Innovating products and services
Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2024 8:21 am
Innovation, the engine that moves the world, transformed ingenuity, unleashed creativity, continuous improvement and the solution in motion. You are probably wondering what does all this mean? Is innovation as complex as it seems? The answer is no, however, it presents a curious ambivalence in its understanding, and that is that, on the one hand, when we talk about innovation we only think of technology and cutting edge, which cannot be more wrong since its meaning is simpler and broader than that. We can understand it as “doing things differently ” or “modifying something that exists and improving it” , this, because innovation is born from the need of a client, and not from technology.
A simple example to understand this is what happened with suitcases. In the past, korea whatsapp number when they were created, they were designed with the idea of storing and protecting something that one wanted to transport and that could be taken anywhere. This product was the perfect solution for a long time until at some point in history someone had a glimpse of lucidity and said, “What would happen if we put wheels on suitcases to make them easier to move?” This innovation radically changed the design of the product, its usefulness, and gave the proposal a totally new twist, making traditional suitcases almost obsolete.
However, on the other hand, we understand the difficulty of innovation, and it is the ability to realize the real needs of customers, to understand them from empathy and to put yourself in their place. Without a doubt, this is the most difficult part of the process, and for this reason, there is a methodology that will allow you to apply innovation in a simple, dynamic and fast way. I am referring to “Design Thinking”.
This methodology was born from Industrial Design in the 70s and has now begun to be widely used in business management, as its application has been transferred to the business area. This happened because “Design Thinking” allows solutions to customer problems in a very short time, in a fast and agile way. And it is based on in-depth research into people: What do they think? What do they say? What is their perception? What user experiences do they have?
Design Thinking is a methodology for generating innovative ideas that focuses its efficiency on providing real solutions to user needs. It is based on delivering real value to the customer and turning it into a market opportunity. It can be used by anyone and in many situations, as it is a discipline that uses sensitivity and design methods to match three elements: user needs, the technological feasibility of the solution, and a business strategy.
The “Design Thinking” model is made up of five stages, which can be moved forward or backward depending on the needs of each case. This non-linear characteristic allows great flexibility to work on innovative ideas as it will allow you to make corrections as you go:
Empathize: It starts with a deep understanding of the user's needs. You must analyze their environment, put yourself in their shoes and try to understand their reality.
Define: You must begin to filter the empathy information you obtained in the previous stage and stay with what is valuable, with what is really important. You must identify the problems whose solution is key for the user.
Ideate: At this stage you should generate as many options as possible. Don't settle for the first idea you have, keep searching and consider all possible options. To do this, you should eliminate value judgments or prejudices. Don't eliminate the craziest ideas, sometimes they are the right ones.
Prototyping: This is about “turning your idea into reality”; you must make your ideas palpable and tangible. Prototyping will help you visualize solutions in an easier way; constantly ask yourself: What should we improve?
Test: It is necessary to test the prototypes you have created with users. This will allow you to accurately identify improvements, flaws and shortcomings in your prototype. From this final stage, you can only evolve towards a better solution.
Once you apply these five steps, you can start over again as many times as necessary to reach the solution you are looking for.
Finally, you may be asking yourself: Why innovate? Is it worth it? The answer can be oriented towards competition, since markets are increasingly more competitive, dynamic and changing. There are more and more agents (or companies) that are in the same place as you and trying to satisfy the same needs that your business offers. In addition to this, we can consider that sometimes someone who has more experience, who knows what they are doing, who brings new products and lower prices, can enter as competition. With innovation we can make a business more competitive, being the engine that drives the transformation in a company, it will allow you to create, improve and compete with more tools.
A simple example to understand this is what happened with suitcases. In the past, korea whatsapp number when they were created, they were designed with the idea of storing and protecting something that one wanted to transport and that could be taken anywhere. This product was the perfect solution for a long time until at some point in history someone had a glimpse of lucidity and said, “What would happen if we put wheels on suitcases to make them easier to move?” This innovation radically changed the design of the product, its usefulness, and gave the proposal a totally new twist, making traditional suitcases almost obsolete.
However, on the other hand, we understand the difficulty of innovation, and it is the ability to realize the real needs of customers, to understand them from empathy and to put yourself in their place. Without a doubt, this is the most difficult part of the process, and for this reason, there is a methodology that will allow you to apply innovation in a simple, dynamic and fast way. I am referring to “Design Thinking”.
This methodology was born from Industrial Design in the 70s and has now begun to be widely used in business management, as its application has been transferred to the business area. This happened because “Design Thinking” allows solutions to customer problems in a very short time, in a fast and agile way. And it is based on in-depth research into people: What do they think? What do they say? What is their perception? What user experiences do they have?
Design Thinking is a methodology for generating innovative ideas that focuses its efficiency on providing real solutions to user needs. It is based on delivering real value to the customer and turning it into a market opportunity. It can be used by anyone and in many situations, as it is a discipline that uses sensitivity and design methods to match three elements: user needs, the technological feasibility of the solution, and a business strategy.
The “Design Thinking” model is made up of five stages, which can be moved forward or backward depending on the needs of each case. This non-linear characteristic allows great flexibility to work on innovative ideas as it will allow you to make corrections as you go:
Empathize: It starts with a deep understanding of the user's needs. You must analyze their environment, put yourself in their shoes and try to understand their reality.
Define: You must begin to filter the empathy information you obtained in the previous stage and stay with what is valuable, with what is really important. You must identify the problems whose solution is key for the user.
Ideate: At this stage you should generate as many options as possible. Don't settle for the first idea you have, keep searching and consider all possible options. To do this, you should eliminate value judgments or prejudices. Don't eliminate the craziest ideas, sometimes they are the right ones.
Prototyping: This is about “turning your idea into reality”; you must make your ideas palpable and tangible. Prototyping will help you visualize solutions in an easier way; constantly ask yourself: What should we improve?
Test: It is necessary to test the prototypes you have created with users. This will allow you to accurately identify improvements, flaws and shortcomings in your prototype. From this final stage, you can only evolve towards a better solution.
Once you apply these five steps, you can start over again as many times as necessary to reach the solution you are looking for.
Finally, you may be asking yourself: Why innovate? Is it worth it? The answer can be oriented towards competition, since markets are increasingly more competitive, dynamic and changing. There are more and more agents (or companies) that are in the same place as you and trying to satisfy the same needs that your business offers. In addition to this, we can consider that sometimes someone who has more experience, who knows what they are doing, who brings new products and lower prices, can enter as competition. With innovation we can make a business more competitive, being the engine that drives the transformation in a company, it will allow you to create, improve and compete with more tools.