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• 07 May 2024
• Cold Call Podcast

Lessons in Business Innovation from Legendary Restaurant elBulli

Ferran Adrià, chef at legendary Barcelona-based restaurant elBulli, was facing two related decisions. First, he and his team must continue to develop new and different dishes for elBulli to guarantee a continuous stream of innovation, the cornerstone of the restaurant's success. But they also need to focus on growing the restaurant’s business. Can the team balance both objectives? Professor Michael I. Norton discusses the connections between creativity, emotions, rituals, and innovation – and how they can be applied to other domains – in the case, “elBulli: The Taste of Innovation,” and his new book, The Ritual Effect.

• 12 Mar 2024

How to Bring Good Ideas to Life: The Paul English Story

Paul English is one of the most imaginative and successful innovators of his generation. He cofounded several companies, including Kayak, before starting Boston Venture Studio, where he is currently a partner. This multimedia case, “Bringing Ideas to Life: The Story of Paul English,” explores his process of creative idea generation, examining how he was able to bring so many ideas to market. In this episode, Harvard Business School professor Frances Frei and English discuss how to tell the difference between a good idea and a bad one, the importance of iteration, and taking a systematic (but fast) approach to developing new ideas. They also explore how his process dovetails with Frei’s “move fast and fix things,” strategy from her recent book.

• 23 May 2023
• Research & Ideas

Lessons on Life, Graffiti, and Value: 'It's in That Darkness That You Can Actually Develop and Evolve'

The art world has only recently started to place value on graffiti, but for James Riley, the craft's contribution to his life has been indelible. He reflects on his youth in Los Angeles, his art, and his research.

• 28 Apr 2022

Can You Buy Creativity in the Gig Economy?

It's possible, but creators need more of a stake. A study by Feng Zhu of 10,000 novels in the Chinese e-book market reveals how tying pay to performance can lead to new ideas.

• 14 Apr 2020

'Fortnite' Was a Blockbuster for Epic Games. What’s the Encore?

Epic Games, maker of the incredibly popular "Fortnite" multiplayer game, considers whether to become a PC-games distribution platform. Andy Wu discusses his case study, “Epic Games.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 13 Jan 2020
• Working Paper Summaries

Recognition Incentives for Internal Crowdsourcing: A Field Experiment at NASA

What to do if organizational hierarchy hinders a platform aimed at worker collaboration? A field experiment with NASA employees finds that they respond to managerial appreciation above other incentives.

• 09 Oct 2019

For Better Ideas, Bring the Right People to the Brainstorm

Better ideas emerge when extroverts and people open to new experiences put their heads together, according to research by Rembrand M. Koning. But what about introverts? Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 16 Sep 2019

Crowdsourcing Is Helping Hollywood Reduce the Risk of Movie-Making

Hollywood insiders have created "The Black List," which helps surface good but often overlooked scripts. Does the wisdom of the crowd work at the box office? Research by Hong Luo. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 25 Apr 2019

Incubators Take Notice: Your Entrepreneurs Are Networking with the Wrong People

Startup incubators used by cities and companies to jump-start innovation have a problem to overcome. Attendees tend to network with people they already know, says research by Rembrand M. Koning. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 17 Apr 2019

How Managers Stifle Creativity

3QUESTIONS: Teresa Amabile discusses the roots of creativity, how to achieve more of it, and combining it with artificial intelligence. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 27 Feb 2019

Judgment Aggregation in Creative Production: Evidence from the Movie Industry

Selecting early-stage ideas in creative industries is challenging because consumer taste is hard to predict and the quantity to sift through is large. Using The Black List that ranks scripts annually based on nominations from film executives, this study shows that aggregating expert opinions helps reduce quality uncertainty and can influence high-budget production.

• 14 Feb 2019

The Delicious History of Hershey's Chocolate

Milton Hershey, the candy king, pioneered chocolate treats for the masses. But he also built a controversial company town and what today is one of the richest schools in America. Nancy Koehn discusses Hershey's innovative life and vision. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 19 Sep 2018
• Sharpening Your Skills

Say Again? Uncommon Advice for Common Business Problems

Sometimes the right answer is far from obvious. Learn why an introvert may be the best choice to lead your team, taking a pay cut might make you a better manager, and why you should not trust your gut when the pressure is on. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 30 Apr 2018

How to Be a Rebel Leader

In the book Rebel Talent, Francesca Gino argues companies should encourage rebellion in their workplaces. Quiz: Discover what type of rebel you really are. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 07 Dec 2017

Does Time Pressure Help or Hinder Creativity at Work?

Professor Teresa Amabile discusses how managers can create the ideal conditions for employee creativity and success based on her research in three industries, seven companies, and 26 creative project teams. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 27 Sep 2017

What Happens When Ordinary People Get Creative?

Move over, creative geniuses. Teresa Amabile says the world needs to pay more attention to the creative processes of everyday people, especially in an age when big ideas often come from the crowdsourced masses. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 31 Jul 2017

In Pursuit of Everyday Creativity

This paper describes the most compelling research trends around creativity and innovation. It suggests that 1) creative behavior of ordinary individuals is likely to become more important to the development of products and services, and 2) future studies should focus on such creative behavior—and related psychological states and environmental contexts—as it happens.

• 20 Jun 2017

Conversational Peers and Idea Generation: Evidence from a Field Experiment

To develop a theory of innovator capability, this study extends existing research linking personality and creativity to take into account the social nature of idea generation. Using data from an experiment embedded in a bootcamp for aspiring entrepreneurs, results show that better ideas are generated by “open” innovators exposed to extroverted peers. Extroverts provide more raw information that innovators high in openness are best able to recombine into novel ideas.

• 21 Mar 2016
• Lessons from the Classroom

When Your Classmate is an NBA Superstar (or Fashion Model, or Movie Actress)

Industry superstars bring unique perspectives to the Business of Media, Entertainment, and Sports Executive Education program taught by Anita Elberse. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 16 Nov 2015

Does Competition Make Us More Creative?

Competition can bring out the best in many people in many jobs, but can it make employees more creative? The answer lies in the Goldilocks Zone. Research by Daniel P. Gross. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

50+ Design Thinking Case Study Examples

Design Thinking Case Studies demonstrate the value of the Design Thinking methodology. They show how this Design Thinking methodology helps creatively solve problems and improve the success rate of innovation and increase collaboration in corporations, education, social impact work and the public sector by focusing on the needs of humans.

There are many Design Thinking Case Study examples on the web, but few meet the criteria for a robust case study: a clear description of the methodology, steps undertaken, experimentation through rapid prototypes and testing with people and finally documented results from the process. In this section, we have been selective about the design thinking case study examples that we highlight. We look for Design Thinking Case Studies that demonstrate how a problem was tackled and wherever possible the results or effect that the project produced. Our goal in curating this section of Design Thinking Case Study examples is quality over quantity.

Browse this page to view all Design Thinking Case Study examples, or if you are looking for Design Thinking Case Studies in a specific industry or marketing vertical, then rather start with the Design Thinking Case Studies Index .

If you have an interesting application of Design Thinking that you have a case study for, we would be happy to publish it.

Submit your Design Thinking Case Study for publication here.

Design Thinking Case Study Index

Welcome to the Design Thinking Case Study Index. There are many Design Thinking Case Studies on the internet. Many are retrofitted descriptions of what occurred, rather than evidence of the Design Thinking process in action. In order to bring a higher standard to the practice of Design Thinking, we require stronger evidence and rigor. Only members can post and must provide strong evidence in the Design Thinking Case Study that the Design Thinking process was used to create the original idea for the product or service solution. The criteria that needs to be proved to make your project a Design Thinking Case Study are:

The Guardian: Benefits of Design Thinking

Design thinking helped The Guardian newspaper and publishing group change their funding model, boost revenue and adapt their culture and engage on an emotional level with their readers. In this case study, Alex Breuer, Executive Creative Director and Tara Herman, Executive Editor, Design explain how design thinking was able to achieve these goals for The Guardian.

Read more...

Tackling the Opioid Crisis at the Human and Systems Levels

How the Lummi Tribal clinic used design to address opioid overdoses

Applying Design Thinking Internally

Applying Design Thinking internally, within a group, community or to ourselves. This is a new application of the Design Thinking Methodology.

An internal application in this sense can have two meanings. First, the internal application of design thinking tactics within a group, organization or community, and second, the internal application of design thinking to one’s own self and life.

Can Design Thinking help you solve your own problems?

The Use of Design Thinking in MNCH Programs, Ghana

Responding to growing interest among designers, global health practitioners, and funders in understanding the potential benefits of applying design thinking methods and tools to solving complex social problems, the Innovations for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) Initiative (Innovations) developed and piloted innovative interventions to address common barriers to improving the effectiveness of basic MNCH health services in low-resource settings.

Société Générale's Time Tracking Nightmare Solved

In 2017, employees, managers, and partners of Société Générale Global Solution Centre agreed that invoices based on time tracking and project allocation were a chronic and painful challenge.

At SG-GSC, customers were billed for the time each assigned employee worked. The process of collecting the time worked by those employees (HCC) was a complicated and difficult ordeal. It consumed 21 days per month for senior employees. These employees had to navigate different systems, many types of contracts, high staff mobility, and a variety of processes between business lines.

How to Stimulate Innovation in Your Organization With Design Thinking

In this use case the cities of Aalborg and Rotterdam share their findings obtained from design thinking initiatives. This is based on empirical research as part of an evaluation. The use case is written for other professionals in the field of design in public organizations.

One of the main targets of the Interreg NSR project Like! is to create a digital innovative culture in which citizens are engaged, and more inclusive services are build. To reach this the municipalities started several initiatives with design thinking. In these initiatives one of the objectives was to find out how design thinking can help us to develop innovative and inclusive services. To research what design thinking contributed, we evaluated the pilots with participants.

The Impact of Design Thinking on Innovation: A Case Study at Scania IT

Organizational culture represents a crucial factor for the introduction of innovation throughout the organization via Design Thinking and agile way of working. Thus, the organization must establish a culture that encompasses a shared vision with values that create a commitment to learn, experiment and accept failure.

Oral B - Putting the User At the Center of Innovation

Oral B wanted to integrate digital technology into their electric toothbrush. The Brands first thoughts were to help users to track how well they were brushing their teeth. Future Facility, a product design firm in the UK suggested a different approach. Focus on the pain points of electric toothbrush users.

This case study discusses the importance of placing the user at the center of your innovation activities.

Design Thinking at Innogy

eCarSharing:   Energy Solutions for the New Generation

In 2015, Itai Ben-Jacob pitched his own ideas for a viable business model and developed the idea for innogy’s eCarSharing project in a design thinking workshop. His goal was to explore one of innogy’s innovation focus areas, ‘urban mobility.’

Together with fellow innovation hub members he organized a series of design thinking workshops to wade through the expansive topic of urban concepts – one of them focusing on mobility: “ We wanted to understand urban mobility – what does it actually entail? What type of business should we start? “

Building Cape Town’s Resilience Qualities Through Design Thinking.

This case study focuses on a Design Thinking Workshop for primary school learners. The aim of the workshops was to provide learners with a new set of skills which they can employ when problem solving for real world challenges.

Building resilience is essential for cities that face increasing uncertainty and new challenges that threaten the well-being of its citizens. This is especially important when looking at the diversity and complexity of potential shocks and stresses. 

Cape Town’s efforts to build skills in design thinking supports the creation of locally-relevant and innovative solutions that contribute to building resilient individuals and communities in Cape Town.

Designing Waste Out of the Food System

The average American  wastes  enough food each month to feed another person for 19 days. Through a number of projects with The Rockefeller Foundation and other organizations, IDEO designers from across the U.S. devised novel ways to tackle food waste.

B2B Design Thinking: Product Innovation when the User is a Network

When B2B companies talk about user experience, they are really considering the aggregated needs of multiple people and roles in a large ecosystem. But what happens when those objectives are vastly different for every individual?

“Humans don’t stop being humans just because they entered an office building.”

Self-Checkout: Improving Scan Accuracy Through Design

In this unique applied research study, academics and designers partnered with four of ECR’s Retailer members to immerse themselves in the self-checkout experience, understanding from the perspectives of the shopper and self-checkout supervisors, their journey from entry to exit, and their design challenges and frustrations.

Co-designing OTP Bank’s Strategic Plan for Growth

This is an example of accelerating a transformation through co-design. Eighty-two professionals gathered, representing OTP’s whole organization. Together, they were able to achieve months of work in just three days.

OTP Bank Romania (OTP) was at a key turning point in late 2018. The organization was undergoing changes in its leadership team. This new team helped them develop an ambitious goal:

OTP Bank will double its market share in 5 years.

They gathered for two Discovery sessions in December 2018. In these sessions, a carefully selected senior team chose three market segments to focus on. Then they built these segments into Personas.

IDEO: Journey to Mastery

While this is not a case study as such, it sits in our case study section as it is an important piece of information from a consultancy that played a large part in popularizing Design Thinking. In their Journey to Mastery section, IDEO discuss and shine a light on the shortcomings of the design thinking term and how it has been applied. I.e that it is not designing and that just knowing and using the practice does not in itself produce amazing solutions to problems.

It is worth a read to understand some of the nuance that is important to successful design thinking work.

Singapore Government: Building Service Platforms Around Moments in Life

In 2017, the product development team at Singapore’s Government Technology Agency (GovTech) was tasked to develop a tool to consolidate citizen-facing services previously delivered by different government agencies onto a single platform. The initiative, Moments of Life, sought to make it easier for citizens to discover and access relevant services during important changes in their lives by reducing fragmentation and being more anticipatory in the delivery of those services.

Organizing the delivery of services around a citizen’s journey, rather than fitting their delivery to existing processes, required extensive interagency collaboration beyond functional silos.

Mayo Clinic: Design Thinking in Health Care – Case Study

In the early 2000s, Mayo Clinic physician Nicholas LaRusso asked himself a question: if we can test new drugs in clinical trials, can we in a similarly rigorous way test new kinds of doctor-patient interactions?  

Consequently, the Mayo Clinic set up a skunkworks outpatient lab called SPARC. Within 6 years it had grown to an enterprise wide department called the Center for Innovation a dedicated research and design-oriented institute that studies the processes of health care provision, from the initial phone call, to the clinic visit, to the diagnosis and treatment of the problem, to follow-up and preventive care.

Design Thinking and Participation in Switzerland: Lessons Learned from Three Government Case Studies

Olivier Glassey, Jean-Henry Morin, Patrick Genoud, Giorgio Pauletto

This paper examines how design thinking and serious game approaches can be used to support participation.

In these case studies the authors discovered the following results.

Perceived usefulness. Based on informal discussions and debriefing sessions following all workshops, it is clear that the vast majority of workshop participants explicitly stated that both the actual outcome of the workshop and the methods used would significantly contribute to enhancing their performance in their work. Some workshops have actually led to follow up workshops or concrete actions based on the outcome.

Asili: Addressing an Entire Ecosystem of Need in a Rural Community

Design Thinking in HR at Deutche Telekom

Reza Moussavian, a senior HR and IT executive at Deutsch Telekom explains the company's journey and how important Design Thinking is as a business strategy for HR. Reza Moussavian's presentation provides great examples of issues tackled in HR and the results achieved. The presenter claims that there is not a singe issue that Deutche Telekom tackles in HR now that does not start with a Design Thinking methodology.

"Design Thinking solves 5% of our problems." says Reza Moussavian, "What we found out was that the magic was really in the implementation phase. We had to learn how to keep the momentum, the spirit and the fire from the co-creation workshops alive through the long implementation phase. Success is really about technology, transformation and leadership skills."

Design Thinking in Education: Perspectives, Opportunities and Challenges

This very informative article discusses design thinking as a process and mindset for collaboratively finding solutions for wicked problems in a variety of educational settings. Through a systematic literature review the article organizes case studies, reports, theoretical reflections, and other scholarly work to enhance our understanding of the purposes, contexts, benefits, limitations, affordances, constraints, effects and outcomes of design thinking in education.

Specifically, the review pursues four questions:

Design Thinking in the Classroom: What can we do about Bullying?

As children move from kindergarten, through middle school, and to high school, instruction shifts from stories to facts, from speculation to specifics, and imagination fades from focus. Design Thinking provides an alternative model to traditional ways of learning academic content by challenging students to find answers to complex, nuanced problems with multiple solutions and by fostering students’ ability to act as change agents.

