E:\学习\Designinnovation\Innovationbydesign 2008

Innovation by design
Irish companies creating
competitive advantage

2008

Published in September 2008 by:
Centre for Design Innovation
ITSBIC, Institute of Technology Sligo
Ballinode, Co. Sligo, Ireland

ISBN XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Introduction
Irish companies that use design are very different organisations across six But don’t take our word for it, read about
more successful than those that do very different sectors; yet all with the Avenue Mould Solutions, Connacht Gold,
not. This fact was borne out of research common goal to grow their businesses. Infacta, Institute of Technology Sligo,
published by the Centre for Design Ireland West Airport, and Mantis Cranes
Within 15 months different participants
Innovation in the beginning of 2007. to see what they have accomplished.
have launched new brands; generated
The challenge was to create a practical
hundreds of ideas; explored new In the end, success of the programme
approach and tools that organisations
markets; created prototypes for new will be judged by the companies that
could use to innovate and grow.
products; redesigned their product took part and these are their stories in
The result was Innovation by Design, development processes; delivered their own words.
an 18-month programme of workshops, new and enhanced services to their
research and mentoring for six customers; briefed and contracted Justin Knecht
Northwest organisations that began design agencies; and one even Programme Manager
in June 2007. Precision toolmaker. renamed their company. Everyone Centre for Design Innovation
Agricultural co-operative. Software has applied a design approach to
developer. Third level institute. Airport. understanding customers’ needs first,
Heavy machinery manufacturer. Six which is key to identifying the right
ideas to commercialise.

CASE STUDY

1
Defining the right challenge

Involving the real experts; your customers

From first impression to lasting impression

Design is an investment worth making

Avenue Mould Solutions
Avenue Mould Solutions specialises in the production of
precision tooling primarily for the pharmaceutical sector.
The company is one of a few remaining mould makers in the
Northwest of Ireland, which used to be a national centre for
tool & die production. The company is a leader in its field and
has technical capabilities that make them an elite tooling
provider in Europe. Still, Avenue faces competitive challenges
of a softening market, price sensitivity and physical location to
acquiring new customers.

Our Design Associate was
the ‘tipping point’ of the
decision to focus on our
existing customers.

Defining the right challenge
At the outset of the Innovation by On reflection, Sales Manger Des Part project manager and mentor,
Design programme, Avenue was looking Forde added, “We would have been design associates help the companies
to develop and market a new line of doing a new product in an old way. apply what is learned through three
their own products for the first time; a Now we could springboard on the workshops during the programme. “The
risky proposition. Through conversations tools and techniques we learned design associates were the catalyst. If
with their Design Associate, Jonathan should we choose to do a new we had been left alone to do the work,
Ball, they worked towards enhancing product in the future.” it probably would have been put on the
their service offering to existing long finger,” explained Forde. “It wasn’t
Over the fifteenth month engagement
customers. “We didn’t have a lot of closed mentoring. You weren’t relying on
with the programme, design associates
product development competency the mentor to do the work. We learned
spend five days working with each
in-house and would have had to by doing things ourselves,” added
company. “The relationship with the
dedicate a lot of resources to that designer Andrew Hodson.
Design Associate was very beneficial,
project,” explained Managing Director,
and I wonder if we even could have
Felim McNeela. “Our Design Associate
gotten more from it; even more contact
was the ‘tipping point’ of the decision
time. He had a lot of relevant experience
to focus on our existing customers.”
from our point of view,” said McNeela.

4| CASE STUDY ONE: Av ENUE MOU lD S O lUT iONS

The benefits really
became clear to us
when we began doing
user-centred design.

Involving the real experts; your customers
Four employees, including Managing doing another thing; and Paul was doing them,” recalls Forde. “Three minutes
Director, Felim McNeela, were exposed another thing. We were supposed to into it, we were whisked away to a
to new research tools to better be working as a team and each of us production meeting. The plant manager
understand their customer needs had a different way or different view on called us over. We kept a respectable
in order to enhance their service how to get the job done and none of distance and he said ‘Come closer.’”
offering at the first user-centred design us were working together at all. I think With surveys in the bin and cameras in
workshop. The workshop activities everybody noticed that. We needed hand, the group was invited into team
provided the first experiences in trying to start working together to get an meetings, offices, the manufacturing
out design research techniques, as well end goal.” floor and the tooling workshop. They left
as other tools for prototyping ideas and with a list of potential improvements
Armed with the new techniques, the
addressing teamwork skills. “The one that were quickly implemented and
Avenue team planned an initial user-
thing that stood out was building the never would have been discovered
centred visit to key client Covidien
tower,” recalls Andrew Hodson. “There without design research techniques.
Healthcare; not entirely sure all the tools
were four of us there and we got all “The benefits really became clear
were appropriate to use with clients.
the cups and stuff to put together and to us when we began doing user-
To be safe, they prepared standard
were given what to do. At one point I centred design. It related specifically
questionnaires. “We had eight different
stopped and looked at the table and to ourselves and the problems that we
batches of ten sheets of questionnaires
Des was doing one thing; Felim was have had,” said MD, Felim McNeela.
that we never used. We should frame

6| CASE STUDY ONE: Av ENUE MOU lD S O lUT iONS

The first tangible addition was a “Our communication is better with Taking photographs made insights
redesigned mould manual for all our customer. We’ve always listened, visible to a wider internal audience than
customers, along with a quick-start but we’ve taken it to the next step.” just the few staff that made the visits.
guide (laminated for durability and stain The first visit was so successful, that “Everyone is more aware in the place. We
protection in the tool room) that could Avenue completed a further three visits had a meeting of everyone and fed back
be used without wading through an to customers in Ireland and the UK. the customer comments. The pictures
A4 lever arch file. “We were providing “The best way of summing it up is one are great evidence. You can keep going
a manual as good as our competitors. customer at the end of the day said this back to them. I can describe what I had
When we were shown everything on the is something we should be doing seen over and over and you wouldn’t get
table and able to cherry-pick the best with our own customers. Can we get it, but as soon as I show you a picture
from each, we were able to deliver a on the programme?” of how the guy organises his manuals.
mould manual they said was the best of There it is. Also it’s apparent how we
them all,” states Forde. need to try and stand out from the rest,”
says Forde.

|9 CASE STUDY ONE: Av ENUE M OU l D S O lUT iONS

The whole approach to how
we manage customers has
improved significantly,
particularly at the early stages
of developing a relationship.

