Innovation process at seymourpowell

The presentation was advertised to us as the innovation process of seymourpowell. A design consultancy based in London (whom we went to see in my second year in 2006). They now have an office in Glasgow also. Craig Bunyan does 3D work for them and has been teaching us Rhino at GSA back in the days.

The presentation was based on a credential document which makes seymourpowell’s work look tasty for companies in the transportation industry. The presentation title was misleading though. It was not about their process let alone innovation, but rather about the work seymourpowell is doing including lots of pretty renders. Fair enough! However some valid points were mentioned, which rang bells from my internship at Onio Design (a design consultancy based in Pune, India) this past summer, which made me realise that there is not as much of a difference in client interaction as I thought based on the origin of the consultancy. Furthermore the examples Craig showed of Brand DNA documents booklets made me realise some more benefits of my internship which were not apparent to me thus far. I could frame my experience into some similar context and could relate to it being familiar with what he talked about. Especially the mentioning of Brand DNA, in this case a package summarizing the feel, tonality, impression, lifestyle, market, stylistic properties, drawing out a future path of a brand addressing its core values reminded me of the work I did during the summer (however creating such a document is certainly more exciting for a lifestyle company than it is for an electricity conglomerate). Anyway, here are some points which I found relevant:

1. The design process is a medium to communicate how to derive at credible outcomes for clients. It is about carefully controlled communication and process agreement providing tangible evidence and credibility for these outcomes. Visuals need to meet expectations to convey perceived value for money while scooping out creative freedoms within limits (to keep projects inspiring and exciting). Although the designer’s process is often based on sensing and decisions based on gut feeling  it’s difficult to provide tangible evidence for design decisions. So how does one handle this especially in ethnographic research with solely qualitative data?

2. The challenge is for firms to accept innovation from the consultancy. There needs to be underlying credibility. It surprised me Craig made mention of this, as I assumed that seymourpowell does not need to tackle such issues. But maybe its something always apparent unless there is a long client retention relationship maybe.

3. Considering the design process is (often) not linear, I suppose as long as one can communicate and trace back the thought process everything is fine.  However I wonder whether the choice of process make a designer derive at drastically different outcomes? (mhh.. this would probably be context dependent, nevertheless I will leave the question as it is in its vagueness)

4. Using client’s terminology and framing expectations. Using client’s terminology to make yourself understood. I came across the same terminology as in Onio Nxt used to communicate their work  to clients, such as foresight, front end research, ethnography, trends, brand DNA etc. Both companies are attentive to trends and accumulate an in-house ‘bank of knowledge’ to draw upon in research phases to increase credibility.

5. Personas and visual language boards/ mood boards are not as old school as I thought. Generally the mapping visuals did not differ as greatly as I assumed them to be. I wondered in the past about the effectiveness of personas… but have not derived at an answer to this.

Craig Bunyan

Teamwork tools

These tools stem from an intensive weekend teamwork course I attended in KISD, the Köln International School of Design, some odd two years back while I was on exchange there. The course was held by Birgit Mager and students who were getting trained in team management simultaneously. Due of the course there were two teams, who competed against each other through a range of short tasks which required quick conflict solving and aligned teamworking. Different roles within teamwork were also practiced e.g. the moderator role was taken by another person each task. After each task there was a team reflection: what worked, what did not, why did it not? as well as personal reflection through personal one to one discussions with every participant at the very end of the course.

Visualising and sharing expectations is important for sharing, aligning the objective within teams and later for reflection.

Three competences are important for effective teamworking: Social -, professional and method competence.

Systematic linear process - Deliverable - Define aim - gather information - planning - execution - reflection

Aligning the objective: What for? For whom? What should the end result be like? How do we measure the success?

Teamworking: David Hicks

Tuesday Teamwork, Methods, Workshop with David Hicks

An interactive workshop about the design process, teamwork composition (acknowledging the fact that we are all slightly different personality wise) and methods to extract the ‘vision’ to make teamwork more effective, following the same vision.

