When Kliner Perkins hires designers it's official: 7 Tips From Leading Design Entrepreneurs

When Silicon Valley's most prestigious VC in Q4 2012 sets up the Kliner Perkins Design Fellowship, and a National Design Award is given due to a designer's design entrepreneurial work you know the US is finally catching on. But what are the secrets to design breakthroughs? Here's a starting point: 

                                           

1) Learn to code and understand web analytics: because in the beginning you can't afford a full web development effort and you will have to sell your goods online - there is no more door to door anymore and if you can't push the BUY button because there is no system to make that happen, your project is not going to make it.
2) Never underestimate how important design is: if your product looks bad, if your site does not work on tablet and smart phones it's all over. Customers know 1st impressions mean everything and now almost as much as the product itself.
3) Don’t allow design to damage your focus: if your not Steve himself, then you may have to work with someone that is and in that, be flexible as your design might not be your own
4) Keep a side project: Google allows 20% of time to employees own projects. Use this as your guiding principle as you can't "design" all day many times your building what has already been designed
5) Read everything. Listen To everything. Experience as much new as possible: design inspiration is the key to disruptive design and zigging when others are zagging - the point to "winning" new clients in a sea of also-rans
6) A prototype is worth 1000 words: this is an absolute must. Prototype fast and Prototype often. The faster you and clients can see what is going on the faster you get to the endpoint
7) Think like a student as that is what a designer is: if you can't think outside the box you just created you can't innovate. The tighter the rules the harder it is to be "different" and different can sometimes be disruptive or even fully "innovative" by Schumpeters definition.

And there are many more, but with these your products will be that much further ahead of the competition.

                                

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A new disruptive market: Canary (security) in a coal mine? No your home!

Start with the (light) light-bulb  the (clothes) washing machine, (entertainment)TV, (games)Atari, (temperature)Nest and now (security)Canary. What have each disrupted? Your home. Now comes Canary - and she's a beautiful bird who protects like a hawk. 

If you want to ignite an entire product ecosystem, there is always going to be some ashes. Could Canary a room based home security ecosystem that monitors: temperature, humidity and air quality via high level sensor such as an HD video camera with a wide-angle lens & night vision, backed up by a beefy microphone, &  3-axis accelerometer do this? Considering that Canary is the invitation of big brother right into the home and your smartphone, anything is possible. 

Now the question is what ELSE can be done with Canary? Naturally a full and beautifully designed interface is part of the product design as well as the physical look of Canary itself. The hack and 3rd part developer possibilities are also fully abundant, and so with a strong computing core capable of other functionalities Canary is also a platform. The sustainability of the business platform is the now the variable to watch however from 1st look, Canary has tremendous possible wingspan. 

McKinsey doesn't get it, but Google Does: Design Sprints

Design can be a trip to the Caribbean or a battle with Somali Pirates & that's been our last week here at iGNITIATE. How did we focus our clients? Ignoring McKinsey and embracing Google: Google Design Sprints in fact.

Google Ventures has been focusing on design, design thinking surrounding physical products like Google Glass and the Google Phone designed by Mike & Maaike as well as service design and UI design. Google has now started  publishing much of their design thinking models via the Google Design Labs. An overview of their process can be found here, and in typical sillicon valley fashion, design and even a disruptive design model - one we particularly are interested in. Want to know how they do it? Here's the summary:

1) PICK A BIG FIGHT - and when the problem is too simple expand it. Design thinking especially disruptive design thinking means looking at the whole picture?
2) GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE - and that means eyes and ears you don't normally bring around. Sing the same song all the time and you will never create Nirvana
3) SCHEDULE THE USER STUDY BEFORE YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO TEST - however this is where we disagree for in some situations and especially with expressive design, analysis paralysis is guaranteed the more exponential questions you ask
4)  FIND A FACILITATOR - necessary as an advocate in law situations yet sometimes limiting for true artistic or design art "breakthroughs"
5) PUT IT ON THE CALENDAR - keeping track is again against the design ethos of the design artists however for corporate "user centric" and "co-creation" better known as customer centric design this keeps things moving and people accountable
6) GATHER THE INGREDIENTS - paper, pencils, etc., and this is more for those managing as design artists can make it all happen with a crayon and newsprint if that's all there is

                                

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Want perfectly simple products and services? Ditch the Advertising

In "SIMPLE" by Siegel and Gale's Alan Siegel and Irene Etzkorn we see the complexity in advertising agency "luxuriousness" - large design fees. Want to debunk it? Simply, Leave out the advertisers. Here's how: 

1) "encountering focus group consumers who expressed a clear preference for food products with fewer ingredients" ----> no, consumers want amazingly well made products cheap. It's not possible - hence advertising. It's something to deal with. 

