DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / August 17, 2021 / The notion of self-fueling creativity may be romantic, but it's hardly realistic. Even Ernest Hemingway, an imaginative, prolific author, relied more on the clock than a muse. His system? Get up early and write diligently until lunchtime. He didn't wait for a spark: He lit a fire through consistency and persistence.
Everyone loves a good, old-fashioned "It came to me in the middle of the night" story. So people in business wait for innovation and inspiration to somehow come to one of their team members. Or, they rely on gut instincts or moments of "pure genius" to help them innovate. What many don't realize is that genius without a framework to materialize the idea often leads to dead ends. Consequently, too many teams struggle needlessly to disrupt, when all they need is a little structure. And they can find it through Credera, a global, boutique consulting firm.
In fact, the global firm has found success by putting a method to the so-called madness of creative chaos. Spearheaded by Jake Carter, Credera's Chief Innovation Officer and former Googler and innovation leader, the firm's innovation services have helped small and large companies undergo major positive changes by introducing them to the power of the company's controlled and replicable approach to innovation called Structured Innovation.
A Framework for Fostering Creativity Within Boundaries
Of course, many people may question whether creativity really can develop when it's guided through a series of guardrails. Is it honestly possible to build innovation rather than let it bubble to the surface of its own accord? Doesn't that fly in the face of everything we've been taught, or at least assumed? A leading apparel retailer found the answer when the company hired Credera to boost its customer experience (CX) through a refreshed, dynamic web presence.
Credera treated the apparel company's challenge as an opportunity to innovate systematically through a framework of coordinated phases. At the end of each phase, the previous phrase's process was reassessed before moving to the next creative step. By circling back and following a proven method, Credera assisted the retailer in achieving its goals. The results were tangible for the client: Consumers received a tailored CX, and ROI shot up 67%.
Using widely respected agile processes Credera uses their innovation strategies to make this process unique and powerful for clients. Their choreographed, three-step system works as well as a choreographed dance:
Step 1: Teams choose where to focus their efforts.
During the round of innovation workshopping, Credera encourages participants to think about big ideas. For instance, attendees may be asked to dream aloud about what their users or target audiences need. After a critical mass of ideas is brainstormed, all the ideas are evaluated against a rubric. The rubric, which Carter has coined Credera's Innovation Prioritization Matrix, assists teams in determining which ideas should move forward.
Having the rubric in place ensures that ideas don't float to the top because they're "pet projects." Instead, winning ideas have to prove themselves against hard, structured data points. This removes the possibility of human nature error and keeps everyone on the same page. It also reduces friction among team members with competing ideas.
Step 2: Teams test their creative concepts with users.
After choosing specific concepts to bring to life, participants are charged with making practical prototypes to test with users. The prototypes are usually rougher than minimally viable products (MVPs) to avoid the wasted effort of creating an MVP that doesn't perform. As long as users can interact with the designs, those users can submit their impressions and feedback.
The benefit of testing concepts this early is to avoid committing fully to anything and risk burning through resources. Plus, real-world user tests present prime chances to collect a wealth of data. Plenty of Credera's clients engage with users at this stage in a myriad of ways, including through video sessions. The data can then be analyzed critically to determine which concepts and prototypes stood out-and why they made a splash. Once users validate it, then a second check of "can we actually do it and is it business-savvy?" is invoked.
Step 3: Teams implement successful concepts.
After moving innovative ideas through a set of consistent parameters, team members can earmark money, time, and manpower toward winning ideas. This avoids wastefulness and keeps iterations moving forward.
At any point, teams may want to revisit the previous steps if new ideas emerge. For instance, user testing may identify unrecognized pain points. In fact, teams usually re-do the prioritization step at least quarterly to catch newly emerging ideas. The pain points can be evaluated during a future ideation stage to see if they're worth solving. New ideas that make the cut can be woven into the infrastructure of high-performing prototypes.
Unlocking Creativity Through the Power of Purpose
Innovation doesn't have to happen in some secret laboratory in the dark of night, Hollywood-style. As Thomas Edison famously noted, genius is made up of just 1% inspiration. The remaining 99%, he explained, is perspiration. Credera's innovators would likely agree. Rather than leaving creativity to fend for itself, the Credera team fosters it along through a series of mapped-out journeys through the structured innovation approach.
By the time great concepts guided by Credera reach their destination, they haven't lost their initial excitement or passion. They've just been pruned and tended carefully and consistently to ensure healthy growth.
CONTACT:
Sarah Bruner
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972-759-1843
SOURCE: Credera