Experience Design: A Framework for Integrating Brand, Experience, and Value

Section II

Frameworks and Tools

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

—Chinese Proverb1

A variation of the teach-a-man-to-fish concept could also be to buy the cookbooks put out by the eating establishments you like to frequent and then try to make the same dishes at home, with the hope that you can cut down on your restaurant expenses. But having a recipe doesn’t make you a chef, and not all recipes in a given book are exactly how the chef prepares his or her version. What you can learn from a good cookbook is a bit about the cuisine and the role that different ingredients play in creating its characteristic flavors. You can also get an overview of the approach, basic techniques, and patterns, all of which can save you time or allow you to experiment a bit for yourself.

Is it wise to teach others your trade? What if the person is a potential customer? A competitor? There’s an interesting case study from the field of supply-chain management in which the supplier kept encouraging its customers to outsource new aspects of its product. Essentially, the supplier was willing to try to reduce costs for the company in the new areas and was willing to take on the risk of learning. Eventually the company allowed the supplier to attempt to provide all the main components of the product at the company’s accepted quality standards. The supplier quickly became one of the company’s strongest competitors, as they were able to take the ...