Geekend - Hacking Creative Innovation

Have you ever seen an innovative product or feature and thought “Why didn’t I think of that?” Relax! You’re as smart as the next guy! (You just need a nudge…) In this session you’ll craft an original feature and product concept using multiple design gaming techniques.

We’ll do some fun (not silly!) group to dream up really cool products! Right off the top of our heads! Even you!

Transcript

1. HACKING CREAT IVE INNOVAT ION Perfecting Your Brainstorming Techniques For Killer Products & Features Ben Sykes User experience & behavior design @BenSykes
3. The Big Agenda Setting The Stage What Are Innovation Games? In a nutshell Actionable Takeaways What you can expect Introductions A little about me Getting To Know You What’s Your Story? Exercise: Failure Pledge Achievement Unlocked How Do You Innovate? Defining The Problem We Need You To Innovate Where Do Big Ideas Come From? Triggering Creativity Lack of Innovation Discussion Exercise: Let’s See Your Brainstorm Achievement Unlocked Lack Of Innovation Is this happening and why? Real World Scencarios Solved by games? The Games Resources & Tools Team Best Practices Give Them A HotTub Exercise: Solve Europe’s refugee crisis Remember The Future My Worst Nightmare Exercise; Imagine (crowd sourced) worst case scenario Speed Boat Exercise: Define why innovation is lacking Real World Application Exercise: Improve A Feature Exercise: Build A Concept From Scratch
4. When You Leave Here Today… Feel Inspired • The next big idea is up to you • Have lots of ideas Innovation Action Plan • Culture of innovation • Improving a feature • Improving a product • Building a product from scratch Start solving real world problems Setting The Stage
5. Introductions Designing Since 1995 —————————- ‣ Oscars : Am. Beauty ‣ US Marine (combat) ‣ Microsoft, Cisco, Google ‣ Teach UX & IA ‣ Wrote the GA Curriculum for Job Search & Apprentice Program ‣ Have run 20+ workshops at GA around career development ‣ Run @IA_UXJOBS Sam Mendes &Paula Abdul Setting The Stage
6. What’s Your Story? Why are you here & what do you hope to gain? How many designers? How many IOS developers? Something Else? Setting The Stage
7. Failure Pledge (optional) My name is_______________________ I am giving myself permission to fail, screw up & be messy. I realize that I'm learning something new and it may be a rocky in the beginning just like it was for many huge successes before me. I will remember that procrastination only delays my greatness, and I’m going to be awesome! Setting The Stage
8. @BenSykes How Do you Innovate?
9. How Do You Innovate?
10. Are we trying to solve the right problems? Energy Water Food Environment Poverty Terrorism & War Disease Education Democracy Population How Do You Innovate?
11. Our future depends on people like you. The world needs you to be fearless in your innovation. How Do You Innovate?
12. How Do You Innovate? BIG IDEAS Where Do They Come From?
13. How Do You Innovate? Collaborative Intelligence
14. Go For A Walk “Creative thinking improves while a person is walking and shortly thereafter…” —Marily Oppezzo http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/xlm- a0036577.pdf How Do You Innovate?
15. T ime In Nature “The more you get away from the stresses of daily life and the more time you spend outdoors, the greater your level of creativity.” http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/ stories/study-nature-inspires-more-creative- minds How Do You Innovate?
16. Take A Shower “A seemingly mindless task — showering, fishing or driving — might help spur creative thoughts, as the mind wanders from "lather-rinse- repeat" to a recent problem, and then back again.” http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/ stories/study-nature-inspires-more-creative- minds How Do You Innovate?