Design Thinking is all about building creative confidence — a sense that “I can change the world.” In the Bullies & Bystanders Design Challenge, the students discovered that changing themselves might be even more important.

Following One School District's Approach to Innovation for the 21st Century

In her doctoral paper Loraine Rossi de Campos explores the use of Design Thinking in a school district for a 4-5 grade school.

India: Using ‘Design Thinking’ to Enhance Urban Redevelopment.

The discourse on urban planning and development has evolved over the last century with top-down methods of planning urban spaces giving way to bottom-up approaches that involve residents and other stakeholders in the design process. While the notion of participation and user involvement is considered critical to the design of appropriate and acceptable urban forms, there is no clear consensus in the literature on the methodology to be used to involve users and stakeholders in the design process. In this paper, we propose that the use of ‘Design-Thinking’ – a methodology for Human-Centred Design that is often used in product design and related industries – may be an effective methodology for engaging stakeholders in the urban design domain.

E*Trade: From Idea to Investment in 5 Minutes

Why the Financial Services Sector Should Embrace Design Thinking. Financial institutions need to evolve rapidly or risk disruption at the hands of nimble Fintech start-up companies.

In this article Kunal Vaed, The Street, describes how E*Trade used design thinking to enable the company to help investors get smarter by going from the idea of investing to an investment in 5 minutes.

E*Trade's Adaptive Portfolio service offering provides a good example of the work and results that E*Trade achieved with Design Thinking.

Fidelity Labs: Optimizing near-term savings goals

Thanks to providers like Fidelity, people can rely on easy, convenient systems to stay on track with their retirement savings. But when it comes to saving for important near-term goals (think: vacation, house, or wedding), people tend to be less organized. 

Fidelity Labs tackled this problem and defined the challenge as: "How might we improve the experience of saving for near-term goals? How might we make it easier, faster, and better?"

Design for Action: MassMutual and Intercorp Group

How to use design thinking to make great things actually happen by Tim Brown and Roger L. Martin. In this great HBR article, the authors look at design thinking in Finance with two case studies, one from MassMutual and the other from Intercorp. Group of Peru.

In this article highlighting the development of the acceptance of Design Thinking, they discuss how Design Thinking helps to create the artifact that creates the new solution as well as the intervention/s that brings the artifact to life.

How to Use Design Thinking to Make Great Things Actually Happen

Ever since it became clear that smart design led to the success of many products, companies have been employing it in other areas, from customer experiences, to strategy, to business ecosystems. But as design is used in increasingly complex contexts, a new hurdle has emerged: gaining acceptance (for the new solutions).

4 Design Thinking Case Studies in Healthcare: Nursing

The 4 case studies by Penn Nursing illustrate how nurses can be really powerful collaborators and generators of solutions within Healthcare. The videos describe the main attributes that nurses bring to the problem solving table

Philips: Improving the Patient Experience

Philips Ambient Experience service offers hospitals a way to radically improve the patient experience and results that they can achieve from their CT scanning suites. The best way to understand what it is is to watch this video  and this video  discussing the latest addition to the service. The white paper from Philips is also a good source of information on the Ambient Experience Service.

IBM: Design Thinking Adaptation and Adoption at Scale

How IBM made sense of ‘generic design thinking’ for tens of thousands of people. 

Generic design thinking often faces heavy resistance from influential skeptics, gets misunderstood or not understood at all, or less dire, it gets picked up with an unreflected euphoria and is applied as a “silver bullet” to all kinds of problems and projects (the famous “methodology misfit” we also see with Scrum for example). The big hangover often comes after the first experimentation budgets are expended and at worst a blame game starts.

Design Thinking in Public Engagement: Two Case Studies

Dave Robertson presents two case studies with the British Columbia Government (Canada). One with the Ministry of Transportation discussing their (public servant centered website), the other solving the problem of finding a solution to where to place a power substation.

Dave shows how he was stuck working in the public sector as a consultant and how creativity expressed through the Design Thinking methodology helped him to see a different, more effective way of creating solutions.

Bank of America Helps Customers Keep the Change

How do you encourage new customers to open bank accounts? In 2004, Bank of America used the Design Thinking methodology to look at the problem from a human centered perspective when they assigned design agency IDEO to boost their enrollment numbers: a problem that at the time, lacked any user perspective on why it was so hard for customers to save.

Redesigning The Employment Pass Application in Singapore

The Ministry of Manpower’s Work Pass Division (WPD) used design thinking as a tool to develop better ways to support foreigners who choose Singapore as a destination to live, work and set up businesses. The case reveals: Design thinking can potentially transform the perception and meaning of public service.

The team found out that the service redesign process required a better understanding of the decision points of both users and non-users. This involved taking a closer look at the opportunities and difficulties facing users, including those who had succeeded and failed within it, or had encountered problems or avoided it.

The US Tax Forms Simplification Project

This case concerns one of the earliest attempts by design thinkers at designing a large, complex system. It shows that design approaches in the public sector can look back at a long history. And it reveals how design thinking within the organization must include members of the whole organization in the design process.

Design has a long tradition and a rich history in the public sector. Nearly 40 years ago, when the US Congress passed the Paperwork Reduction Act into law, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) turned to designers in an effort to implement the new policy and to improve its relationship with taxpayers. 

A Tough Crowd: Using Design Thinking to Help Traditional German Butchers

Between 2004 and 2014, more than 4000 butcher shops were forced to shut down in Germany. When last was the butcher shop redesigned? The process started in the 1990s, as supermarkets became the favored spot for meat-shopping. As if a dramatic loss of market share was not enough, the industry as a whole started suffering from a serious image crisis. It was time to apply design Thinking to the traditional German Butcher Shop.

The initial problem statement read “Create the meat shop 2.0, an up-to-date version of the classic butcher business”. 

IDEO: Using Design Thinking to Create a Better Car

The challenge.

Remove roadblocks that can compromise the in-car experience for the Lincoln car company.

The final product, the Lincoln MKC luxury crossover, is credited with helping the Lincoln brand outpace growth in the luxury segment by more than two-to-one over competitors.

THE OUTCOME

A pop-up studio where IDEO designers helped departments communicate and collaborate more effectively.

Transforming Constructivist Learning into Action: Design Thinking in Education

In an ever changing society of the 21st century, there is a demand to equip students with meta competences going beyond cognitive knowledge. Education, therefore, needs a transition from transferring knowledge to developing individual potentials with the help of constructivist learning. A Scheer, C Noweski,  C Meinel , University of Potsdam, Germany.

Design Thinking is the most effective method of teaching constructivist learning.

Scaling Design Thinking in the Enterprise, a 5 Year Study

During Julie Baher's five years at  Citrix  between 2010 to 2015, she was fortunate to gain first-hand experience leading a transformation in product strategy to a customer-centered approach. It began when several senior executives attended the  design thinking boot camp  at Stanford’s d-school, returning with a new vision for the product development processes. Julie goes into detail about how they scaled up the customer centric methodology across the organizations 8,000 employees.

Developing Environmental Sustainability Strategies

Developing environmental sustainability strategies, the Double Diamond method of LCA and design thinking: a case study from aged care. Journal of Cleaner Production, 85, 67-82. Stephen J. Clune*, Simon Lockrey.

Developing an App for Type II Diabetes

Development and testing of a mobile application to support diabetes self-management for people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: a design thinking case study. Numerous mobile applications have been developed to support diabetes-self-management. However, the majority of these applications lack a theoretical foundation and the involvement of people with diabetes during development. The aim of this study was to develop and test a mobile application (app) supporting diabetes self-management among people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes using design thinking. The article was written by Mira Petersen and Nana F. Hempler.

Improving UX in Public Transportation

In this case study the project leaders goal was to  improve the experience of bus users  on Madrid's EMT system by offering a technological solution to  increase the users’ satisfaction with regard to accessibility  during the bus trip as well as when waiting for the bus to arrive.

Transforming Life Insurance through Design Thinking

To some fintechs, non-insurance incumbents, and venture capitalists, the industry’s challenges suggest opportunity. The life insurance value chain is increasingly losing share to these players, who are chipping away at the profit pool. 

How might incumbent life insurers keep pace in today’s fast-moving competitive environment and meet customers’ changing needs?

Deploying the Design Thinking methodology in the insurance sector could be the key to helping save insurance from itself. Here's what McKinsey has to say about design thinking in insurance in their article "Transforming Life Insurance through Design Thinking".

"Better addressing the evolving needs of consumers can help incumbents win their loyalty—and protect against new competitors. 

Bringing Design Thinking to the Insurance World

Pancentric helped  Jelf kick-off a several-year digital transformation journey by getting to know not just their customers better, but their own staff, too. Jelf has dozens of offices around the UK, all with specialties in insuring different kinds of commercial businesses. For our project team trying to determine a roadmap of new developments, there was no easy overview of how each office operated or what the entire customer experience looked like.

The Features of Design Thinking in Fast Moving Consumer Goods Brand Development

This paper investigates what features of design thinking are employed in FMCG brand development via stakeholder interviews in three domains: agencies, companies, and retailers. This paper concludes with suggestions of how design thinking can be embraced in FMCG brand development.

A Chain of Innovation The Creation of Swiffer

This is a great case study that underlines the complexity of bringing game changing products to market. It helps to provide an understanding of just how much more is needed that a simple five step process of idea generation.

Read more from Continuum , the Design Firm responsible for the Swiffer

The Guardian: Using Design to Reaffirm Values

The Guardian's redesign, which launched in January 2018, illustrated the business impact when design is valued. The Guardian has a strong culture of design and increasingly, how design thinking can contribute to organizational change and development.

Case studies of creativity in innovative product development

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• Design Studies 14(4):423-443
• 14(4):423-443

• The Open University (UK)

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Stanford Online

Creativity and innovation management: how to inspire original ideas.

Do you find it difficult to come up with new ideas? Or do you get caught in the same train of thought over and over again?

Perhaps the problem isn’t that you’re not creative 一 you may just be using the wrong methods to brainstorm and ideate.

Creativity and successful innovation tools can help you work through even the toughest of issues. By changing the way that you think about problem-solving, you can reinvent your framework and generate more solutions.

In this short guide, we’ll discuss what it means to practice creativity and innovation management 一 as well as methods that you can use to inspire original ideas for any obstacles that you might encounter.

If you want to learn even more and practice with others, consider taking our Creative and Design Thinking program. 

What is creativity and innovation management?

Put simply, creativity and innovation management is the act of balancing creativity and innovation in your workplace.

Fueling creative thinking can be a difficult endeavor, especially in a work environment. Creativity doesn’t always come naturally, and it’s not uncommon for staff to feel stuck at times, especially when there are approaching deadlines and additional stress factors. Solution ideation 一 another term for coming up with a new idea and solutions 一 and managing creativity can be difficult tasks.

That’s where innovation management comes in. Using tools designed to help foster creativity and encourage innovative ideas, the best innovation management techniques can help you solve  problems, including those that you’ve been putting off for ages.

A word about creativity and innovation: they may seem like similar concepts, but there is a significant difference between the two due to their focus. Creativity is typically centered around original thought and knowledge, which unleashes potential and is an integral part of idea generation. Innovation, on the other hand, is used to turn the creative idea that you come up with into a viable solution. Hand in hand, they are powerful ways to disrupt and adapt, and to create the next great idea, which is increasingly important in today’s ever-changing world. 

How do I brainstorm creative ideas?

If you’re looking to encourage new ideas from your team, try these methods to start:

• Rapid ideation: Everyone in a group writes down as many ideas as possible within a set time limit. Brainstormers won’t be able to self-censor as easily with the element of speed. None of these ideas have to be fleshed out or thought through 一 even scraps or fragments are fine. Generating the bad ideas can open the door for good ones. This can be done to get the juices flowing.
• Brainstorm using different mediums and settings: Some people find that they can brainstorm better when it’s on colorful sticky notes, and others find that they can get their ideas out better with a whiteboard and a handful of dry-erase markers. Encouraging the creative process collectively in different settings, using various tools. Brainstorm individually and with a group . Learn hands-on brainstorming techniques with Stanford’s Introduction to Design Thinking and Innovation at Work content and find out what works best for your team.
• Figure storming: Pick a famous person and try to guess how they would solve the problem that you’re facing. By doing so, you’ll be able to approach your problem from a different perspective.
• Starbursting: Identify who, what, when, where and why in regards to the problem. By understanding the problem inside and out, you’ll have a better time finding a solution for it.

How to create an innovation process

So your team has a bunch of new ideas, what’s next? There are a few steps that you can take to build a good problem-solving method and become a master of creativity . The following is an example of an innovation process step-by-step.

• Encounter a problem that needs to be resolved.
• Define the problem correctly.
• Choose a brainstorming activity to spark your creativity.
• Gather relevant material and work through it, considering different solutions and approaches that you can take to solve the problem.
• Discuss your idea with your teammates to gauge its viability.
• Walk away from the problem before returning to it.
• Start implementing your idea.

This is just one example of a creativity and innovation process. Practice it with your team to see what drives innovation for you. You can tweak the process, inserting different steps or designing a different process that works better. Design thinking , the experimental-based, solution-process , might work for you and your company. With time you’ll be able to start bringing your idea to fruition quickly and efficiently. 

Does innovation start with creativity?

Naturally, innovation cannot happen without creativity.

Only with creative ideas can one truly innovate and implement solutions that work. Coming up with creative innovation is a matter of actively finding this inspiration. Once you’re able to start coming up with creative solutions to your problem, many find that this skill quickly lends itself to leadership roles with ease.

Because of how linked entrepreneurship is with creativity and innovation management, a large number of people who practice design thinking go on to be entrepreneurs. Many students in our online Creativity and Design Program find that there’s a natural transition between it and the Leading People, Culture, and Innovation Program .

The Creativity and Design Thinking Program teaches you how to build a creative practice and grow your creativity via ideation, empathizing, prototyping and seeking inspiration. Logically, what follows is the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program, which teaches students how to lead using those innovations and collaborative teams. Students bring what they learn in those classes and implement them to drive those innovations as well.

The ability to think, create, and implement creative solutions takes practice. Sharpening the creative potential within your organizational innovation development can be led through implementation processes . Creativity can indeed spark innovation, and innovation can, in turn, motivate entrepreneurship.

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For more information about what online courses we have to offer, visit our website today.

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10 Successful Design Thinking Case Study

Dive into the realm of Successful Design Thinking Case Studies to explore the power of this innovative problem-solving approach. Begin by understanding What is Design Thinking? and then embark on a journey through real-world success stories. Discover valuable lessons learned from these case studies and gain insights into how Design Thinking can transform your approach.

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Design Thinking has emerged as a powerful problem-solving approach that places empathy, creativity, and innovation at the forefront. However, if you are not aware of the power that this approach holds, a Design Thinking Case Study is often used to help people address the complex challenges of this approach with a human-centred perspective. It allows organisations to unlock new opportunities and drive meaningful change. Read this blog on Design Thinking Case Study to learn how it enhances organisation’s growth and gain valuable insights on creative problem-solving.

Table of Contents   

1) What is Design Thinking?

2) Design Thinking process   

3) Successful Design Thinking Case Studies

      a) Airbnb

      b) Apple

      c) Netflix

      d) UberEats

      e) IBM

       f) OralB’s electric toothbrush

      g) IDEO

      h) Tesla

       i) GE Healthcare

       j) Nike

3) Lessons learned from Design Thinking Case Studies

4) Conclusion    

What is Design Thinking ?

Before jumping on Design Thinking Case Study, let’s first understand what it is. Design Thinking is a methodology for problem-solving that prioritises the understanding and addressing of individuals' unique needs.

This human-centric approach is creative and iterative, aiming to find innovative solutions to complex challenges. At its core, Design Thinking fosters empathy, encourages collaboration, and embraces experimentation.

This process revolves around comprehending the world from the user's perspective, identifying problems through this lens, and then generating and refining solutions that cater to these specific needs. Design Thinking places great importance on creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, seeking to break away from conventional problem-solving methods.

It is not confined to the realm of design but can be applied to various domains, from business and technology to healthcare and education. By putting the user or customer at the centre of the problem-solving journey, Design Thinking helps create products, services, and experiences that are more effective, user-friendly, and aligned with the genuine needs of the people they serve.  