From first impression to lasting impression
Avenue mapped their entire selling the reception area is received become The service map also highlights the
process and began to consciously possible points of differentiation. importance of each individual within
“make value visible” by designing “There was stuff there we wouldn’t the organisation, as they all are potential
how customer visits would work and have generated ourselves, or had an touch points for the customer. During
selectively designing bespoke materials awareness of. The whole approach tours of the factory floor, Avenue can
for each potential customer. “To me to how we manage customers has highlight the specific skills of their
that was the best outcome from the improved significantly, particularly people, perhaps their most valuable
programme. It provided a structure. We at the early stages of developing a asset. “It’s not just top management,”
were under-selling in small and not-so relationship; the story we tell at the start says Hodson. “Now the toolmakers,
small ways. Perhaps we were letting and the story we tell over the course of designers … all tiers know what they
the customer manage us as opposed our relationship and how we manage do affects the customers, even cleaning,
to us managing the customer,” their interaction with Avenue.” The marking, polishing, finish. All the
McNeela explains. user-centred visits, which at first were different levels are brought into
an experiment, were now a requirement the process.”
When looking at a customer relationship
at the beginning of all new customer
as creating a first impression to a lasting
relationships and as a regular review
impression, details as mundane as
with existing customers.
greetings by the receptionist and how

10|11 CASE STUDY ONE: Av ENUE M OUl D S O lUT iONS

We would have already been
proponents of good design
at Avenue, but our definition
of design has expanded to
include service.

Design is an investment worth making
Speed of implementation has been Avenue contracted Donegal design agreed “that Avenue already had good
hampered by the departure of some firm Carton LeVert to help realise a relationships with our customers, but
key staff. Avenue has increased spend system of collateral to support the this took us to the next level.”
against design despite weathering an selling process with customers. This isn’t
McNeela had an expectation at the
economic downturn and softening sales. the first time Avenue has turned to a
outset of the Innovation by Design
Managing Director Felim McNeela sees design consultancy for brand support
programme that it would be of benefit
the benefit in investing against the new though the programme in McNeela’s
to the company and is confident that
selling process. “We would have already view has provided a “more focused and
this new approach to delivering service
been proponents of good design at specific brief this time. (We are) far
would make them more competitive,
Avenue, but our definition of design has better prepared.”
grow new markets and help Avenue
expanded to include service. The market
The programme has already yielded sell on the basis of added value and
itself is changing and what it is looking
positive results around internal innovation as opposed to price. We look
for now is slightly different to what we
processes (selling, managing and forward to revisiting Avenue Mould
thought it was looking for two to three
tracking design changes, customer Solutions in twelve months to better
years ago. We are focusing on our
review); improved company culture measure the quantitative returns on
core competencies.”
through communication and implementing these changes.
involvement; and produced a well-
received new mould-manual and
quick-start guide. Many employees

12|13 CASE STUDY ONE: Av ENUE M OUl D S O lUT iONS

CASE STUDY

2
Have you really looked?

Build to think

Tools and techniques cannot triumph over culture

Connacht Gold
Connacht Gold was established in 2000 by the merger of North
Connacht Farmers’ Co-Operative Society (NCF) and Kiltoghert
Co-Operative Agricultural Dairy Society Ltd. The business is
split into a number of divisions: retail sales and foodservice,
dairy ingredients, livestock and property marketing,
agribusiness, property development and financial services.
The Retail Sales and Foodservice division has an ambition to
be the number two in retail milk and specific butter segments
through continual development of the Connacht Gold brand
and strategic new product development.

People will tell you in
a consumer group what
you want to hear.

Have you really looked?
The question posed by Connacht Gold Given that most shopping baskets are Connacht Gold described their business
when selected to take a part in the 80% the same week to week, what as “essentially adding value to butterfat,
Innovation by Design programme was prompts a change of brand or product? milk and cream”. Gathering insights in
“how do we de-commoditise milk Two teams led by Design Associate stores was augmented by an in-home
and butter?” Jonathan Ball and Programme Manager exercise, playfully named Fridge-to-Face.
Justin Knecht observed consumers at Connacht Gold employees, families
The user-centred design workshop
local Dunnes and Tesco stores to get of the Centre for Design Innovation
highlighted the difference between
some insight on shopping patterns. and friends of the Design Associate
market research and design research.
followed consumer use of butter and
Connacht Gold had employed focus “I thought that was very insightful,”
milk products from the fridge and onto
groups, but had never engaged directly said John Byrne, National Sales Manager.
breakfast tables and into recipes.
with the consumer by observing their “Going forward, we need to get better
John Byrne recalls, “In the milk category,
behaviour at the shelf. Pat Cummins, insight into what is actually happening
you’d look into the fridge and see high-
Research Development, agrees that in the store. I think it’s even better than
value branded products like Tropicana
“if you see them picking it off the shelf, doing focus groups, as people will tell
and Innocent smoothies sitting beside
I think that’s more evidence there might you in a focus group what you want
retailer own label milk. How do you
be an opportunity there.” to hear.”
get people to see milk as not just
a commodity?”

16|1 CASE STUDY T WO: CONNAC hT G O l D

The fact that students
could do that is a
massive achievement.

Build to think
Margins are thin and investment is low would stretch the sector conventions. Gold team were already impressed.
into developing new products, so a Both approaches would have to take “You get radical independence from the
project was arranged between Connacht account packaging materials and brand students. You get a completely unbiased,
Gold and fourth-year industrial design guidelines given at the initial briefing different view of it.”
students at the Institute of Technology by Connacht Gold. All proposals would
At the final presentation, students
Sligo. The creativity and design be for mainstream production. Robert
presented highly finished prototypes.
innovation course is one of the few Hosey, Technical Manager, agreed
One silver carton was used in store
product design programmes in Ireland. “we gave them a fairly difficult brief.
alongside competitive products for
The course runs over four years with Very narrow constraints.”
testing preference by the design team.
the students encouraged to work
Connacht Gold Retail and Foodservice “One woman put it in her cart and liked
closely with industry on ‘live’ projects
arranged visits to the diary and to it so much she didn’t want to give it
whenever possible.
current packaging suppliers. The back.” Estimates of manufacturing costs
The six-week project challenged the design students completed additional and retail prices were provided. “The
students to look at packaging for both fridge to face photosets; evaluated the amount of work they put in was beyond
milk and butter, based on user-centred competitive landscape at home and what we expected,” said Byrne. “Almost
research, that could be launched in 12 in the UK; and investigated emerging finished packaging from concept to the
months time using existing packaging trends in the dairy and food sector. table. The fact that students could do
technologies with minimum capital Connacht Gold came back to the college that is a massive achievement.”
investment; and also packaging for for a presentation of the research. Pat
launch in three to five years time that Cummins and the rest of the Connacht


It takes more than a good
design to get a product
to market.

