Designing products for innovation

A outbreak from the traditional way of thinking to develop something new and disruptive is often referred as innovation. Innovation is basically a break away from current or past feat and redefining new vision. For a product to be innovative it not only has to be unique but it also need to generate business, be technologically feasible and by user desirable and functional.

As an architect and experience designer I often wonder and struggle as to how to design or approach a product or space that is deemed to be innovative and creative. Over the period of years I have tried and managed to develop some methods for the same as listed below:

• Fix first, Solve later.

This process involves around the thinking that we human have an ability to come up with instant solution. We often discard solution as helpful and not helpful. What if we record our weird ideas or the ideas that intrigues us and try to see how one solution goes well when applied with another problem.

• Borrow neighbor recipes, but cook your own meal

This method is similar to the above method but this method involves borrowing multiple ideas and combining into one product.

• Hello Stalker!

User never always says what they think but they say what you want to hear. This method helps in finding the right problem to fix. Before designing solution its important to find an important problem. To follow this i suggest try creating situational role play, to follow user journey and be as realistic as possible. or More fun ideas, just go happy stalking your next user.

• “Wish you were here”

Sometime some product are not understand by people or there are few who like it but they don’t want it. Ever faced across those situation, well worry not, there is no problem with the product, its just that you are pitching it to the wrong set of audience. Focus on the right set of audience and translate their needs into your design.

• “As easy, as simple”

All innovation doesn’t always lie in complexity but it lies in simplicity and its easy understanding. Sometime easy things not only make life easy but also make it innovative.

• Follow the F bomb

Well this method is not exactly that helps in designing anything but its something that i find amusing to find innovative problems to solve. The idea is basically to see how many time do you use and the people around you keep on dropping this bombs. Well as said,”necessity is mother of all invention”, well i guess the next necessity will be cursing around you. So, keep your ears open and eyes wide.

Well its an end to my list right now, feel free to comment add or discuss further on more ways to develop innovative products.

Last but not the least i would like to add that to be innovative you need to have an open mind and accept failure along the way. Because innovation involves you to think not just outside the box but it also requires you to have new ways of looking at past problems. It requires you to have a questioning mind and a wild spirit to try to do new things and fix things in new way.

Bye! folks.