I thought it was an excellent workshop. Very interactive and fun. I was also impressed about David’s way of running the workshop, the tools he used to engage and interact with us. In previous universities I have attended creative teamwork sessions and team building workshops, always perceived them as hugely useful, yet never implemented any of the tools or methods in project thereafter. I will not let this one go to waste though…

Kick-off – Define your expectations.

David kicked the workshop off by raising a first question: ‘What’s our expectation of the workshop session?’ We, as a group, did not really have any, considering we did not know what he was here for. But still… the cause of frustration is either not meeting expectations or setting the expectations too high. He created expectations by informing us that fun activities and silly games will be awaiting us along with some challenges…

Let us climb into the same boat.

The designer’s asset is creativity. The word INNOVATION is over used and quite fussy round the edges (as well as within). So what is innovation? We gave the answers of ’something that is new and exciting’, ’something that has not been there before’. Either of the answers neglected the fact that the innovation should be a good idea that is sell-able, which creates a change for people involved with.

Innovation is about creating new value. It is about change, change people are willing to participate in because there is demand.

How do we Innovate?

By… ‘thinking really hard about possible solutions. We ideate while getting input, trying to really understand the situation, develop some ideas further, present them to people in order to get feedback to go back to the drawing table to develop some more refined outcomes, before approaching people again.’ Something like that anyway…

Do we innovate alone?

The paper exercise David made us do, showed that, by first instinct, YES, we go immediately off and try to tackle the task ourselves. No one even hesitated for a split second to consider working in a team. (of course the way David phrased the task suggested sole working, however it did not exclude it)

It is a fact that different perspectives let us grow beyond what we can do ourselves. Teamwork is most effective if the team members are interdisciplinary and compliment each other with the essentials of discussion and different points of view and perspectives i.e. conflicts.

We teamwork.

How do we know what kind of team player we are to compile an effective group? Some people are aware about the way they think whether it is more structured, process based, ideating or empathetic.

Personality tests such as Belbin determine the kind of team player one is. I did a test about a year back and the result was that I am a ‘Teamworker’, which means… I am cooperative, mild, perspective and diplomatic. I listen, build and avert friction. However in crunch situation I will be indecisive. That is kind of true.

Anyway, David presented us with four clusters of attributes and asked us to stand wherever we felt we fitted best. The positions reflected the sides and parts of the brain which are strongest supposedly.

Which attribute cluster describes you best? Are you the Creater (yellow), the Driver (blue), someone who insists on a good process (green) or more the people sensing person (red)?

So now the team is in the bag, BUT how do we create value?

When do we know we have created something valuable? When do we know we succeeded? What does success look like and how do you measure it?

Well, before embarking on a journey we normally decide where we want to go along the way and the place of destination. So, basically in teamwork it is the same: the VISION needs to be defined.

Extracting the vision

In business context, visions are not immediately perceived. People are doing tasks, invest money because somehow it will benefit them and their business. Visions are often not well communicated and are difficult to be aspired to by employees lacking immediate goals and motivation (Kotter). We designers use a range of tools to visualise visions. These tools, such as collages, are often visual to take participants out of their comfort zone to be inherent to their gut feeling. This process may articulate something that is invisible to our immediate consciousness.

The last exercise we did with David addressed this point. It shall untangle our thoughts by conditioning our mind, so that hopefully the steps forward become more clear to us, so we can pin point the vision. It was a specific example and not relevant for this blog, but click here for more information.

Vision is set. But what is needed for successful implementation?

The vision at all times should be visible, communicated, repeated. This will help people to keep on track and not diverge in discussions. The implementation bit is basically about research. Designers talk to people and ask ’stupid’ questions. Afterall we are designers, we are not specialist in the field we are trying to ideate in, but we have the brain capacity to understand the factors that are relevant. Therefore we ask in different ways, visualise things and get feedback from relevant people.

How do you engage people in this process?

There is a design approach called co-design and it is a very exciting topic about how to motivate people, keeping them interested in what is going on whilst providing them tangible benefit. This however will result in a long discussion, another blog in the make.