17. Exercise : Let’s See You Brainstorm How Do You Innovate? Goal Come up with a few solutions to solve Europe’s refugee crisis using an IOS app T ime 5 Minutes Problem To Solve Solving Europe’s Refugee Crisis Problem Definition Today, more than 19 million people have been forced to flee their home countries because of war, persecution, and oppression, and every day an estimated 42,500 more join them. Many, though far from all, of them head for Europe, which is why the crisis there can appear most acute. (http://www.vox.com/2015/9/5/9265501/refugee-crisis-europe- syria)
18. Exercise : Let’s See You Brainstorm How Do You Innovate? Goal Come up with a few solutions to solve Europe’s refugee crisis using an IOS app T ime 5 Minutes Problem To Solve Solving Europe’s Refugee Crisis Problem Definition Today, more than 19 million people have been forced to flee their home countries because of war, persecution, and oppression, and every day an estimated 42,500 more join them. Many, though far from all, of them head for Europe, which is why the crisis there can appear most acute. (http://www.vox.com/2015/9/5/9265501/refugee-crisis-europe- syria)
19. Lack Of Innovation? How Do You Innovate? Michael Arrington’s latest complaint that he’s bored with what currently passes for innovation, there is a growing chorus of people voicing their disappointment with Silicon Valley’s inability to push the envelope. http://pando.com/2013/01/03/why-silicon-valley-innovation-has-stalled/
20. Lack Of Innovation? How Do You Innovate? Apple Loses $37BN in Value Due to Lack of Innovation http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/apple-loses-37bn-value-due-lack- innovation-1449539 Lack of innovation is the biggest threat to care providers http://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2014/jan/30/ lack-innovation-threat-care-providers One of the reasons for lack of innovation in the Valley is that entrepreneurs are not exposed to enough real-world problems http://thenextweb.com/entrepreneur/2011/07/13/the-problem- with-silicon-valley-is-itself/
21. Problems with Brainstorming How Do You Innovate? The problem is, traditional brainstorming sessions are rarely the best way to ensure innovation. Forbes: Why most brainstorming sessions are useless Group brainstorming exercises can lead to fixation on only one idea or possibly blocking out other possibilities, leading to conformity of ideas Wired For Success : Why brainstorming doesn’t improve productivity or creativity. Anything, even doing laundry, will help you dream up new ideas better than sitting in a meeting… Debra Kaye: Why innovation by brainstorming doesn’t work
22. Brainstorming? Sort of How Do You Innovate?
23. @BenSykes Real World Scenarios How Do You Innovate?
24. Scenario: • First week on the job • Company is not innovative • You have full autonomy to make it so • What do you do?
25. Step By Step 1. Schedule weekly innovation meetings. • Don’t mention “games” in meeting invite. • Incentivize games 2. Advertise innovation • Buy display boards. Post weekly meeting outcomes in visible location. • Demo innovations at weekly all hands. 3. Institute quarterly hackathons • One day - company wide • Incentivize Building a culture of innovation
26. Scenario: Improve Feature • Google has asked you to improve the Gmail compose experience. • Will not give you access to user data
27. Conduct own usability test with own users Empathy Map Identify existing painpoints Give them a hot tub Improve Gmail Compose Experience Worst nightmare Research Innovation Games
28. Scenario: Improve Product • Uber has asked your team to envision the future of the product and what the next version could look like. • Full access to user data & insights
29. Envision UBER future-vision Remember the future Give them a hot tub Innovation Games Identify existing areas of success and pain Research
30. Scenario: Identify Cause • The CEO has tasked you with finding out why the company is not successful or why it can’t keep top talent etc. to compete in the marketplace.
31. Identify Cause of Problems Speed Boat Innovation Games
32. @BenSykes The Games
33. Resources http://bitly.com/SUPERCOOL GameStorming • A Playbook for Innovators, Rulebreakers, and Changemakers • Book by David Gray, James Macanufo, and Sunni Brown Innovation Games • Creating Breakthrough Products Through Collaborative Play • Book by Luke Hohmann Thinkertoys • A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques • Book by Michael Michalko The Games
34. Tools You’ll Need 1. Pens 2. Post-its 3. Butcher paper 4. Masking tape 5. Dry erase markers 6. Mental notes My Big Idea The Games
35. Team Best Practices Do's • Do: Use use words like “product”, “innovation”, “challenge”, “ • Do: Clearly state the objective & value: e.g. - “find a solution to our compose feature” • Do: use at team offsets • Do: schedule a recurring weekly meeting for this • Do: Group, tally and share outcomes Don’ts • Don’t: use words like “games” or “exercise” and be careful with “brainstorm” • Don’t: stop The Games
36. @BenSykes Give Them A Hot Tub
37. Give Them A Hot Tub The Games Goal • Use outrageous features to discover hidden breakthroughs Activity • Write several features on post- its. One feature per post-it. The more outrageous the better. • Generate as many post-it notes in the allocated time. • Cluster into categories.
