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Dyson: How did James Dyson break every rule?
- Karim Mustaghni
- Apr 29
- 2 min read
Updated: May 18
Explore the creative process behind the invention of Dyson.
The problem: James Dyson was never meant to succeed. For decades, vacuum companies followed the same formula: Vacuum bags = Profit. The problem? They didn’t actually work well. As dust clogged the bag, the vacuums lost suction power.
What if: Dyson wasn’t part of the industry but he was frustrated. And instead of accepting it, he asked a bold question no one else dared to: "What if vacuums didn’t need bags at all?"
The response? No one believed in his idea. More importantly, no one wanted change. Why? Because selling vacuum bags was a billion-dollar business. But Dyson didn’t just question the system, he broke the rules. And that’s when his creative thinking truly kicked in.
The creative process:
Step 1: Look where no one else is looking. Instead of studying vacuums, James Dyson looked where no one else was looking, sawmills. There, he discovered cyclonic separation, a method used to clear dust from the air. An unlikely source of inspiration, but the spark he needed.
Step 2: Experiment Relentlessly. What followed? 5,127 prototypes. 5,126 steps forward. Because with each one, he got closer.
Step 3: Ignore the Experts. When he finally had a working design, vacuum companies rejected him. They weren’t interested in a bagless vacuum, too much money was made from replacement bags. So, Dyson went solo, launched his own company, and proved them all wrong.
