Ideation, Prototyping & Pilots

iRobot CEO on Managing & Supporting Innovation

How CSAA’s Chief Innovation Officer Approaches Disruption

PepsiCo’s Chief Design Officer on Embracing Failure

5 Lessons from COVID-Driven Innovation at Whirlpool Corp.

Trek Exec on Tackling a Bike Shortage and Early R&D

iRobot CEO on Managing & Supporting Innovation
How CSAA’s Chief Innovation Officer Approaches Disruption
PepsiCo’s Chief Design Officer on Embracing Failure
5 Lessons from COVID-Driven Innovation at Whirlpool Corp.
Trek Exec on Tackling a Bike Shortage and Early R&D

If asked where ideas come from and how they’re prototyped, most companies would admit that at least two of these are true:

Too few people in the organization are invited to come up with ideas.
The standards for evaluating ideas are inconsistent, or overly political.
Working with startups oroutside firms to explore high-potential possibilities.
It takes too long to build a prototype that can be tested with customers.

Our coverage of ideation and prototyping focuses on how companies are inviting employees to develop ideas, sifting those ideas for the best ones, and getting to MVP.

Articles & Case Studies

What are the Biggest Barriers to Innovation?

This crisis is revealing aspects of our world that were broken, but hidden in the normal state of things. Now that the apple cart has been turned over, what can we see that is broken?

How One Accelerator Program Pivoted to COVID-19 Solutions

When COVID-19 took the world by storm, the engineering firm Black & Veatch’s IgniteX Growth Accelerator program pivoted in a matter of weeks…

How AARP is Pivoting Innovation in 2020 and Investing in Startups

At Innovation Leader’s recent online event for nonprofit organizations, Andy Miller of AARP discussed how his team helps build an innovative culture that permeates the organization — and how they’re making new investments in startups.

IDEO on Practicing Empathy & Running Sprints from Home

How can we make our food supply chain more resilient? What are the best practices for running an engaging virtual sprint? How can teams redesign their offices to make them safe for employees? In this video replay of The Solution Set, Owen Rogers, Melanie Bell-Mayeda, and Carl Fudge of IDEO answer these questions and more. Throughout the conversation, the trio share how design thinking can unlock innovation and solve challenges during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Carhartt on Prototyping and Collecting Customer Insights from Home

Carhartt specializes in work clothes for industries including construction. Their Director of Global Product Innovation, Collen Hau, explains how the team is creating prototypes and staying in tune with customers.

Harvard Business School Prof: You’re Probably Over-Using Zoom

Harvard Business School Professor Tsedal Neeley offers insights on new approaches to prototyping, and what happens when some people begin transitioning back to the office.