Design in the Innovation Process
a Workshop
Innovation Convergence
Minneapolis, MN
September 26, 2004
9:00am – 12:00pm
ICHIKAWA • ERWIN • MULHERN ke
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INNOVATION CONVERGENCE 2004 • 1

Success =
Learn what Learn about
Learn common Learn how to
may be the “business
concerns of better teach
missing in side” of
innovators what we know
our process design
H2 support
H2 get H2 incubate
innovation
practical and ideas (foster
with
implement patience)
structure
H2 improve H2 Manage
H2 Identify &
processes for egos and
promote ideas
innovation power bases
H2 learn from
other
industries
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Information drives Innovation
Different!!
New!
Better!!
New information Information
arbitrage
Novel application
of old information
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…so communication is critical to innovation
A word is
half his who hears it
and half his who
speaks it.
— Michel de Montaigne
16th century French essayist
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…and the “information age” is having a profound affect
Much more …from a greater ..shared among many …on a much larger
information variety of sources more stakeholders playing field
Technology Internal discoveries R&D US consumers,
producers, & investors
Economics Academic research Marketing
English
Psychology Internet Industrial design Global consumers
Culture Publishing Strategy Global producers
explosion
Real-time Operations Global capital
feedback Consulting reports
Finance All languages
Partners
Consumers
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What roles might design and designers play?
Design is more than pretty pictures, decoration, and styling.
Design is a body (and a community) of practice. It comprises tools,
techniques, approaches, and principles that are uniquely suited to
conditions of information overload.
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Information in the Innovation Process
conceptual
mess springboard definition
Clarify Ideate Develop
problem concept specs
statement direction
Clarify, Ideate, Develop, Implement framework borrowed from Foresight - a project
of the International Center for Studies in Creativity and Blair Miller & Associates
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Clarify
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From “mess” to problem statement…
Desired outcomes
mess Well-defined challenge
Team oriented to mission and process
Opportunity areas identified
- technology
Clarify - competition
- customer
problem Information activities
statement Gather internal & external information
Filter & interpret from diverse sources
Determine relevance
Begin to shape a point of view
Immerse in new information domains
Prioritize opportunity areas
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Sorts & clusters Clarify
• Provide ample • Simplify • Create parity
space
• Establish hierarchy • Preserve
• Make information “baby pictures”
• Inspire confidence
shareable
in completeness • Show relationships
• Malleable
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Sorts & clusters: using everyday tools Clarify
• Automate tasks
• Not just for numbers
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Sorts & clusters: Analysis & Transformations™ Clarify
• Supports complexity
• Reveals patterns &
relationships
• Makes large lists
manageable
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Frameworks: a point of view Clarify
What are the elements of a Compelling Experience?
• Supports
benchmarking
• Highlights gaps and
disconnects
• Permits repeated
use and iteration
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Frameworks: the dreaded 2D map… Clarify
Many environments
1 2
Journalist Field service
Political technician
consultant
Field sales rep.
Management Occupational
consultant therapist
Plumber
Low
Architect Designer High
protocol protocol
Contractor
Office manager Acupuncturist
3 4
Startup
entrepreneur
Printing • Sets up a choice
manager about where to focus
University
professor • Ensures
completeness
Few environments
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Frameworks: Innovation Landscapes™ Clarify
Pharmaceutical
B N En C Pr Pr Se C B C
us et ab or od od rv ha ra us
in w e uc uc ic nn nd to
es or lin pr e el m
s ki g oc tp ts er
m ng pr es er ys
od oc fo ex
se te pe
el es s rm m rie
s se an s
s ce nc
e
• Deciphers industry
pattern over time
• Helps identify areas
of concentration (and
lack thereof) to point
to opportunities
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Concept Maps: plain Clarify
• Reveals relationships
• Connects to tangible
things, people, etc.
• Permits team to stay
un-structured as long
as possible
• Source: Learning to Learn
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Concept Maps: fancy Clarify
Time Effort
Kids’ preferences Money
Constraints
Cooking history
Mother-in-law
Mother
Family traditions
Influencers Real
Husband
Friends
Media
• Puts entities in
Tricks relationship to one
another
‘Superhero’ products Coupons & sales
Customization Rationalizations
• Shows dynamics
between entities
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Concept Maps: data-driven Clarify
• Provides big picture
view
• Driven by data
(in this case, fed
from Google)
• ww.marumushi.com/apps
/newsmap/newsmap.cfm
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Summary: Three ways to ‘describe the mess’
Tools
mess Sorts and Clusters organize and
create hierarchy.
