Question

Inks Corp. is a manufacturer of pens. It creates a new product called Quink, a quick-drying ink pen that does not require the use of blotting paper. It creates this product by building on its established knowledge of the properties of ink and the mechanisms of a pen. Which of the following innovations is being exemplified in this case?

Answer 1

Inks Corp. exemplifies an incremental innovation by creating a new quick-drying ink pen called Quink. They built on their established expertise in the pen industry to enhance their product, eliminating the need for blotting paper and improving the user experience.

Step-by-step explanation:

Inks Corp.'s creation of Quink, a quick-drying ink pen, exemplifies an incremental innovation. This type of innovation represents a company's use of existing knowledge and technology to enhance or improve products or processes.

The pen and ink industry has evolved significantly over time, starting from basic reed and quill pens to modern rapidograph pens and inkjet printer technologies. With its established foundations in pen manufacturing, Inks Corp. leveraged this knowledge to develop Quink—improving upon the traditional pen with a new feature that prevents the need for blotting paper. This innovation relies on the complex understandings of how inks interact with paper and how they dry, possibly drawing inspiration from the electrostatically charged droplets used in inkjet printing.

By focusing on the properties of ink, such as drying time and flow, and devising a way to eliminate the blotting step, Inks Corp. showcased its ability to enhance user experience through refinement of its products. This illustrates how small, continual improvements to existing products, guided by user needs and technological capabilities, can lead to tangible advancements in the marketplace.