38. Improve Gmail Compose Give Them A Hot Tub How it works 1. T ime: 5 minutes 2. Multiple rounds as needed 3. Write several features on post-its. One per. 4. The more outrageous the better (hot tub integration) 5. Cluster into categories 6. Extract (excel) 7. Prioritize 8. Add to roadmap The Games
39. Improve Gmail Compose Suggested rephrasing based on goals: career driven Weekly analytics of recurring word use and grammar re. Recommends new words that make me look smarter Signature templates Every email sent donates .5 to charity of choice Pre-populates copy for people I email the most Auto themes for friends Never have to check email again - it sends on my behalf Tone Checker : This might hurt feelings. Rephrasing for sender Recommends mentioning personal info of sender that makes happy Sends me a visual breakdown of importance. Custom sounds for family Emotional state aware. Adjusts mails accordingly Give Them A Hot Tub The Games
40. Improve Gmail Compose Give Them A Hot Tub Suggested rephrasing based on goals: career driven Weekly analytics of recurring word use and grammar re. Recommends new words that make me look smarter Signature templates Auto themes for friends Never have to check email again - it sends on my behalf Tone Checker : This might hurt feelings. Rephrasing for sender Recommends mentioning personal info of sender that makes happy Custom sounds for family Emotional state aware. Adjusts mails accordingly Sends me a visual breakdown of importance. Every email sent donates .5 to charity of choice Pre-populates copy for people I email the most
41. Exercise : Give Them A Hottub Goal • Use outrageous features to discover hidden breakthroughs Activity • Write several features on post-its. One feature per post-it. The more outrageous the better. • Generate as many post-it notes in the allocated time. • Cluster into categories. T ime 5 Minutes Problem To Solve Using a digital means (IOS App?) Find a solution to Europe’s refugee problem. Problem Definition Today, more than 19 million people have been forced to flee their home countries because of war, persecution, and oppression, and every day an estimated 42,500 more join them. Many, though far from all, of them head for Europe, which is why the crisis there can appear most acute. (http://www.vox.com/2015/9/5/9265501/refugee-crisis-europe- syria) Technology Platform + Apple Watch | + Mobile Phone | + Smart TV | + Computer The Games
42. Goal • Envision future success @BenSykes Remember The Future
43. Remember The Future The Games Goal • Envision success future success Activity • Imagine that it is sometime in the future (5 years?). You’ve been using the feature or product for sometime now. On post-it’s (one per) write down what the product or feature will have done to make you happy. • Generate as many post-it notes in the allocated time. • Cluster into categories.
44. UBER in 5 years Remember The future How it works 1. T ime: 5 minutes 2. Multiple rounds as needed 3. Imagine that it’s sometime in the future. You’ve been using the feature or product for sometime now. 4. On post-its (one per) write down what the product or feature will have done to make you happy 5. Cluster into categories 6. Extract (excel) 7. Prioritize The Games
45. UBER in 5 years Recurring scheduled pickups Moving parties Driverless Meals on wheels - literally Moving into airline & bus space Long distance & vacation travel Package delivery Knows my preferences and pre- enables Drivers have to take local street test Rocking GPS Googlemaps integration. IOT integration with home and wearables Comes with vomit bags Remember The future The Games
46. UBER in 5 years Remember The future Recurring scheduled pickups Moving parties Driverless Meals on wheels - literally Moving into airline & bus space Long distance & vacation travel Package delivery Knows my preferences and pre- enables Drivers have to take local street test Rocking GPS Googlemaps integration. IOT integration with home and wearables Comes with vomit bags
47. @BenSykes My Worst Nightmare
48. My Worst Nightmare The Games Goal • Discover hidden worst case scenarios. Create sweet dreams for your product by creating nightmares Activity • Imagine your worst nightmare related to your product or feature. (E.g. a sports drink that induces vomiting.) Write down one nightmare per post-it. • Generate as many post-it notes in the allocated time. • Cluster into categories.
49. Improve Gmail Compose My Worst Nightmare How it works 1. T ime: 5 minute 2. Multiple rounds as needed 3. Imagine your “worst nightmare” related to the product, service, system, or offering 4. Example: A “worst nightmare” sports drink might induce vomiting, cause dehydration, or simply taste bad. 5. Cluster into emotional themes 6. Extract (excel) 7. Create action plan to avoid creating worst nightmares The Games
50. Improve Gmail Compose Shocks me when I hit compose Sends me to spam Misspells words that are fine Forwards my emails to unwanted Makes me feel stupid Sends messages to old girlfriends Emails to mom get sent to trash Makes emails public Tricks me into giving away sensitive info Hides in my closet Deducts money without my knowledge Imports and attaches photos My Worst Nightmare The Games
51. Improve Gmail Compose Shocks me when I hit compose Sends me to spam Misspells words that are fine Forwards my emails to unwanted Makes me feel / look stupid Sends messages to old girlfriends Emails to mom get sent to trash Makes emails public Tricks me into giving away sensitive info Hides in my closet Deducts money without my knowledge Imports and attaches photos My Worst Nightmare The Games
52. Exercise : My Worst Nightmare Goal • Discover hidden worst case scenarios. Create sweet dreams for your product by creating nightmares Activity • Imagine your worst nightmare related to your product or feature. (E.g. a sports drink that induces vomiting.) Write down one nightmare per post-it. • Generate as many post-it notes in the allocated time. • Cluster into categories. Outcome Imagine (CROWD SOURCED PRODUCT) Worst Case Scenarios The Games T ime 5 Minutes
53. @BenSykes Speed Boat
54. Speed Boat The Games Goal • Identify issues (as anchors) that are keeping you / your team from moving forward. Activity • Draw a boat on a whiteboard or sheet of butcher paper. You’d like the boat to move fast. Unfortunately, the boat has a few anchors holding it back. The boat is your system, and the issues (problematic features etc) are its anchors.
