CREATE SOLUTIONS
WITH ROBYN COUTTS, PRODUCT DESIGN ENGINEER FOR DYSON
DO:
…BEGIN WITH A PROBLEM “When I started at Dyson I didn’t even know what my job fully entailed, as the hair care category hadn’t even been launched yet! But I knew Dyson’s core philosophy is to always start with a problem then come up with better ideas and technology to solve it. For hair care, our research and design teams focused on what was currently available and the problems women face with hair tools – poor style performance or usability, heat damage, loud and weak airflow – then we attempted to address these problems by understanding and using the real science behind hair.” …RESEARCH OBSESSIVELY “Our engineers and scientists studied hair from root to tip, understanding how it reacts to stresses, how to keep it looking healthy and how to style it. We even sent all our engineers, both male and female, on a hair course to learn how to create the styles – it’s a sight to see engineers handling a hairdryer and brush for the first time! Throughout years of research, the products were tested on different hair types, and mechanical simulations were created to test different hair drying techniques, which can differ around the world. More than 1,625 kilometres of real human hair were used in testing! It took hundreds of engineers to develop the technologies behind the Supersonic dryer and Airwrap styler, but we really took the time to understand everything connected to it.” …OPEN THE DOOR FOR OTHERS “During the four years I’ve been with Dyson, it’s been great to see more female engineers come into the business. I want to act as a role model to reinforce the importance of representation and make sure they do the same.”
DON’T:
…BE DISCOURAGED BY FAILURE “Dyson has an ethos that revolves around risk-taking, free thinking, failing fast and embracing failure. As engineers, we’re encouraged to enjoy failure and learn from it, as you can never really learn from success.” …FORGET YOUR CUSTOMER “We use high-quality materials and test them to failure, ensuring the consumer is always getting the best product possible. For me, it’s inspiring to develop products that women in my life get excited about. Why shouldn’t women have technology that makes them look and feel amazing? That’s why consumers are passionate about our products – they’ve transformed the styling experience.” …GET COMPLACENT “To stay ahead, we reinvent and disrupt ourselves constantly. We develop and manufacture our own technology, too. Women want products that do what they say they’ll do, so we need to deliver what we’ve promised. I want to help us continue to deliver better products.” Shamini, Katia, Vera and Robyn appeared at ELLE INSPIRES: The Innovators, brought to you by Dyson Supersonic™
“WE’RE ENCOURAGED to ENJOY FAILURE and LEARN FROM it ”