Frameworks put information in a
known context and highlight gaps.
Clarify
Concept Maps help teams discover
and orient to relationships.
problem
statement Principles
Create hierarchy
Explore relationships
Give an overview
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Ideate
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From springboard to concept direction…
Desired outcomes
springboard Directions for innovation
Defined concepts
Comprehensive approaches
Ideate
Information activities
Communicate opportunity areas
Stimulate and inspire creative thinking
concept
direction Generate ideas (of a desired type)
Compare, cluster, and combine ideas
Highlight external benchmarks
Evaluate against criteria
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Environments Ideate
• Persistent information
• Supports multiple
stories and tellers
• Multiple media
• Active communication
via conversations
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Environments Ideate
• Working, not just
absorbing information
• Layered, changes
over time as new
information emerges
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Building Blocks Ideate
• Summarizes learnings
and intended focus
• Makes the challenge
“bite-sized”
• Lets you isolate and
test specific elements
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Generative templates: The Innovation toolkit Ideate
• Provide focused
information, with
rigorous protocols
• Prompt for infor-
mation that allows for
decision-making
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Iconic Stories Ideate
• Make people laugh,
then reflect
• Create buzz around
the project
• Ongoing touchstone
to reinforce “why
we’re doing this”
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Summary: Four ways to ‘set the table’
Tools
springboard Environments fully immerse teams in the
challenge.
Building Blocksbreak the challenge into
manageable pieces.
Ideate
Templates promote comprehensive
solutions.
concept Iconic Stories dramatize and focus the
direction challenge.
Principles
Infuse fun, humor, and perspective
Support interaction w/data
Make the challenge “Get-able”
Put the challenge in context
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Develop
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From conceptual definition to specifications…
Goals
conceptual Refined and developed concept
definition
Detailed specifications
Clear “marching orders”
Documented dependencies
Develop
Info about risk and contingencies
Information activities
specs
Communicate concepts to many audiences
Put concepts in context
- business case
- user case / market trends
Test and validate (proof of concept)
Respond to development challenges and
feedback from tests
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Briefs Develop
• Connect the system
of documents
• Provide simple story
upfront; use appendix
for details
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Briefs Develop
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Concept prototypes: visualize the possibilities Develop
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Concept prototypes: visualize the possibilities Develop
• Show how pieces
work together
• Use the right level
of explanation so the
recipient can do the
job in the next phase
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Mantras: the internal rallying cry Develop
• Help wrap reader’s
mind around the
essence
• Provide clear contrast
and drama
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Mantras: the internal rallying cry Develop
• Establishes criteria
• Rules things out
and rules things in
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Summary: Three ways to ‘spread the faith’
Tools
conceptual Briefs organize ideas and directions,
definition
preserving rich linkages.
Prototypes describe the future state in
tangible terms.
Develop
Mantras focus an organization on the
mission.
specs Principles
Make abstract things tangible
Enroll and enlist support within an
organization
Import inspiration from outside the
company and the industry
Convey priorities and hierarchy of actions
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Innovation phases and design tools
Design tools and principles can play a role throughout the innovation
process, helping to accelerate the process and enhance outcomes.
Clarify Ideate Develop
Sorts and Clusters organize Environments fully immerse Briefs organize ideas and
and create hierarchy. teams in the challenge. directions, preserving rich
linkages.
Frameworks put Building Blocks break the
information in a known challenge into manageable Prototypes describe the future
context and highlight gaps. pieces. state in tangible terms.
Concept Maps help teams Templatespromote Mantras focus an
discover and orient to comprehensive solutions. organization on the mission.
relationships.
Iconic Stories dramatize
and focus the challenge.
ICHIKAWA • ERWIN • MULHERN ke
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Thank you for participating!
If you’d like further information…
Go to www.doblin.com
Or e-mail: tomoko.ichikawa@doblin.com
tom.mulhern@earthlink.net
kim.erwin@earthlink.net
ICHIKAWA • ERWIN • MULHERN ke
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