The slidedeck from the Innovation Games Workshop at the IOS conference NSSpain 2015

1. INNOVAT ION GAMES
Perfecting Your Brainstorming Techniques For Killer
Products & Features
Ben SykesUser experiencebehavior design
@BenSykes

3. The Big Agenda
Setting The Stage
What Are Innovation Games?
In a nutshell
Actionable Takeaways
What you can expect
Introductions
A little about me
Getting To Know You
What’sYour Story?
Exercise: Failure Pledge
Achievement Unlocked
How Do You Innovate?
Defining The Problem
We NeedYouTo Innovate
Where Do Big Ideas Come From?
Triggering Creativity
Lack of Innovation Discussion
Exercise: Let’s See Your Brainstorm
Achievement Unlocked
Lack Of Innovation
Is this happening and why?
Real World Scencarios
Solved by games?
The Games
Resources & Tools
Team Best Practices
Give Them A HotTub
Exercise: Solve Europe’s refugee crisis
Remember The Future
My Worst Nightmare
Exercise; Imagine (crowd sourced) worst case
scenario
Speed Boat
Exercise: Define why innovation is lacking
Real World Application
Exercise: Improve A Feature
Exercise: Build A Concept From Scratch

4. When You Leave Here Today…
Feel Inspired
• The next big idea is up to you
• Have lots of ideas
Innovation Action Plan
• Culture of innovation
• Improving a feature
• Improving a product
• Building a product from scratch
Start solving real world problems
Setting The Stage

5. Introductions
Designing Since 1995
—————————-
‣ Oscars : Am. Beauty
‣ US Marine (combat)
‣ Microsoft, Cisco, Google
‣ Teach UX & IA
‣ Wrote the GA Curriculum
for Job Search &
Apprentice Program
‣ Have run 20+ workshops
at GA around career
development
‣ Run @IA_UXJOBS
Sam Mendes
&Paula Abdul
Setting The Stage

6. What’s Your Story?
Why are
you here &
what do
you hope
to gain?
How many
designers?
How many
IOS
developers?
SomethingElse?
Setting The Stage

7. Failure Pledge (optional)
My name is_______________________
I am giving myself permission to fail, screw up & be messy.
I realize that I'm learning something new and it may be a rocky in the
beginning just like it was for many huge successes before me.
I will remember that procrastination only delays my greatness, and I’m
going to be awesome!
Setting The Stage

8. @BenSykes
How Do you Innovate

9. How Do You Innovate

10. Are we trying
to solve the
right problems?
Energy
Water
Food
Environment
Poverty
Terrorism & War
Disease
Education
Democracy
Population
How Do You Innovate

11. Our future depends on people like you.
The world needs you to be fearless in
your innovation.
How Do You Innovate

12. How Do You Innovate
BIG IDEAS
Where Do They
Come From?

13. How Do You Innovate
Collaborative Intelligence

14. Go For A Walk
“Creative thinking
improves while a
person is walking
and shortly
thereafter…”
—Marily Oppezzo
http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/xlm-
a0036577.pdf
How Do You Innovate

15. T ime In Nature
“The more you get
away from the
stresses of daily life
and the more time
you spend outdoors,
the greater your level
of creativity.”
http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/
stories/study-nature-inspires-more-creative-
minds
How Do You Innovate

16. Take A Shower
“A seemingly mindless task —
showering, fishing or driving
— might help spur creative
thoughts, as the mind
wanders from "lather-rinse-
repeat" to a recent problem,
and then back again.”
http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/
stories/study-nature-inspires-more-creative-
minds
How Do You Innovate

17. Exercise : Let’s See You Brainstorm
How Do You Innovate
Goal
Come up with a few solutions to
solve Europe’s refugee crisis using an
IOS app
T ime
5 Minutes
Problem To Solve
Solving Europe’s Refugee Crisis
Problem Definition
Today, more than 19 million people have been forced to flee their
home countries because of war, persecution, and oppression,
and every day an estimated 42,500 more join them.
Many, though far from all, of them head for Europe, which is why
the crisis there can appear most acute.
(http://www.vox.com/2015/9/5/9265501/refugee-crisis-europe-
syria)

18. Lack Of Innovation?
How Do You Innovate
Michael Arrington’s latest
complaint that he’s bored with what
currently passes for innovation,
there is a growing chorus of people
voicing their disappointment with
Silicon Valley’s inability to push the
envelope.
http://pando.com/2013/01/03/why-silicon-valley-innovation-has-stalled/

19. Lack Of Innovation?
How Do You Innovate
Apple Loses $37BN in Value
Due to Lack of Innovation
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/apple-loses-37bn-value-due-lack-
innovation-1449539
Lack of innovation is the biggest
threat to care providers
http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2014/jan/30/
lack-innovation-threat-care-providers
One of the reasons for lack
of innovation in the Valley
is that entrepreneurs are
not exposed to enough
real-world problems
http://thenextweb.com/entrepreneur/2011/07/13/the-problem-
with-silicon-valley-is-itself/

