"probably wouldn't design a a boat that would float"

"I think somebody needs to go after these guys in the next group, and right now you've got 50-year-old men trying to think like 20-year-olds, so I wanted to get their perspective."​

John Dorton is chairman of Bryant Boats, and is targeting millennials. He partnered with Andy Hanzel, who teaches industrial design at Lawrence Technology University, to have students create designs which appeal to them. The designs are proprietary to Bryant Boats and Dorton said some of the ideas will be used in a new Bryant Line. Dorton said

"I knew they probably wouldn't design a boat that would float, but I needed to know what their thinking was."​

Dorton appears to have a good idea of what he can expect from industrial design students. He goes on to discuss in general terms some of what he learned from the student projects.
Based on an article "Motivating millenials to become boat buyers" in the July 2013 issue of Soundings Trade Only. The article can be viewed at http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/compo...-motivating-millennials-to-become-boat-buyers

 

1) Just about anyone can build a boat that will float.

2) Many people can build a boat that a good captain could pilot.

3) Relatively few people can design and build a boat that the masses can safely operate.