four phases.

i plan these phases carefully, but as soon as i start working, my knowledge expands, which might require to adapt the process and the chosen methodologies. a true innovation process is open and flexible and builds on true creativity. too tight specifications, time pressure and, in the worst case, a predefined result kills creativity. that's why i fight for time and openness, to enable inspiration, playfulness and flow. only in this way new ideas arise – not only adaptations of what we already know.

by the way: design sprints are a great approach for small problems, but they are neither suitable  for complex projects nor for aesthetic tasks. true creative work, squeezed in a design sprint, reaches the midfield. maybe.

ONE

analysis | problem | objective

it is about understanding the specific situation and needs of different user groups, the client and the market environment. trends are part of the analysis, they are a valuable source of inspiration – social trends are core to identify new opportunities. as a designer, i am additionally interested in design styles.

the results of this phase are trend maps, positionings, current brand and business models, personas, journeys and of course user insights, a clearly defined problem and objective.

two

inspiration | ideation | concept

creativity needs a clearly defined task, but nothing is as important as associative, empathic and lateral thinking. unexpected perspectives, surprising insights, playful methodologies, time and openness are the recipe for new solutions.

results of phase two are inspiration books, inspirational experiences, rough concepts, texts and moods, future journeys, experience principles – and very first and rough prototypes.

THREE

design | test | decision

the experience-oriented design elements of a new offering are defined and visualized in detail.

results of phase three are more elaborated concepts, first business models, drawings, material and colour collages, future journeys, experience principles and even more refined prototypes.

then prototypes are tested, optimized and compared with the initially formulated requirements.

FOUR

realization | implementation | optimization

this phase i supervise as a creative director and consultant. my aim is to integrate strategy and design in the best possible way and to implement the new offering into the existing processes of the client. in some cases the re-design of internal structures and processes is needed as well.

methodologies

Business model canvas, CULTURAL PROBES, POSITIONING, Foto dairies, art research, ideation- and impuls-workshops, INSPIRATION-BOOKS, Brandmodels, moods, personas, qualitative interviews, semiotic ANALYSis, trend research, scenarios, user journeys, user testings and much more.