20. Problems with Brainstorming
How Do You Innovate
The problem is, traditional
brainstorming sessions are
rarely the best way to ensure
innovation.
Forbes: Why most brainstorming sessions are useless
Group brainstorming exercises can lead to
fixation on only one idea or possibly blocking out
other possibilities, leading to conformity of ideas
Wired For Success : Why brainstorming doesn’t improve productivity or creativity.
Anything, even doing laundry, will
help you dream up new ideas better
than sitting in a meeting…
Debra Kaye: Why innovation by brainstorming doesn’t work

21. Brainstorming? Sort of
How Do You Innovate

22. @BenSykes
Real World Scenarios
How Do You Innovate

23. Scenario:
• First week on the job
• Company is not innovative
• You have full autonomy to make it so
• What do you do?

24. Step By Step
1. Schedule weekly innovation meetings.
• Don’t mention “games” in meeting invite.
• Incentivize games
2. Advertise innovation
• Buy display boards. Post weekly meeting
outcomes in visible location.
• Demo innovations at weekly all hands.
3. Institute quarterly hackathons
• One day - company wide
• Incentivize
Building a
culture of
innovation

25. Scenario:
• Google has asked you to improve the
Gmail compose experience.
• Will not give you access to user data

26. Conduct own
usability test
with own
users
Empathy Map
Identify
existing
painpoints
Give them a
hot tub
Improve Gmail Compose Experience
Worst
nightmare
Research Innovation Games

27. Scenario:
• Uber has asked your team to envision
the future of the product and what
the next version could look like.
• Full access to user data & insights

28. Envision UBER future-vision
Remember the
future
Give them a
hot tub
Innovation Games
Identify
existing areas
of success and
pain
Research

29. Scenario:
• The CEO has tasked you with finding
out why the company is not successful
or why it can’t keep top talent etc. to
compete in the marketplace.

30. Identify Cause of Problems
Speed Boat
Innovation Games

31. @BenSykes
The Games

32. Resources
http://bitly.com/SUPERCOOL
GameStorming
• A Playbook for Innovators,
Rulebreakers, and Changemakers
• Book by David Gray, James Macanufo,
and Sunni Brown
Innovation Games
• Creating Breakthrough Products
Through Collaborative Play
• Book by Luke Hohmann
Thinkertoys
• A Handbook of Creative-Thinking
Techniques
• Book by Michael Michalko
The Games

33. Tools You’ll Need
1. Pens
2. Post-its
3. Butcher paper
4. Masking tape
5. Dry erase markers
6. Mental notes
My Big Idea
The Games

34. Team Best Practices
Do's
• Do: Use use words like “product”,
“innovation”,“challenge”,“
• Do: Clearly state the objective & value: e.g.
- “find a solution to our compose feature”
• Do: use at team offsets
• Do: schedule a recurring weekly meeting
for this
• Do: Group, tally and share outcomes
Don’ts
• Don’t: use words like “games” or “exercise”
and be careful with “brainstorm”
• Don’t: stop
The Games

35. @BenSykes
Give Them A Hot Tub

36. Give Them A Hot Tub
The Games
Goal
• Use outrageous features to
discover hidden breakthroughs
Activity
• Write several features on post-
its. One feature per post-it.
The more outrageous the
better.
• Generate as many post-it notes
in the allocated time.
• Cluster into categories.

37. Improve Gmail Compose
Give Them
A Hot Tub
How it works
1. T ime: 5 minutes
2. Multiple rounds as needed
3. Write several features on post-its. One per.
4. The more outrageous the better (hot tub
integration)
5. Cluster into categories
6. Extract (excel)
7. Prioritize
8. Add to roadmap
The Games

38. Improve Gmail Compose
Suggested
rephrasing
based on
goals: career
driven
Weekly
analytics of
recurring word
use and
grammar re.
Recommends
new words
that make me
look smarter
Signature
templates
Every email
sent donates .5
to charity of
choice
Pre-populates
copy for
people I emailthe most
Auto themes
for friends
Never have to
check email
again - it
sends on my
behalf
Tone Checker :
This might
hurt feelings.
Rephrasing for
sender
Recommends
mentioning
personal info
of sender that
makes happy
Sends me a
visual
breakdown of
importance.
Custom sounds
for family
Emotional state
aware.
Adjusts mails
accordingly
Give Them
A Hot Tub
The Games

