided by the highly skilled employees (Muratovski, 2015).
Impact of Steve Jobs on Apple
The former CEO and co-founder of Apple has acted as the chief innovator in the
organization. The vision based on design that has been developed by Steve Jobs is considered
to the be the most significant part of its operations in the industry. Steve Jobs has a major
influence on the products that are designed by the company and the experience offered to the
consumers as well. Jobs had become the chief twice in his lifetime and he had a major impact
on the ways by which the products are developed. The company had hired employees who

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are like minded in nature and were able to provide their creative ideas (Prud'homme van
Reine, 2017).
Although Jobs was not trained professionally based on design skills, the founder of
Apple had been able to impress people with his skills and extraordinary talent as well. The
aesthetics of the products that are designed by Apple are considered to be important for the
ways by which the organization is able to provide effective experience to the customers. Jobs
had become the face of Apple and has been involved in different organizational aspects that
include, the vision of Apple, the drive, the hands-on involvement in decision making process
(DeFillippi, Rieple & Wikström, 2016). Secrecy levels that are maintained in Apple before
the release of a product are considered to be important for the image that has been formed by
the company. The move that was made by Apple into retail sector is a bold move that has an
impact on its operations. The pricing based policy of Apple has also been developed with
respect to the vision of Steve Jobs based on formation of premium image (Dam & Siang,
2018).
Conclusion
The report can be concluded by stating that Apple has created its operations and
position in the highly competitive technology industry with the help of its unique products
and the vision of the co-founder and CEO. The organization has maintained its profitability
and position with the help of its loyal customer base and creative employees. This has been
able to play a major role in the ways by which Apple has sustained in the market in spite of
the high prices of its products in comparison to the competitors.

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References
Apple.com (2019). Apple. [online] Apple. Available at: https://www.apple.com/ [Accessed 2
Apr. 2019].
Dam, R., & Siang, T. (2018). What is design thinking and why is it so popular. Retrieved
July, 10.
DeFillippi, R., Rieple, A., & Wikström, P. (Eds.). (2016). International perspectives on
business innovation and disruption in design. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Hestad, M. (2016). Branding and product design: an integrated perspective. Routledge.
Kahn, K. B. (2018). Understanding innovation. Business Horizons, 61(3), 453-460.
Mickahail, B. (2015). Corporate Implementation of Design Thinking for Innovation and
Economic Growth. Journal of Strategic Innovation & Sustainability, 10(2).
Muratovski, G. (2015). Paradigm shift: Report on the new role of design in business and
society. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 1(2), 118-139.
Pisano, G. P. (2015). You need an innovation strategy. Harvard Business Review, 93(6), 44-
54.
Prud'homme van Reine, P. (2017). The culture of design thinking for innovation. Journal of
Innovation Management, 5(2), 56-80.
Thomke, S. H., & Feinberg, B. (2012). Design thinking and innovation at Apple. President
and Fellows of Harvard College.