Design Thinking process

Design Thinking is a problem-solving and innovation framework that helps individuals and teams create user-centred solutions. This process consists of five key phases that are as follows:  

To initiate the Design Thinking process, the first step is to practice empathy. In order to create products and services that are appealing, it is essential to comprehend the users and their requirements. What are their anticipations regarding the product you are designing? What issues and difficulties are they encountering within this particular context?

During the empathise phase, you spend time observing and engaging with real users. This might involve conducting interviews and seeing how they interact with an existing product. You should pay attention to facial expressions and body language. During the empathise phase in the Design Thinking Process , it's crucial to set aside assumptions and gain first-hand insights to design with real users in mind. That's the essence of Design Thinking.

During the second stage of the Design Thinking process, the goal is to identify the user’s problem. To accomplish this, collect all your observations from the empathise phase and begin to connect the dots.

Ask yourself: What consistent patterns or themes did you notice? What recurring user needs or challenges were identified? After synthesising your findings, you must create a problem statement, also known as a Point Of View (POV) statement, which outlines the issue or challenge you aim to address. By the end of the define stage, you will be able to craft a clear problem statement that will guide you throughout the design process, forming the basis of your ideas and potential solutions.

After completing the first two stages of the Design Thinking process, which involve defining the target users and identifying the problem statement, it is now time to move on to the third stage - ideation. This stage is all about brainstorming and coming up with various ideas and solutions to solve the problem statement. Through ideation, the team can explore different perspectives and possibilities and select the best ideas to move forward with.

During the ideation phase, it is important to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas without fear of judgment. This phase is all about generating a large quantity of ideas, regardless of feasibility. This is done by encouraging the team to think outside the box and explore new angles. To maximise creativity, ideation sessions are often held in unconventional locations.

It’s time to transform the ideas from stage three into physical or digital prototypes. A prototype is a miniature model of a product or feature, which can be as simple as a paper model or as complex as an interactive digital representation.

During the Prototyping Stage , the primary objective is to transform your ideas into a tangible product that can be tested by actual users. This is crucial in maintaining a user-centric approach, as it enables you to obtain feedback before proceeding to develop the entire product. By doing so, you can ensure that the final design adequately addresses the user's problem and delivers an enjoyable user experience.

During the Design Thinking process, the fifth step involves testing your prototypes by exposing them to real users and evaluating their performance. Throughout this testing phase, you can observe how your target or prospective users engage with your prototype. Additionally, you can gather valuable feedback from your users about their experiences throughout the process.

Based on the feedback received during user testing, you can go back and make improvements to the design. It is important to remember that the Design Thinking process is iterative and non-linear. After the testing phase, it may be necessary to revisit the empathise stage or conduct additional ideation sessions before creating a successful prototype.

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Successful Design Thinking Case Studies  

Now that you have a foundational understanding of Design Thinking, let's explore how some of the world's most successful companies have leveraged this methodology to drive innovation and success:

Case Study 1: Airbnb  

Airbnb’s one of the popular Design Thinking Case Studies that you can aspire from. Airbnb disrupted the traditional hotel industry by applying Design Thinking principles to create a platform that connects travellers with unique accommodations worldwide. The founders of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk, started by identifying a problem: the cost and lack of personalisation in traditional lodging.

They conducted in-depth user research by staying in their own listings and collecting feedback from both hosts and guests. This empathetic approach allowed them to design a platform that not only met the needs of travellers but also empowered hosts to provide personalised experiences. 

Airbnb's intuitive website and mobile app interface, along with its robust review and rating system, instil trust and transparency, making users feel comfortable choosing from a vast array of properties. Furthermore, the "Experiences" feature reflects Airbnb's commitment to immersive travel, allowing users to book unique activities hosted by locals. 

Case Study 2.  Apple    

Apple Inc. has consistently been a pioneer in  Design Thinking, which is evident in its products, such as the iPhone. One of the best Design Thinking Examples from Apple is the development of the iPhone's User Interface (UI). The team at Apple identified the need for a more intuitive and user-friendly smartphone experience. They conducted extensive research and usability testing to understand user behaviours, pain points, and desires.   

The result? A revolutionary touch interface that forever changed the smartphone industry. Apple's relentless focus on the user experience, combined with iterative prototyping and user feedback, exemplifies the power of  Design Thinking in creating groundbreaking products.    

Apple invests heavily in user research to  anticipate what customers want before they even realise it themselves. This empathetic approach to design has led to groundbreaking innovations like the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, which have redefined the entire industry.  

Case Study 3. Netflix  

Netflix, the global streaming giant, has revolutionised the way people consume entertainment content. A major part of their success can be attributed to their effective use of Design Thinking principles.

What sets Netflix apart is its commitment to understanding its audience on a profound level. Netflix recognised that its success hinged on offering a personalised, enjoyable viewing experience. Through meticulous user research, data analysis, and a culture of innovation, Netflix constantly evolves its platform. Moreover, by gathering insights on viewing habits, content preferences, and even UI, the company tailors its recommendations, search algorithms, and original content to captivate viewers worldwide.

Furthermore, Netflix's iterative approach to Design Thinking allows it to adapt quickly to shifting market dynamics. This agility proved crucial when transitioning from a DVD rental service to a streaming platform. Netflix didn't just lead this revolution; it shaped it by keeping users' desires and behaviours front and centre. Netflix's commitment to Design Thinking has resulted in a highly user-centric platform that keeps subscribers engaged and satisfied, ultimately contributing to its global success.  

Case Study 4. Uber Eats     

Uber Eats, a subsidiary of Uber, has disrupted the food delivery industry by applying Design Thinking principles to enhance user experiences and create a seamless platform for food lovers and restaurants alike.  

One of  UberEats' key innovations lies in its user-centric approach. By conducting in-depth research and understanding the pain points of both consumers and restaurant partners, they crafted a solution that addresses real-world challenges. The user-friendly app offers a wide variety of cuisines, personalised recommendations, and real-time tracking, catering to the diverse preferences of customers.  

Moreover,  UberEats leverages technology and data-driven insights to optimise delivery routes and times, ensuring that hot and fresh food reaches customers promptly. The platform also empowers restaurant owners with tools to efficiently manage orders, track performance, and expand their customer base. 

Case Study  5 . IBM    

IBM is a prime example of a large corporation successfully adopting Design Thinking to drive innovation and transform its business. Historically known for its hardware and software innovations, IBM recognised the need to evolve its approach to remain competitive in the fast-paced technology landscape.   

IBM's Design Thinking journey began with a mission to reinvent its enterprise software solutions. The company transitioned from a product-centric focus to a user-centric one. Instead of solely relying on technical specifications, IBM started by empathising with its customers. They started to understand customer’s pain points, and envisioning solutions that genuinely addressed their needs. 

One of the key elements of IBM's Design Thinking success is its multidisciplinary teams. The company brought together designers, engineers, marketers, and end-users to collaborate throughout the product development cycle. This cross-functional approach encouraged diverse perspectives, fostering creativity and innovation. 

IBM's commitment to Design Thinking is evident in its flagship projects such as Watson, a cognitive computing system, and IBM Design Studios, where Design Thinking principles are deeply embedded into the company's culture. 

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Case Study 6. Oral-B’s electric toothbrush

Oral-B, a prominent brand under the Procter & Gamble umbrella, stands out as a remarkable example of how Design Thinking can be executed in a seemingly everyday product—Electric toothbrushes. By applying the Design Thinking approach, Oral-B has transformed the world of oral hygiene with its electric toothbrushes.  

Oral-B's journey with Design Thinking began by placing the user firmly at the centre of their Product Development process. Through extensive research and user feedback, the company gained invaluable insights into oral care habits, preferences, and pain points. This user-centric approach guided Oral-B in designing electric toothbrushes that not only cleaned teeth more effectively but also made the entire oral care routine more engaging and enjoyable.  

Another of Oral-B's crucial innovations is the integration of innovative technology into their toothbrushes. These devices now come equipped with features like real-time feedback, brushing timers, and even Bluetooth connectivity to sync with mobile apps. By embracing technology and user-centric design, Oral-B effectively transformed the act of brushing teeth into an interactive and informative experience. This has helped users maintain better oral hygiene.  

Oral-B's success story showcases how Design Thinking, combined with a deep understanding of user needs, can lead to significant advancements, ultimately improving both the product and user satisfaction.

Case Study 7. IDEO  

IDEO, a Global Design Consultancy, has been at the forefront of Design Thinking for decades. They have worked on diverse projects, from creating innovative medical devices to redesigning public services.

One of their most notable Design Thinking examples is the development of the "DeepDive" shopping cart for a major retailer. IDEO's team spent weeks observing shoppers, talking to store employees, and prototyping various cart designs. The result was a cart that not only improved the shopping experience but also increased sales. IDEO's human-centred approach, emphasis on empathy, and rapid prototyping techniques demonstrate how Design Thinking can drive innovation and solve real-world problems.   

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Case Study  8 .  Tesla  

Tesla, led by Elon Musk, has redefined the automotive industry by applying Design Thinking to Electric Vehicles (EVs). Musk and his team identified the need for EVs to be not just eco-friendly but also desirable. They focused on designing EVs that are stylish, high-performing, and technologically advanced. Tesla's iterative approach, rapid prototyping, and constant refinement have resulted in groundbreaking EVs like the Model S, Model 3, and Model X.    

From the minimalist interior of their Model S to the autopilot self-driving system, every aspect is meticulously crafted with the end user in mind. The company actively seeks feedback from its user community, often implementing software updates based on customer suggestions. This iterative approach ensures that Tesla vehicles continually evolve to meet and exceed customer expectations .   

Moreover, Tesla's bold vision extends to sustainable energy solutions, exemplified by products like the Powerwall and solar roof tiles. These innovations  showcase Tesla's holistic approach to Design Thinking, addressing not only the automotive industry's challenges but also contributing to a greener, more sustainable future.   

Case Study 9. GE Healthcare 

GE Healthcare is a prominent player in the Healthcare industry, renowned for its relentless commitment to innovation and design excellence. Leveraging Design Thinking principles, GE Healthcare has consistently pushed the boundaries of medical technology, making a significant impact on patient care worldwide.  

One of the key areas where GE Healthcare has excelled is in the development of cutting-edge medical devices and diagnostic solutions. Their dedication to user-centred design has resulted in devices that are not only highly functional but also incredibly intuitive for healthcare professionals to operate. For example, their advanced Medical Imaging equipment, such as MRI and CT scanners, are designed with a focus on patient comfort, safety, and accurate diagnostics. This device reflects the company's dedication to improving healthcare outcomes.  

Moreover, GE Healthcare's commitment to design extends beyond the physical product. They have also ventured into software solutions that facilitate data analysis and Patient Management. Their user-friendly software interfaces and data visualisation tools have empowered healthcare providers to make more informed decisions, enhancing overall patient care and treatment planning.

Case Study 10. Nike 

Nike is a global powerhouse in the athletic apparel and Footwear industry. Nike's journey began with a simple running shoe, but its design-thinking approach transformed it into an iconic brand.

Nike's Design Thinking journey started with a deep understanding of athletes' needs and desires. They engaged in extensive user research, often collaborating with top athletes to gain insights that inform their product innovations. This customer-centric approach allowed Nike to develop ground breaking technologies, such as Nike Air and Flyknit, setting new standards in comfort, performance, and style.

Beyond product innovation, Nike's brand identity itself is a testament to Design Thinking. The iconic Swoosh logo, created by Graphic Designer Carolyn Davidson, epitomises simplicity and timelessness, reflecting the brand's ethos.  

Nike also excels in creating immersive retail experiences, using Design Thinking to craft spaces that engage and inspire customers. Their flagship stores around the world are showcases of innovative design, enhancing the overall brand perception.

Lessons learned from Design Thinking Case Studies

The Design Thinking process, as exemplified by the success stories of IBM, Netflix, Apple, and Nike, offers valuable takeaways for businesses of all sizes and industries. Here are three key lessons to learn from these Case Studies:  

1)   Consider the b ig p icture   

Design Thinking encourages organisations to zoom out and view the big picture. It's not just about solving a specific problem but understanding how that problem fits into the broader context of user needs and market dynamics. By taking a holistic approach, you can identify opportunities for innovation that extend beyond immediate challenges. IBM's example, for instance, involved a comprehensive evaluation of their clients' journeys, leading to more impactful solutions.  

2)  Think t hrough a lternative s olutions   

One of the basic principles of Design Thinking is ideation, which emphasises generating a wide range of creative solutions. Netflix's success in content recommendation, for instance, came from exploring multiple strategies to enhance user experience. When brainstorming ideas and solutions, don't limit yourself to the obvious choices. Encourage diverse perspectives and consider unconventional approaches that may lead to breakthrough innovations.  

3)  Research e ach c ompany’s c ompetitors   

Lastly, researching competitors is essential for staying competitive. Analyse what other companies in your industry are doing, both inside and outside the realm of Design Thinking. Learn from their successes and failures. GE Healthcare, for example, leveraged Design Thinking to improve medical equipment usability, giving them a competitive edge. By researching competitors, you can gain insights that inform your own Design Thinking initiatives and help you stand out in the market.  

Incorporating these takeaways into your approach to Design Thinking can enhance your problem-solving capabilities, foster innovation, and ultimately lead to more successful results.  

Conclusion    

Design Thinking is not limited to a specific industry or problem domain; it is a versatile approach that promotes innovation and problem-solving in various contexts. In this blog, we've examined successful Design Thinking Case Studies from industry giants like IBM, Netflix, Apple, Airbnb, Uber Eats, and Nike. These companies have demonstrated that Design Thinking is a powerful methodology that can drive innovation, enhance user experiences, and lead to exceptional business success.   

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Frequently Asked Questions

Design Thinking Case Studies align with current market demands and user expectations by showcasing practical applications of user-centric problem-solving. These Studies highlight the success of empathetic approaches in meeting evolving customer needs.

By analysing various real-world examples, businesses can derive vital insights into dynamic market trends, creating innovative solutions, and enhancing user experiences. Design Thinking's emphasis on iterative prototyping and collaboration resonates with the contemporary demand for agility and adaptability.

Real-world examples of successful Design Thinking implementations can be found in various sources. For instance, you can explore several Case Study repositories on Design Thinking platforms like IDEO and Design Thinking Institute. Furthermore, you can also look for business publications, such as the Harvard Business Review as well as Fast Company, which often feature articles on successful Design Thinking applications.

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Our Leadership Training blogs covers a range of topics related to Design Thinking, offering valuable resources, best practices, and industry insights. Whether you are a beginner or looking to advance your Design Thinking skills, The Knowledge Academy's diverse courses and informative blogs have you covered.

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An Invitation for Innovation: Why Creativity Is Found, Not Forced

In this podcast episode, Linda Hill shares how innovative teams communicate and collaborate their way to breakthrough.

May 09, 2024

So you want to lead your team toward innovation. Does that require you to know where you’re going? Not according to Linda Hill.

Hill is a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School whose research focuses on leadership and how organizations achieve innovation. When it comes to generating breakthrough ideas, Hill says it’s less about a creative vision and more about stepping into the unknown. “Innovation [is] not about an individual coming up with a new idea,” she says. “Instead, innovation is the result of the collaboration of people with diverse expertise and diverse perspectives coming together, being able to collaborate, being able to experiment together and learn.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart , Hill and host Matt Abrahams discuss how leaders can foster cultures and environments where innovation thrives — where teams use communication and collaboration to “co-create the future together.”

Listen & Subscribe

Think Fast, Talk Smart is a podcast produced by Stanford Graduate School of Business. Each episode provides concrete, easy-to-implement tools and techniques to help you hone and enhance your communication skills.

Full Transcript

Note: Transcripts are generated by machine and lightly edited by humans. They may contain errors.

Matt Abrahams: Innovation requires effective communication, collaboration, and conflict.

I’m Matt Abrahams, and I teach strategic communication at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Welcome to Think Fast, Talk Smart, the podcast .

[00:00:17] Today, I’m excited to speak with Linda Hill. Linda is a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School. Her research focuses on leadership development, building agile, innovative organizations and implementing global strategies. Linda is also the author of three important and popular books, Becoming a Manager , Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation and Being the Boss and The 3 Imperatives of Becoming a Great Leader .

