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Don Norman is an author, consultant and a Professor at Northwestern University, cofounder of the Nielsen Norman Group, and former Vice President of Apple Computer. He recently published an interesting article stating that design research is useless for breakthrough innovations.
A couple of thoughts spring to mind from reading this article. I agree that technology advances are the basis for big changes in the market, from business models to products and services. However, design research (i.e., observational or ethnographic) does not seek to define the human need to have a new technology invented.
Design research, or let's say observational research, seeks to understand the human drivers (emotional, cultural, social, physical, cognitive) and place them in their proper context. The context could point to needed changes in processes or activities, or that a combination of things could point to ways a technology or set of technologies can be shaped to be more useful.
One important point the article does not mention is how design research should be focused on helping a company achieve its strategic vision and intent. The context of research for a company is to better understand its chosen customers and how their needs can be met to help grow the company.
From a disruptive or technology based innovation view, another key element is the availability of capital. I believe that many ideas probably die on the vine because they are not given enough capital and tender loving care to succeed. The internal politics of a corporation kill the innovation before it becomes viable for profit. Many entrepreneurs fail due to lack of capital (not to mention lack of management savvy, but that is another discussion).
Technology is the basis of growth. How we apply the technology is subjective and based on how humans perceive opportunity to apply the technology. Successfully marketing a new concept/product/service requires key marketing principles be applied effectively, including pricing, channels of distribution, and promotional activity.
The design principles of desirability, feasibility and viability must be aligned with effective marketing to successfully create economic value. Peter Drucker writes eloquently about these topics in his synopsis book, The Essential Drucker: The Best of Sixty Years of Peter Drucker's Essential Writings on Management. |
