The Process of innovation Most
groundbreaking companies consider design as an engine
for breakthroughs. Yet the role that design plays
in the whole innovation process, and in the diffusion
of the required mindset throughout an organization,
is not apparent to all.
Design is a catalyst for innovation, and we like
to think of it as the “glue” that brings
together science, research, business and marketing,
engineering and development.
Carelli Design’s process of innovation is based
on work carried out in multi-disciplinary teams. Researchers
and marketing analysis teams address the acceptability
and desirability of a concept; engineers have an insight
into its feasibility; business and brand consultants
look at how the proposition fits into the client’s
current and desired brand positioning. Designers,
of course, provide the “glue” for it all.
Envisioning new strategic and creative directions
Our innovation process starts by using research results,
gathered from the socio-cultural experts as well as
technology and business-industry perspectives, to
define the framework for envisioning new strategic
and creative directions. This is what Carelli Design
calls “future imagineering.” In addition
to new product ideas, clients increasingly ask Carelli
Design to think up new propositions involving services
and marketing concepts.
The research phase is followed by a creative phase
in which everything is possible. We hold workshops
and invite creative thinkers, specialists and visionaries
who can quickly absorb and transpose a multitude of
inputs. What makes these sessions so rich and interesting
is the composition of the team: the presence of people
from very different backgrounds and origins. The ideas
are screened according to criteria previously established
with our client. Concepts need to answer people’s
current and future needs. They also need to accurately
fit into our client’s strategy, brand positioning
and organization, and simultaneously “be technologically
feasible.” The innovation process is not only
about envisioning the future it’s also about
making it happen. This is where we believe many design
houses fall shot of their clients’ needs and
expectations, eventually discarding impractical “works
of art.” Hence, those lacking discipline need
not apply.
The chosen ideas and strategic directions are then
translated into actions. This is the implementation
phase, the “making it happen” phase of
our process. Proposals can be developed into working
prototypes or translated into video scenarios or storyboards
that illustrate how they work in real life. Whatever
means chosen, ideas come to life in the eyes of our
client.
Making the future happen
A key part of “making the future happen”
is communication, especially for technology companies.
Innovation and communication are inextricably linked
in the road to success. Traditionally, there is a
comprehension gap between the designers and engineers
who understand technologies at an early stage and
the public who can only accept or reject them. This
gap—the one between internal awareness and societal
readiness—highlights a typical problem for technology
companies as a whole. By effectively demonstrating
ideas via an appropriate means, such as working prototypes
or video scenarios, Carelli Design’s communication
process can help bridge this inevitable comprehension
gap.
People’s needs are at the center of our process
from the very start. Products and services are imagined
as a total user experience, taking into account interaction
and the context of use, rather than functions alone.
In this way, new solutions are not only possible but
also relevant for people.
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