Linda, thanks for being here and thanks to our friends at HBR for allowing us to record in their studio.

Linda Hill: It’s a real pleasure to be with you.

[00:00:53] Matt Abrahams: Excellent. I look forward to our conversation. Up for getting started?

Linda Hill: Yes, I am.

Matt Abrahams: All right. I find your research really interesting and important. One outcome of your work is your distinction between leading for innovation and leading for change. Can you help us understand the difference between the two?

Linda Hill: Yes, I’d be glad to. So I am a protégé of John Cotter and Warren Bennis. And they taught us that leadership was about dealing with change or coping with change. So leadership was about, if you will, coming up with a vision, communicating that vision, and inspiring people to want to fulfill that vision.

[00:01:25] I always thought that was leadership. I went out and talked to people who were exceptional leaders of innovation, individuals who had built teams, organizations, or even ecosystems that were able to routinely innovate. And when I asked them, what do they do? What is leadership about? A few of them said to me, well, you know what? I don’t even read leadership books because they immediately say you’re supposed to have a vision.

But you know what? When you’re trying to do breakthrough innovation, you have no vision. You don’t know the answer. The only reason I took this job is I have no vision. Now that is actually not completely accurate because everyone that I’ve studied, who’s really good at this, was a visionary. But they also understood that innovation was not about an individual coming up with an idea or a new idea. Instead, innovation is the result normally of the collaboration of people with diverse expertise and diverse perspectives coming together, being able to collaborate, being able to experiment together and learn as quickly as they can to come up with a solution to some problem or some opportunity.

So it turns out that leading innovation, as one of them put it, is the following. It is not about saying to people, I have a vision, follow me to the future. Instead, it’s about saying, let me create an environment in which a group of us will be willing and able to co-create that future together.

[00:02:38] Matt Abrahams: I find this really, really fascinating. Can you explain for us some of the components that go into that culture of innovation or that environment that allows for that innovation to happen? And what role does communication play in that?

Linda Hill: Communication plays a very important role. It turns out, that if in fact you want to build a group that can co create the future together, what you need to think about is what does innovation really require? First, it requires that we can collaborate, and we can collaborate even though we’re different.

[00:03:09] Second, it requires that we actually know how to experiment and learn together. We can iterate and go through that whole process where there are going to be, in fact, missteps and mistakes, failures, in fact. And third, it requires that we actually can utilize all of our talents and passions, the whole groups. And the final thing is that, it turns out, that innovation can be fun and exhilarating, but mostly it’s emotionally and intellectually very challenging. So that’s reality of what innovation is about.

[00:03:40] So if you want a group to be able to innovate time and again, what you need to be able to do is first make sure they’re willing. How you make sure they’re willing is really about your culture. Unless I feel a part of a community and we have some sense of shared purpose, then I don’t really want to take the risks associated and do that hard work, that intellectual, emotionally hard work with you to try to come up with something new.

[00:04:01] So the first thing about the culture is there is this sense of shared purpose, there is a why. If you don’t have that purpose, then I don’t have a sense of belonging to a community I care about. Now, also what we need to do is we need to have in our community a set of shared values that are consistent with our collaborating, experimenting, and learning together, and taking care of each other because it is such hard work.

So there are a set of values that we see in most of these organizations. And finally, related to those values are rules of engagement, how we’re supposed to be together. Now, often these are implicit, but what we see in these organizations is that the leaders make them more explicit. So that we, in fact, need to communicate in various ways that this is what really matters to us, this is what we value, and this is how we behave.

And in terms of behavior, there are two, two sort of areas of concern. One is how we’re going to interact together. We’re going to have mutual trust, mutual respect, mutual influence, all easy words to say, very difficult to live. The other set of rules of engagement are really about how we’re going to think together because innovation is really a kind of problem solving.

And so the rules about how we’re going to think together are, you know what, you need to tell people what your evidence is. Your evidence can be your gut, but admit it. Just say, it’s my gut. Now, with AI, with data, whatever it is, say these are the data. Well, okay, you can tell me this is what I believe and this is why, and you have to provide the evidence, that’s the rule.

[00:05:23] And the second piece is that I can still question you. So you may say to me, everybody can question anybody. You may say, this is what I believe and it’s because of all my experience. And I can say to you, hmm, is your experience relevant to what we’re doing right now, even if I’m a junior person? And then the last rule of engagement about how we’re supposed to think together really is that we’re supposed to think holistically.

So you can say, you know what, I get it, I agree. But I don’t think my part of the organization can do it. And if we think about what the whole enterprise or what all of us have to contribute for this to happen. Can we spend a little bit more time thinking about a solution that actually might allow my function or my geography to participate in the way you’d like?

[00:06:04] Matt Abrahams: So clearly communication plays a really important role in establishing a culture and environment where innovation can thrive. We have to be focused on shared purpose, shared values, and thank you for articulating the rules of engagement. I’m curious if you can give us a little more detail about shared values.

Linda Hill: So shared values, there are four shared values and obviously each organization has its own culture, but we did see these values in all of them. The first is bold ambition. These are organizations where people aren’t thinking about just what they should be doing but what they could be doing and that bold ambition is what makes it worthwhile for us to even bother to innovate if it’s not a big enough idea.

And so this is a place where communication really matters because if you want people to take on bold ambitions. You need to frame it in a way that is inspiring, that actually captures their attention. The second value is collaboration. The third is learning. And the fourth is responsibility. That is, people feel responsible to deliver and do their part to contribute to whatever that shared purpose is.

[00:07:02] Matt Abrahams: Those values certainly can drive innovation and I think just drive a healthy organization in general. I’m curious to talk about purpose, can you help me understand the difference between vision and purpose? Because I can see some people using those words almost synonymously.

Linda Hill: So vision is about where we’re going and purpose is about why we’re going there. And as it turns out. This issue of why we’re going there is what really creates that sense of community. And I think why I heard from many people who are really good at innovation is they don’t have the vision. Well, they don’t have the answer, but they do know what the question is and why it’s an important question.

So purpose can also be about who we serve. So I’ve been doing a lot of work on digital transformation, and it turns out that in terms of communication, and the reason why you often want to put in digital tools is so that you can be more agile and you can innovate for your customer. Well, it turns out that if you want people again to really take up and adopt and use data, use digital tools, I find that unless you start with purpose, the why, and you can tell a story, a narrative that is a customer centric narrative about why we should be doing this and why this is going to help the customer, people aren’t willing to adopt those tools, that technology, because it’s really hard to do it for many people. It’s not easy to learn how to do things very differently unless they get the why. And they buy into that, then they’re not going to want to do what you want them to do. Because again, going back to innovation, you cannot tell someone to innovate. You can only invite them. So communication becomes very important because it’s an invitation. It’s not about, you know, you can’t say, I’m the boss. You will innovate. That is useless. You can only invite them. This is why the willing is an important piece of the puzzle. So how do we write invitations or send invitations to people? We think about that a lot when we’re doing a party or whatever we’re going to do. So when you’re trying to invite someone to do something that’s really going to be very hard, you have to understand why.

And the only way you’re going to get what you need out of them is if they share with them what we refer to as their slice of genius. Everybody has a slice of genius. Everyone has talents. Everyone has passions. And what you’re trying to do in your communication is help tap into what their talents and passions are, connect them to some collective good, and help them understand the connection between the two.

[00:09:17] So purpose, the why, is where the alignment comes. It’s not about where we’re going, because we don’t know where we’re going. So how you help people understand that and tell a story where they see, yeah, I care about that and I see why you need me to give my all, my slice of genius to help do this collective thing we want to do, since the book is called Collective Genius. The concept of Slice of Genius came from the work I did at Pixar. And they talk about everybody having a slice of genius, and when we were thinking about what should we call our book, we felt that Collective Genius was the only thing we could do.

[00:09:53] Matt Abrahams: I love that storytelling is a critical component in innovation and declaring purpose. And purpose is really about the why and the sense of urgency. And we talk often on this podcast about knowing your audience when you communicate, when you tell stories. And I love your language around slice of genius. What that really is to my mind, to my ear is that you’re looking to understand the value that people bring, the unique value. And that’s really understanding who you’re speaking to. So innovation boils down to, in many ways, the ability to align and motivate people behind the why. And storytelling helps you do that.

Linda Hill: Yes, indeed, you’re right. And I would say that there are capabilities that need to be in place once you have inspired people, the willing part of it. But you also have to help them be able.

[00:10:43] Matt Abrahams: Since we’re sitting in HBR’s studio, I wanted to highlight an article that you wrote. And in it, you talk about the importance of collaboration, but you also talk about the importance of conflict. And I’d love for you to talk about the value of conflict in these processes, because I think so many people listening, and myself included are conflict averse, we feel conflict is bad and I think you have a very different perspective on it that I’d love for you to share.

Linda Hill: This idea of innovation being the result of a collaboration is not the result of my work. There’s a whole history of that. What we did in our work is look at the connection between leadership and innovation because as it turns out, most people who study innovation are either economists or macro sociologists so they don’t really care as much about what the individual leader needs to do and this is how we discovered we needed to talk a lot more about conflict. And what we saw in our work when we looked at organizations that were very innovative is, yeah, we know we need to collaborate, as I told you, but what’s the real test of collaboration? And that is whether or not you can take advantage of all the diversity of thought you need to get that innovative solution.

[00:11:45] So when you have diversity of thought, by definition, you have the potential for conflict. So if you cannot deal with conflict, then you’re either going to compromise, a lowest common denominator, or you’re going to let one group dominate. So the capabilities really are about how we actually use our diversity of thought in a constructive way and come up with innovative solutions.

[00:12:07] So the first one is creative abrasion. If you want to have an innovative solution, you as a leader actually want to amplify the differences that are happening, not minimize them. And once they’re amplified, if people are talented and passionate, guess what? There’s going to be a little bit of tussle. And if you are not comfortable as a leader allowing for that tussle, then you’re not going to get the full advantage of that diversity of thought, you’re going to cut somebody off.

[00:12:33] The second one is about creative agility and that is, can we experiment and learn together because you cannot really plan your way to an innovation, you have to act your way to an innovation. So I’m not surprised. Agile methodologies, lean start-up, design thinking, all of that stuff, that is really about how you experiment and learn as efficiently as you can.

[00:12:54] The last capability, which goes to why communication becomes very important too, is creative resolution. And that is about how we make a decision. So we have our tussle and we have our conflict, we might start experimenting and all along the way we have to make various decisions, do we go this way or that way.

And that’s what creative resolution is about. What you see in organizations that are very innovative is that people do not compromise, do not go along to get along. They also don’t let one group dominate. They don’t let the bosses dominate and they don’t let the experts dominate. And the experts are a real challenge when you’re trying to do something new.

And the final thing is, instead they have a more patient and inclusive way of allowing the voices to be heard. And that means working through things. So we all need to be communicating as effectively as we can.

[00:13:42] Matt Abrahams: So much in what you just said, the value of conflict is that it provides a diversity of opinions and it allows for more creative solutions and innovation to arise. But you have to set up an infrastructure, a way of being that allows for that to happen. And we have to be very clear on making sure that everybody can contribute to that conversation, be it collaborative and, or conflictual. And we have to be very clear on who makes those decisions. I want to move to something that personally is fascinating and something we visited a lot on this podcast.

You talk about six dilemmas for innovative change. One of them has to do with a tension that we’ve often talked about, which is the struggle between structure and improvisation. Can you elaborate on this dialectic and how it helps in innovation?

[00:14:30] Linda Hill: So there are these six dilemmas, or paradoxes, that must be managed as you’re trying to innovate. And whether or not your team develops those capabilities relates to your capacity as a leader to deal with those six dilemmas. One of them is in fact, improvisation and structure. So it turns out that the six are laid out in a way that when you’re behaving on one side, you’re actually unleashing people’s slices of genius, you’re amplifying. When you’re playing on the other side, you’re harnessing or leveraging them for the collective good. So on the one side for unleashing, which is very consistent with the kinds of conditions that my colleague Amy Edmondson says you need for psychological safety, is you’re going to have to improvise.

If you want that individual to be able to do his best work, or her best work, you may have to do things a little differently and create the circumstances that fit them and the way they do their best work. It may be different for them than me. On the other hand, when you’re trying to leverage and get to the collective good, you got to put some structures in place.

So you do want to have structures in place. You want to have the least amount of structure you need, but structures that help us either collaborate, experiment, or learn. And if the structures aren’t helping us with those three things, then that sort of bureaucracy has a purpose. But if it’s not about that, then we don’t need it. So hierarchy does matter. It is helpful for us to know what the hierarchy is and what the roles are because it just lets us be more agile, to be quick. I don’t have to ask you every time, what’s your job, et cetera. So the structures that you put in place are in support of our being able to collaborate, experiment, learn together, make decisions in the creative resolution kind of way.

[00:16:06] Matt Abrahams: You’re echoing a conversation we’ve had often about the value of structure. Having a minimal structure enables the creativity. If you don’t have the structure, the hierarchy in place, you could have anarchy and you could have confusion. So structure enables, supports, and allows people to be creative and innovative.

And we’ve talked about it often in spontaneous communication moments when I have to answer a question, give feedback. And what you’re sharing is this works at a collective level, and that’s really important. Before we end, I’d like to ask you three questions. One I create just for you and the other two are similar to everyone I interview. Are you up for that?

Linda Hill: Oh dear, yes.

[00:16:49] Matt Abrahams: You are incredibly collaborative as a researcher and as an author. What practices do you put in place to foster that collaborative work you do with others? How do you enable it?

Linda Hill: First, I make sure there is diversity of thought. And the last two books that I have written, I’m working on one right now, I always have an author who, at least when they’ve been she’s, she starts with me, she’s under the age of twenty-five. And I like strong willed people. I always pick people who have a point of view. And who I find are pretty talented, but they’re younger than me. That they’re old souls, it turns out all of them, I think. But fundamentally they will take me on. I pick people that I really am going to learn from and I enjoy, and are outspoken.

[00:17:38] Matt Abrahams: I like that you think about the quality of the communication you have. And I really like that you seek out different opinions. Question number two, who’s a communicator that you admire and why?

Linda Hill: One I have on my mind just at the moment is Vineet Nayar. I don’t know that you would know his name or not. He was the CEO of HCL Technologies. And HCL Technologies was the company that started the computer business in India, but it lost its way. He’s an unbelievable communicator. He wrote a book called Employees First, Customers Second. The reason why he’s such a good communicator is his language is so visual and so colorful. It’s about communicating in simple but vibrant ways. And I highly recommend you look up Employees First, Customer Second, or anything that Vineet has written or said.

[00:18:30] Matt Abrahams: So what I’m hearing that makes him such a powerful communicator is that he’s able to paint a picture with the words. Final question, what are the first three ingredients that go into a successful communication recipe?

Linda Hill: The first, I would say is there’s something about it that is provocative, that gets your attention. It really raises a question and you’re really eager to hear how that question is going to be answered. I think the other thing is that you do in fact know your audience. You’re empathic enough to know this is the way I need to come at this with this particular group of people, because this is the kind of thing they care about.

So I think you do take the time to know your audience. I think the other thing about communication, when you’re communicating, you are trying to engage someone’s head and someone’s heart. And to the extent that you can think about both when you’re communicating with them, the communication is going to be more powerful.

And I think we all meet people that can do the head piece of it very well, and we’re impressed and we get it, but then afterwards we don’t remember much of it. And then we meet people who do the heart and sometimes you think about a little bit more was, what was the there there, but you kind of remember it more. And so when you can get that combination of both, I think that’s when the communication has been quite powerful, which is why storytelling is important.

[00:19:45] Matt Abrahams: Creating curiosity by being provocative, really knowing your audience and being able to balance and give importance to the heart and the feeling, not just the information. Absolutely key ingredients to a successful communication recipe.

Linda, thank you so much. Your insight and input into innovation, into how we can build cultures and support that innovation are really, really helpful. And your insights into what makes for good stories and good facilitation and managing conflict very, very useful for all of us. I appreciate your time. Thank you for joining us.

Linda Hill: Well, thank you. Really a pleasure.

Matt Abrahams: You’ve been listening to Think Fast, Talk Smart , a production of Stanford Graduate School of Business. Our show is produced by Ryan Campos, Jenny Luna, and me, Matt Abrahams. With help from Podium Podcast Co. Our music is by Floyd Wonder. Please find us on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to subscribe and rate us. Also follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram and check out fastersmarter.io for deep dive videos, English language learning content, and our newsletter.

