CPH127

As some of you might know I have recently been thinking a lot about how we got where we are now and what we are going for next. In my last post I got reminded that Experience Design will be somewhat eternal, and I agree, but that was really not my main message, so let me clarify: I acknowledge Experience Design is somewhat superior, but what will we build on top of it?

To help me reach some kind of answer, I remembered Will Murray’s “Brand Storm” which included a table of The Seven Ages of Man and Economic Motivation.

This post relates at least indirectly to two themes referred to on CPH127 previously – [1] the emergence of China and [2] culture and it’s role in innovation and creativity.

We seek more “Asian voices” in our community perhaps motivated by observations of apparent opportunity. In order to assist in the facilitation of such involvement, do we need to foster awareness of the differences in Chinese thinking [for example] from what would be typical in Western/European/American ways of thinking? I’d suggest so…

The Shanghai Swiss Chamber of Commerce swisscham.org recently commissioned Birds & Fish Communications to work on the development of a quarterly magazine appropriately titled “The Bridge”. Designed to foster more awareness of Swiss Chinese business relations in Shanghai and China generally the publication’s March 2005 issue featured a wonderful article “10 differences between Western and Eastern Behaviour and Thinking” by Hans J.Roth, Consul General of Switzerland in Shanghai. The article describes the most significant differences between European and Chinese cultural environments. Although quite broad brushstrokes the observations can be considered a solid general guideline. I thought it would be positive to share the main points of difference highlighted in the article…Read on here

Much of what Mr roth writes certainly reflects my own perceptions about my experiences in working in China and more generally of Chinese friends and colleagues…intriguing I think.

Here is more useful insights by Hans J.Roth…

Over the summer I e-mailed Anders Drejer to make him join our flight.
He accepted right away. He works as a professor at the Strategy-lab in
Aarhus, Denmark.

He just published a book – “Innovation gennem netværk – Innovation made
possible through networks, something like that….”. Very very
interesting. I just got a one directly from the publisher – Thank you
Anders.

When reading the book you on the same time experience “like coming
home” – which always is nice - on the other hand it opens up for
new angels and perspectives on our important discussions here at CPH127.

I promised Anders to write an overall review of his book – I certainly
will, but due to my wife’s pregnancy it has to wait a week or two.
Please be patience.

A chapter in his book handles the different types of competition, which
of course is put in context of leadership and innovation. He states –
and I agree…

Competition isn’t about new products or markets, not any longer, its
merely about the ability to create the future and having the
knowledgeleadership in the industry. Competition is more about
attracting and building up the necessary competences.

But do you agree? What kinds of competences are needed to survive in
the business climate of tomorrow? And where do you see competition
come from?

• Leading Innovation (InnovationMarketers blog)
  (tags: jacob innovation leadership)

I had the opportunity to listen to Dominic Fried-Booth, European Marketing Research Manager from Nokia Mobile Phones some weeks ago at the 50 years´anniversary of the Danish award for research in marketing, 2005.

In general it was interesting - as discussed here at CPH127 before - to hear that others than designers are discussing user-driven innovation and to get their perspectives on the matter. Basically, it´s logical for marketers that the user-driven part of the innovation process is their domain, as marketing is the customers voice inside the company. Marketing people is also seeing the benefit of in-the-field, contextual, qualitative market analysis methods and I believe we will see them incorporate them more and more in their practise in their coming years.

In particular it was interesting to see how Nokia was integrating marketing and development of new products in cross-functional teams focusing on simplicity (hmm…seems like a technology trend…). Dominic Freid-Booth highlighted the benefits and challenges with ethnographic research & analysis saying that it was fruitful if done with thouroghness, but it was a very demanding process which also needed multiple-checking and re-checking of the results to conclude anything.

It became really interesting when he introduced (at least to me - I hadn´t heard of the method before) genetic algorithms (GA) as a method to create multi-objective solutions to innovation challenges. As the approach was new to me, I did some quick research on the subject and found out that it is a method inspired by nature, used primarily within compute science. However, I got the notion that Nokia was using the approach to solve more general business issues and that´s why I became curious.

Have any of you heard about the use of GA as a problem-solving method on non-technical business concept issues? Do you have any cases you can share?

Few days ago I posted a bout creating THE event calendar on Design, Innovation & Leadership events. Mark, Andrew, Tom, Tim & Dave.

And I must say – PERFECT response

Few weeks ago I heard about Upcomming.org for the first time – Now I feel pretty sure that "they" will be future platform for the CPH127 Calendar.

Take a look – join - and help us, help your self, while adding the events you know of.

In a week or two we will implement the RSS-feed as a permanent feature here at CPH127

Btw. Any ideas on what to call such a feature – off course in the Airport-metaphor……?

Year’s back I joined the Knowledgeboard – participated in the periphery of the community and learned a lot. From my early conversations there I remember Denham Grey - a truly expert in “Community of Practice’s”. I just came by his blog today and I think one of his latest posts about Knowledge Formation apply very much to our vibrant community as well – and of course it’s also relevant in general.

In his post he mention:

“Let’s start by looking at what we mean by ‘new knowledge’. For me this takes us beyond information sharing, (although this may result in new knowing for individuals) knowledge is produced when new worlds are brought forth, when we make sense of our environment, when claims are socially validated and meaning is negotiated & shared”

If ”new knowledge” is ”sense-making” I think he’s thought’s apply very much to the CPH127-community and should in every community of practice.

Some of the principles mentioned is:

• New knowledge
• Mining past experiences
• Making key distinctions
• Sharing ontologies

Is that what we do here at CPH127? Can we do it even better? How? Ideas?

Please read Denham’s full post – it’s worth a read. His blog is

• Management Innovation Group » The Trailmarker
  You cant separate product/service from culture, that a fact!
  (tags: victor designprocess culture innovation innovationmanagement hanshenrik)

Am I the only one – would CPH127 be the place to look? Please let me know

I would be fairly easy to make a listing ……please share.

Maybe it should be a permanent link in the topbar? What do you think?

• CMU design management reading list
  From Victor Lombardi
  (tags: jacob reading books design management designmanagement)