Good design is not enough
Connacht Gold believes the nature of impressed with, none of their ideas were The team reports the programme has
product development in the food sector implemented. They learned that it takes had little to no effect on the business to
offers unique challenges. The ability more than a good design to get a product date, but John Byrne is optimistic that
to innovate is also limited by capital to market. Consumer sentiment and the “the key learnings will be implemented,
investment. Pat Cummins says, “The food all important views of the supermarket as we approach NPD differently.” Byrne
industry is a good bit different than the buyers influence the launch of a new did complete a visit to the UK with
engineering industry, for example. The product or the re-branding of an existing Design Associate Jonathan Ball to
first priority is to maximise the existing one. The project gave them an excellent perform in-store research for a potential
resources as it is not often feasible to lesson in design for a low-margin, export opportunity.
change product shape and designs on a high-volume business such as the dairy
The team found it difficult getting
regular basis.” produce industry.”
broad buy-in within the organisation.
Diarmuid Timmons, chair of the industrial Even when a good idea reaches the Individuals were “not seeing the value
design programme at IT Sligo reflects, market, it’s not the consumer who always the programme could bring outside
“The students learned an invaluable gets the final say. Cummins states “the the everyday chores which have to be
lesson. Although they came up with reality is that new food products have to done as part of your job. Again it’s about
excellent designs and solutions that make sense not alone to the consumer, culture; you need to go and grow a
staff members at Connacht Gold and but to the distributor, the retailer and the culture of innovation.”
consumers in supermarkets were manufacturer; and good products can fall
at any one of these fences.”


Infacta
Infacta Ltd. is a provider of online marketing applications
competing against everything from “one-man, part-time,
bedroom-companies” to properly staffed, full-service
organisations. Their flagship product, GroupMail, was
launched in 2001. After nearly a decade in the marketplace,
Infacta decided to review its profile and examine its vision
for the future.

Once I started attending
the workshops I knew
it wasn’t just about how
things look. This was
about everything we do.

People do things they will
never tell you
Infacta is a holding name for other knew it wasn’t just about how things user-centred design work should go. The
brands and has limited recognition and look. This was about everything we do. follow-up was really, really important.”
meaning outside of the Irish market How our actual products work. How do
Infacta had just begun development of
where 99% of its income is generated. our customers use the product? How do
a new software project, Miximo, aimed
Infacta’s Vice President of Marketing, they find the products? How usable are
initially at volunteer sports management
Robert Martin, assumed management the products? Is it easy enough for them;
such as the GAA and rugby clubs. With
of the company’s involvement on the simple enough? From the very moment
new tools in hand, employees created a
Innovation by Design programme. “We … I know you call them touch points …
picture diary of volunteers performing
had a number of different products and they get in contact with us to buying
registrations for the local rugby club and
no consistent branding on our products it, downloading it, installing it, using it.
began inviting potential users of their
or throughout our organisation. People It’s all about that, not just say, how our
software into the office to observe them
didn’t know Infacta from GroupMail.” website looks.”
performing tasks online. “We’ve gotten
The first user-centred design workshop Martin agrees that workshops alone people in here and watched what they
did more than expose Infacta employees don’t provide a lot of value. “The follow- are doing on screen and used that in the
to new tools and techniques to up is so important because it becomes design of the new Miximo project, but
understand their users, it changed their specific to your business. You can get not only that, we’re taking it and rolling
perception of what design meant. “Once these guys in to do workshops; you it back to how our other products like
I started attending the workshops I see them once and they’re gone. The GroupMail work.”
follow-up helped us set up how the

24|2 CASE STUDY ThREE: iNFACTA

One of the main legacies of this
(programme) is our new brand
and how our brand is perceived.
We’re going to completely
re-work everything we have.

Brand is a thousand small gestures
Infacta brought different employees document left us completely flat. We come through our website. The
along to all three workshops in order went back (to our Design Associate) domain name is critical. This cannot be
to expose as many staff as possible; and did it the proper way. Helping with underestimated.”
from the CEO to reception. However, the design brief was key. We had no
Infacta and Carton LeVert kept
the penny dropped at the branding experience with that.”
employees involved throughout the
workshop. “Every workshop was
After creating a written brief internally, process. “We had a workshop with all the
excellent, but one in particular was the
Infacta sought proposals from five Irish employees and they got a better sense
brand touch points. It seems so obvious,
and one UK agency before choosing of the whole. It was great for them to
but made so much sense. You’re like,
Donegal-based design firm, Carton see what we were trying to achieve;
damn, these are so important. We need
LeVert. “One of the main legacies of how design affected not only marketing,
to sharpen our game up here.”
this (programme) is our new brand and but products and customer service.
In the days following the workshop, how our brand is perceived. We’re going I think everyone realises now that
in true Internet time, the Infacta team to completely re-work everything we there is something in this.” The new
quickly contacted an established have. We’re going to have complete company name hasn’t been determined
design agency to draft a brief for a total consistency.” yet, but “there are some great names
re-brand. Martin reflects “that was a floating around.”
It was clear after some initial work
mistake on our part, but we had good
that the company name needed to be Martin pulls out a big brand comparison
feedback from other companies and
changed; a difficult task on its own but to make his point. “Apple didn’t just
we’re like ‘Why do we need to waste
being an Internet-based company, made wake up one morning and have all this
time vetting other companies?’ We went
even more so by having to secure a .com cool stuff. Their brand is always the
ahead and did it, but their first
name. “100% of our customers same. When you see something you
recognise it is an Apple product.”

