Every day, more of our customers ask us to think about the future. We’re not asked to design a product or a service but rather something else – how to conquer a continuously more demanding market and stay ahead of fast competition. So when did business survival become a design issue?
To understand the importance of design thinking for the future of innovation, you have to first understand how the business toolkit is changing. When we look at competitive spaces for products and services, we like to envision future potential as a kind of battlefield. In our view, there are seven battlefields where companies will fight for relevance and innovation in the coming years. They are as follows:
Vision & strategy
A clear vision and strategy will help a company and its employees to use its key strengths and to focus on the right targets.
Brand
A brand helps customers to identify the company, its products and services. A brand adds value to products and services and it helps customers in their purchase decisions.
Product
Products are no longer independent objects. They must offer a valuable user experience, which requires a design strategy and a fit with the company’s brand and values.
Service
Services can stand alone or they can add value to products. Either way, services must be designed to be efficient and attractive, just like products.
Intellectual property
As the world is becoming borderless and ideas spread across the internet in milliseconds, the protection of intellectual property is key to protect innovation
Digital
Digital technology is increasingly creating customer value. Digital channels are more than communication channels, they also serve as a sales channel, a service channel, a customer care channel and a delivery channel.
Sustainability
Sustainability is not a matter of choice; it will become a license to operate. Companies building an advantage in sustainability will benefit from it as legislation tightens.
Take a moment to consider your own business. How are you placed in the war for innovation on these seven battlefields? And what are the consequences of one of your competitors achieving supremacy before you?
When you consider this exercise, its clear that many ideas that used to be considered as an obvious solutions to business problems are no longer relevant.
There is often a big gap between your situation today and where you need to be tomorrow. This gap can lead to management paralysis. Great ideas can disappear in daily routines and end up nowhere. The main reason I believe is because it’s almost impossible to see the opportunities and connect them with your current ecosystem.
Het bericht The Seven Battlefields Of The Future verscheen eerst op Studio Peter Van Riet.