Lecture 4: Focus on the Product Concept and Problem-Based Ready-Made Ideas.
Determine Category of Interest:
Analyze the situation including company dynamics, customer factors, and reseller interactions.
Effort includes problem analysis, pooling experience within team members, and utilizing stakeholder contacts and records.
Methods of Analysis:
Interviews and focus groups to gather insights.
Role playing and observation provide qualitative data.
Technical methods to narrow down to an acceptable problem set.
Identify the product or activity category for study.
Gather heavy users to understand their experiences.
Compile a set of related problems.
Sort and rank the issues by severity or importance.
Avoid bias in rating importance and satisfaction levels.
Adopt a Problem-Solution approach for innovation.
Issues include:
Battery life inadequacies.
Call quality – dropped calls and faded audio.
Health concerns related to device use.
Incorrect dialing and battery failures.
Gather insights from a variety of sources:
Experts: Industry professionals can provide valuable insights.
Published Sources: Research and case studies.
Customer Interaction: Engaging with business customers or consumers directly.
Utilize observational techniques, focus groups, and interviews for hands-on understanding.
Central questions to guide focus groups:
What fundamental issues exist without this product?
Attitudes and behaviors towards the product category.
Desired product attributes and benefits.
Dissatisfactions and unmet needs.
Relevant lifestyle changes influencing product use.
Conventional Fan Problems:
Blade mechanism issues (hard to clean, safety risks).
Energy inefficiency.
Air Multiplier Innovation:
Bladeless design harnessing hand dryer technology for safety.
Enhanced cooling efficiency and easy maintenance.
Companies like Ford and Bausch and Lomb utilize unconventional methods:
Watching real-world interactions with products.
Role-playing to understand product-user dynamics for insights into needs.
Gorilla Research:
Observing Explorer owners in real-world settings to improve product offerings.
End result leads to a tailored design based on true customer desires.
Forecasting Future Trends:
Utilize seed trends to project future scenarios.
Follow trend influencers and utilize prediction techniques for technological shifts.
Use a Relevance Tree to trace conditions leading to product innovation.
Identify existing conditions and gaps in the market for potential new products.
Significant shifts:
Government policies driven by global warming leading to new energy solutions.
Social movements impacting product and company dynamics.
Group Brainstorming Principles:
Emphasize quantity and deferral of judgment.
Encourage wild ideas and avoid criticism during sessions.
Benefits include overcoming drawbacks of traditional methods.
Engage larger groups and allow remote participation through technology.
Types of Online Communities:
Open, user-led, firm-organized, and proprietary communities.
Role of these communities in listening to customer voices and strengthening relationships.
Specific platforms like LEGO Ideas allow user-generated content to drive product development.
Utilize voting systems for popularity to guide product decisions.
Significant growth in Air Fresheners, particularly innovative designs.
Introduction of odor eliminators and battery-operated options.
Identified as a key driver in various product sectors, necessitating adaptation of offerings.
Need for integrated health solutions where consumers can manage prescriptions effectively.
Key challenges include:
Pharmacy silo mentality.
reluctance in utilizing pharmacists for marketing efforts.
Lack of measurable results.