For media inquiries, visit the Newsroom .

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Ten Types of Innovation: 30 new case studies for 2019

If you’ve followed my work for a while, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of the Ten Types of Innovation, a framework developed by Doblin (now a part of Deloitte).

I previously listed it as the #2 innovation framework you should be using.

And with good reason. I have used it frequently with clients to get them to think beyond innovating their product , which becomes harder, more expensive and less differentiating over time.

However, what I have found in recent workshops is that since it was originally published in 2013, some of the case studies and examples in the book already come across as out of date. That’s how rapidly the world is changing.

So here, I present three new more recent case studies for each of the Ten Types of Innovation, along with an outline on what each of them represents. Try and see which of these examples you would also suggest touch on more than one of the Ten Types, and let me know in the comments below:

1) Profit Model: How you make money

Innovative profit models find a fresh way to convert a firm’s offerings and other sources of value into cash. Great ones reflect a deep understanding of what customers and users actually cherish and where new revenue or pricing opportunities might lie.

Innovative profit models often challenge an industry’s tired old assumptions about what to offer, what to charge, or how to collect revenues. This is a big part of their power: in most industries, the dominant profit model often goes unquestioned for decades.

Recent examples:

• Fortnite – Pay to customise: This Free-to-Play video game by Epic Game Studios is currently one of the most popular and profitable games in the world. Unlike other “freemium” games which incentivise people to spend money to speed up progression, Fortnite is completely free to progress and people only need pay if they want to unlock cosmetic items which don’t affect gameplay but act to personalise their characters.
• Deloitte – Value sharing: Professional Services firm Deloitte is the world’s largest Management Consulting firm and still growing. They noticed a desire from their clients for assurance that the advice they were being given and transformation projects which Deloitte was running would actually succeed. As a result, Deloitte has begun trialling projects where instead of their fee being based just on Time and Materials, they will also share in value delivery, where additional bonus payments are only activated if previously-agreed performance metrics are successfully met.
• Supreme – Limiting supply: While most companies want to get their products in to the hands of as many people as possible, Supreme has built a cult following through deliberately forcing scarcity of its products. The streetwear clothing retailer announces limited items which will only be available from a specific day when they “drop”, and once they are sold out, that’s it, unless you want to pay huge markups for a second-hand item on eBay. Their red box logo is now so collectible and desirable that the company is able to sell almost anything by putting the logo on it for a limited time only. Case in point: you can find official Supreme Bricks (yes, like the ones used to build houses) which are still selling on eBay for $500.

Supreme’s limited quantity releases often lead to people queuing overnight

2) Network: How you connect with others to create value

In today’s hyper-connected world, no company can or should do everything alone. Network innovations provide a way for firms to take advantage of other companies’ processes, technologies, offerings, channels, and brands—pretty much any and every component of a business.

These innovations mean a firm can capitalize on its own strengths while harnessing the capabilities and assets of others. Network innovations also help executives to share risk in developing new offers and ventures. These collaborations can be brief or enduring, and they can be formed between close allies or even staunch competitors.

Recent Examples:

• Ford & Volkswagen – Developing Self-driving cars: As two of the world’s largest car-makers, Ford and Volkswagen are competitors on the road. However, in 2019 they announced a partnership to work together to develop technology for self-driving cars and electric vehicles which would be used in both company’s fleets of the future. While Ford brings more advanced automated driving technology, Volkswagen was leading in electric vehicles. Through the combined venture called ARGO, both firms can spread their R&D spending across more cars, while both developing competing products.
• Microsoft – launching on competitors platforms: Since new Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has taken over, he has changed the innovation ethos of the company. Whereas previously Microsoft was a product-first company who tried to eliminate competing products and customers should stay within the company’s ecosystem, Nadella has shifted the mindset to a service company where their products should be accessible to customers should be able to access the products in whichever way they prefer. As a result, products such as Office 365 are now available in any web browser, as well as on the mobile marketplaces of Google’s Android and Apple’s IOS, previously seen as competitors.
• Huawei – Leveraging celebrity endorsement: Until recently, “high-quality smartphone” made people think of companies like Apple (USA), Samsung and LG (South Korea). Brands from China were often seen as competing on price but suffering from lower build quality and a lack of innovation. So in order to raise their profile in Western markets, Huawei has invested heavily in celebrities to endorse their flagship phones, such as Scarlett Johanssen, Lionel Messi, Henry Cavill and Gal Gadot. This initial investment raised brand name recognition, to the stage where it is now focusing marketing more towards features and functionality.

Huawei has paid Lionel Messi millions to endorse their brand

3) Structure: How you organize and align your talent and assets

Structure innovations are focused on organizing company assets—hard, human, or intangible—in unique ways that create value. They can include everything from superior talent management systems to ingenious configurations of heavy capital equipment.

An enterprise’s fixed costs and corporate functions can also be improved through Structure innovations, including departments such as Human Resources, R&D, and IT. Ideally, such innovations also help attract talent to the organization by creating supremely productive working environments or fostering a level of performance that competitors can’t match.

• Perpetual Guardian – Four-day working week: This small financial advisory firm in New Zealand trialed moving to a four-day working week, giving their staff an additional free day each week as long as they got their outputs done. As a result, they found people adjusted their working rhythm to achieve the same outcomes in 20% less time , while also resulting in more satisfied employees.
• Netflix – Unlimited Vacations: In order to drive their breakneck growth, Netflix reviewed their formal HR policies to see what processes were getting in the way of people doing their best work. They discovered that most bureaucratic processes which slowed down high performing individuals were in place to only handle situations where a low-performance individual would do something wrong. As a result, they scrapped most formal HR policies to free people to work in their own ways to benefit the company, summarised in their “Freedom and Responsibility” culture document, including allowing staff to take as many vacation days as they felt they needed to produce their best work.
• WeWork – Leveraging other companies’ hard assets: WeWork’s business model revolves around providing affordable office rentals for entrepreneurs and companies, fitting a lot of tenants into the same space by offering co-working areas. In order to rapidly deploy new working spaces and attract customers, WeWork started using a system called rental arbitrage, where they would rent commercial space, create a ready-to-use coworking setup, and then rent this space to customers. By not having to spend CAPEX on purchasing the buildings themselves, they were able to rapidly expand with lower overhead.

Netflix allows staff to take unlimited vacation days

4) Process: How you use signature or superior methods to do your work

Process innovations involve the activities and operations that produce an enterprise’s primary offerings. Innovating here requires a dramatic change from “business as usual” that enables the company to use unique capabilities, function efficiently, adapt quickly, and build market–leading margins.

Process innovations often form the core competency of an enterprise, and may include patented or proprietary approaches that yield advantage for years or even decades. Ideally, they are the “special sauce” you use that competitors simply can’t replicate.

• Tesla – Vertically integrated supply chain: Tesla’s electric cars require huge packs of EV batteries, made of thousands of lithium-ion cells. Until recently, the lack of demand for electric vehicles meant that companies had not invested in battery technology development, resulting in prices remaining high and making the cost of cars prohibitively more expensive than their gasoline counterparts. Tesla invested in a massive gigafactory to produce the newest battery packs themselves, and the economies of scale, as well as not paying markups to manufacturers, are estimated to save them 30% of the cost of the batteries.
• Amazon Web Services – opening internal technology to third parties: When Amazon Web Services initially launched in 2006 , it effectively launched the cloud computing market, allowing external companies to not just host webpages but run code and calculations at a fraction of the cost of building their own server network. Since then, Amazon has continued to develop new technology it would use for its own services, such as artificial intelligence, image recognition, machine learning, and natural-language processing, and later make this technology available to their customers.
• AliExpress – Making everyone a Shop Owner: AliExpress is one of the world’s largest eCommerce sites, and serves as a commercial storefront for thousands of Chinese companies, allowing you to purchase everything to phone cases to forklifts. However, AliExpress also allows the platform to handle purchases as listed on external storefronts using a system called drop-shipping, where anyone can set up their own store, sell someone else’s products (but to customers it looks like they are coming from the seller) and then have those manufacturers send the product directly to the customer.

Tesla’s Gigafactory is the world’s largest building

5) Product Performance: How you develop distinguishing features and functionality

Product Performance innovations address the value, features, and quality of a company’s offering. This type of innovation involves both entirely new products as well as updates and line extensions that add substantial value. Too often, people mistake Product Performance for the sum of innovation. It’s certainly important, but it’s always worth remembering that it is only one of the Ten Types of Innovation, and it’s often the easiest for competitors to copy.

Think about any product or feature war you’ve witnessed—whether torque and toughness in trucks, toothbrushes that are easier to hold and use, even with baby strollers. Too quickly, it all devolves into an expensive mad dash to parity. Product Performance innovations that deliver long-term competitive advantage are the exception rather than the rule.

• Gorilla Glass – Changing chemistry to improve smartphone durability: Gorilla Glass by Corning was listed as one of the original Ten Types by becoming scratch resistant. I have included it again for how it has changed the properties of its glass based on customer feedback each year. In 2016, version 5 of the glass was designed to resist shattering when dropped from 5+ feet, dubbed “selfie height” drops. However, after discussing what properties their customers wanted, by 2018 version 6 was no longer trying to resist shattering when dropped from a height once, instead the chemistry and manufacturing process had been changed to make it resistant to cracking after 15 drops from a lower height (1 meter, or a “fumble drop from your pocket”). I love this example of innovation as the product performance doesn’t just try to become “ better ” by resisting one drop from a higher height than last year, instead figuring out what really matters to customers and delivering that.
• Raspberry Pi – full PC for $35: The original Rasperbby Pi was developed by a UK charity to make a simple yet expandable computer which was affordable enough for everyone. Their credit-card sized PC may look bare-bones (it comes without a case and is effectively an exposed circuit board), yet it contains everything which someone needs to run a Linux operating system, learn to program and even connect it with external sensors and peripherals to make all manner of machines. The latest version 4 is now powerful enough to serve as a dedicated PC, all for a price so low you can give it to a child to tinker with without fear of it being broken.
• Lush Cosmetics – Removing what people don’t want anymore: As people become more aware of their impact on the environment, customers are demanding that customers do more to reduce the amount of plastic packaging their products use which could end up in landfill or the ocean. Lush Cosmetics was an early pioneer in bringing packaging-free cosmetics to scale, offering some of their packaging-free products like shampoo bars and soaps in dedicated packaging-free stores .

Giving children a cheap PC like the Raspberry Pi to learn and experiment on

6) Product System: How you create complementary products and services

Product System innovations are rooted in how individual products and services connect or bundle together to create a robust and scalable system. This is fostered through interoperability, modularity, integration, and other ways of creating valuable connections between otherwise distinct and disparate offerings. Product System innovations help you build ecosystems that captivate and delight customers and defend against competitors.

• Ryobi – One battery to rule them all: While handheld tools have had rechargeable batteries for decades now, Ryobi’s innovation was designing the modular One+ battery which could be used with over 80 different tools. Not only was this convenient for customers who needed fewer batteries overall for multiple uses, it also encouraged someone to buy into the Ryobi tool ecosystem once they had previously purchased one tool and battery set.
• Zapier – making APIs easy: Many web-based applications nowadays have an Application Programming Interface (API) which allows them to share data with other services. However, this often requires complex coding from the developers, and repeated effort to integrate with multiple different APIs. Zapier acts as a middleman for data, providing ready-made actions and API integrations between popular web services, allowing customers to automate certain activities every time a specific event happens.
• Airbnb – Expanding into experiences: Airbnb built their business on allowing everyday people to sell accommodation in their homes to strangers. Now the company has begun offering complementary services to people visiting new places through Experiences . These experiences are also sold by local guides, and allow guests to try things they would otherwise not have known about in addition to staying somewhere new.

Ryobi One+ battery powers multiple different tools

7) Service: How you support and amplify the value of your offerings

Service innovations ensure and enhance the utility, performance, and apparent value of an offering. They make a product easier to try, use, and enjoy; they reveal features and functionality customers might otherwise overlook, and they fix problems and smooth rough patches in the customer journey. Done well, they elevate even bland and average products into compelling experiences that customers come back for again and again.

• Kroger – Smartphone grocery scanning: US retail giant Kroger has been trialing a new smartphone app which allows shoppers to scan items as they shop, and then skip checking out altogether. Using the Scan, Bag, Go app, a customer will scan each item as they pick them up and place them into whatever bag they want, and once they are done, they can simply pay using the app and leave. This prevents shoppers having to wait in checkout lines and gives them an overview of their running total as they go, and also allows the supermarket to entice shoppers by sending coupons and offers directly to them.
• PurpleBricks – bringing real estate online: Estate Agents have a poor reputation for treating both sellers and buyers, especially for the amount they charge relative to the service they provide. PurpleBricks was one of the first online-only estate agents , where they could charge a significantly lower fee if the seller chose to complete some of the service processes themselves, such as showing the home to potential buyers. The firm can provide additional services for additional charges.
• Meituan Dianping – providing one app for all the services you want: As Fast Company’s 2019 Most Innovative company , Meituan Dianping provides a platform for Chinese consumers to purchase a variety of services. Known as a transactional super-app, you can use the app to book and pay for food delivery, travel, movie tickets and more from over 5 million Chinese small and large merchants.

Scan your own groceries with the Scan-Bag-Go app

8) Channel: How you deliver your offerings to customers and users

Channel innovations encompass all the ways that you connect your company’s offerings with your customers and users. While e-commerce has emerged as a dominant force in recent years, traditional channels such as physical stores are still important — particularly when it comes to creating immersive experiences.

Skilled innovators in this type often find multiple but complementary ways to bring their products and services to customers. Their goal is to ensure that users can buy what they want, when and how they want it, with minimal friction and cost and maximum delight.

• Dollar Shave Club – Direct to your door: Razor Blades have always been high-margin products, and Gillette was one of the original innovators by giving away the razor handle to make money on the subsequent razor blade sales. Dollar Shave Club has taken a different approach, by reducing the cost of each set of blades, but having people join a subscription service where blades are delivered to them automatically. While the margin on each set of blades is lower than retail, the subscription model has provided steady, predictable revenue for the company, to the extend that subscription boxes can now be found for almost any consumable product.
• Zipline – Blood Delivery for remote areas: In hospital settings, getting fresh blood can a matter of life and death. Unfortunately, many Sub-Sharan African countries don’t have road infrastructure suitable for quickly delivering blood between hospitals or storage locations. This is why Zipline has developed a simple, reliable drone network where hospitals in Rwanda and Ghana can order fresh blood from a central processing area and receive it within an average of 15 minutes, rather than the hours or days it would take using conventional transportation.
• 3D Printers – produce whatever you need at home: Instead of a single company, the industry of 3D printers is slowly beginning to change the way in which consumers get simple tools and parts. By downloading schematics from the internet (or designing their own), people owning a 3D printer now no longer to go to a retail location or order the parts they need. In commercial settings, this is also speeding up how quickly companies are able to prototype new ideas and designs, waiting hours rather than days or weeks.

zipline blood drone innovation

9) Brand: How you represent your offerings and business

Brand innovations help to ensure that customers and users recognize, remember, and prefer your offerings to those of competitors or substitutes. Great ones distill a “promise” that attracts buyers and conveys a distinct identity.

They are typically the result of carefully crafted strategies that are implemented across many touchpoints between your company and your customers, including communications, advertising, service interactions, channel environments, and employee and business partner conduct. Brand innovations can transform commodities into prized products, and confer meaning, intent, and value to your offerings and your enterprise.

