EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IDEO, one of the world’s largest and most successful product design firms. IDEO is responsible for the development of 3Com's Palm V hand-held computer. The Palm V’s market success has ingnited mass competition in the hand-held computer industry. This increase in competition has a major 3Com competitor, HandSpring to approach IDEO to now design the competing VISOR product. Handspring's management wants the VISOR prototype to be designed and manufactured in less than half the time it took to design the Palm V. IDEO must now decide if it should suggest to Handspring's management to increase the development schedule as it is concerned with having to sacrifice innovation and design in order to meet the client's goal.
This team has inside or proprietary knowledge of the Palm V product that would be beneficial to the VISOR’s design plan.

While developing the Palm V Boyle purchased several of the Palm V machines and gave them to co-workers, family, and friends. He has collected real-world feedback from Palm V users and has identified shortcomings of the Palm V product.

Handspring has secured a licensing agreement with 3Com to use the Palm V‘s operating system. This removes the need to develop an original operating system for the VISOR’s design and development process.

Venture capitalists are interested in duplicating the Palm V’s success and provided abundant funding to the VISOR project.

WEAKNESSES
A highly competitive environment exists in hand-held computing.
Limitations on using other IDEO staff to gather ideas for the Visor’s design, capability and features.
The VISOR product will not benefit from the IDEO full innovation process
Market research indicates that the public opinion regarding hand-held devices was not favorable.
Due to a condensed design schedule and decreased product price point the VISOR design would not have the unique styling or material components of the Palm V.

ANALYSIS
How would you characterize IDEO’s process, organization, culture, and management?
Process. The cornerstones of this process are brainstorming, prototyping and product