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I was reading this very inspiring article at Harvard Business Review the other day (I actually instantly bought the book as well…one more for the shelf…).
In the article Roberto Verganti talks about user-centered-innovation and how he disagrees with the approach.
After working with six sigma a couple of years in my previous job, I have sort of come to the same conclusion. In the Six Sigma scheme the overall (simplified) goal is to move away from ‘gut feeling’ and towards data based facts and decision making. As we said to our clients: “Gut feeling is evil” :)
In the same manner user-centered-innovation is an attempt by businesses to verify their concepts. By user involvement they hope to create products, services etc. that the users demand.
As much as I acknowledge user involvement in general, it just isn’t the right approach when what you’re creating is genuinely an innovative product – especially if the product fills a yet un-adressed market. In that case you are creating a completely new demand.
And to be honest, I’d rather follow my own gut feeling than asking several other individuals about their opinion about something they haven’t yet thought of.
I thank Roberto Verganti for putting intelligent words on this. Looking forward to read his book.
Hi Andreas,
By this very relevant and interesting entry a few thoughts intrinsically triggered my mind.
First of all Six Sigma is constantly and rightfully blamed for its lack of methods for innovation. By all means – it was never intended to foster great innovations merely initiating incremental steps to process perfection. As mentioned Six Sigma is rooted in a fact based decision making philosophy and often this encompasses the use of historical data. Putting the concept of Innovation on the edge, innovation cannot stem from historical data since it is then not innovative, but only a reinterpretation of existing patterns or needs. In that perspective Google Maps is not an innovation. We have had maps for years and we have been able to navigate from the stars for centuries. Putting it all together on a new platform does not constitute a genuine innovation. The Ipad for that matter, as described by Roberto Verganti creates a need not yet identified and – time will show – makes us crave it.
On that note, neither user-driven nor open-ended innovation will help us because there is nothing at stake. The user already showed us or told us what they wanted. Risk is high, along with it the financial potential of real innovation originating from pure “gut feel”.
Thanks for keeping an interesting blog!
Kristian