How to Innovate

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[edit] How to Innovate

How to learn the innovation process:

• How innovation happens, and the role of design in this process
• Tools for implementing design services and strategies
• How innovation, and the creativity on which it depends, can be encouraged (or discouraged) through organizational structures and control systems
• How to assess the innovative potential of yourself, your colleagues, and your organization
• Why individuals and organizations can be resistant to change, and what they may do to sabotage innovative initiatives
• How to bring about change, both in your own organization and in clients’ organizations.

[edit] Team Work

Team work, a valuable work place skill in any industry, is a critical component of any design or product development the project. Collaborating teams are organized to look at various aspects of the consumer, business to business market: user needs (a key component of the finished design), safety, regulations, competitors, t e c h n o l o g y, materials and manufacturing, and so forth.

• Team-building experiences
• During the design process we go through various stages
• We produce sketches and study models
• Visual models building
• How to build strong ownership of a particular design?
• An outside team of independent reviewers can be used to evaluate the models
• What kind of help is needed to make sound decisions?
• Latitude 61 is one of the early Kajaani team members

[edit] Learning by doing

The experience gave valuable practice working with others, defending sound design concepts and ultimately agreeing on a final solution. Overcoming difficulties led to a team that was committed, that knew how to deal with individual personalities, and that appreciated what it took to work together.

• The human cooperation chemistry

We also learned the value of compromise and consensus. Throughout the design process, participatns took advantage of other core disciplines. Human factors were a major consideration in determining layout of the intended product and or proces.

• Participants investigated materials and manufacturing methods and researched industry trends.

Ideas needed to be generated quickly, and model-building and presentation skills were strengthened as participants endeavored to support concepts.

• The designs not only had to look good but had to function well.