55. Why aren’t we profitable? Speedboat How it works Goal: Identify anchors keeping you from moving fast 1. T ime: 5 minutes 2. Write as many ideas related to the problem each on a separate postit 3. Cluster 4. Extract (excel), prioritize and create solutions. The Games
56. New CEO Lack of engineering talent No clear CTA Competitors have better technology Wasting time doing this activity No demand? Marketplace isn’t ready Value prop is week and not clear what problem we’re solving Free lunches Marketing efforts need to be social? Homepage is not clear Why aren’t we profitable? Speedboat The Games
57. Speedboat Why aren’t we profitable? New CEO Lack of engineering talent No clear CTA Competitors have better technology Wasting time doing this activity No demand? Marketplace isn’t ready Value prop is week and not clear what problem we’re solving Free lunches Marketing efforts need to be social? Homepage is not clear The Games
58. Exercise : Speed Boat Goal • Identify issues (as anchors) that are keeping you / your team from moving forward. Activity • Draw a boat on a whiteboard or sheet of butcher paper. You’d like the boat to move fast. Unfortunately, the boat has a few anchors holding it back. The boat is your system, and the issues (problematic features etc) are its anchors. Outcome Using a digital means (IOS App?) define why innovation is lacking The Games T ime 5 Minutes
59. @BenSykes Empathy Map
60. Empathy Map The Games Goal • Get inside the head of your customer or target user Activity • Give the target user a name and a title. • Create sectors related to 1. hearing, seeing, thinking, saying, feeling & doing. • Using post-it notes assign attributes or details to each sector.
61. Empathy Map Hearing X Hearing Y Hearing Z Seeing X Seeing Y Saying X Saying y Doing Feeling Thinking X From “Gamestorming”
62. @BenSykes Whose Design Is It anyway?
63. Whose Design Is It Anyway? How it works 1. The audience, team, class is asked to come up with (in this order) 2. One Random problem to solve 3. Four random features or requirements 4. Three random design principles or success criteria 5. One random platform 6. Each person has 10 minutes to sketch a solution 7. When time is up each person will present outcomes
64. Problem to solve Features Device Design Principles 1. Socks that don’t stay on your feet 1. Must color match 2. Tastes great 3. Aerodynamic 4. Water Proof 1. Social proof 2. Variable reward 3. Delightners 1. Galaxy Watch Whose Design Is It Anyway? ? Your Great Product Idea
65. Whose Design Is It Anyway?
66. @BenSykes Product Box
67. Product Box The Games Goal • Identify the most exciting product features Activity • Divide into teams. Give each time a small white cardboard box and have each team design the product box they would buy off the shelf. The box can contain anything they want (marketing slogans, pictures, price points). When finished ask each team to present their product to the rest of the group. Take a survey of who wants to buy this product and why.
68. Product Box
69. @BenSykes Real World Application
70. Exercise : Improving A Feature Goal • Improve on the Gmail compose feature. Activity • Use two or more innovation games. You choose. • Cluster your results • Pick the best ones • Present as a narrative to the group The Games T ime • 15 minutes to generate & cluster.
71. Exercise : Concept From Scratch Goal • Design A New Apple Watch App Requirements • 2 design principles (random) • Apple Watch • Key functionality (min 3 class assigned - random) • End user emotional target (class assigned - random) • Real world problem to solve (class assigned - random) • Must use min. 2 innovation games The Games Activity • Build a product using requirements • Cluster your results • Pick the best ones • Present as a narrative to the group T ime • 15+ minutes to generate & cluster.
72. Our future depends on people like you. The world needs you to be fearless in your innovation.
73. Thank You! …and now you have my phone number Ben Sykes (650) 681-9016 @BenSykes If You Liked What You See Here Today, Please Let Others Know So I Can Keep Doing It!