The user doesn’t care
about the technology,
it’s the front-end they
care about.

It starts (and ends) with the user
Customer support was already Not only are Infacta consulting with When new staff is hired, Infacta now
considered a key point of differentiation customers, they’re also talking to treats it as an opportunity for a little
for Infacta, though Martin admits,“ after the rest of their employees. Informal research and customer insight. “The first
going to the workshops, we saw that chats in the kitchen that might have thing we do is ask them to go purchase
there were still areas where we could been forgotten are now a little more GroupMail online and download the
improve.” The culture of the organisation structured. “Up to now it’s been, ‘this software and watch what they’re doing.
is showing significant signs of becoming would be a cool feature.’ Meetings would Before we wouldn’t have watched them
even more customer focused. be ‘should we go down this route or this and taken notes on certain things they
route’ … and now we don’t really care were doing.”
Infacta are trying to get more feedback
what route you go down as long as it
continuously from customers now to Taking time to integrate design research
makes it simple for the customer.”
see how they use the software. “Over the into the development process has had
past few months we released a beta of Infacta already had an innovative an effect on time to market. “The one
our GroupSurveys product. We sent out programme in place where developers problem is it has taken us a lot longer to
some emails, ‘Do you mind if we give would field support for the products get where we’re wanting to go. The way
you a call?’ We got some feedback on the they were working on. The workshops we used to go was just to release stuff,
actual steps to create a survey. Changed reinforced the importance of putting get feedback and then make changes.
the layout. Users came back and said users first. “All the developers now have Now we’re looking to use (user-centred)
‘Fantastic. The new layout is far easier more of a sense of ‘we need to focus on design before we create the first
and simpler to use. We can’t wait for the users’ as opposed to just focusing release of the product. That’s a slower
the release.’” on the technology. The user doesn’t care turnaround for us.”
about the technology, it’s the front-end
they care about.”

OK, this is not about
design, this is about
our whole company.

An investment in design is a
good investment
Infacta believes that lots of small price, but “once we get things right” he service we offer. In the beginning we
things add up to a good overall user expects the company to be competing thought it was about design, and then
experience. “We’re looking at how to more on added value and usability. we realised, ‘OK, this is not about design’,
change a lot of the small little things this is about our whole company, this
Their investment in design has increased
we do to make us appear nicer to is our whole strategy, this our whole
significantly. They have even hired
customers. Even small little things like business plan. It’s changed the design of
their first in-house designer. “In the
our auto-responders that tell people the Miximo project. It’s changed the way
past we would have hired another
you’re in a queue and we will get back to we design products in the future. It’s
developer.” Infacta are now working with
you. Let’s make it a little more friendly.” changed the whole company branding,
an established agency on branding as
in that we’re changing our name.
Involvement on the programme has opposed to turning to a smaller outfit
It’s heightened our expectation of
already contributed to developing for logos as they might have done in
customer service.”
new products and services and Martin the past.
believes that this approach will help Our interview ended with an invitation.
Martin claims “the whole thing that
Infacta be more competitive and “I’d love in a year’s time to come back
you’re doing here is changing our
develop new markets. Customers and talk about how Miximo goes.”
company. Not just our marketing, but
currently buy their products mainly on Offer accepted.
our development and the customer


The Institute of Technology Sligo
The Institute of Technology Sligo is one of 14 similar third-level
institutes within Ireland. There are currently 5,400 students
attending the college, roughly broken down as 3,500 full-time,
1,100 part-time and 900 apprentices. The Institute is the fourth
largest in the country and delivers programmes at all levels, has
been in existence for 37 years and employs some 800 full-time,
part-time and special purpose contract staff.

It gave us tangible tools
day one. Let’s start by
giving the students
cameras to record their
first impressions.

Understanding your customers
Registrar, Brendan McCormack, saw the first impressions.” And that’s exactly The registrar’s team expanded their
Innovation by Design programme as “an what they did. Cameras were given to research to include the website, signage
opportunity for the registrar’s office to students during registration to see the and reception areas, as well as collecting
become a better service provider; taking college through their eyes. prospectuses from other colleges.
the view of the student as a customer They consulted with to the community,
“One of the big eye openers for me
and the staff as customers. While we industry and press to understand the
was that in the past we’ve always tried
believed we were doing a good job, external impression of the Institute.
to work to make things as efficient and
were we thinking as service providers?
effective as possible for us, but then “The user-centred aspect forced us to
The Centre for Design Innovation is we realised through the photographic get out of our nests here. We jumped
conveniently based on the Institute journal and other ways of looking across the counter and said ‘well, who
of Technology Sligo campus; so thirty closely at our customer; they may want are you’ and ‘what are you thinking’ and
members of faculty and staff were other services we were not providing. ‘what’s your view of the world’ and ‘why
able to attend a rehearsal of the user- For example, we discovered that we did you come here?’”
centred design workshop. The registrar’s need to spend more time explaining
team had the benefit of attending the how our systems work in order for the
workshop twice. “It gave us tangible customer to get the best value from
tools day one. Let’s start by giving our services,” recalls Dara McGoldrick,
the students cameras to record their Schools’ Liaison Manager.

34|3 CASE STUDY FOUR: Th E iNST iTUTE OF TEC h NOlOGY SliGO

We didn’t know what our
message was and who it
was targeted at.

A brand is not a logo
McCormack remembers “when the is unbelievable. I’m thirty years in this “The normal tendering process is you
evidence came in; when we laid out all business and if you can change me, get the documents in and you pick from
the prospectuses; when we looked at you can change anyone.” The college those. We could have gone ahead and
the photographs our first-year students committed to the project and an initial done that without advice (from the
took; and the signage; that was the budget of €50K to create the new brand. Centre). However, we learned an awful
moment. The user perception of IT Sligo lot from going to visit the companies..
“The fact that we could get together
was one thing. Our perception of IT Sligo We are very happy with the company we
and make a case to the Executive, was
was something different. We didn’t know chose, and we probably wouldn’t have
quite an achievement (for the team) in
what our message was.” The project team selected them had we not gone to see
the current environment. Here we were
was convinced this wasn’t just about the them. On paper you get caught up on
in the public sector talking about brand
registrar’s department anymore and the price.”
in front of the Executive Committee. It
brought members of the Executive
was quite a significant step forward.” “The turning point was when the agency
Committee to a brand workshop in
said ‘you’ve got to be brave.’ That was
Dublin to introduce them to the concept. Design Associate Gavin Pryke was
it. This company had the right attitude.”
determined for the college to find the
The registrar’s team pulled together a Conor Clarke, Director of Design Factory,
right agency and after short-listing
room displaying all the research that had remembers saying those words but also
five agencies out of 19 submissions,
been done to date for a presentation. recalls that “somehow they arrived at our
arranged visits to all of them with a team
Photos lined the walls. All the collateral doorstep with an open mind. Normally
from the college.
from the college was pulled together. people come in the door and are closed
One member of the Executive remarked Catherine Kennedy, of the Director’s about the possibilities. It allowed us to
while walking around the room, “This office, was assigned as Project Manager. challenge them even more.”


