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Innovation By Design
Ireland
Innovation by Design was a mentor-led programme based on best practice in Europe and the US, operating from June 2007 to September 2008. Developed by the Centre for Design Innovation in Sligo, Ireland, the programme involved six SMEs across a range of sectors – software, manufacturing and services – based in the northwest of Ireland. Each company participated in a tailored programme that enabled them to develop innovative products and services and to generate competitive advantage well beyond the end of their involvement in the programme.
To formulate the programme, the Centre hosted the event ‘Meeting of Minds’ with key design practitioners from the UK, USA and Ireland who had extensive experience of running SME design programmes. Research from this event and the user-centred work by IDEO, Ziba and the D-School in the US, as well as the UK Design Council’s Designing Demand programme, formed the basis of the methodology which conceptually defined the Innovation by Design programme.
From an initial list of 200 companies, devised from recommendations by government support agencies on which SMEs would benefit most from the programme and would be willing to commit to such an initiative, a final group of six companies was selected.
Two Design Associates with extensive experience in design support, industry and research engaged with the companies at various points to facilitate the programme’s aims and objectives. The 18-month programme had a total budget of €120,000. The cost to each company was €1500, for which it received two network days, three workshops and 5–7 days of mentoring sessions. The real cost was around €10,000 per company. The network events occurred roughly every three months, including workshops on specific issues such as branding or product development, and an online site was created to manage communications and provide a digital forum for the organisations to communicate at any time. In these activities, the non-competitive network was crucial and of unique value.
Within 15 months each company applied a design approach to understanding customers’ needs first, which is key to identifying the right ideas to commercialise. Avenue Moulding mapped its service offering, developed a well-received quick-start mould manual for its customers and engaged with a new design firm. Connacht Gold engaged with Institute of Technology Sligo design students and staff to develop a range for 12-month and 5-year product concepts. Elements of the work have been incorporated in new product marketing. Infacta is completing a rebranding programme of its company and has hired a full-time designer. Mantis Cranes made over two dozen design modifications to a developing crane and implemented a new product-development process. The Institute of Technology Sligo rebranded the college. Ireland West Airport made adjustments to its check-in and queuing procedures, as well as fixing an issue with its luggage trolleys and developing concepts for new, sustainable and better-designed trolleys to enhance the passenger experience.
Innovation by Design workshop on user-centred design, Sligo 2007
According to Justin Knecht, the Programme Manager, the Design Associates were key to the success of the programme: ‘Programmes cannot be just a series of workshops, they require mentoring to facilitate the adoption of tools and define discrete projects. The content was practical, relevant, hands-on and able to be implemented immediately by the participating companies.’ The six case studies generated from the companies that participated are relevant to a broad range of SMEs. Although there are lessons to be learned from multinationals like Apple and Toyota, regional case studies of similar size and scope have greater resonance.
The CEO of the airport commented, ‘Now we're really ready to use design, what are we going to do with you next?’ It was recommended that a follow-on programme be created to build on the initial success; help fund larger-scale projects; and integrate design processes and tools holistically throughout each organisation’s structure to move them towards a design culture. These programmes need a planned process for building on initial small wins and turning them into sustainable change.
For more information visit: www.designinnovation.ie
Innovation by Design company visit, Sligo 2007
CASE STUDY FROM 2007
Innovation by Design is a new mentor-led programme based on best practice in Europe and the US, which started in June 2007. Developed by the Centre for Design Innovation in Sligo, Ireland, the initial programme will involve six SMEs across a spread of sectors – software, manufacturing and services - based in the Northwest of Ireland. Each company will participate in a tailored programme that will help them to develop innovative products and services and generate competitive advantage well beyond the end of their involvement in the programme.
The Centre for Design Innovation is staffed by three people and opened in January 2006 after a number of lecturers and academics at the Sligo Institute of Technology identified the need for a design centre to support new product development and innovation within the region. They submitted a funding application to the Applied Research Enhancement programme run by Enterprise Ireland, the success of which enabled the Centre to be established. This regional vision has since expanded to a national context.
To formulate the programme the Centre hosted an event entitled ‘Meeting Of Minds’ (MOM) to which they invited key design practitioners from the UK, Wales, Ireland and the USA who had extensive experience of running the type of design programme they wanted to provide for SMEs in the region. From this workshop they formulated the basis of the methodology which conceptually defined their Innovation by Design programme. This methodology was refined over time and at a follow up MOM event with a smaller group of individuals.
The programme was influenced by some of the user-centered work done by IDEO and Ziba, as well as the D-School in the States and the work of the UK Design Council, particularly their Immersion Programme.
The team established ‘ten commandments’ to guide the programme and their interaction with the companies.These were:
1. Invest time in the selection process
2. Speak their language
3. Don’t scare them with too many details
4. Be explicit about rewards
5. Establish a diary at the outset
6. Understand the psychology of a diverse team
7. ‘Who are the users? What do you know about them?’
8. Pick good stories
9. Have a contingency
10. Learn from others that have done similar programmes
In order to identify the companies who will participate in the programme, the Centre talked to a number of government support agencies working closely with a large range of SMEs in the northwest of Ireland. These agencies advised on which companies would benefit most from the programme and be willing to commit to such an initiative. The Centre also sent out a mail shot to companies containing some facts about design’s impact on the bottom line and inviting them to get in touch if they wanted to find out more. This approach proved to be a very successful mechanism for company self-selection.
An initial shortlist of 200 companies yielded a final group of six companies. Three to six representatives from each organisation participated in the first programme event, a user centred design workshop in June 2007. The companies are an Institute of Technology, an airport, a precision moulding company, crane manufacturer, software developer and an agricultural co-op. Two Design Associates with extensive experience in design support, industry and research will then engage with the companies at various points to facilitate the programmes aims and objectives. These Design Associates have been selected on the basis of their reputation and the expertise they can provide. There will also be a network event every three months, including workshops on specific issues such as branding or product development, and an online site has been created to manage communications and provide a digital forum for the organisations to communicate at anytime. Initial feedback from the companies has indicated that the non-competitive network within the programme is of unique value.
Each company’s performance will be assessed at the beginning, middle and end of the programme through defined sets of key performance indicators (KPIs). This will provide ongoing evaluation and validation of the programme and help quantify the impact of design innovation on companies in the region.
The three year programme has a total budget of 1.25 million euros and is aiming to create impact in terms of enabling SMEs to become more competitive through applying user centered design principals that will allow them to innovate more effectively. The cost per company is 1500 euros for which they will receive five network meetings and five mentoring sessions, including the user centred workshop at the start of the programme. The real cost will be around 20,000 euros per company. There is also the possibility for companies to get up to an 80% subsidy (maximum of 250,000 euros) to allow them to implement opportunities arising from the programme via funding from another organisation.
The team stresses the importance of clearly explaining to the companies from the outset what the program is about, its objectives, the approach to design and innovation that it will encompass and what will be required from each of them. This is to ensure that each company knows what they are getting involved in, so they do not have unrealistic expectations and consequently will remain with the programme for its entire duration.
For more information visit the Centre for Design Innovation website:
www.designinnovation.ie
Download a pdf of this case study
© Design Wales 2007
