SUMMARY ✎
Introduction
Over the last couple of years the Innovation Skills team of Nesta has been mapping out the various innovation methods and approaches they have come across from studying innovation practice and their many conversations with different lab practitioners, colleagues and other innovation experts.
They have created a map that provides an overview of innovation methods and approaches that help people make sense of reality, and approaches that help develop solutions and interventions to create change.
Understanding and shaping reality
The approaches mapped out in the diagram are structured into four spaces: intelligence, solution, technology and talent. These spaces are built on the premise that in order to create change, you need to make sense and understand reality, as well as develop solutions and interventions to change that reality:
- intelligence space – focuses on approaches that help you make sense of and conceptualise reality
- solution space – focuses on methods that help you test and develop solutions
In terms of mindsets, you could say that the intelligence space is more academic, whereas the solution space involves more of an entrepreneurial approach. The activities in these are supported by two further spaces:
- technology space - includes approaches and technology that enable action and change, such as digital tools and data-related methods
- talent space - focuses on how to mobilise talent, develop skills and increase organisational readiness in order to ultimately make change happen
Challenging personal preferences and biases
People often have a personal bias when considering innovation methods. For example, designers are generally strong advocates of design related methods such as design thinking or human centred design. When academics are involved in an innovation process, they can show a preference for more analytical methods. But it’s important to challenge these biases and look beyond our own disciplines at other methods. Hopefully this diagram will help you to identify your own biases and make better informed decisions when planning your innovation journey.
Work in progress
Although this map is neither exhaustive nor definitive – and at some points it may seem perhaps a little arbitrary, personal choice and preference – the Innovation Skills team has tried to provide an overview of both commonly used and emerging innovation approaches.
Some of these methods have been widely adopted, while others are more exotic and only serving a niche, but may eventually become more mainstream. Additionally, some are well codified through guides, toolkits and learning programmes, while others are still considered “dark arts” that are not yet fully understood and only used by a small group of early adopters.
Have comments or suggestions on how to improve the map? Please let them know!