People, in a way, had
already been living with
the brand for a couple
of months.

It’s about your users
Getting approval for the project was a There was no explanation. They just presentations throughout the college
significant milestone. The next challenge appeared. “The first brave thing the with key stakeholders, faculty and staff.
was getting agreement on the final college did,” says Clarke, “was the banner
If you pick up a prospectus from any
brand identity. Project Manager, campaign; the excitement, the intrigue,
number of institutes or universities,
Catherine Kennedy felt “the hardest the banter and the chat. By the time
chances are you’ll be greeted by its
point was where to draw the lines of we were doing the final delivery at the
President espousing what makes their
consultation. You’ll never get everybody staff conference, people, in a way, had
college the best. The focus is typically
in the IT. If you want to get work done already been living with the brand for a
on the institution itself. The messages
and make progress you can’t ask couple of months.”
coming out of IT Sligo were now all
everybody’s opinion and take on board
Kennedy recalls “when the banners went about the customers of the college.
everybody’s ideas. That was a hard line
up, the student union president said he
to draw.” The general response from the staff
always felt reception was like a prison,
according to McCormack was “Yeah, of
The agency worked with the college to and finally, it didn’t look like a prison.”
course it is about the student. I’m glad
develop a banner campaign, but these
Along with similar, smaller posters somebody finally said that.”
banners were building-sized and unable
scattered throughout the college,
to escape your notice. One was hung in
Design Factory and Design Associate
the parking lot; another in the lobby of
Gavin Pryke held a series of
reception; and a third in the canteen.


I think it will raise our
profile nationally. The
brand is strong enough
to do that.

Measuring success
Demand for third-level placement is brand is strong enough to do that if we the designers to speak about how they
static. The supply of courses being keep going with it.” could improve the atmosphere in the
offered nationally to new students is library through branding. “To get any of
Some may question whether education
increasing dramatically, which means their services across to a student; they’re
providers should concentrate on
increased competition. The college has becoming more visually aware and
teaching and leave the design and
already delivered upon two success conscious on how they are seen,” said
branding to business. Padraig Cuffe,
measures for the project: differentiating designer, Julie Mitchell.
Academic Administrator Student
itself from other Institutes of Technology
Affairs Manager, is more pragmatic. “I McCormack sees staff using the design
and consistency of communication.
think it has to be viewed as a business techniques moving forward. “We have
Whether the brand can help increase
now, within the context of who we are life-long learning students. I would like
first-preferences and non-traditional
and what we do with our customers. to see us begin to use techniques to
students remains to be seen. “It’s very
We’re there to make sure that the whole understand how they interface with
hard to measure its effectiveness. That’s
entire experience for the individual, the the learning process. It’s a change in
one of things we asked when we went
student in particular, is positive. That is attitude, and perhaps it’s a small group
to the agencies. ‘How can you prove
all linked into the design, and so on, of of those involved, but rather than
what the brands you introduced have
how we do it.” thinking I’m a public servant, sitting
delivered for your (client) companies?”
behind my desk, filling out forms;
The new brand is the tangible output
Dara McGoldrick, who will be managing we should have a direct relationship
of the programme, but changing
the brand internally is optimistic. “I think with the customer. Seeing what we do
mindsets in the public sector cannot be
it will raise our profile nationally. The through the eyes of the customer.”
underestimated. Library staff grabbed


Ireland West Airport Knock
Ireland West Airport Knock was established in 1985 as Horan
International Airport; the brainchild of Monsignor James Horan,
Parish Priest of Knock. A group of key supporters had the
extraordinary vision to build an international airport that to
many seemed unrealistic and unattainable. In 2006, the airport
was re-branded from “Knock International Airport” to “Ireland
West Airport Knock” as an indication of the airport’s strategy
to become recognised as an international airport on a global
scale and to act as a signifier to the location of the airport as
the main airport in the West of Ireland.

The most valuable part
was the whole customer
journey mapping exercise.

Mapping the customer service experience
Ireland West Airport Knock serves of how we evaluate different parts of customer journey mapping exercise
more than 20 scheduled and charter our business, and in this case, that being and the design tools we’ve used to
destinations across Ireland, the design. For certain individual managers, undertake our research.” The team
UK, Europe and beyond and has me included, it would also be an prioritised three areas to investigate
broken ground on a new €46million opportunity to apply a totally different further as potential projects: Queues,
infrastructural investment programme, process to the business. An accountant, family user experience and premium
including a new terminal expansion. by training, wouldn’t look at things from customer services. User-centred tools
The airport surpassed a half million a design perspective.” and techniques from the workshop
passengers in 2005 and plans to double were identified by the team leaders
Following the user-centred design
that number by 2010. to help gather customer insights on
workshop, the entire management
their projects.
Robert Grealis, CEO, recalls joining the team worked with Design Associate
Innovation by Design programme “as an Gavin Pryke to map the entire customer Grealis announced that “design and this
opportunity to step back from the day experience journey from when someone project will be on the agenda of every
to day business; to get an overview and decides to fly, all the way through to management meeting.”
get a different perspective on it, and leaving the airport after arrival. “The
also to bring in a new concept in terms most valuable part was the whole

44|4 CASE STUDY FivE: iRE l AND WEST Ai R pORT KNOCK

Seeing what customers do
first hand is much more
powerful than being told
what customers do.

