visma ux day 2015

Innovation vs. Best Practice

Eric Reiss@elreiss

Visma UX SeminarStockholm, Sweden

What is it?Why bother?Who cares?

in·no·va·tionnoun

1 : the introduction of something new2 : a new idea, method, or device

“Whenever you hear ‘someonemight want this…’, you know you are about to hear a reallybad design suggestion.”

Alan Cooper

best prac·ticenoun

1 : best way of doing a thing2 : a tested idea, method, or device

Best practices representshort-term solutions.

Innovation buildslong -term success.

My goal this morning is to give you:� a better, actionable definition of innovation� a process that leads to business success� some practical do’s and don’ts

Three bad reasons to innovateTo make your product uniqueTo latch on to a fadTo show off your creativity

being unique ≠ innovation

following a fad ≠ innovation

Inventing a problem ≠ innovation

Experiment

Invention

Invention

Innovation

15 April 1912

to solve a problem!

There is only one reason to innovate…

Six great Swedish innovations

J.P. Johansson

• didn’t invent theadjustable spanner

• Richard Clyburn did

• Johansson made itstronger and easierto manufacture

Johan Lundström

• didn’t invent the• safety match

• Jöns Jacob Berzelius andGustaf Erik Pasch did

• Lundström (with hisbrother, Carl Franz) made the productcommercially viable

Alfred Nobel

• didn’t invent nitroglycerin

• Ascanio Sobrero did

• Nobel made it stableand easy to transport

Gideon Sundback

• didn’t invent the zip

• Whitcomb Judson did

• Sundback made it work

Nils Bohlin

• didn’t invent the seat belt

• George Cayley did

• Bohlin made it betterthrough the 3-pointharness

Niklas Zennström (and Janus Friis)• didn’t invent VOIP• Alon Cohen did• Skype made it easy and accessible

• and enabled easy screen sharingand simple teleconferencing

And some not-so -greatSwedish innovations

Anna Haupt and Terese Alstin

Hövding

Hövding’s mistakes� they replaced a problem, but didn’t solve one

� alternatives are not always solutions� if people won’t wear a helmet, they won’t wear a

collar

� poor understanding of the true problem:non-compliance with traffic rules not non-compliance with Swedish laws

Case #2Electrolux

Electrolux’s mistakes� sustainability marketing myopia� asking the wrong questions of users

� will people really wash less because theypay-per-wash? NO!

� is there a prestige value in owning ones own washing machine? YES?

� failure to understand inherent consumer values� failure to align socio-economic attributes with

core consumer benefits

Eric’s Law of Innovation #1

If an “innovation” does not solve a problem, it will create one.

(this is why so many “skunkworks”fail so miserably)

Let’s look at mouthwash ...

Eric’s Law of Innovation #2

Problems do not exist in isolation.Solutions often have unintendedconsequences.

Enfield M1853

• Technological• Social• Political

Tech Social Political

Eric’s Law of Innovation #3

True innovation is impossible if you haven’t done the researchor do not understand the research.

Gus the cat

People

Processes

Technologies

User Centered Design

Users

Innovate >

User Driven Design

Users

Innovate >

Inspiration: Christian Rohrer

Eric’s Law of Innovation #4

Invention may be accidental.Innovation is always planned.

Eric’s Law of Innovation #5

Innovators understand the rules.

(this is the difference betweeninnovation and idiocy)

Eric’s Law of Innovation #6

Intuitive solutions do notneed instructions.

Intuition Instruction

Website Driving a car

Low High

Barrier to entry

Incremental Distruptive

Type of innovation

R“My problem is greater than the

effort needed to learn the system”

OIeturn n nvestment

Best practice is not the same astradition or habit .

Highland Park High School Math Club - 1969

Invention

Innovation Lifecycle

Innovation

Best practice

Habit

Innovation

Best practice

Fashion

Old-fashioned

Time

Pro

gres

s

What are the warning signs offad and fashion ?

Watch out if...

Your solution is only being used in yourlocal market

Your solution is only being used by a singlebranch or industry

Your solution looks like something you alsodid last week

Do we have a digital revolution?Do we have disruptive innovation?Do we need to start from scratch?

No! We apply old skills in new ways

Eric’s Law of Innovation #7

Innovation almost always represents the combination oftwo well-known technologies tocreate a new, useful synthesis.

Technology Benefit

My goal this morning is to give you:� a better, actionable definition of innovation

“Innovation is a planned activity that addresses a latent or acknowledged problem, often combining two or more well-established technologies.”

� a process that leads to business success� Do your research� Identify real problems� Think about how your solution will affect

technological, social, and political issues

� some practical do’s and don’ts� Don’t invent problems� Don’t succumb to designer ego

“It’s amazing how much we canaccomplish when you don’t carewho gets the credit.”

Harry S. Truman

You can (usually) find Eric at:The FatDUX Group ApSStrandøre 15DK-2100 CopenhagenDenmark

Office: (+45) 39 29 67 77Mobil: (+45) 20 12 88 44Twitter: @elreisser@fatdux.comwww.fatdux.com