2) " use the term "breakthrough simplicity" to describe an approach to innovation that is rooted in finding new ways to make everything simpler." ---> no, it means accepting complexities cost. 

3) "the airlines example" no, it means working towards Google's dead simple interfaces (and not knowing anything about the back end)  not following yahoo's example of advertising everything. people want cheap tickets, a snack and no gimmicks. Do that you have a winner. Example: JetBlue & EasyJet

4) "THE MORE COMPLICATED A PARTICULAR PRODUCT OR SERVICE WITHIN THAT INDUSTRY MAY BE, THE MORE OPPORTUNITIES THERE ARE FOR SIMPLIFICATION." no, the more opportunities to advertise the deficiencies and waste money charging for it. Simple products require no advertising. 

5) "make the right high-quality choices for these customers--and then make sure they understand that what you’re providing is a simple solution " no, stop making things complicated from the start. if you can put it all on one chart (and any company can) then decisions are easy, else, else, it's advertising complicating it. Example, the simple VC rule. "explain it to me like I'm 5"
6) "Today, it’s clear that most people--more than 80 percent" no, it's always been this way. when has anyone ever asked for life to be more complicated? never. this is tautological and why? " 72 percent of U.S. consumers want companies to be more transparent" ergo, when has anyone ever wanted the wool pulled over their eyes? Never. 

7) "An Adweek/Harris Poll noted that three-quarters of Americans have found a commercial on TV confusing. On a more consistent basis, 21 percent often find that commercials lack clarity." no, it's even easier than that - customers don't like being confused or lied to

and finally, "And last and foremost--getting back to what matters most in business--simplicity sells.", yes, as when products put in front of the consumer what is, what can be, what will happen when they use X, and what it will cost it is values and professional services firms can charge for it, else, it's just advertising.

Simple. 

                                

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McKinsey's Winning products for emerging markets? Almost

McKinsey has been dipping toes in the design space for some time. Their strategy? Straight off the top: analysis, comparison, evaluative. Flat. And not in terms of today's "flat design" shift. What are they missing? Here's the breakdown.

The basic assumption in their most recent article, "Winning Products for Emerging Markets", lists 3 basic models for "design" and our enlivenment in new markets:
1. Shake up your thinking (collision workshops) vs. full cradle to cradle projections
2. Start from scratch (ignore history) vs. blue ocean / blue sky / no limits models
3. Design for manufacturability  (internal questions) vs. unrelated products in adjacent markets

None of the advice or analysis presented is incorrect, rather lacking in the models of disruption, and forward thinking use of design superstars and integrated design thinking. Where can you go to find out alternative methods? Right here, because "Design Innovation Just Isn't Balls".

Want breakthrough products & services? Perfect Cross Pollination

Naturally we are often asked, how do breakthroughs happen? And what are the secrets to securing a steady stream of these? XEROX PARC had it right in the 70's, Google has got it now, but how can your firm do it? Here's how:

Our friends at fast company have their list: The 5 ways to Cross Pollinate for Innovation and these include some excellent possibilities but naturally they are lacking specifics, which we have added here and which we we often augment for our clients:

1) COMBINE UNLIKE IDEAS: and people, bringing in those who normally don't sit at particular meetings to take a stealth seat and provide feedback after the meeting

2) TALK TO PEOPLE: bringing in external speakers, taking the entire team to conferences and workshops after hours regardless of location, utilizing TED, online universities, etc. 