Putting yourself in your user’s shoes
One of the benefits of working “Our ability to look at problems in a into the new terminal design. Though
alongside your customers, is you slightly different way has improved; becoming queue-less is a long-term
have great accessibility to them to do particularly the way we’ve evaluated the goal, check-in queues were re-aligned.
design research. In order to investigate passenger experience has opened our “It isn’t pretty, but functionally it’s
families travelling with children, three eyes.” Other staff created photo journals worked and it’s worked because we went
tables were set up in the upstairs of families travelling with children in through the passenger flow process.
airport lounge with crayons, paper and arrivals and departures and others The best example of that is last Saturday
instructions. The tables were monitored recorded personal inventories of what we accommodated 3800 passengers,
by airport staff and adults were free families had packed for travelling with a record day, but the building was
to leave their kids to do the activity. children. Staff member, Orla Gibney, designed to handle 1500 passengers
Children drew pictures in response was taking photographs. “Seeing a day, no more.”
to three questions: What do you like what customers do first hand is much
A re-alignment of passenger screening
about travelling through the airport? more powerful than being told what
gave people a lot more room and time to
What don’t you like? What would you customers do.”
get their belongings into trays. “Design
like to have at your favourite airport?
The airport has implemented a number has raised the bar on what’s ideal for us.
Tables filled up quickly and one parent
of improvements to address premium Two or three years ago we would have
remarked, “I think it is great that the
customer services and removing been overjoyed with the re-alignment
airport is doing something like this with
queues. They trialed loyalty cards and of the security screen. Today it’s helped,
the kids in order to keep them occupied.”
are incorporating a business lounge but our bar is much higher.”


The long-term solution
still is the design of a cart
that serves an airport user
rather than a cart that’s
just designed to hold bags.

A prototype is worth a thousand pictures
Design Associate Gavin Pryke captured a real deadlines puts the right sort of At the end of four more weeks, the
video of travellers struggling to release pressure on the students to produce students presented three prototyped
stacked luggage trolleys while waiting the goods. The interaction between the designs to the management at Ireland
for their baggage. He brought Carmel client, manufacturers and the end user West Airport Knock for trolleys that
Kilcoyne, Operations Manager to arrivals familiarises them with a good template could offer a better experience to
to see what was happening first hand. for working that they will use again and families travelling with children. One
She knew there was a problem with again,” says Diarmuid Timmons, Program concept was a sustainable design,
the trolleys, but hadn’t realised the Chair, Creative Design and Innovation, potentially made without metal that
extent. Something needed to be done. IT Sligo. might provide customers the benefit
The airport made an investment in 200 of taking their trolley through security
Within four weeks the two students
trolleys just two years earlier, hoping with them. “It fits with our values around
presented five costed and prototyped
they would last ten years. the environment. Whether it’s feasible,
solutions back to the airport. One
we need to see. We’ve seen the wear
Ireland West Airport Knock turned to the alternative was a simple, no-cost and
and tear on metal carts. The long-term
industrial design students at the Institute ready to implement resolution. “Just
solution still is the design of a cart that
of Technology Sligo for a solution. Third- have someone separate the trolleys
serves an airport user rather than a cart
year students Marc Torrades and Alan when they are returned to the bay.”
that’s just designed to hold bags.”
Harrison were assigned to a summer Applied design thinking at its finest.
placement to fix the faulty ‘sticking Consider the students came up with The airport is currently exploring
trolleys’ and to develop proposals for five potential fixes to the design flaw of options for how they might work with
innovative trolleys. “Having to work the cart that the manufacturer did not the college to help bring a new trolley
in the real world in real time and with incorporate. to market.


Design is now part of what
we do as a company, not
just what marketing might
do or finance might do.

Concept to capability to culture
In order for the airport to reach its “It’s opened up the team to being more reports “implementation has been
goal of a million passengers by 2010, it creative and allowed some outside the hampered by acquiring planning
needs to be the traveller’s choice within box thinking which we would have permission for the new terminal
its West/North West catchment area. never facilitated really, as much as we design. The planning process in Ireland
Annette Kearny, Marketing Manager, think we do.” Kearney does highlight had a major impact on us being able
believes a customer-focus is key. “The one challenge to their potential ability to implement solutions. 80% of the
customer is the focus. Because the to designing service; a lack of service changes rely on the new terminal design
programme was user-centric, that design expertise in Ireland. “I think being in place.”
message has got right across the board the difficulty will be in the practical
However, a cultural “shift has occurred
to all managers and they’re all looking at implementation of designing a service
at the management level. It’s now in the
how we can improve the experience and as opposed to a product where you
conscious, so that if we are looking at
obviously, by default, improve our own could get a hundred different designers
a change, how that change is going to
market position. That has achieved more and advisors to tell you that you
affect our users, and therefore, how we
than what four years of lectures could need ‘this gadget to fit in that yoke.’
design that change is far more up the
have achieved. It’s moved parameters So the whole thing on guidance on
ladder than it was before. Design is now
away from traditional thinking of design implementing service; there wouldn’t be
part of what we do as a company, not
as being graphics and brand image and, as wide a choice of people that you can
just what marketing might do or finance
to an extent, architecture to designing a call on.”
might do. We probably thought we were
business around the customer.”
Although the programme has “opened a lot more customer friendly than we
us up to potential solutions we wouldn’t actually are, and that’s something we
have considered previously,” Grealis need to build upon.”


Mantis Cranes
Established in 1999, Donegal-based Mantis Cranes is already
recognised as the innovator of self-erecting cranes in the Irish
market; providing equipment for sale and hire. Managing
Director, Seamus McMenamin made the decision to keep
manufacturing in Ireland and to grow their RD and design
capability to be less dependent on a single external partner.
It’s a high-risk, high-reward strategy.

I realised at that time we
were going to be taken
down a different road
than I would tend to
go myself.