• Gillette / Nike – being willing to lose customers who don’t align with purpose: I have combined both Gillette and Nike into this example of brand innovation since they have both recently aligned their brands to a purpose (social and political), which has been positively welcomed by some people but has resulted in hatred from other groups. Nike began by making former NFL Quarterback Colin Kaepernick the face and voice of one of their advertising campaigns. Kaepernick rose in prominence when he refused to stand during the national anthem before his games, his way of protesting the police brutality and inequality towards his African American community. This led to some people claiming he was disrespecting the American Flag, and therefore what the flag stands for. When his advert launched, a vocal minority took to social media to upload videos of themselves saying that Nike no longer aligned with their values, and they burned their shoes, vowing to never buy Nike again. Similarily, Gillette came out with a commercial urging all men to be “The best a man can be”, by pushing aside previously ‘masculine’ traits like bullying, chauvinism or fighting, and showing children how a modern man should behave. As soon as the ad was released online, many media outlets praised its message, but it brought the wrath of angry men who claimed that the razor manufacturer shouldn’t tell them what to think or how to behave, how they would never buy the products again, and how the world was becoming too politically correct, with women and minorities getting preferential treatment over white men. The advert quickly became one of the most disliked videos on Youtube, and even my commentary about the innovative message (seen in the video below) had the comments section covered by hate-filled messages. What both Nike and Gillette realised was that if they wanted to align with positive, progressive messages and values (which align with their target demographic of the future), then they would risk upsetting and alienating the proportion of their current customer base who didn’t share those views. In both cases, these were decisions that would have been signed off by all levels in the company, through marketing, sales, legal and the board, and the brands will be stronger in the future because of it.
• Burberry – modernising a classic brand: Burberry had built its luxury fashion reputation by aligning itself with the British Aristocracy, and its famous chequer patterned fabric was iconic. However, when trying to modernise and make the brand “sexy” in the early 2000s, a misstep happened when the luxury house began to license the chequered fabric, resulting in it becoming a status symbol and desired motif for a different social group: the British “Chavs” (rough, lower class and sometimes aggressive). This poisoned the once iconic brand in the eyes of their intended luxury clientele. In order to survive, the company and brand embraced innovation , by becoming one of the first fashion houses to redesign their website to be mobile-optimised, aligning their store layout to mirror the website, highlighting young British talent and livestreaming content and fashion shows. Most importantly, they moved away from the iconic chequer pattern in their fashion designs, where it is now limited to less than 10% of products.

10) Customer Engagement: How you foster compelling interactions

Customer Engagement innovations are all about understanding the deep-seated aspirations of customers and users, and using those insights to develop meaningful connections between them and your company.

Great Customer Engagement innovations provide broad avenues for exploration and help people find ways to make parts of their lives more memorable, fulfilling, delightful — even magical.

• REI – closing their stores on the busiest shopping day: Outdoor equipment retailer REI had begun closing its doors on Black Friday , traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year. They claim they are doing this to Eddie their customers to actually get outdoors and use their equipment, rather than queuing for discounted material goods.
• Peloton – bringing the gym into the home: Many people benefit from going to joint gym classes because the sense of a group working toward is goals together with a coach is more powerful than trying to exercise by yourself. Peloton makes exercise equipment with built-in screens, powered by a subscription to live and on-demand classes. It’s like being part of a workout group with the benefits of being at home.
• NBA – bringing the fans into the action: The NBA had invested heavily in innovation to make their sport more immersive. From live analytics and player statistics, new ways to watch like VR video, and official video game players for each team, they are finding new ways to bring basketball to the next generation, while making it even more exciting for existing fans.

Peloton brings exercise classes into the home

There we go, a new set of 30 examples of the Ten Types of Innovation.

If you found some of these examples interesting, please share the article.

Can you think of any more good examples? Let me know in the comments below.

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great examples! I now feel inspired to innovate in my entrepreneurial project. Thank you ?

Greetings from Mexico

Excellent work!

They’s very interesting. Do you have the solutions of some of recent examples?

My university has taken pretty much everything from here, poorly rephrased a few things and have delivered it to us, the student, as an entire weeks worth of content. Maybe i should be paying my fees here…

Bachelor of business student Australia

Very interesting. Which course was it being used for?

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Case studies of creativity in innovative product development

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creativity and innovation. We hope to discuss which processes, mechanisms, behaviors, tools and methods promote or hamper creative and innovative efforts of individuals and teams, and how they can be managed in organisations. We intend to include knowledge from various disciplines that traditionally do not much work together. We will bring together scholars from different disciplines that conduct research that is relevant for socio‐organisational context (e.g. within management theory and practice, organisational behavior, human resource management, entrepreneurship, strategic management,), socio‐technical systems or physical work context (e.g. within architecture, interior design, ergonomics, environmental psychology). We welcome both conceptual/theoretical and empirical contributions with a variety of research strategies including surveys, experiments, case studies, ethnographic studies, discourse studies and reviews. We focus on “Organising” which includes (HR) management practices, leadership, organizational context, and strategic environment for creativity and innovation (e.g. HR practices such as recruitment and selection, job design, training and development, performance appraisal, compensation and rewards; leadership styles, organisational work environment design, physical work environment design, organisational culture and climate, and strategies). We focus on the “Creativity” of individuals and teams in general as well as with a specific creativity task (such as designers, consultants, managers, marketers). Innovation includes products, services, processes, marketing, business model innovations but also other types of innovations such as continuous and discontinuous, open or ecological innovations for sustainability. We hope to explore how organising creativity for innovation can affect firm “performance”. Topics include,  Organisational design for creativity and innovation  Work environment design for creativity and innovation  Organisational culture and climate for creativity and innovation  Human resource management for creativity and innovation  Leadership for creativity and innovation  Strategies for creativity and innovation  Knowledge management for creativity and innovation  Creativity and innovation through collaboration between and within organisations  Creativity and innovation in entrepreneurial organisations and SMEs  Managing creativity in specific professions and business environments  Critical perspectives on organisational design and the organising of creativity and innovation  Creative tools and methods for business model innovation

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Co-creators in innovation ecosystems. Part I: The case of creative industries

E Galateanu (Avram) 1 and S Avasilcai 1

Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering , Volume 400 , Issue 6 Citation E Galateanu (Avram) and S Avasilcai 2018 IOP Conf. Ser.: Mater. Sci. Eng. 400 062009 DOI 10.1088/1757-899X/400/6/062009

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1 Department of Engineering and Management, "Gheorghe Asachi" Technical University of Iasi, Blvd. D. Mangeron no.29, 700050, Iasi, Romania UK

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The continuous evolution and development of technology became the main driver for new industries emergence. The use of Internet of Things and Open Innovation technologies brought a new perspective regarding business models development, inter-industry collaboration, and value co – creation process. This point of view emphasizes the relevance and necessity for identification and analysis of business ecosystems concept. The transition from supply chain to value network, from business ecosystem to innovation one emphasized the importance of customer as value creator and the efficient use of other stakeholders' capabilities. From this point of view, in order to create a competitive advantage, economic actors developed their own co–creation instruments including co–creation platforms. Based on literature review there will be highlighted the most relevant key aspects regarding the creation of an innovation ecosystem, distribution of innovation across the entire business landscape, the processes which facilitate the use of open innovation techniques and technologies, and the particularities of crowdsourcing within innovation ecosystems. The foreseen result is to explore the creation of an innovation ecosystem based on the experience of Crowdspring projects within an emerging creative industry, to identify major actors and the established relations, and to illustrate the use of crowdsourcing as the main open innovation technique.

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The Innovation Mindset in Action: 3M Corporation

• Vijay Govindarajan and Srikanth Srinivas

How 3M has consistently powered itself through innovation.

In three recent blog posts we looked at the innovation mindset in individuals, profiling game changers Jerry Buss , Peter Jackson , and Shantha Ragunathan . These three innovators share common qualities, which we call the innovation mindset, a robust framework which can be applied at the micro (individual) as well as macro (organizational) levels: they see and act on opportunities , use “and” thinking to resolve tough dilemmas and break through compromises, and employ their resourcefulness to power through obstacles. Innovators maintain a laser focus on outcomes , avoid getting caught in the activity trap , and proactively “expand the pie” to make an impact. Regardless of where they start, innovators and innovative companies persist till they successfully change the game.

• VG Vijay Govindarajan is the Earl C. Daum 1924 Professor of International Business at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He is coauthor of Reverse Innovation (HBR Press, 2012). Srikanth Srinivas is the Senior Vice President of Solution Innovation at Medecision and the author of  Shocking Velocity .

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27 Case Study Examples Every Marketer Should See

Published: July 22, 2024

Putting together a compelling case study is one of the most powerful strategies for showcasing your product and attracting future customers. But it's not easy to create case studies that your audience can’t wait to read.

In this post, I’ll go over the definition of a case study and the best examples to inspire you.

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What is a case study?

Marketing case study examples, digital marketing case study examples.

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A case study is a detailed story of something your company did. It includes a beginning — often discussing a challenge, an explanation of what happened next, and a resolution that explains how the company solved or improved on something.

A case study proves how your product has helped other companies by demonstrating real-life results. Not only that, but marketing case studies with solutions typically contain quotes from the customer.

This means that they’re not just ads where you praise your own product. Rather, other companies are praising your company — and there’s no stronger marketing material than a verbal recommendation or testimonial.

A great case study also has research and stats to back up points made about a project's results.

There are several ways to use case studies in your marketing strategy.

From featuring them on your website to including them in a sales presentation, a case study is a strong, persuasive tool that shows customers why they should work with you — straight from another customer.

Writing one from scratch is hard, though, which is why we’ve created a collection of case study templates for you to get started.

There’s no better way to generate more leads than by writing case studies . However, without case study examples from which to draw inspiration, it can be difficult to write impactful studies that convince visitors to submit a form.

To help you create an attractive and high-converting case study, we've put together a list of some of our favorites. This list includes famous case studies in marketing, technology, and business.

These studies can show you how to frame your company's offers in a way that is useful to your audience. So, look, and let these examples inspire your next brilliant case study design.

These marketing case studies with solutions show the value proposition of each product. They also show how each company benefited in both the short and long term using quantitative data.

In other words, you don’t get just nice statements, like “this company helped us a lot.” You see actual change within the firm through numbers and figures.

You can put your learnings into action with HubSpot's Free Case Study Templates . Available as custom designs and text-based documents, you can upload these templates to your CMS or send them to prospects as you see fit.

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The Accidental Design Thinker

Bringing Design Thinking to All

40 Design Thinking Success Stories

I’m incredibly optimistic of the power of DT but also always on the lookout for design thinking success stories and examples. As I’ve shared my knowledge of design thinking with others, I’ve frequently been asked how often it delivers demonstrable results and how broadly it can be applied. Below is my collection of design thinking success stories that have helped reinforce my conviction that design thinking can deliver incredibly powerful results and be applicable to everyone.

Consumer Packaged Goods

• Designing a Simplified IoT Electric Toothbrush
• Indra Nooyi HBR Design Thinking Interview
• Using Design Thinking to Guide Product Development for Oil of Olay Brand
• Design Thinking for K-12 Educators
• Great Fast Co Design Article on Teaching Kids DT
• Design Thinking STEAM School Case Study
• Awesome Case of Designing an Entire High School Via Design Thinking
• Dense but Rich Dissertation of Use of Design Thinking in a School District
• The Power of Empathy in the Elementary Classroom

Financial Services

• Click Link & Scroll Down for Bank of America Case Profile
• How ABN AMRO Leverages Design Thinking
• 3 Banks Integrating Design Into Customer Experience
• Evolution of Design Thinking in Deutsche Bank’s IT Division
• Bank of Ireland’s Lesley Tully on the Value of Design Thinking
• GE Healthcare – From Terrifying to Terrific
• NY Times – Design Thinking for Doctors & Nurses
• Design Thinking in Healthcare – Schizophrenia
• Design Thinking Lessons from Mayo Clinic
• Design Thinking at Stanford University Medicine
• Design Thinking Case Studies in Journalism
• Why Design Thinking & Journalism Go Together

Non-Profit/NGOs

• Design Thinking & Winnebago at GGRC for Better Service
• Collection of Design Thinking Case Studies from Museums
• Improving Quality of Life for the Elderly Via Better Food Service
• Mobisol’s Use of Design Thinking for Solar Energy
• Leveraging Design Thinking in Cambodia Video
• How Nike Became a Fashion Powerhouse Through Design
• Nordstrom Innovation Lab Video Profile
• Popular Airbnb Design Thinking Success Story
• Innovation at Apple – Design Thinking Case Study
• IBMs Design Centered Strategy
• Design Thinking at IBM
• Google’s 3 Step Process for Generating Innovative Ideas
• Intuit’s Designing for Delight
• How the Uber Eats Team Designs
• Design Thinking in Action at SAP

Transportation

• Cool Step by Step Case of Applying DT to a Common Challenge for Travelers
• How Makassar Plans To Use Design Thinking to Improve Transport

Self-Improvement

• Designing Your Life Through Design Thinking – My Personal Story
• NY Times – Design Thinking for a Better You
• Stanford professor’s Take on How DT Can Help You Lose Weight, Stop Worrying, & Change Your Life
• Designing Your Life – Insight into the Most Popular Class at Stanford!

If you’re at the beach and would rather read an actual book full of design thinking case studies, I’d recommend ‘Solving Problems with Design Thinking: Ten Stories of What Works’ by Jeanne Lietdka.

In summary, there are plenty of available and powerful design thinking success stories, that will hopefully increase your conviction in the strength of DT. I’m always on the lookout for new examples and will continue to add to this list. Please don’t hesitate to share any great examples that I’m missing and continue to check back in as this list grows in size!

Interested in expanding your design thinking mindset and skills?  Click here for my collection of design thinking tools and resources!

• Category: Design Thinking , Innovation , Marketing & Branding
• Tag: Best Practices , Case Studies , Design , Design Thinking , Innovation , Success Stories

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accidentalDT- thank you for sharing so much amazing resources on your site.

[…] Be an Advocate for Design Thinking – Know, believe, share, and celebrate the success stories of design thinking. Here are 40 design thinking stories that will help make anyone a believer […]

[…] Check out my collection in the Self-Improvement section of 40 Design Thinking Success Stories! […]

[…] It was wonderful hearing case studies to supplement the research I’ve conducted on design thinking success stories. […]

Thank you for your valuable contribution to Design Thinkers!

My pleasure Denise! Thank you for your kind words and for visiting my site; it means a ton to me!

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More From Forbes

Governance by design: three case studies on privacy, security and grc.

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Jimmie founded JLEE with the mission to "Enhance life for all through innovative, disruptive technologies." Learn more at jlee.com .

The software, IT, network and cloud industries have undergone evolutionary change for years. We have outpaced any expectation of usage and application of the original foundation of the internet and networks. Thus, we have been playing catch-up to build tools, policies, awareness and services to provide privacy, security and GRC (governance, risk and compliance) to aging technologies awaiting replacement, transformation and modernization.

Here are three case studies on strategies to apply governance by design, starting with privacy, security and GRC for every product.

Scenario 1: Brand-New Startup Beginning From Scratch

The core decision point is to understand which industry and what data access and computing are required.

Starting with a no-code or low-code front end makes the most sense. A CRM application may be best if there is a high touch with customers or clients, as startups often have more extended trial periods.

If possible, focus on one country to start and build in privacy and GRC up front. Review and outline compliance and regulation requirements and confirm architecture can be adjusted to meet them without expending energy to comply.

Security is simple if most of your product can be contained within the chosen no-code/low-code platform or CRM. Only use approved integrations by OEMs if possible. Minimize the sensitive data from customers initially and avoid any PII, PCI or HIPAA data by using integrations with other platforms that already maintain compliance, especially payment processors.

Scenario 2: New Product Innovation To Drive Revenue For A Growth Stage Or Emerging Company

Larger Fortune 500 companies will likely already have most of the infrastructure required. The challenge may be that the NPI requires mostly modern technologies, and the infrastructure in place may not be readily compatible. Here, the core is to build the proof of concept and alpha product with current technologies within the lab or development environment.

Partnerships, relationships, leadership and trust are essential in this scenario when working cross-functionally. Empathy, support and offering a temporary headcount may be tools to accelerate the other departments' projects, which most often have out-prioritized the updates and transformation required for the new product.

Here, network, security and privacy segmentation will be the foundation of the GRC plan for this area. Compliance with current strategy and architectures is required.

Your North Stars are highlighting and identifying when this new NPI and core infrastructure merge. Mapping expected cost reductions and revenue generation to the infrastructure merge plan presents the baseline for conversations, cross-functional strategy planning and, ultimately, budget approval.

Scenario 3: Finding Alignment In A Fortune 500 Or Fortune 1000 With Tech Debt And Competing Priorities

Similar in many ways to the NPI scenario, this one carries much more risk and requires more empathy, relationship building, trust and leadership up front.

