Innovation Lenses – Take a different perspective

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by Rachael Clay

More systematic and effective innovation is desperately needed to deliver sustainable development.  The challenge is to move from doing what you’ve always done, to co-creating what progress could be. Increasingly innovation will demand a focus on local approaches to innovation. We’ve been looking through 3 different lenses to facilitate this – all with local communities and experiences at the heart:   the solution lens, the problem lens and the experience lens …

Innovation Lenses

Innovation approaches are often focused purely on the problem lens, identifying the problem to solve and innovating from there.  We have identified some useful tools to improve this approach.  However, the solution lens and experience lens can also be powerful.  The solution lens actively seeks out solutions that have been developed – the positive deviants.  The experience lens takes a human centred design approach and with walk throughs and immersive experiences helps you design from the users point of view.

We encourage you to try a different lens, or two when you approach innovation.  You won’t know what you will find until you look!

Have you set your Innovation ambition?

To find out more about problem definition: Julier J., Kimbell L. (2012) Problem Definition. p30. In: The Social Design Methods Menu click here.

More about positive deviance: Tuhus-Dubrow, R. (2010) The Power of Positive Deviants: A promising new tactic for changing communities from the inside. Boston Globe. November 29, 2009. Pascale, Sternin, & Sternin click here.

The Power of Positive Deviance: How Unlikely Innovators Solve the World’s Toughest Problems. Harvard Business Press click here.