“Convenience is all destination and no journey, we are becoming people who care mainly or only about outcomes.” Evan Willams, Co-Founder Twitter
“Convenience decides everything.” Evan Williams, a co-founder of Twitter, recently stated this and it is true for most of us today. Humans have been shown that instant satisfaction can occur, and they want more of that, please.
The list of innovations that have made our lives easier is endless, and now that we have seen this world of convenience, most of us are here to stay. But previous methods will not necessarily solve current problems. Therein lie innumerous innovation opportunities.
Our future includes new ideas that respond to services, experiences, and solutions for our current problems. The past shows we can create innovations that are faster and better, but at what cost to the human experience? How will the future products and systems created continue to detract from our relationships with each other? How might these future products minimize the daily challenges we now have the constitution to face?
All of these thoughts make it imperative for innovators to create products that keep in mind the preservation of the human experience at some level. Many technologies today allow us to take on more, thereby making us more overwhelmed and causing stress. As leaders of organizations, you can navigate the innovation world with a finger on the pulse of human ingenuity and not just data-driven machine-learning.
“Convenience is all destination and no journey,” Williams continues, “We are becoming people who care mainly or only about outcomes.” Consumers are constantly informed, switched on, and sharing, and are therefore much more demanding. At the same time, society has been evolving around current global events and is understanding and interpreting the world through a new lens. Many people are looking to connect and are seeking out products and services that speak to them on a personal level. So how do you explore solutions and problem solve while considering humanity and what role do humans play in this process?
One problem-solving methodology to use is Design Thinking, which allows for a scientific approach inside a human-centric perspective. This process has been used for problems that data cannot solve, making it a key element of innovation in this new era. Rapid changes in society, market, and social environments benefit from the Design Thinking strategy, and residual outcomes can include redefining value and finding inspiration.
Innovation that is founded on data will impact market concentration and scale. And as much as change has occurred over the innovation past, is likely that human ingenuity will continue to play a role in innovation for the foreseeable future. Businesses will have an opportunity to set themselves apart by providing human-centric innovations in a less concentrated market.
Our team works with clients to provide extensive research on trends, competitors, and future market gaps. Using a strategy that considers the human element, we quickly provide massive forecasting data, allowing organizations to begin implementing future tech and new market opportunities.
Design Thinking should be an innovators dream, as it calls to inquire, “What could be?” This process requires lateral thinking, creativity, and imagination. Approaches that are more controlled, technical, or traditional do not necessarily consider many of contemporary society’s specific needs. Design Thinking requires a more collaborative approach, using a variety of skills and talents for those with both creative or logical minds.
A second innovation methodology is Agile Innovation System (AIS). AIS is a blueprint for execution. To innovate is to be flexible and able to shift quickly. AIS system is one that focuses on building small teams to act as startups do but within your organization. Working in small teams keeps a flow of new product and services design moving fluidly without getting bogged down in politics of the larger organization. Digital transformation and innovation feeds on agility. Design Thinking coupled with AIS could be very strong as designing for the human experience is critical to all new products and innovations.
There are many methods for tackling innovation. The first step is to understand company’s culture, risk tolerance and the goals of the organization for innovating. There is nothing wrong with starting slow and changing course as you go. It’s all part of the process. The world is moving very fast but this is truly a marathon, not a sprint! Get your footing and foundation before leaping into innovation head first or putting large dollars behind initiatives.
So, let’s create innovation for good and “hurt” a little, shall we? Develop processes in your organization to challenge innovators to create a new breed of solutions, those that will lead your company to long-term, sustainable revenue growth and put you into new market segments. Solutions that, as Williams says, “reward us with character because they involve an encounter with meaningful resistance.” Now there’s a problem to solve.
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