39. Improve Gmail Compose Give Them
A Hot Tub
Suggested
rephrasing
based on
goals: career
driven
Weekly
analytics of
recurring word
use and
grammar re.
Recommends
new words
that make me
look smarter
Signature
templates
Auto themes
for friends
Never have to
check email
again - it
sends on my
behalf
Tone Checker :
This might
hurt feelings.
Rephrasing for
sender
Recommends
mentioning
personal info
of sender that
makes happy
Custom sounds
for family
Emotional state
aware.
Adjusts mails
accordinglySends me a
visual
breakdown of
importance.
Every email
sent donates .5
to charity of
choice
Pre-populates
copy for
people I emailthe most

40. Exercise : Give Them A Hottub
Goal
• Use outrageous features to
discover hidden breakthroughs
Activity
• Write several features on post-its.
One feature per post-it. The more
outrageous the better.
• Generate as many post-it notes in
the allocated time.
• Cluster into categories.
T ime
5 Minutes
Problem To Solve
Using a digital means (IOS App?) Find a solution to Europe’s refugee
problem.
Problem Definition
Today, more than 19 million people have been forced to flee their
home countries because of war, persecution, and oppression,
and every day an estimated 42,500 more join them.
Many, though far from all, of them head for Europe, which is why
the crisis there can appear most acute.
(http://www.vox.com/2015/9/5/9265501/refugee-crisis-europe-
syria)
Technology Platform
+ Apple Watch | + Mobile Phone | + SmartTV | + Computer
The Games

41. Goal
• Envision future success
@BenSykes
Remember The Future

42. Remember The Future
The Games
Goal
• Envision success future success
Activity
• Imagine that it is sometime in
the future (5 years?). You’ve
been using the feature or
product for sometime now.
On post-it’s (one per) write
down what the product or
feature will have done to make
you happy.
• Generate as many post-it notes
in the allocated time.
• Cluster into categories.

43. UBER in 5 years
Remember
The future
How it works
1. T ime: 5 minutes
2. Multiple rounds as needed
3. Imagine that it’s sometime in the future. You’ve been
using the feature or product for sometime now.
4. On post-its (one per) write down what the product or
feature will have done to make you happy
5. Cluster into categories
6. Extract (excel)
7. Prioritize
The Games

44. UBER in 5 years
Recurring
scheduled
pickups
Moving parties
Driverless
Meals on
wheels -
literally
Moving into
airline & bus
space
Long distance
& vacation
travel
Package
delivery
Knows my
preferences
and pre-
enables
Drivers have
to take local
street test
Rocking GPS
Googlemaps
integration.
IOT integration
with home and
wearables
Comes with
vomit bags
Remember
The future
The Games

45. UBER in 5 years Remember
The future
Recurring
scheduled
pickups
Moving parties
Driverless
Meals on
wheels -
literally
Moving into
airline & bus
space
Long distance
& vacation
travel
Package
delivery
Knows my
preferences
and pre-
enables
Drivers have
to take local
street test
Rocking GPSGooglemaps
integration.
IOT integration
with home and
wearables
Comes with
vomit bags

46. @BenSykes
My Worst Nightmare

47. My Worst Nightmare
The Games
Goal
• Discover hidden worst case
scenarios. Create sweet dreams
for your product by creating
nightmares
Activity
• Imagine your worst nightmare
related to your product or
feature. (E.g. a sports drink that
induces vomiting.) Write down
one nightmare per post-it.
• Generate as many post-it notes
in the allocated time.
• Cluster into categories.

48. Improve Gmail Compose
My Worst
Nightmare
How it works
1. T ime: 5 minute
2. Multiple rounds as needed
3. Imagine your “worst nightmare” related to the product, service,
system, or offering
4. Example: A “worst nightmare” sports drink might induce vomiting,
cause dehydration, or simply taste bad.
5. Cluster into emotional themes
6. Extract (excel)
7. Create action plan to avoid creating worst nightmares
The Games

49. Improve Gmail Compose
Shocks me
when I hit
compose
Sends me to
spam
Misspells
words that are
fine
Forwards my
emails to
unwanted
Makes me feel
stupid
Sends
messages to
old girlfriends
Emails to mom
get sent to
trash
Makes emails
public
Tricks me into
giving away
sensitive info
Hides in my
closet
Deducts money
without my
knowledge
Imports and
attaches
photos
My Worst
Nightmare
The Games

50. Improve Gmail Compose
Shocks me
when I hit
compose
Sends me to
spam
Misspells
words that are
fine
Forwards my
emails to
unwanted
Makes me feel
/ look stupid
Sends
messages to
old girlfriends
Emails to mom
get sent to
trash
Makes emails
public
Tricks me into
giving away
sensitive info
Hides in my
closet
Deducts money
without my
knowledge
Imports and
attaches
photos
My Worst
Nightmare
The Games

51. Exercise : My Worst Nightmare
Goal
• Discover hidden worst case
scenarios. Create sweet dreams for
your product by creating
nightmares
Activity
• Imagine your worst nightmare
related to your product or feature.
(E.g. a sports drink that induces
vomiting.) Write down one
nightmare per post-it.
• Generate as many post-it notes in
the allocated time.
• Cluster into categories.
Outcome
Imagine (CROWD SOURCED PRODUCT) Worst Case Scenarios
The Games
T ime
5 Minutes

52. @BenSykes
Speed Boat

53. Speed Boat
The Games
Goal
• Identify issues (as anchors) that
are keeping you / your team
from moving forward.
Activity
• Draw a boat on a whiteboard
or sheet of butcher paper.
You’d like the boat to move
fast. Unfortunately, the boat
has a few anchors holding it
back. The boat is your system,
and the issues (problematic
features etc) are its anchors.

