Category Archives: Ideation

Ideation is for INDIVIDUALS, not groups!

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Gary R Schirr

Group brainstorming is not a good way to generate innovation ideas. In the Preface to Sprint, Jake Knapp discusses his missteps using group brainstorming at Google.

He notes that the brainstorming sessions were “a lot of fun,” , but… did not generate successful ideas. The best ideas were generated by individuals “sitting at their desks, or waiting at a coffee shop, or taking a shower.”

This matches what I found in a study of 50 years of research on group user research. Continue reading →

Posted in Customer Research Methods, Ideation, NSD Process, Service Design | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Flawed Tools – Focus groups and brainstorming for ideas

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Gary R Schirr

The combined results of individual idea generation outperforms group methods, such as brainstorming and focus groups, in terms of the number, quality, and uniqueness of the ideas generated. Continue reading →

Posted in Ideation | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Pioneers get arrows in their backs…

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Gary R Schirr

Pioneers don’t always win: in fact they don’t usually win! The keys to success are luck, persistence, and continual innovation. Continue reading →

Posted in effectuation, entrepreneurship, experiential innovation, Experiment, Ideation, Slow Burn Entrepreneurship | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Social Media and User Research Methods

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Gary R Schirr

An engagement/deep knowledge framework to categorize user research methods indicates some likely innovations as social media is employed in innovation. Continue reading →

Posted in Co-creation or User collaboration, Customer Research Methods, experiential innovation, Ideation, Social Media Marketing | 3 Comments

Catch the Wave

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Gary R Schirr

How do you catch the wave of technology? Why is Apple so good at it? Ideas from effectuation, Lead Users, probe and learn are considered. Continue reading →

Posted in Co-creation or User collaboration, Customer Research Methods, experiential innovation, Experiment, Ideation | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Innovation Week 2/19/2011: Users in innovation?

Posted on February 19, 2011 by Gary R Schirr

Do users have a role to play in really innovative new product development? A disccussion of pros and cons that draws on the ideas of von Hippel, Sarasvathy and others. Also discussions on the clout of Klout, and social media marketing. Continue reading →

Posted in experiential innovation, Experiment, Ideation, Innovation Week, NSD Process, Process Innovation, Service Design, Social Media Marketing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Effectuation and Innovation I: avoid market research

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Gary R Schirr

Efffectuation is a prescription for innovating when the risk is unknown and unknowable. When outcomes and probabilities are unknowable an entrepreneur: enters a market based on his/her knowledge, experience and networks; keeps investments small to retain future options; and plans to shape the development of the nascent market with the help of customers and stakeholders. Continue reading →

Posted in Co-creation or User collaboration, Customer Research Methods, experiential innovation, Experiment, Ideation, Social Media Marketing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Innovation – week in review: October 2, 2010

Posted on October 1, 2010 by Gary R Schirr

Weekly innovation review: does six sigma stop innovation; innovation and constraints; ideas from small fry; and more. Continue reading →

Posted in Co-creation or User collaboration, Customer Research Methods, Ideation, NSD Process, Stage-Gate® | 1 Comment

Innovation: Week in Review Sept 18, 2010

Posted on September 18, 2010 by Gary R Schirr

Interesting articles, blogs and tweets on innovation that came to my attention this week: Innovation in Education I focused my Friday tweets on issues in education. Many twitter friends seemed to agree that innovation is especially hard in education because … Continue reading →

Posted in Customer Research Methods, experiential innovation, Ideation, Innovation education | Leave a comment

Social Media Marketing will Drive Product Innovation

Posted on June 4, 2010 by Gary R Schirr

How social media can advance innovation by facilitating customer and user cocreation. Continue reading →

Posted in Co-creation or User collaboration, communication, Customer Research Methods, Ideation, Service Design | Tagged , , | Leave a comment