It’s not what design is, it’s what design does
“I went into the programme to address The marketing team went into the bits and pieces from him. The main
an issue we had with the company, field to observe operators using cranes (insight) I got was (from) a guy that
which was, whether we take on design along with Design Associate, Gavin runs a fleet of mobile cranes in Dublin.
here.” From the first workshop on Pryke. The design and production team I was there with him a good part of the
user-centred design, it was clear to observed the erection and takedown of day. I came away realising there was a
McMenamin that this was a new and cranes looking for insights into possible possibility of two versions. Some of the
different approach to design than he product improvements. McMenamin things he wanted the standard customer
knew as an engineer. “Design as I saw it, went to interview customers, a process would not pay for. The ordinary builder
and what my perception of what design he “wouldn’t have done before.” The out there would be looking at the price
was, and what it would be for Mantis, research identified potential product and weighing up cost as opposed to
compared to what I’ve learned (on the improvements and perhaps a new the value of the machine, whereas the
programme) would be totally different. market opportunity “that came back likes of the mobile crane guy who is
And that would be a positive. I realised directly from us getting the customers used to paying a lot higher figure for an
at that time we were going to be taken involved in the design process.” equivalent machine, would be prepared
down a different road than I would tend to pay extra money to have things to
“I went myself to a number of customers
to go myself.” make it easier for the operator, for the
… if we could write this (spec) again,
handler. In other words, there were a
what would you like to see? I went and
number of things he mentioned, and the
talked to a customer in Scotland who
budget may be 20-23 thousand euros,
has two machines from us and the
he would probably pay for that because
feedback was quite good. I got a few
to him the cost of the machine as

4| CASE STUDY SiX: MANTiS CRANES

compared to an alternative is favourable. Also, choosing the right ideas is more
There’s two markets out there as important than coming up with good
opposed to one market. There’s two ideas. After initial observation in the
different types of customer, that could field watching crane operators use bulky
take a standard model or could take an controls that required frequent repair
upgraded model that they’re prepared and replacement and weren’t considered
to pay for.” user-friendly seemed like a potential
opportunity. The existing controls were
McMenamin cautions that you better be
manufactured by a third party. Perhaps
prepared to take on what the customer
Mantis could design and manufacture a
tells you. “The one thing about doing
better remote control. No pun intended
this is it’s an unnerving process in a
but “we focused our time on something
way, because if you’re serious about it
we had no control over, and a lot of that
and you can make some of the changes
focus was lost. We concentrated our
that’s grand. If you can’t do some of the
efforts on the wrong activity.” In this
changes … that part of it is difficult.”
case, we (the Centre) could have
listened more to our own customer,
Mantis Cranes.

6| CASE STUDY SiX: MANTiS CRANES

We focused our time on
something we had no
control over, and a lot of
that focus was lost.

They were the first genuine
workshops that I’d ever been
on in a training programme...
we were actually doing
the work.

All touch points are not created equal
Robert Rowlette joined Mantis Cranes no hiding. The stuff was being dragged The service framework allowed Mantis
as General Manager at the beginning out of you and we know more about to make discreet changes, like handling
of 2008. “I was aware of the programme this business than any outsider will ever ready to ship orders, but perhaps the
and what was in it before I joined here. It know. Once we got on that track with greatest changes were in the minds
immediately became apparent that there the programme we got the customer of the employees. The culture was
was a little bit of a mismatch between contact mapping points which is a very, changing. Rowlette illustrates the point
what we expected from the programme very powerful tool and enabled us to do with a story. “We were doing a job in
and what it actually could give.” things.” Dublin putting up a tower crane and the
project manager more or less said to the
Following a brand workshop that McMenamin would be the first to
service guys on the site ‘If your back-up
introduced the concept of customer tell you that “if we had been solely
in Donegal was as good as you, you’d be
touch points, an extended Mantis dependent on manufacture, we wouldn’t
s**t hot.’ If you had said that to us four
team came to the Centre for Design be sitting here today. It’s the service
months ago, we would have been very
Innovation offices to map out their aspect and hire, that’s keeping us
defensive about it. Lets take it on board.
service offering. “They were the first here today.” However, Mantis wasn’t
What are the issues that are causing the
genuine workshops that I’d ever been consciously managing the service
customer problems and address those
on in a training programme. Normally experience. Critical customer touch
because that’s one person who’s saying
you go in and you’re sitting there, but points were identified, including the
it, and there are probably others who are
we were actually doing the work. We service engineers that had the majority
thinking it and we’re not hearing it back.”
were guided through a process, and of contact with clients. They were the
we were made to work. And there was face of the Mantis Cranes brand.

|9 CASE STUDY SiX: MANTiS CRANES

The Managing Director was not only “We always would have said it’s not just
looking externally for insight, but the crane you’re buying, but it’s us
applied the tools to internal staff to you’re getting. But we didn’t actually live
see how the service experience could up to that promise. Now having gone
be improved. “We took the service through the (mapping) exercise we’re
engineers aside and asked what would more focused on it and the downturn in
make this easier for you?’ Not just the economy has helped us focus a lot
the customers. Going to guys on the more as well.”
manufacturing floor and asking what’s
difficult to manufacture? What should
we be looking to change?”

60|61 CASE STUDY SiX: MANTiS CRANES

We always would have said it’s not just
the crane you’re buying, but it’s us
you’re getting. But we didn’t actually
live up to that promise.

The project management
tool for new product
development has made
a big impact.

Product development is a process
The last crane development project Unless he had the opportunity to talk to of 35 (improvements) and when we
at Mantis took three years to market Seamus it wouldn’t have been acted on, rationalised, there were 24 or 25 we
and they were looking to cut that and even if they had, it wouldn’t have would run with.”
development time at least in half. been actioned.”
The new TC-25 isn’t on the market
McMenamin credits the programme
With a draft NPD process in place, the yet but Mantis shipped a revised
for helping “to highlight some of the
team was tested by preparing a crane crane to their American distributor.
inefficiencies we had in the engineering
for a key national trade show in the UK. “The feedback from them was quite
department, and there were some
“The project management tool for new positive about the changes. They were
serious discussions as milestones
product development has made a big immediately apparent to them and
were laid out and none of them were
impact. I don’t think we would have we didn’t really think they would be
delivered on.”
done what we did. We had a very tight noticeable, but there were certain ones
In order to get to a new product deadline for SED.” they thought ‘yeah, we like this, we like
development process with buy-in from this.’ And the other thing is there were
But has the combination of user-
the organisation, Design Associate Gavin changes they had though about; that
centred design tools and a new product
Pryke hosted another workshop with the they had suggested; that they now
development process resulted in
extended team. Rowlette describes that saw in the design so it feeds back to
tangible changes to the TC-25 crane?
“before somebody would have made a them that they’re not just shouting
Rowlette reported that “everybody was
comment, it might have been someone in the dark.”
given an opportunity to contribute
working on the floor. We wouldn’t have
and we ended up with an initial list
had a mechanism for catching that.