The highest priority as a director or executive coming into a new role in a Fortune 500 is to quickly establish yourself as a strong listener, partner and trust builder. The more understanding you have of the company’s mission, vision, strategy and roadmap, the better.

Often, pushing disruptive innovation and NPI is a core competency aligned and assigned to specific departments with their strategy, roadmap and vision. At this stage, the initiatives in sight have often been investigated, researched, estimated, reviewed and prioritized out of current scope. Going in, you are likely pushing a large, heavy object uphill.

This is where understanding the priorities of your peer organizations and what it means for company growth, market share and overall evolution is vital.

Map the company’s priorities against your peer organization’s priorities, then the intersections of the new product. Estimate risk reduction, cost reduction, revenue growth, security, privacy and GRC enhancements for the new product. Then, scale the benefits of the security, privacy and GRC company-wide. Be sure to calculate risk based on current events and case studies for financial impact.

The financial impact is best framed with a few variables: current laws and regulations (especially those the company is not compliant with); the amount of fines, the diversion of company resources from strategic goals due to those fines and the consequential damage to the brand, with case studies on lost revenue for multiple years; loss of customer trust; and loss of market share with current examples on if any regained their previous hold on the market.

With this information, build a document or slides featuring high-level data. Make primary use of white space for a clean and visually appealing layout. Provide detailed information as a supplementary backup to support the main content.

Final Thoughts

Advocating for GRC can be a costly endeavor. Most often, it is a cost reduction once implemented properly with automation. With the proper use of AI and assisted platforms, the continual improvement and enhancement of privacy, security and GRC is more achievable now than ever. It is vital for growth-stage, emerging and Fortune 500 companies to build trust, relationships and partnerships cross-functionally early. For those in roles for many years, it may be too late. So, a strategic hire with personality, empathy, patience and relationship building can be your front-person agent for change.

In all cases, governance by design takes humility, patience and iterations. The greater the prep, the greater the implementation and adherence to policies and regulations, and the tighter security and privacy for all.

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What Is Process Innovation in Businesses? - Benefits, Examples, Case Studies

When it comes to innovative businesses, standing still means falling behind. The true differentiator isn’t just about what you do, but how you do it.

One such strategy that has emerged as a cornerstone of modern business transformation is process innovation.

But what is process innovation – and why does it hold such transformative power?

Process Innovation, Defined

In its simplest form, process innovation is systematically transforming how your business operates. A persistent pursuit of efficiency, effectiveness, and value creation through the redesign and optimization of existing processes.

It’s about taking a critical look at your current workflows, procedures, and systems, and asking a fundamental question: “ Can we do this better?”

Don’t get confused, though. Process innovation isn’t merely about incremental improvements. Rather, it involves scrutinizing every step of your operations, identifying bottlenecks, eliminating redundancies, and leveraging technology to streamline activities.

Whether it’s automating repetitive tasks, reimagining customer service interactions, or optimizing supply chain logistics , process innovation touches every corner of your organization.

In simpler terms, it’s a rather holistic approach. One that seeks to revolutionize how work is done, from the factory floor to the boardroom.

What Are The Key Benefits of Process Innovation?

As we’ve seen, process innovation refers to nothing more than the implementation of a new or significantly improved production or delivery method. This includes changes in techniques, equipment, or software.

The benefits of process innovation are numerous–and can significantly impact a company’s bottom line and competitive advantage.

Here are some of the key advantages:

More Efficiency and Productivit y

Streamlined workflows, reduced bottlenecks, elimination of redundant tasks… you name it!

For instance, consider a customer service department struggling with long wait times and unresolved issues.

Simply by adopting a new process that uses AI-powered chatbots to handle initial inquiries and direct customers to the appropriate agents, the department significantly reduces wait times and improves overall customer satisfaction.

The Results: Implementing new and creative processes allows you to streamline operations and improve performance across various areas.

A Decrease in Cost

Often, cost reduction is a main motivator for many businesses to embrace the innovation process.

If you’re able to identify and eliminate inefficiencies, you can realize significant cost savings. These include cutting labor costs, reducing waste, and optimizing material and energy usage.

The Results: The recovered costs can be reinvested in new business initiatives or cutting-edge technologies, propelling the company forward.

A Better Customer Experience

Innovative processes also lead to faster delivery times, more personalized service, and better responsiveness to your customer needs. Just as well, proactive issue resolution and seamless customer journeys further elevate satisfaction.

The Results: Satisfied customers are more likely to become brand advocates, driving repeat business and fueling growth.

Competitive Advantage

We’ve already covered in our other article why innovation in business is so important in 2024 (and beyond) . That’s because the rapid pace of digital transformation and the rise of disruptive startups make it fundamental for businesses to innovate and keep pace with industry standards.

Failing to do so risks falling behind the competition. This means that companies that continuously innovate their processes often gain a significant edge over their competitors.

The Results : The possibility to offer superior products or services at lower prices, respond more quickly to market changes, and adapt to evolving customer needs.

Related article: Why Every Business Needs a Chief Innovation Officer to Stay Ahead in 2024

Employee Morale and Engagement

Of course, employee empowerment and satisfaction play a pivotal role in giving them more autonomy, reducing repetitive tasks, and providing opportunities for skill development.

And empowered employees are more likely to contribute ideas, creativity, and expertise , leading to positive changes within the organization as a whole.

The Results: This collaborative approach not only drives innovation, but also increases job satisfaction and retention by giving employees a sense of pride and accomplishment in contributing to the company’s success.

Sustainability

Sustainability is a growing concern for businesses and consumers alike. It’s an area where process innovation can have a significant impact . Many innovative processes focus on reducing waste, conserving energy, and minimizing the overall environmental footprint of operating a business.

This can be achieved by implementing energy-efficient technologies, optimizing supply chains to reduce transportation emissions, or adopting circular economy principles.

The Results: In addition to the environmental benefits, sustainable process innovations can also lead to cost savings through reduced resource consumption and waste disposal expenses. This makes sustainability a win-win, benefiting both the planet and the bottom line.

5 Famous Examples of Business Process Innovation

These avant-garde companies didn’t just improve existing processes – they revolutionized them, forever changing the way entire industries operate.

1. Ford Motor Company’s Assembly Line

You probably remember the word Fordism from your high school history lessons. Henry Ford’s moving assembly line is arguably the most famous example of process innovation. By breaking down car production into specialized tasks along a conveyor belt, Ford achieved incredible efficiency.

This not only drastically reduced the time to build a car, but also made automobiles affordable for the masses, ushering in a new era of personal transportation.

2. Dell’s Direct Sales Model

Dell disrupted the computer industry by selling PCs directly to consumers, eliminating intermediaries like retailers. This direct model allowed Dell to:

• Customize: Tailor computers to specific customer needs.
• Reduce Costs: Streamline the supply chain and inventory.
• Stay Ahead: Respond quickly to technological changes.

The result was a leaner, more responsive business that quickly gained market share.

3. Toyota’s Lean Manufacturing

Toyota’s relentless pursuit of eliminating waste and continuously improving processes revolutionized manufacturing. Lean manufacturing has become a gold standard for efficiency, adopted by industries far beyond automotive.

Key principles of lean manufacturing include:

• Just-In-Time Production: Minimizing inventory and producing only what’s needed, when it’s needed.
• Kaizen: A culture of continuous improvement involving all employees.

4. Amazon’s One-Click Ordering

Amazon’s patented one-click buying dramatically simplified online shopping . By securely storing customer information, it reduced the steps to complete a purchase to a single click.

This innovation increased customer convenience, reduced abandoned carts, and fueled Amazon’s rise as an e-commerce giant.

5. Starbucks’ Mobile Ordering and Payment

Starbucks’ mobile app transformed the customer experience, allowing them to order and pay ahead, skip lines, and personalize their drinks. This innovation:

• Increased efficiencies: Reducing wait times and improving order accuracy.
• Boost sales: Encouraging more frequent purchases and larger orders.
• Gathered data: Providing valuable insight into customer preferences.

The mobile app became a key driver of Starbucks’ growth and set a new standard for customer engagement in the food and beverage industry.

How to do Process Innovation?

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably wondering how to start process innovation in your own organization. Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Process innovation involves a series of steps, which may vary depending on the specific methodology used. However, a general approach includes the following:

• Identify and Define the Problem: Clearly articulate the problem or opportunity that needs to be addressed through process innovation.
• Analyze the Current Process: Map out the existing process, identifying bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and areas for improvement.
• Generate Ideas: Brainstorm potential solutions and innovations, considering both incremental improvements and radical changes.
• Evaluate and Select Solutions: Assess the feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and potential impact of each solution, and select the most promising ones.
• Implement the Solution: Develop a detailed plan for implementing the chosen solution, including resource allocation, training, and communication.
• Monitor and Evaluate: Track the performance of the new process, gather feedback, and make adjustments as needed to ensure continuous improvement.

Related Article: 9 Best Tips for a Successful Innovation Culture

4 Key Activities in the Innovation Process

If you’ve been reading our blog, you know by now that innovation is the engine that will propel your businesses forward. But innovation in business is not just about having a brilliant idea. Rather, it’s also about transforming those ideas into tangible outcomes that deliver value.

Let’s break down which are the four steps of the innovation process:

01) Find Your Inspiration

Every innovation starts with a spark – that ‘A-HA!’ moment of inspiration that sets the wheels in motion. This could be a customer’s unmet need, a technological breakthrough, or simply a fresh perspective on an existing problem.

To foster inspiration, create an environment where curiosity thrives, encourage employees to explore new ideas, and celebrate diverse viewpoints.

02) Develop Your Ideas

Once inspiration strikes, it’s time to give those ideas shape and substance.

This is where ideation comes in – the process of transforming raw concepts into concrete plans . It’s a collaborative effort that involves brainstorming, prototyping, and refining ideas until they’re ready for the next stage.

03) Implement Your Innovation

The implementation phase is where the rubber meets the road. Now it’s all about putting your plans into action, allocating resources, and managing the project to ensure a successful rollout.

This phase requires careful planning, effective communication (and, of course, a willingness to adapt and overcome obstacles as they arise).

04) Iterate for Continuous Improvement

Finally, always remember that innovation isn’t a one-and-done deal; it’s an ongoing process; learning and improving.

The iteration phase involves continually evaluating the implemented innovation, gathering feedback, and making adjustments to maximize its impact . This ensures that your innovations remain relevant and effective in a constantly changing landscape.

Some Quick Tips on implementing Process Innovation

As you implement innovative strategies into your business operations, here are some tips to consider:

01) Identify problems

Analyze company records, market performance, and employee feedback to pinpoint areas needing improvement.

02) Set goals

Establish clear, measurable objectives that align with the desired outcomes of the innovation process.

03) Communicate and collaborate

Engage your team in discussions, provide resources, and foster a collaborative environment to develop creative solutions.

04) Test and iterate

Implement new strategies on a smaller scale to identify and address potential issues before full-scale implementation.

Wrapping Up

Process innovation is the path to unlocking the efficiencies, cost savings, and competitive advantages that exist in today’s business environment.

You can achieve remarkable results-from streamlining workflows to improving customer experiences and driving sustainability-through a systematic transformation of the way your organization works.

Examples from Ford, Dell, Toyota, Amazon, and Starbucks demonstrate the transformative power of process innovation across industries.

Keep in mind that the journey of innovation is to inspire, ideate, execute, and iterate. Embrace these steps, create a culture of continuous improvement, and watch your business thrive in the face of ever-evolving challenges.

• Process innovation is essential for staying competitive.
• It can lead to significant cost savings, improved efficiency, and enhanced customer experiences.
• Successful examples include Ford’s assembly line, Dell’s direct sales model, and Amazon’s one-click ordering.
• Implementing process innovation involves identifying problems, setting goals, collaborating, and iterating.

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Shiny objects: Insurance productivity in an era of AI and automation

The emergence of AI and generative AI (gen AI) has brought new energy to the age-old conversation about productivity. In this episode of the McKinsey on Insurance podcast, McKinsey senior partner Jörg Mußhoff  sits down with partners Elena Pizzocaro and Selim Sulos to discuss why revisiting insurance productivity is at the top of CEOs’ agendas, how the most successful transformations use an end-to-end redesign approach, and why CEOs shouldn’t get distracted by the novelty of AI when traditional tools could encourage growth. The following transcript has been edited for clarity.

Jörg Mußhoff: Many companies across industries are looking into not only how to unleash the power of AI and automation but also how to enhance new forms of productivity. Selim, why is revisiting insurance productivity important?

Selim Sulos: Productivity is not new to insurance. Most companies have explored productivity at different points over the past ten years, but after the height of COVID-19, the insurance world was introduced to a new paradigm, with inflation increasing the cost of claims and rising interest rates stagnating growth, which doubly impacted some insurance carriers. [To make up for these interferences], productivity has become the number one or number two topic on a CEO’s desk.

Elena Pizzocaro: Technology offers plenty of opportunities [to improve productivity]. Think about automation and AI, which are constantly reaching new frontiers. The expectation is that nearly 50 percent of manual activities could potentially disappear thanks to gen AI alone. 1 “ The economic potential of generative AI: The next productivity frontier ,” McKinsey, June 13, 2023. That creates the perfect storm of need and opportunity.

Selim Sulos: There’s one more thing that I should add: top-level tech natives are also contributing to [the importance of productivity]. Everyone, especially those in North America, reads about what’s happening in the big tech companies of the world. Productivity in the tech paradigm is super relevant. I often hear questions like, “What can we learn from big companies that have large tech talent?” That’s another consideration that is impacting CEOs’ agendas.

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Jörg Mußhoff: Can both of you give us a peek into the machine? How are insurance companies across the globe addressing the topic of driving productivity? What do you consider to be the best approaches?

Elena Pizzocaro: The most successful transformations adopt an approach that moves productivity forward while taking advantage of the best technology. Companies are rethinking these end-to-end journeys using what we call “the unconstrained reimagination of core processes.” At the same time, they combine this approach with the most classical techniques, such as performance management, that are the backbone of sustaining impact over time. They create a view of future journeys while setting the trajectory for the unit costs necessary to achieve it and—in the best circumstances—are disciplined in monitoring the progress toward this curve.

Selim Sulos: There is a fine balance between the new productivity paradigm related to the end-to-end path versus the traditional approaches to performance management. Case in point: some midsize insurance carriers that have capital constraints, especially in this environment, need to use some of these traditional methods to capture the necessary resources for investing in the end-to-end journey. Otherwise, it can be costly, depending on how they tackle it in the early investment stage. Therefore, it is critical to keep new and traditional approaches top of mind and sequence them based on where you are in your journey.

Jörg Mußhoff: Many insurance carriers ask about how these approaches are different now than in the past. What would you emphasize there?

Selim Sulos: Redesigning some of the end-to-end components is just the beginning. You also have to think about the entire technology pipeline that serves those components and potentially your data pipeline. If you do that right, you won’t need the amount of reporting or data cleaning that you do today, and people will be working much more effectively. At the same time, your cost paradigm will improve, and you’ll get a much cleaner stack to work on while improving your customer experience. If you create that seamless flow, you can be more intentional about how and where you are using AI and gen AI to unlock productivity. We often see people trying to use gen AI components to drive savings first, but if your processes are not good enough, then it’s just going to create a rule check.

Jörg Mußhoff: That’s a good link. There’s a lot of hype about AI, and especially gen AI, but clients want to know what’s underneath it. Could you describe how we see AI as an enabler and what we see as the most relevant developments?

Elena Pizzocaro: Gen AI is considered one of the key enablers for a true step change in productivity. In the past 18 months, we’ve had a number of conversations focused on the potential of gen AI. We’ve observed that AI in general and gen AI more specifically might have an impact of 40 to 50 percent on the productivity of a single process. This could look like automating single tasks or, probably the most common application, assisting the user in the completion of an activity. This is beneficial not only in terms of increasing the outputs but also in improving the experience of the worker. This can be applied to the entire value chain, both for core processes and support functions.

Selim Sulos: To build on that, there are a couple of things in the call center space that excite me, especially in the servicing space and insurance. The application of gen AI for smart routing and suggesting the next-best action to reps is something that was recently tested and is being used across multiple insurance carriers. What excites me is the next layer: some folks are using gen AI to create content, curate content, and educate people. Take life insurance, for example: an article about why customers should buy life insurance that used to take two months can now happen in a week with gen AI.

