Clients
Our IdeaWorks serves companies of all sizes, from start-ups to fortune 500 companies. We have expertise in financial services, digital products, manufacturing, non-profits, and more.
Our Clients
Case Studies
Discover New Opportunity Areas with “Lead Users”
Client: Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
CHALLENGE
Global innovation division of Goodyear wanted to very rapidly explore a potential growth area by understanding emerging customer needs and by identifying potential new product and service offerings beyond their core business.
Approach
Our IdeaWorks trained personnel in the “Lead-User Method for Breakthrough Innovation” and “Lean Customer Research.” Our IdeaWorks then participated alongside the cross-discipline research team in literature search, market research, ideation, synthesis, internal workshops, and presentation of findings and opportunities. Within 11 weeks, the team interviewed more than 50 individuals, including users, experts, people outside of the core industry—from aerospace to telecom, startup tech companies in various industries, medical professionals, and global entrepreneurs. Team made site visits to user locations and major industry trade show.
Result
Team identified a set of key insights into current and emerging needs of the ecosystem. Five potential areas for product and service innovation were laid out, with breakthrough concepts that could be brought to market in near-term, mid-term or long-term.
Create an Innovative, Energized Work Environment
Client: Legg Mason Global Asset Management Company (now Franklin Templeton)
CHALLENGE
Senior Information Technology personnel at Legg Mason were looking to identify opportunities to be more innovative in the work environment. Individuals sought to understand their unique innovation “footprint” (style) as well as how team dynamics could foster innovation.
Approach
Our IdeaWorks created an exciting custom Innovation Workshop that began with an icebreaker game, and included sections on:
- What is Creativity? What is Innovation?
- Your Innovation Footprint
- Types of Innovation
- Innovative Problem Solving
Result
Members learned eight creativity tools to generate new ideas and solutions to challenges. Team created a human bar-chart of innovation styles, demonstrating where their strengths and weaknesses lay. Team attacked three department problems using team-oriented creative problem-solving strategies.
Obtain Quick Customer Feedback on Startup Product
Client: Gourmetrics, LLC, founder of Weight Management Program
CHALLENGE
Gourmetrics, LLC developed a prototype program to promote healthy, non-surgical, non-invasive weight loss through a behavioral approach and in a fun way. The company needed quick insights into how and whether people would use the product. They also wanted to gauge reactions to the product form, potential pricing models, and likelihood of weight loss success.
Approach
Our IdeaWorks, LLC designed a study that included recruitment of participants across target demographics, preliminary and post-usage one-on-one interviews, and a ten-day participant trial of the product, including a “diary study.” Interviews were recorded and artifacts were collected.
Result
An extensive final report was prepared, which included positive and negative findings, recommendations, video footage, and curated quotes in areas of product design, business model, pricing, delivery channel, marketing, and distribution.
Co-Creation with Users for Girl’s Video Game Startup
Client: Five-Person Startup Team at Stamford Connecticut Innovation Center’s Startup Weekend
CHALLENGE
Team sought to design a game to teach girls ages 9-13 to learn computer programming. Team hypothesized that narrative, storybased games would attract girls.
Approach
Conducted interviews with girls and their parents on game preferences and girls’ behavior vis-à-vis existing market options for learning computer programming. Two 10-year-old girls were recruited for onsite concept development and early prototyping workshop to develop main characters and story sequence.
Result
Created prototype game scenario and pitch deck for “Oh My Code ™ (OMC),” subscription based game and girl’s coding community.