I would have taken design as a
huge mammoth task, and it’s
not. It can be as difficult or as
simple as you want it to be.

Turn your customers into advocates
In the current economy, with the be implemented in relation to the new and myself, but people from the sales
construction sector being more exposed, crane. It will be more user friendly for side, engineering, production, finance;
Mantis had to reduce design staff. They the customer, and more friendly for they’ve all become sensitised to design
intend to replace that role and add a fabrication and service. Lead times have which I don’t think would have been
senior designer with elite experience been reduced and that goes back to the there before. They’re aware of issues
against their in-house design objectives. fact that we now have a formal design and how they impact on customers and
“The market failed. That has affected management tool for doing it.” the consequent knock-on effect that
everything within the company. And it has coming back to us. Things like paint
Time was spent against logo consistency
has also affected the programme for us. quality; we would have looked at from
on product and marketing materials. The
The productivity we hoped to have, we an engineering viewpoint, than from a
newly designed corporate brochures and
have pulled back. Our concentration design or service thing.”
pamphlets have changed to reflect the
has shifted from, I suppose, a company
language that came out of the service In the true sense of turning customers
looking forward to, for a period of time,
mapping process. Mantis turned to their into advocates, the best design
to consolidate,” says McMenamin.
Design Associate for help on the design endorsement comes from Managing
When the economy begins to pick up brief to get their website redesigned. Director, Seamus McMenamin who is
again, Mantis expects the new tools Rowlette said, “Gavin, with the website working with active members of Donegal
and approach to help them enter new brief, was pushing us. We got good Engineers. “They keep talking about new
markets. The ongoing improvements to help there.” products, but still have the perception of
the TC-25 crane will make Mantis more design that I would have had before the
Rowlette believes “everyone that has
competitive and less sensitive to price programme. I want to employ someone
been exposed to the programme,
pressure. “There’s been quite a number of for 18 months to two years to work
and there have been a wide number
changes both implemented and to individually with these companies. I just
of people, it hasn’t been just Seamus
need to get the funding.”

About The Programme
Innovation by Design is not the first Participants attend three workshops pay more for branded services and
design in business intervention in total. The first on user-centred experiences, than commodities or
programme, yet it is unique in taking a design is the cornerstone of the products. Decks of cards highlighting
user-led approach to innovation. Few programme, dispelling myths about key techniques and concepts from
companies put themselves in their “design” and providing easy to use tools the workshops are retained by each
customers’ shoes, even though the best to identify the right users; observe company for future reference and use.
way to develop successful products and what clients actually do; involve your
Following each workshop, the
services is to understand users’ needs user experts; and prototype potential
organisations apply the new skills to
first. This is what is meant by user- ideas. The second workshop is about
their own organisations with the help of
centred design. understanding and developing your
a Design Associate. Design Associates
brand. It introduces the concept of
Unlike other programmes, companies have cross-disciplinary experience
brand touch points and the building
learn by doing it themselves. The within multiple business sectors and
blocks of brand development. A brand
Innovation by Design programme design disciplines. This facilitation and
is not just a logo. The third workshop
transfers design thinking skills into mentoring is key to integrating new
looks at service design and customer
the participating companies through skills and participants can request
experience, providing a simple blueprint
highly interactive workshops, practical strategic expertise when needed.
for how to design and evaluate service.
application and individualised support, Companies receive five days of face-
Organisations learn to go from a first
as opposed to just partnering up a to-face time over the course of the
impression to a lasting impression.
company and a designer. programme and the continuous
This is good business as customers

66|6

Business
Should we do it? support of the Centre. On two separate
Marketing
Business Processes
occasions, all companies are asked to
Vision Strategy / Ambition present a plan of action and progress
Facilities / Work Environment
Organisational Structure to their peers. Participating companies
Resources (Time, Money, People)
Intellectual Property
provide support or just enough
Br
Customer Service peer pressure when its time for a
an
d presentation.

Wants Companies may approach the
Needs
Service Process programme with a certain project in
Desires
mind, though new opportunities are
often uncovered. Implementation often
ct
du

Manufacturing Process requires professional assistance and
Pro

Manufacturing technology
Supply Chain Management companies are helped with briefing and
Materials
Automation
selecting design consultants to see the
People Operations projects through to commercialisation.
RD
What do they want? IT
In the end, every organisation is
equipped to use design as another tool
for competitive advantage.
Technology
How do we do it?

x|6 CASE STUDY NUMBER: COMpANY NAME

Acknowledgements

We would particularly like to thank the Design Associates: To discuss any aspects of the
six organisations and all the individual Jonathan Ball, Gavin Pryke programme, please contact:
employees who worked so hard over the
Workshop development and delivery: Justin Knecht
past 18 months. At the Centre, we have
Colin Burns, Richard Eisermann, Programme Manager
learned equally as much by delivering
Anja Klüver, Fiona Myles Centre for Design Innovation
the programme as hopefully you have by
ITSBIC , Institute of Technology Sligo
participating in it. Advice and consultation:
Ballinode, Co. Sligo, Ireland
Sally Brazier, John Buckley, Paddy
A programme of this size and scope is not T +353 71 915 5496
Crowley, Ré Dubhthaigh, Keith Finglas,
the work of a single individual or even a E justin@designinnovation.ie
Deirdre Johnston, Seán McNulty,
single organisation. We’ve had the pleasure
Alan Mumby, Frances Owens, Will Reese
to collaborate with a number of talented
people from around the globe. Collateral design: Carton LeVert

Special thanks to Brendan McCormack,
whose initial idea and A R E application
established the Centre; our funders,
Enterprise Ireland; and the support
of Deirdre Brougham, A R E Programme
Manager.

The Centre for Design
Innovation is a centre of
excellence for the research,
understanding and
promotion of the effective
use of design and innovation.
It is an initiative of the
Institute of Technology
Sligo and is funded by
Enterprise Ireland under
the Applied Research
Enhancement Scheme.

www.designinnovation.ie

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