User-Driven Innovation
From IRF 2007
User driven innovation as defined by Von Hippel of MIT means putting the tools to build and configure products in the hands of those who use them. This avoids the translation of requirements from users to those who would build products to satisfy them. Instead, users, empowered with do-it-yourself capability, are able to come up with products that better meet their needs.
While this theory has worked well in many contexts and has led to the emergence of mashups and other new forms of products, in many situations providing tools to users does not result in an immediate upswell of innovation. The problem, at least for, many groups of users is that the complexity of tools provided them is still overwhelming. If the tools are made simpler then too much context is introduced, which stifles innovation.
One solution to this may be to introduce new roles such as the business process expert. These roles are filled by people how are intimately familiar with the user's problems but also are able to handle the complexity of the do-it-yourself tools provided.
Another solution may be generational. The younger generation of workers are more used to doing for themselves, and expect to be provided toolkits.
The experience of companies like Google have gained in on one hand, granting time for innovation but on the other hand running a tightly locked down set of products in data centers, suggest there is probably a lifecycle for processes that have emerged through various forms of innovation. Ideas may form in the collaborative and fuzzy space of blogs, wikis, and unstructured collaboration. Patterns may form, and these patterns may be captured and optimized for use by a larger group. Some processes may eventually be come so structured that they are indistinguishable from locked down, hub processes.
The questions this discussion will seek to address are:
- What are the conditions for successful user-driven innovation?
- What barriers prevent user-driven innovation?
- What are the lessons to be learned from Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 about how to promote innovation?
- What are the strengths and weaknesses introducing self-directed innovation time into an organization?
- How can ideas that emerge from community innovation be reconciled with a grand strategy?
- How can you determine the right tools for a given population of users?
The mission of this session is to gather ideas about what makes user-driven innovation work and what stands in the way so that we can identify the different contexts and recommendations for promoting such innovation.
