strategic design and meaningful innovation

Strategic Design &Meaningful Innovation

Nathan Shedroff2008

Slides and templates posted:nathan.com/thoughts

The big thing!

The big thing!Meaning

Why innovate?Paths to Growth:

Increase operational efficienciesSell-off assets

Mergers and acquisitionsInitial Public Offerings

“Rebranding”Innovation

Why innovate?Paths to Organic, Lasting Growth:Increase operational efficiencies

Sell-off assetsMergers and acquisitions

Initial Public Offerings“Rebranding”

Innovation

Why experiences?

Commodity Product Service Experience

Price/Value

From: The Experience Economy, Pine and Gilmore

Commodity Product Service

Price/Value

Event/Environment

Experience

Experiences are designable

Everything we createis an experience

We recognize some experiences easily

We recognize some experiences easily

We recognize some experiences easily

People don’t just travel to see things

They travel to experience

The boundaries of experiences are our minds and bodies

Design is the processof making experiences

But what, exactly,is an experience?

BreadthProductServiceBrand

Name(s)Channel/Environment

(Space)Promotion

Price

IntensityReflexHabitEngagement

DurationInitiation

ImmersionConclusion

Continuation

TriggersSenses:Sight

Sound

Smell

Taste

Touch

Cognitive:Concepts

Symbols

Every sensorial decision is a trigger: every color, texture, smell, taste,

typeface, sound, music, voice, pattern, icon, symbol, interaction,

layout, concept, temperature, expression,

etc...

InteractionPassiveActiveInteractive

SignificanceMeaningStatus/IdentityEmotion/LifestylePriceFunction

Function (Performance):Does this do what I need?

Price (Value):Does this do what I need at a

price that’s worth it?

Emotions (Lifestyle):Does this make me

feel good?

Status/Identity (Values):Is this me?

Meaning (Reality):Does this fit into my reality?

AccomplishmentBeauty

CreationCommunity

DutyEnlightenment

Freedom

HarmonyJustice

OnenessRedemption

SecurityTruth

ValidationWonder

Core Meanings:

Porsche: Dreamers (2006) Nike: If you let me play (1995)

Successful experiences are meaningful

(and not merely novel)

Design & development is the process

of evoking meaning

How do you put meaning into the

process?

A meaning-filled development process:

A meaning-filled development process:

A meaning-filled development process:

A meaning-filled development process:

Competing Objectives:Business (Clients)Customers (Users)

TeamDomain & Medium

Sustainability

Strategic Design:

Business Objectives:Revenues

ProfitGrowth

Brand/Reputation/Satisfaction/Loyalty/Relationship/ValueExperience & Meaning

Strategy

Strategic Design:

Customer Objectives:Needs & Desires:

PerformanceValue

Emotion/LifestyleValues

Experience & Meaning

Strategic Design:

Team Objectives:ValuesGoals

DesiresMeaning

Strategic Design:

Domain & Medium:What’s appropriate for the

medium, industry, and context?

What is the cultural context?What are expectations?

Strategic Design:

Sustainability:Human CapitalNatural Capital

Financial CapitalManufactured Capital

Is each form sustainable?

Strategic Design:

Corporate Meaning Priorities

Team Meaning Priorities

Customer Meaning Priorities

Strategic Design:

Corporate Meaning Priorities

Team Meaning Priorities

Customer Meaning Priorities

Your Focus!

Strategic Design:

Competitors’ Meaning Priorities

Corporate Meaning Priorities

Team Meaning Priorities

Customer Meaning Priorities

Strategic Design:

Some questions:

Who’s doing this?

Who’s doing this?You

What meanings doyour customers prioritize?

What experiencesdo they seek?

Is meaning manipulation?

Should companiesevoke meaning?

Does everything we design already evoke meaning?

Are you creatinganything meaningful?

What’s meaningful to you?

nathan.com/thoughts

nathan@nathan.com