5 Questions for Innovation

Would you like to be innovative?  Of course you would.  Why wouldn't you be.  It's fun, exciting and you could change the world for the better.  All you need is an idea, right.  Well sort of.  You need an idea that is going to really appeal to people.  It has to be awesome but also fulfil a need, a strong need.  So... Here are 5 questions for you to think about in your quest for innovation.  We'll call it the Who, What, When, Where and Why of innovation.

These are not the only questions you should be asking but they are a good set to get you started and to help you know if you're on the right track or if you need to change direction.

Who?

Who is your target market?  It's probably best if they are a new or emerging market.  One with rapid growth and nobody really fulfilling their needs yet.  It can be tough and risky entering a mature market with established players. 

What?

What is the need that your innovation is solving?  Your idea may be awesome but how is it going to make peoples lives better?  The stronger the need the more excited they will be and you want excitement behind your product.  You also need to make sure you are identifying their base level needs. 

Take a car for instance.  What need is it fulfilling?  The obvious need is the desire for transport but this is not the real need most people are looking to fulfil when making a purchase.  If it's a sports car then it is fulfilling the need for excitement or status.  If it's a budget car such as the TaTa Nano then cost is the overriding need.

Some people may suggest that the need is transport and the others are wants.  From your point of view however, transport is a given, it must do this, and you need the other things if you would like to make a sale. 

When?

When are they going to use your product?  Think about what else they will be doing at the same time. Does your product fit in and complement these?  Is it going to be frequently used, or only on specific occassions? Frequent use would suggest a successful design should be efficient whereas specific occassions would favor a more intuitive interface.

Where?

Where are they when they will be using your product?  This can potentially define a lot of the characteristics of the product.  Are they at home?  In the office?  Outside?  Moving?  With friends? etc.  While the What can give you guidance on what features the product may need (or not need), the where can give guidance on how the experience needs to be presented.

Why?

Why are you excited about this? And I'm sorry but "Because it will make me $millions" is not a valid answer.  Successful products come from innovators that are truly passionate about what they are creating.  If you are not excited by what you are creating then why should anyone else be?  If you're not excited by it,  how are you going to motivate yourself to add the required dose of magic?  The best products tend to come from innovators who are creating products that they themselves will use regularly.

Answering these questions should give you a good idea on if you are on track or not.  And if not, what you could be changing to get it back on track.

Have fun and best of luck with your innovations.

You're on your way to becoming a Highly Creative Person.