You may have heard recently that my home town had a devastating earthquake. The CBD suffered badly with large scale destruction and many deaths. It is tragic. As you might appreciate my mind is elsewhere at the moment, and I’ll not be blogging for a while.
I did however discuss the long term plan for rebuild on New Zealand’s National Radio programme on Saturday. You can hear the interview here (MP3)
One evening, well into the night, we asked some of our friends on the Apple design team about their view of user-centric design. Their answer? “It’s all bullshit and hot air…
The article goes on to elaborate some more about the rationale against user led innovation:
But can’t you create radical new products based on what the user wants? Why do the most innovative brands not care about what users want?
- Users insights can’t predict future demand
- User-centered processes stifles creativity
- User focus makes companies miss out on disruptive innovations
The most fascinating thing about this provocative article: there aren’t any comments from readers yet. But I expect that will change very quickly.
via User-Led Innovation Can’t Create Breakthroughs; Just Ask Apple and Ikea | Co.Design.
Another gem of an article – this time from Booz & Company – about how creative insights actually form. Here’s my highlights:
Neuroscientists have ceased to accept Sperry’s two-sided brain. The new model of the brain is “intelligent memory,” in which analysis and intuition work together in the mind in all modes of thought. There is no left brain; there is no right. There is only learning and recall, in various combinations, throughout the entire brain.
[…]
Just as the intelligent memory concept has replaced the old two-sided brain theory in neuroscience, companies need to replace brainstorming with methods that reflect more accurately how creative ideas actually form in the mind.
[…]
The presence of mind Clausewitz describes is akin to the calm state that precedes a flash of insight, which neuroscientists can now measure. Their subjects include Buddhist monks and other masters of meditation. That explains why you get your best ideas not in formal brainstorming meetings but in the shower, or driving, or falling asleep at night — when your brain is relaxed and wandering, instead of focused on a particular problem. Incidentally, brian scans of these masters also show this presence of mind and reveal it as a mental discipline you can learn.
It goes on to make a link between how companies like Google encourage innovation – and why it’s the wrong way to do so. The article offers a model for how to create insights based on a method pioneered by GE.
This is very solid and fascinating reading.
I’m of the opinion that there is a continuum between foresight, strategy, innovation and design (in that order). A recent article on strategy in the McKinsey Quarterly elaborates on this further:
Strategists must take trend analysis seriously. Always look to the edges. How are early adopters and that small cadre of consumers who seem to be ahead of the curve acting? What are small, innovative entrants doing? What technologies under development could change the game? To see which trends really matter, assess their potential impact on the financial position of your company and articulate the decisions you would make differently if that outcome were certain. For example, don’t just stop at an aging population as a trend—work it through to its conclusion. Which consumer behaviors would change? Which particular product lines would be affected? What would be the precise effect on the P&L? And how does that picture line up with today’s investment priorities?
via Have you tested your strategy lately? – McKinsey Quarterly – Strategy – Strategic Thinking. (free registration required)