Pods

Lessons from BBC TV’s “The Apprentice” – Series 16. 7. Pods

The “pods” in question, it turns out, are a kind of driverless electric vehicle, and designing one is the challenge set to the teams in Series 16, Episode 7 of BBC TV’s “The Apprentice”. But design is only the means, not the end, for the true goal is to make the most profit from orders secured by pitching to prospective corporate clients.

The trick really, I think, is to flip it around and start from those prospective corporate clients. What do they want to buy? What do they need to see and hear from the teams? I think keeping them in focus is more likely the clear path to success than starting from design, because starting from design risks distraction into vanity and frivolity. And then you’re faced with trying to sell the disaster you’ve created, rather than creating something that will sell.

And this turned out to be the failure. Buyers with £1m to spend took only a sample of the party-styled pod from one team, on the basis that it was ‘niche’, when clearly they were looking for something with broad appeal. Sadly, the team was conflicted and unhappy with their design themselves as well – it was confused between being ‘party’ and ‘not-so party’ at the same time – , so, for all the expression in the design of what they (or at least, the ‘project manager’) wanted, what they got was: sparse sales and not even a sense of fulfilment. The other team fared similarly badly for similar reasons… but they had a slim edge which ultimately gave them more sales. It’s a little but like ‘sensitive conditions’ or ‘marginal gains’: being that little bit less confused with their brand and design, that little bit more conservative and mass market, that little bit less barmy – that won it.

So it was a lesson in customer focus rather than self-expression, and a lesson in consistency of vision and brand from idea to execution; and between all team members. Ah, yes, that would have been how to win with style.