3) BUILD ON EXISTING IDEAS: and client bases in adjacent industries

4) HIRE A DIVERSE WORKFORCE: the more languages that are spoken the better even IF that person is not the best 24/day worker as diversity creates alternative viewpoints

5) USE A METAPHOR: visually, textually and of course emphatically

More cross pollination toolsets include details by Harvard researcher Lee Fleming in his cross pollination article on 17,000 patents which details how he  used natural language processing to analyze breakthrough products - that made it, or might make it to market. 

Other cross pollination possibilities include: 

6) HACKATHONS: encouraging staff to use trash in the office or factory for art and technological projects

7) OUTREACH: programs to help local school children and also paid time off to do the same in forigen countries which is tax deductable

8) LOOK FOR TROUBLEMAKERS: they exist not for their own benefit but for your customers benefit if asked how they can "make it better"

9) OPENING WHAT IS CLOSED: when divisions focus on fiefdoms innovation is stifled. Rotational work groups may slow things down if productivity is all that matters, innovation is seldom about doing the same thing over and over and getting great (expected) results - the definition of insanity. You may think it a time waster, but inactuality it is a time creators. 

The days of trips to the bar and weekend barbecues paid for by management are over. Unless you are creating an atmosphere where the creators are challenged, displayed and rewarded, your firm is missing the boat because behind closed doors your competitor are already doing the above. 

You already missed the boat when McKinsey reports on what Eric Schmidt thinks is disruptive

When you hear the sound of the hurricane from a McKinsey report with Eric Schmidt, it's probably already too late but at least you have a little time left on the next big disruptive trends. Batton down the hatches!

12 Trends in 2013 for New Products? At least 4 will propel your firm to greatness.

Recently "Trends for new products and services in 2013" was published Are they correct? When contextualized into a low vs. high market + a startup vs. corporate model yes, they create  value. How can your firm benefit? Simple: Growth by Innovation or Growth by Acquisition. Here's how & by simplifying we get to the meat of making it happen.

2013 Trend 1: Tension is where competition starts
Summary Description: "Services that let you be predictable one day and impulsive the next, and products that appeal to values that once seemed in tension: eco and luxury, traditional and playful, retro and hyper-modern.
Innovation Model: Start a news company/division that pays attention to what people are doing & where they are going on a daily basis
Acquisition Model: Buy these users, their clicks, there location information and/or preferences, details and usage patterns


2013 Trend 2: "Customer-facing employees are your brain and your backbone."           
Summary Description: "The sales associate, the courier, the flight attendant, or the service agent--in many ways these are your most important, best-informed people. "
Innovation Model: innovation tracking software, blogging aggregation, employee twitter analytic systems
Acquisition Model: Walk around, take notes, weekly outings with employees and clients and implement new business lines based on output

2013 Trend 3: Slow Analog just as important as Mass Market Digital 

Summary Description: "[the] people and processes that made them [products], form an emotional connection that digital can’t match."
Innovation Model: having in house designers go out and  interface (paid by the company) to work with international superstar artists, designers, musicians, architects.
Acquisition Model: hire these designers to design for your firm. 

2013 Trend 4: "Worth is determined by philosophy, not price"

Summary Description: "If two competitors spend equal amounts on production, the one whose ideals resonate with the target market is the more valuable."
Innovation Model: Create articulate and specific core values in a replicitable manner in all aspects of imagery  materials, interactions, etc. Walk the walk and talk the talk
Acquisition Model: Find adjacent companies who know how to do this, purchase them no matter how small and hi-jack and inject. It's called copying, injecting, and "trending" and that's why it works.

2013 Trend 5: Narratives make information stick.

Summary Description: "A story out of chronological order is nearly impossible to remember, but information that has a beginning, a middle, and an end becomes something we can own, embrace, and share"
Innovation Model: If your firm does not have a history start creating one, people, the people who started, stayed and built the firm are the reason why people stay just as much as the products and the people that use them.
Acquisition Model: hire design superstars to design for your firm. 

