A SKETCH (left, seat plus helmet
storage) and a PROTOTYPE (middle)
show elements of Coasting bicycles.
Shimano’s Coasting WEBSI TE (right)
points users to safe bike paths.
an activity that was simple, straightforward, and fun. Coasting bikes, built
more for pleasure than for sport, would
have no controls on the handlebars, no
cables snaking along the frame. As on
the earliest bikes many of us rode, the brakes would be applied
by backpedaling. With the help of an onboard computer, a
minimalist three gears would shift automatically as the bicycle gained speed or slowed. The bikes would feature comfortably padded seats, be easy to operate, and require relatively
little maintenance.
Three major manufacturers – Trek, Raleigh, and Giant – developed new bikes incorporating innovative components from
Shimano. But the design team didn’t stop with the bike itself.
In-store retailing strategies were created for independent bike
dealers, in part to alleviate the discomfort that biking novices
felt in stores designed to serve enthusiasts. The team developed a brand that identified Coasting as a way to enjoy life.
(“Chill. Explore. Dawdle. Lollygag. First one there’s a rotten
egg.”) And it designed a public relations campaign – in collaboration with local governments and cycling organizations – that
identified safe places to ride.
Although many others became involved in the project
when it reached the implementation phase, the application
of design thinking in the earliest stages of innovation is what
led to this complete solution. Indeed, the single thing one
would have expected the design team
to be responsible for – the look of the
bikes – was intentionally deferred to
later in the development process, when
the team created a reference design to
inspire the bike companies’ own design teams. After a successful launch in 2007, seven more bicycle manufacturers signed
up to produce Coasting bikes in 2008.
Taking a Systems View
Many of the world’s most successful brands create breakthrough ideas that are inspired by a deep understanding of
consumers’ lives and use the principles of design to innovate
and build value. Sometimes innovation has to account for
vast differences in cultural and socioeconomic conditions. In
such cases design thinking can suggest creative alternatives
to the assumptions made in developed societies.
India’s Aravind Eye Care System is probably the world’s
largest provider of eye care. From April 2006 to March 2007
Aravind served more than 2. 3 million patients and performed
more than 270,000 surgeries. Founded in 1976 by Dr. G. Venka-taswamy, Aravind has as its mission nothing less than the eradication of needless blindness among India’s population, including the rural poor, through the effective delivery of superior
ophthalmic care. (One of the company’s slogans is “Quality is
for everyone.”) From 11 beds in Dr. Venkataswamy’s home, Ara-
How to Make Design Thinking Part of the Innovation Drill
Begin at the beginning.
Involve design thinkers at the
very start of the innovation process, before any direction has
been set. Design thinking will
help you explore more ideas
more quickly than you could
otherwise.
Take a human-centered
approach. Along with business and technology considerations, innovation should factor
in human behavior, needs, and
preferences. Human-centered
design thinking – especially
when it includes research
based on direct observation –
will capture unexpected insights and produce innovation
that more precisely reflects
what consumers want.
Try early and often.
Create an expectation of rapid
experimentation and prototyping. Encourage teams to create
a prototype in the first week
of a project. Measure progress
with a metric such as average time to first prototype or
number of consumers exposed
to prototypes during the life of
a program.
Seek outside help.
Expand the innovation
ecosystem by looking for
opportunities to co-create
with customers and consumers. Exploit Web 2.0 networks
to enlarge the effective scale
of your innovation team.