54. Why aren’t we profitable?
Speedboat
How it works
Goal: Identify anchors keeping you from moving fast
1. T ime: 5 minutes
2. Write as many ideas related to the problem each on
a separate postit
3. Cluster
4. Extract (excel), prioritize and create solutions.
The Games

55. New CEO
Lack of
engineering
talent
No clear CTA
Competitors
have better
technology
Wasting time
doing this
activity
No demand?
Marketplace
isn’t ready
Value prop is
week and not
clear what
problem we’re
solving
Free lunches
Marketingefforts needto be social?
Homepage is
not clear
Why aren’t we profitable?
Speedboat
The Games

56. Speedboat
Why aren’t we profitable?
New CEO
Lack of
engineering
talent
No clear CTA
Competitors
have better
technology
Wasting time
doing this
activity
No demand?
Marketplace
isn’t ready
Value prop is
week and not
clear what
problem we’re
solving
Free lunches
Marketingefforts needto be social?
Homepage is
not clear
The Games

57. Exercise : Speed Boat
Goal
• Identify issues (as anchors) that are
keeping you / your team from
moving forward.
Activity
• Draw a boat on a whiteboard or
sheet of butcher paper. You’d like
the boat to move fast.
Unfortunately, the boat has a few
anchors holding it back. The boat
is your system, and the issues
(problematic features etc) are its
anchors.
Outcome
Using a digital means (IOS App?) define why innovation is lacking
The Games
T ime
5 Minutes

58. @BenSykes
Empathy Map

59. Empathy Map
The Games
Goal
• Get inside the head of your
customer or target user
Activity
• Give the target user a name
and a title.
• Create sectors related to 1.
hearing, seeing, thinking, saying,
feeling & doing.
• Using post-it notes assign
attributes or details to each
sector.

60. Empathy
Map
Hearing X
Hearing Y
Hearing Z
Seeing X
Seeing Y
Saying X
Saying y
DoingFeeling
Thinking X
From “Gamestorming”

61. @BenSykes
Whose Design Is It anyway

62. Whose Design Is It Anyway?
How it works
1. The audience, team, class is asked to come up with (in this order)
2. One Random problem to solve
3. Four random features or requirements
4. Three random design principles or success criteria
5. One random platform
6. Each person has 10 minutes to sketch a solution
7. When time is up each person will present outcomes

63. Problem to solve
Features
Platform
Design Principles
1. Homelessness
1. Must levitate
2. Be edible
3. Water proof
4. Biodegradable
1. Social proof
2. Variable reward
3. Delightners
1. Apple watch
Whose Design Is It Anyway?
?
Your Great Product Idea

64. Whose Design Is It Anyway?

65. @BenSykes
Product Box

66. Product Box
The Games
Goal
• Identify the most exciting product
features
Activity
• Divide into teams. Give each time a small
white cardboard box and have each team
design the product box they would buy
off the shelf. The box can contain
anything they want (marketing slogans,
pictures, price points). When finished ask
each team to present their product to the
rest of the group. Take a survey of who
wants to buy this product and why.

67. Product Box

68. @BenSykes
Real World Application

69. Exercise : Improving A Feature
Goal
• Improve on the Gmail compose
feature.
Activity
• Use two or more innovation
games. You choose.
• Cluster your results
• Pick the best ones
• Present as a narrative to the group
The Games
T ime
• 15 minutes to generate & cluster.

70. Exercise : Concept From Scratch
Goal
• Design A New Apple Watch
App
Requirements
• 2 design principles (random)
• Apple Watch
• Key functionality (min 3 class
assigned - random)
• End user emotional target (class
assigned - random)
• Real world problem to solve
(class assigned - random)
• Must use min. 2 innovation
games
The Games
Activity
• Build a product using
requirements
• Cluster your results
• Pick the best ones
• Present as a narrative to
the group
T ime
• 15+ minutes to
generate & cluster.

71. Our future depends on people like you.
The world needs you to be fearless in
your innovation.

72. Thank You!
…and now you have my
phone number
Ben Sykes
(650) 681-9016
@BenSykes
If You Liked What You See Here Today, Please
Let Others Know So I Can Keep Doing It!