We use the problem-solving processes employed in the design profession to explore and develop sustainable, innovative ideas.

How we do it
To keep things simple, we have identified three common service objectives that lie at the heart of how design thinking can help you:

identify purpose • reveal opportunity • visualise future

Deployed as a total package these three activities underlie our process, and are delivered in an iterative sequence whereby insights and feedback are constantly fed back into the creative loop.

1. identify purpose
From years of experience we know that 'design' is frequently applied to the wrong part of the problem, ie a beautiful and costly re-brand will not solve the problem of a product that nobody wants in the first place. Purpose lies at the heart of any challenge: it is both your primary 'driver' and, once clearly defined, the focus of our attention. Without very clear definition of the big picture there is no way to proceed with confidence, so the first stage of our enquiry is to focus very specifically on the identification of purpose:

core identification tools:
• understand your cause
• frame 'wicked' problems*
• plan design research
• investigate preferable future

*the ones that keep you awake at night!

2. reveal opportunity
In-depth research activities - including ethnographic study & co-design workshops alongside market analysis & future forecasting - identify both the unmet needs of all stakeholders and the appropriate emerging social, cultural and technological trends. The ensuing insights are 'churned' in a virtuous cycle of creative synthesis to reveal a range of viable innovation opportunities.

core revelation tools...
• engage with stake-holders to identify un-met needs
• map appropriate future trends
• correlate findings
• synthesise insights

3. visualise future
Ideas only become valuable when they are made manifest: to that end we are interested in helping clients make the leap from good idea to great 'product' with confidence. To better inform the decision-making process we use the techniques taken from our background in design to develop 'conceptual prototypes' that allow new ideas to be 'tested' both internally and against the needs of their user. Micro-implementation of prototypes allow prefered futures to be evaluated with the benefit of hindsight. Once the most desirable outcome has been defined, these 'conceptual prototypes' inform the construction of a full design brief, which may either be implemented internally or passed to a relevant specialist agency as approporiate.

core visualisation tools...
• represent 'look & feel'
• illustrate user experience
• deploy and document 'prototype' testing & feedback
• map implementation strategy & develop brief