Question

A single product or process architecture that dominates a product category usually 50% or more of the market. A dominant design is a de facto standard, meaning that while it may be officially enforced or acknowledged, it has become a standard for the industry. Are dominant designs beneficial for competitors, consumers, complementors, and suppliers?

Answer 1

Dominent design is the de-facto standard to which companies and market-places decide to adhere in order to grow substancially in market. It's not the design officialy by the law, but a mere agreement by the companies, forced because of making market profits and reaching out to people. De-facto is standard obtained because of market-forces, or by consumers perspective, In other words the companies are forced to select a dominent design. Competetion is the key reason for the dominent design adherance. The dominant design may not be the technologically best solution.

Dominent design for competitors:

If the technology is less or not protected by intellectual property rights or your company is the maker of the dominant design then you may benefit from dominent design. Firms that do not have their technology adopted lose their investment in their technology and also have to cope with the dominent design in the market, and if they do not have that infrastructure to solve the issues, then this is not beneficial for them.

Dominent design for consumers: Consumers are concerned more about the prices, quality and support assurance of the product they choose. If they choose the less marketed product they may lack the fascilities provided by the dominent design. But if they choose the products based on the dominent design they have the service fascility at the nearest, more reliable product assurance. But if the prices of the products of dominent design are too high then they may not be as benifited as with other products.

Dominent design for complementors and suppliers: Complimentors are the ones wdo develop the products complimentary to the products of dominent design. For example, mobile applications are built mostly keeping android in mind and secondly Apple OS. Windows have a better GUI than linux and Ubuntu, therefore complimentors tend to make softwares based on Windows. The requirement of building apps based on different platforms in reduced and they can focus on the dominent design. They do not have to waste money on products design for the other platforms that do not have the market share. Suppliers on the other hand loose the decision making power as they do not have option to choose on the other side. They have to obey the decisions made on prices, shares of the products made on dominent design.