I would also highlight the modernization of legacy tech. Gen AI can convert legacy code into new code, which provides companies with a more modern, nimble stack for a fraction of the cost. These are all practical ideas that, especially in the context of financial services and insurance, excite us tremendously.

The potential for reducing the technology debt is something that can enable further growth and even produce a quantum leap in productivity itself. Elena Pizzocaro

Elena Pizzocaro: The potential for reducing the technology debt is also something that can enable further growth and even produce a quantum leap in productivity itself. Other promising areas alongside the core processes are, for example, underwriting or claims. Take commercial underwriting, an area that is considered an ivory tower of human knowledge: gen AI can assist people with these special capabilities so they can perform them better, faster, and more accurately. Ultimately, it will improve the experience for the end customer.

Jörg Mußhoff: What you’ve described are companies that are really changing the game, which is also something we’ve observed across industries. And while it will take time to improve the process of an entire institution, the potential is huge. What have you learned? What are your dos and don’ts?

Elena Pizzocaro: Pay attention to change management. Transforming core processes is not just a matter of transforming the process per se; it’s also about changing the way people work with the new technology you apply—the new gen AI use case or process redesign you might implement. You need to put effort into change management as your organization transforms.

Selim Sulos: In the context of productivity, don’t focus on the shiny object in front of you. I have seen people devise many use cases for improving productivity by applying gen AI. The reality is that although these use cases are brilliant, if you don’t have the right processes to support them, you just create more hurdles and complexity in the system. Then people start questioning whether the technology is right, whether the solution is right, or whether folks are headed in the right direction. This kind of doubt undercuts the whole notion of productivity, and you lose it from the get-go. So be thoughtful when you consider where the organization needs to go and what building blocks you need to put in place first. Then you can leverage some of these shiny objects to bolster your productivity.

Elena Pizzocaro is a partner in McKinsey’s Milan office, Jörg Mußhoff is a senior partner in the Berlin office, and Selim Sulos is a partner in the New York office.

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GroundTruth Recognized for Marketing Technology Innovation in 2024 MarTech Breakthrough Awards Program

LOS ANGELES, Calif. , August 15, 2024 – MarTech Breakthrough , a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global marketing, sales and advertising technology industry, today announced that GroundTruth , the media platform that drives in-store visits and other real business results, has been selected as winner of the “Best Geolocation Platform” award in the 7th annual MarTech Breakthrough Awards program.

The 2024 MarTech Breakthrough Award recognizes the breakthrough innovation of the GroundTruth Ads Manager platform, which allows marketers to launch their location-based campaigns quickly with no minimum spend required. The comprehensive platform lets advertisers create, manage, and optimize mobile advertising campaigns and target consumers based on real-world location as well as their behavior.

The platform’s robust tools utilize geo-targeting, enabling advertisers to reach specific audiences in precise locations such as state, city, or zips, and connect with audiences within or near a brand’s own locations. Audiences can also be targeted on real-time foot traffic attribution if they have visited a specific location category or their visitation patterns indicating specific behavioral groups such as sports enthusiasts.

Additionally, with Cross-Device Targeting, advertisers can reach consumers across multiple devices, including mobile phones, tablets, and desktops, and also re-target these same audiences on other devices. Additional unique targeting solutions include neighborhood, weather conditions, and residential.

The mission of the MarTech Breakthrough Awards is to honor excellence and recognize the innovation, hard work and success in a range of marketing, sales and advertising technology related categories, including marketing automation, customer experience, performance marketing, AdTech, SalesTech, marketing analytics, content and social marketing, mobile marketing and many more. This year’s program attracted thousands of nominations from over 15 different countries throughout the world.

GroundTruth’s Ads Manager also supports various ad formats such as display ads, video ads, and native ads. In addition, the solution allows advertisers to segment audiences based on demographic data, interests, and behaviors; Real-time analytics and reporting tools deliver key metrics like impressions, clicks, and conversions. Users can also use the platform’s Campaign Optimization features for A/B testing, automated bidding, and campaign scheduling.

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TERMS OF REFERENCE: CASE STUDIES IDENTIFYING RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IMPACT FROM SOUTH AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES

• Introduction and Background

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is a premier research-to-policy institution, generating evidence, strengthening research and related capacity in the African research and development ecosystem, and engaging policy to inform action on health and development. The Center is Africa-based and African-led, with its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, and a West Africa Regional Office (WARO), in Dakar, Senegal. APHRC seeks to drive change by developing strong African research leadership and promoting evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) across sub-Saharan Africa.

The Center is collaborating with the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) on its project on Building it Forward for Research (Management) Leadership in Southern Africa, in which the Center is leading a specific workstream to carry out impact case studies arising out of university research. This collaborative approach ensures effective execution and maximizes the value of the research impact assessment.

• Project Scope and Focus

University research plays a critical role in improving wellbeing, informing policy decisions, and driving innovation. However, the impact of this research often remains under-communicated, hindering efforts to secure sustained funding and public support. While quantitative data is essential, compelling case studies go beyond mere numbers. They weave narratives that capture the human stories behind the research, highlighting the challenges addressed, the innovative solutions developed, and the real-world impact on societal outcomes. These narratives resonate with audiences, generating greater understanding and appreciation for the value of research. The case studies produced in this workstream target a diverse audience, including:

• Funders: Highlighting the transformative power of research investments.
• Policymakers: Demonstrating the research-policy nexus and influencing policy decisions.
• Public: Raising awareness about the impact of research on their lives.
• Media: Generating media interest and amplifying the research’s impact.

Led by APHRC, the workstream aims to identify, analyse and document four case studies showcasing the impact of research and innovation projects conducted by South African universities. The case studies will highlight the tangible contributions of university research and innovation to national priorities and broader societal well-being.

• Criteria for Selecting Case Studies

The preferred sectors for cases include:

• Agriculture
• Inclusive financial systems

The case studies will demonstrate one or more of the following impact pathways:

• Impact on Societal Outcomes: Evidence of clear, measurable improvements in outcomes, economic well-being, or other relevant societal indicators. The research must have demonstrably improved wellbeing. This could include:
• Reductions in mortality or morbidity rates for specific diseases.
• Increased access to services, particularly for underserved populations.
• Improved behaviors through effective interventions.
• Economic benefits (e.g., cost savings in systems).
• Innovation and Novelty: Research which showcases a novel product, service, approach, methodology, or intervention that has been applied in the market and has been, or has the potential to be, scaled or replicated in other contexts. This could include:
• Development of new diagnostic tools or treatments.
• Innovative approaches to health promotion or disease prevention.
• New technologies that improve quality of life, create jobs and/or uplift communities.
• Culturally sensitive interventions addressing specific needs within South Africa.
• Policy Influence: Demonstration of how the research aligns with policy priorities identified at provincial or national levels. The research findings should have informed or influenced policy changes at the national or provincial level, leading to improved outcomes. Examples include:
• Research informing policy changes.
• Studies influencing policy decisions on public health and other public good interventions.
• Research contributing to the development of national legislation, policy or guidelines.
• Equity and Sustainability: Research that prioritises equity and social justice is critical. This means:
• Addressing the needs of underserved and vulnerable populations.
• Ensuring research findings can be applied in diverse settings across South Africa and beyond.
• Promoting long-term benefits and sustainable impact.
• Potential for Scale-Up: The case study should demonstrate the scalability of the research findings, potentially impacting a broader population or region. This can be achieved through:
• Adapting the intervention for broader implementation.
• Developing clear dissemination strategies for research outputs.
• Building partnerships with stakeholders to facilitate scale-up.
• Stakeholder Involvement: Evidence of collaboration with diverse stakeholders who contributed to the research impact. These may include:

– E xternal enablers: Role of and interactions with ecosystem players – e.g. collaborative research partners, funding from local/national governments and international funders, private sector, civil society, role of regulators and regulatory process, national policies that aided impact (e.g. IP policy), commercialization routes, infrastructure, manufacturing or value delivery (services/processes).

-Internal Enablers: The case study should highlight the role of university support structures and policies that facilitated the research’s translation into impact.g. role of Research Management Office and Technology Transfer Office and the conditions internally that allowed for impact (this could go as far as looking at institutional policies, systems etc.).

• Diversity: The case studies will aim to represent a variety of research disciplines, universities, and types of impacts.
• Call for Submission of Qualifying Projects for Case Studies

South African Universities are invited to submit examples of research and innovation projects conducted by their institutions that could be suitable subjects for impact case studies predicated on the criteria outlined in paragraph 3 above.

• Role of the Consultant

The APHRC wishes to appoint a qualified and experienced Consultant in case study analysis and development, for the production and dissemination of knowledge products to lead APHRC’s effort to deliver on this workstream. The Consultant will be required to perform the following tasks:

5.1 Selection of Case Studies

A Consultant in collaboration with APHRC will review submissions and select promising research projects for case study development. Selected universities will be contacted by the dedicated consultant to collaborate on developing a comprehensive case study report.

• Evaluation and selection of Case Studies: The Consultant will develop the criteria for scoring and selection of potential case studies submitted by South African universities for further analysis, development and documentation.
• Collaboration with Universities: If necessary, the Consultant will collaborate with the relevant research and support departments and units at South African universities to identify and select potential case studies for consideration.
• Desktop Research: The Consultant will conduct a literature review of published research from South African universities in relevant fields in order to identify suitable projects. This will involve searching academic databases, government reports, media articles and online resources (e.g. Databases such as ResearchGate and institutional websites of universities can be explored by the Consultant to find relevant research projects.)
• Expert Consultation: The Consultant will consult with relevant experts and stakeholders to identify/further refine impactful research projects. Working with APHRC, the Consultant will further determine and implement simple criteria to review potential case studies submitted by South African universities and/or identified by the Consultant. This may include:
• Scientific merit and methodological rigor of the research.
• Potential for broader impact and scalability of the findings.
• Alignment of the research with national policy priorities and the funder’s interests.

5.2 Developing Strong Case Studies

The Consultant will identify a short list of case studies and will collaborate with the qualifying universities to conduct a detailed analysis of each case study to further elaborate on how each case study addresses the criteria set out in paragraph 3. In terms of methodology, the Consultant will use the Theory of Change framework and employ – without limitation – the following techniques:

• In-depth Interviews: The Consultant will conduct interviews with researchers and other role players and stakeholders to capture a detailed narrative of the research journey, key role players, the research outcomes, the impact of the research, and future potential.
• Data Analysis and Storytelling: The Consultant will assist with analyzing data and crafting a compelling narrative that showcases the research’s significance and impact.
• Identifying Visuals: Working with the selected universities, the Consultant will identify relevant visuals (charts, photos) to enhance the case study report.

5.2. 1. Focus on Storytelling

Crafting a captivating narrative is central to a strong case study. This narrative should:

• Develop Comprehensive Case Studies documenting each project’s:
• Research focus and objectives
• Measurable impact on relevant areas (sector e.g. health, agriculture, inclusive financial systems; economy; society)
• Alignment with national/provincial priorities
• Set the Stage: Introduce the challenge addressed by the research and highlight its significance for South Africa’s population.
• Describe the Research Journey: Explain the research approach, methodology, and key findings in clear and concise language.
• Showcase Innovation: Emphasize the novel aspects of the research and how it addressed existing limitations or offered new solutions.
• Demonstrate Impact: Quantify the impact of the research on societal outcomes using relevant data (e.g. surveys, statistics).
• Highlight Policy Influence: If applicable, detail how the research findings informed policy changes or national guidelines.
• Focus on Equity and Sustainability: Explain how the research addressed the needs of underserved populations and how its impact can be sustained over time.
• Showcase Potential for Scale-Up: Describe plans or ongoing efforts to scale-up the intervention and reach a wider population.

5.2.2. Data and Evidence:

Strong narratives are bolstered by robust evidence. Case studies should incorporate a combination of:

• Quantitative Data: When possible, quantify the impact of the research using data such as:
• Reductions in mortality or morbidity rates.
• Increased access to services (e.g. number of people reached).
• Improved health behaviors (e.g. changes in dietary habits, vaccination rates).
• Economic benefits (e.g. cost savings).
• Creation of jobs.
• Improved efficiency.
• Qualitative Data: Qualitative data can provide rich insights into the lived experiences of stakeholders. This could include:
• Interviews with researchers, policymakers, healthcare providers, and community members impacted by the research.
• Focus group discussions to understand perceptions and experiences.
• Case studies of individual beneficiaries who have demonstrably benefited from the research.
• Policy Documents: Documents such as policy briefs, white papers, or government reports showcasing how research findings influenced policy decisions.

5.2. 3. Engaging Visuals and Multimedia

Incorporating visuals can significantly enhance the case study’s impact and accessibility. Examples include:

• Charts and Infographics: Visualize data and trends to make complex information more easily understood by the audience.
• Photographs: Images of researchers, healthcare providers, community members, or interventions in action can personalize the narrative.
• Short Video Clips: Short videos can capture the essence of the research and its impact in a compelling way.

5.2.4 . Stakeholder Testimonials

Including testimonials from key stakeholders adds credibility and authenticity to the case studies. This could include:

• Researchers: Sharing their insights into the research process and the significance of the findings.
• Policymakers: Describing how the research influenced policy decisions.
• Healthcare Providers: Highlighting how the research improved their practice or patient care.
• Community Members: Sharing their experiences and how the research impacted their health and well-being.

5.2.5. Showcase the Enabling Factors that Contributed to the Research’s Success :

• External stakeholder collaboration (research partners, funders, regulators)
• University support structures (including Research Management Offices, Technology Transfer Offices)
• Internal policies and systems promoting research impact.
•   Deliverables
• A set of four well-written, compelling case studies demonstrating impactful research and innovation from South African universities.
• Dissemination and Advocacy Strategies

The final stage involves disseminating the case studies to a wide audience and leveraging them for advocacy and informational purposes.

7 . 1 . Dissemination Channels:

• APHRC Website and Social Media: A dedicated webpage will be created on the APHRC website to showcase the case studies. This webpage will be promoted through social media platforms like X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
• SARIMA Website and Social Media: The case studies will be showcased on the SARIMA website, and promoted through social media platforms like X and LinkedIn.
• Other channels and platforms will be discussed and agreed between the funder, APHRC and SARIMA.
• 2 Reporting and Communication

The Consultant will provide the case studies and periodic progress reports to APHRC as required.

8.1 Submission of Case Studies: By September 30, 2024 .

8.2 Recruitment of Consultant: By August 31, 2024

8.3 The case study development will be conducted in two phases. It is expected that the first two case studies will be developed by November 30, 2024 and the other two case studies will be developed by June 30, 2025 .

• Submission of Potential Research for Case Study Development

If you know of any research which aligns with the criteria above, you are encouraged to submit it to be considered for case study development. Follow the following guidelines for submitting your research:

Prepare a Short Summary (2 Pages Maximum):

• Briefly describe the research project and its objectives.
• Highlight the specific challenge the research addressed.
• Summarize the research approach and key findings.
• Explain how the research made impact and quantify this impact (if possible).
• Include any evidence of policy influence or potential for scale-up.

Provide Supporting Materials (To the Extent Applicable):

• Include relevant publications, reports, or presentations related to your research.
• Share any data (quantitative or qualitative) that demonstrates impact.
• Offer contact details for key individuals involved in the project eg researchers, funders, end-users, beneficiaries and others who played a role in ensuring that impact was achieved (including – without limitation the institutional Research Support Office).

Submission Process for Universities Wishing to submit Potential Projects for Case Study Consideration:

• Submit your research summary and supporting materials electronically to [email protected] with a copy to [email protected] and [email protected].
• Please use “ South Africa University Research Case Study Development ” as subject title in your email submission.
• Indicate your university affiliation and the lead researcher/contact person contact information.

      Submission Process for Consultancy Bids:

• Submit your consultancy bids and supporting materials demonstrating your expertise and qualifications for the assignment electronically to [email protected] with a copy to [email protected] and [email protected]
• This should include a detailed proposal addressing all areas identified in the Term of Reference, a detailed budget and evidence of related previous work.
• Indicate subject title as “ Consultancy for South Africa University Research Impact Case Study ”.
• For Further Queries: [email protected]

Special Notice

APHRC is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All employment decisions are made based on qualifications and organizational needs. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request to support their participation in the recruitment process.