Designing for innovation: Cooperation and competition in English cotton, silk and pottery firms c. 1750-1860

The ability to combine technological innovation with innovation in product design has been recognized by business historians as an important characteristic of a successful business. This article examines the use of product design as a source of competitive advantage by leading firms in the Manchester cotton, Macclesfield silk and Staffordshire pottery sectors in the period c. 1750-c. 1860. Four strategies are identified: copying (direct imitation and adaptation), commissioning, capacity-building and collaboration. Distinction is made between pro-active firms, which innovated whenever there was an opportunity, and re-active firms, which innovated only when necessary.