Customer insights are formed by interrogating data, facts and observations and connecting empathically with customers' contextual needs. There are no shortcuts to deriving genuine customer insights. Customers don't always do what they say. Ethnographic research and techniques such as contextual immersion are the key.
A critical capability within an innovators DNA is to be able to interrogate and identify the nascent trends arising from innovation at the edge; understand the new expectations these are creating for customers and citizens; and apply these to better serving the needs of your customers, stakeholders and society.
Mention innovation to most people and, invariably, their thoughts will turn to the product offering. Yet opportunities for innovation can occur though throughout the value chain - starting 'backstage', within organisations' business design, right through to 'onstage', addressing customers' experience of the products.
A tenet of design thinking is that making visual representations and prototypes facilitates communication of concepts and ideas. The goal of data visualisation design is to communicate information in a clear and compelling manner that conveys the impact of the true meaning behind the data.
Managing strategic uncertainty in organisations requires you to develop your view of your possible, plausible, probable and preferable future. Developing strategic foresight requires asking better questions, recognising your unconscious biases, and collaborating with a well-informed crowd of super-forecasters.
