What is the Difference Between Innovation Consulting and Design Thinking Consulting?
The distinction or similarity between innovation consulting and design thinking consulting is often a matter of personal interpretation. Both terms are often used without formal or universally accepted definitions. Just as one can ask about the difference between 'happy' and 'glad,' the terms 'innovation' and 'design thinking' are often used interchangeably, reflecting their interconnected nature.
Understanding Innovation Consulting
Innovation consulting typically involves a structured approach to driving and implementing new ideas within an organization. This may include conducting market research, developing business cases, and leveraging various methodologies to identify and validate potential areas for innovation. The ultimate goal of innovation consulting is to help organizations generate, evaluate, and implement new ideas that can lead to growth and differentiation in the market.
Exploring Design Thinking Consulting
Design thinking consulting, on the other hand, is a more customer-centric approach. It leverages the principles and techniques of the design thinking process to solve complex problems and develop innovative solutions. This method often involves a series of iterative phases, from understanding user needs to prototyping and testing. Design thinking aims to create solutions that are not only commercially viable but also user-centric, addressing the real needs and desires of the end-users.
The Innovation Funnel Approach: A Traditional Method
The innovation funnel approach is a traditional challenge process designed to systematically evaluate and filter ideas. This method often involves a structured pipeline where ideas are tested, validated, and eventually rejected or refined. In this approach, a significant focus is placed on reducing uncertainty and risk by engaging customers or users through a series of prototypes and iterations. The goal is to minimize the environmental and economic risks associated with innovation by ensuring that only the most robust ideas make it through the funnel.
Design Thinking: Embracing All Ideas
Design thinking, in contrast, is known for its inclusive approach. Design thinkers start by gathering a wide range of ideas and then build upon these, rather than discarding them. This method relies heavily on customer insights gained from real-world experiments and direct interaction with users, rather than relying solely on historical data or market research. The emphasis is on creating prototypes and testing them in real-world scenarios to gather feedback and refine the concepts, ensuring that the final product is both innovative and user-friendly.
One of the key differences between the two approaches is the way they handle ideas. The innovation funnel is a top-down process, where ideas are challenged and filtered out at each stage. Design thinking, however, is a bottom-up approach that encourages the exploration of all ideas and focuses on continuous improvement and iteration. This difference can significantly impact the outcome, as design thinking often results in more user-centric and less risky solutions, while the innovation funnel can be more strategic and direct in its approach.
Conclusion: Which Approach is Better?
The choice between innovation consulting and design thinking consulting often depends on the specific needs of the organization and the nature of the problem at hand. For organizations looking for a more traditional, structured approach to innovation, the innovation funnel may be the better choice. However, for those seeking a more customer-centric and iterative approach, design thinking is likely to be more suitable.
Ultimately, the success of any consulting approach depends on how well it is integrated into the organization's culture and processes. Whether through structured methodologies or people-centric approaches, both innovation consulting and design thinking can drive significant value when implemented effectively.