Tools: David Hicks

Paper Exercise

1. A4 sheet of paper is provided
2. Task is to create a continues circle as large as possible by cutting the paper

It is quite a fun exercise to do if you do not already know the solution for the largest circle. This exercise is good, because it is easy and seems obvious at first. However integrates slight competition.

5 Attributes in new context

1. Pick a random project, describe it with 5 attributes
   
2. In another context develop something new using the 5 attributes
   

Random project picked was a computer mouse. The five attributes were: Only works with a computer, white, plastic, Apple, easy. The context provided was: Yogurt …

Interpret your object story

1. Take 5 random objects. Person is asked to tell a story through the objects, lay them out in front of an audience.
2. The audience needs to interpret and tell the story they believe it depicts.

This exercise was quite funny, as Laura who lay out the object had previously been engaged. The audience was aware of that and came up with stories to do with marriage planning.

In fact it was the layout of a ’sustainable village’.

Extracting the vision

1. Describe the current situation
2. What would make the situation ‘heavenish or hellish’?
3. What can be done to approach the heavenish situation?
4. Sort ideas, cluster them, group them
5. …

Our current project has been on hold for the last fortnight. There are concerns floating in the team about how to proceed. This exercise conditioned our minds on the best and worst case scenario and we developed ideas forward. The next stage of resorting and clustering the ideas will follow tomorrow. I am curious what the outcome will be…

7 hours Ezio Manzini

Thursday 12th November: DESIS presentation at Mackintosh lecture theater at Glasgow School of Art & SLOC : social innovation for territorial ecology. Held in Institute for Advanced Studies at Strathclyde University, Glasgow.

Ezio Manzini’s DESIS presentation was about catalysing social resources for sustainable change.

1. Eco-efficiency is not enough

Improving more efficiency to the car is not enough. Changing people’s mindsets to less consumption of the same will trigger frustration. Ezio argues we need something that changes the perception of ‘good life’ which does not make use of conventional systems.

2. Let’s get rid of the problem-focused consciousness

Scenario solutions must be provided. It is easy to acknowledge problems and moan about them. Rather than talking about the miserable outlook we should be proposing solutions and alternative scenarios. The emphasis should be on ’something that can be done’.

3. The new good life

What is good life? Judgement is always relative based on cultural values. What if a new perception of good life were created though scenarios which embed dynamics for external growth and do not follow mainstream ideas?

4. Social innovation is the main driver

Viable alternatives exist already as individuals and communities are inventing new ways of living. It is the designer’s purpose to help this process to be implemented elsewhere. Good ideas should be spread worldwide.

5. Reflexive citizen

Narratives, relation, stories, experience add value and a differential factors to processes. Take the farmers markets for instance: farmers establish a relationship with their clients through basically branding themselves, by creating an identity through the way they interact, how they present themselves or their stories about how the vegetables have been farmed.

6. Establish new paths for systems

do not follow the known. Communities can be organised differently through digital media. But it is important to foster sustainable growth, not just the empowerment of a marginal group of people.

7. Find the gems in the masses

Generalising the masses leads to a lazy bunch of people. Active individuals need to be identified and extracted to establish creative communities.

8. The designer’s role is to spread innovative solutions through co-creation in other communities.

The designer’s creative capacity can be used to facilitate innovations elsewhere through co-creation, adapting tools and methods to new localities. I understand the facilitation, but Ezio mentioned ‘helping people to be better designers’. People are non-designers who obviously need to take ownership over the process to keep it going as a requirement for the process to grow sustainable without the designers input.

http://sustainable-everyday.net

http://www.desis-network.org/

http://www.youngfoundation.org/

His SLOC presentation was about emerging Scenarios being SMALL, LOCAL, CONNECTED & OPEN. Crisis and issues are the initiator of change to identify opportunity and possibilities.

1. Systems and services for sustainable well-being

One exit strategy out of a crisis is sustain the old economy, but consume less of the same. This may lead into frustrated expectations as future generations may perceive their standard of living as less.

Therefore Ezio Manzini argues that we need new systems and services which are different and better to create new narratives and higher value that the old systems offered, but which are better ecologically. The answer is Social Innovation.