2013 Trend 6: "Repair and Re-purpose"

Summary Description: "A growing consumer subculture that sees hacking and repairing as an indicator of true ownership. [Successful] firms will offer products and services that invite users to actively maintain and modify, winning loyalty and love along the way."
Innovation Model: How are hackers, designers, disruptors and deconstructionists using and LOVING your products. If they aren't, if you aren't showing it, other firms love will outpace you.
Acquisition Model: hire design, music, super user superstars to do this for you

2013 Trend 7: Technology is too fast, ignore it. 

Summary Description: "Only a slim population of early adopters counts pixels or processor speeds anymore. The rest of us just want to know what it’s like to use. Talk about experiences, not features. "
Innovation Model: R&D inside your firm, set aside 12-18% of net revenue and start a skunks works IP and commercialization division. If you not, someone else is doing it, else, see #6 and #5 above and start talking about superusers.
Acquisition Model: buy firms, students, designers, R&D or hackers to do this and bring their work in-house and brand it as your own. 

2013 Trend 8: "Flawless" isn't a reality, so make it one. 

Summary Description: "Despite the proliferation of features, more of us are realizing that what we really want is a phone that makes good calls, every single time. [So] fill in the gaps."
Innovation Model: Basic works, simple works, ie. Microsoft Metro: slimmed down to the core and the usable and thanks to "minimalism" it is accepted and desired. Capitalize on this. But it costs and your going to have to hire internally to do it.
Acquisition Model: buy this from designers who know how to make it seem simple - it's more complex than you know. 

2013 Trend 9: Brand Loyalty means no Decision Pain

Summary Description: "Once we believe that our values and choices align, we’re happy to leave choices to the brand that’s earned our trust, and shift some of the burden off our own shoulders. Communicating in familiar language, [means[ relax. “Go ahead,” and “ we've got you covered.”
Innovation Model: Make a model that encompasses all of the above and if you can't don't because hacking it together without consistency is like buying a 50's Fiat - your going to be fixing it constantly and spending a lot of money to do it.
Acquisition Model: buying smaller firms that have this down and injecting that DNA into your firm. 

2013 Trend 10: Human interaction is everything

Summary Description: "[Know] when customers need to be listened to or expect the nuanced expertise that only a person can provide. Automat[ing] everything [does not work]" 

Innovation Model: Talk on the phone more, stop texting, go to lunch, visit the client and their clients, build this into the DNA of the firm and stop using outsourced call centers in lands with employees that read off a script to save a dime. It will cost.
Acquisition Model: buy a firm that does this & bring it in house as soon as possible. 

2013 Trend 11: Gen Y is a Service Economy 

Summary Description: Don't ignore  "AirBnb vs. VRBO, or Etsy vs. eBay as Gen Y is defined by optimism, social engagement, and digital fluency, and these are attributes that can attract older customers as well. The key is to act as an enabler, not a controller" 

Innovation Model: Bring on innovation interns and create an in-house innovator in residence program and then pay them. This just might be tomorrows next great business unit and it's cheap to do when it's just a let's try it and see model.
Acquisition Model: buy the firm that someone else didn't monetize when they fired the person with the great idea who the firm couldn't commercialize due to internal politics, ego, or god knows what.

2013 Trend 12: Specialists create followers & followers create cash

Summary Description: "Trying to be everything to everyone is a losing proposition. As customers embrace their connoisseurship, they seek out brands that match it. " 

Innovation Model: Bring these brand leaders in-house as in the examples above and if you can't make your own based on employees that are firm & product leaders right inside your house. Your son or daughter is a star musician? Make them the star of the family. Same with your firm.
Acquisition Model: hire designers, musicians, artists who do this on an international scale and make them do it for your firm.

These top 12 trends are not our own, but make clear sense when implemented with the iGNITIATE disruptive design model which most firms ignore. Build or Buy or be Buried. 

The Secret To Design Innovation? It's hidden in plain sight.

Digging with fixers is what separates the innovators from the also-rans. Thomas Edison did it. Reed Hoffman did it. Steve Jobs in the beginning did not but then quickly learned to. So who in your firm is sifting and then fixing what they find? 

Examples of this abound at Salone Del Mobile the worlds largest design fair in Milan however for the more academic desires examples can be seen with Right Ideas in the Wrong Places and then uncovering Secrets of Design Innovation via the key of observing those who are knee deep in the process and in situations of just do it to create differentiation in their work. While this is related to advanced R&D process where the output is different the principal still holds true. Some of the tools can be examined above and through the posts here and on the iGNITIATE blog. Happy fixing!

  

                    

   

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