2. Distributed systems

Distribution is about decentralised systems with no hierarchies. A distributed system consists out of nodes, which are small scale local focus points. These nodes stand in relation to each other. They allow a highly flexible context related interaction.

Distributed systems is about utilising local resources before the connected nodes get involved. The concept of locality causes nostalgic feelings. The creation of a community by interaction, sharing/solving local issues builds a relationship and identity for the local community. However this holds dangers of fascism, but maybe our society is mature enough to avoid such?!

3. Background assumptions need to be challenged

What background assumptions were being made when designing new systems. These assumptions need to be challenged.

features of a distributed system: resilient/durable, lean/adaptable, comprehensible/controllable

John Wood Metadesign

Lecture: Friday 13th November @ Blue room, Foulis Building, Glasgow School of Art

John Wood presented the concept of Metadesign in a 1.5 h lecture. It included system theory as well as the mindset of utopias to create change.

To my understanding Metadesign is about an optimistic mindset which creates and fosters synergies within teamwork. These synergies are unleashed through tools and methods. Underneath I outlined the most important concepts about metadesign picked up from this lecture:

1. Replicable synergies

Synergy is an enhanced effect from two or more factors collaborating. What are the environmental factors which encourage synergy? Relation between factors, factor’s awareness of strengths and weaknesses, comfort and trust. Communication and bonding. John Wood argues synergies go beyond what we are used to. We may not even notice them when we experience them as the mind does not notice things that are running smooth and well. How do you create synergies and make this process of bonding replicable? Humour is an effective type of synergy. It creates comfort and relation. But how do you replicate personal trades such a humour?

Within teamwork synergy is about Evolving together. Creating synergy within teams by sharing knowledge which is held in individuals in retention to others. Others can unleash knowledge and skills which we are used to having not acknowledging the fact we have these skills. Only in relation to other people this knowledge can be appreciated. This is not just applicable to people and interaction, but also interaction with space and environment.

2.There is no paradigm

There is no fit all problem solution. There is no silver bullet (a quick solution for a difficult problem). John Wood argues that we need fractal replication : the replication of ‘utopias’. Many utopias will flourish within, pick up momentum, spread and create an overall impact. He argues we need new forms of collaborative design, which focus on single solutions locally applicable in multiple locations. It is about steering desires and creating opportunities, basically: manipulation and education.

3. Design = possible + unthinkable

Normally design is perceived to be the possible and thinkable, but we should strive towards the unthinkable, stretching beyond the known. After all miracles are just unlikely, not impossible! This involves taking risks and acknowledging possible failures. What kind of mindset is required to nurture such behaviour?

4. Auspicious

be welcoming and positively open thinking. Pessimists can not be designers. Focus on possibilities rather than problems. In brainstorming: pointing out faults and too much logic limits possibilities.

5. The control of positive feedback

In system theory: negative feedback is the normal trigger for change. If something is not working as it should, a reaction is caused to adjust to strive towards equilibrium, a balanced environment. Negative feedback only exists in close order systems. The world however is not such a system, it is an open system.

Positive feedback on the other hand are reactions that are same directional. It keeps growing exponentially. Nonetheless this reaction holds the fear of loosing control. Afterall an avalanche is a positive feedback and it grows into a non predictable swallowing mass. John Wood however argues that this mindset is based on negative thinking. He encourages dreaming and optimism. I agree with the overall statement, but would highlight within limits, natural constraints of our brains driven by logic and responsibility.

6. Design is… about shifting paradigms.

imagining something that does not exist yet, which is thinkable, talkable, possible and shifts paradigms. It is basically the creation of new solutions/systems which are beyond fitting their purpose (Donella Meadows). According to Tomas Kuhn there is a paradigm shift every 40 years.

Which impact will paradigm shifts have? Take an intertwined economic system, the car industry for instance: According to John Wood 25% of income is spend on the car. 10% of the population is involved in the car industry. If these numerous groups are addressed imagine the impact this has on wealth etc.

Here are some academic papers from attainable utopias.