The Practice of Innovation (INNO) 323 - Lecture 20

 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY

SPRING 2008

Tues + Thurs 14:00  16:45 Lecture  Lab to ~18:00

 

 

Course Instructor: Steve McIlvenna, B.Sc.(Hons.)(Mech. Eng.), P.Eng., M.E.Des.(I.D.)

Class Location: ED 0386

Email Contact:   Steve@iLEVELinnovation.com

Web-Page Contact: Designated BlackBoard U of  C web portal INNO323-L20

Office Hours:  By email/appointment/phone - preferably right after scheduled classes

DESCRIPTION

 

Innovation 323 seeks to provide students with an innovation process experience. The course is designed to promote and foster creative processes in a variety of contexts, while providing theoretical and practical information on innovative thinking, and research methods.

 

Student projects will take the form of case studies of, and involvement in, actual innovation related activities.  The process of innovation will be encouraged through experience and peer-based interaction.  The term will conclude with professional presentations of each group's term project result.

 

The focus of the course is on experiential learning.  Student groups will first perform fun practice sessions on team creativity and communication.  They will also take home individual assignments to structurally explore, and evaluate why, they purchased and continue to enjoy their most favourite product.  They will also analyze an activity or product that provides them their worst experience to date.  The teams will use this individual input as they then generate together an Innovation Brief in multiple parts.  The students will use this brief as their commitment, guide, and focus for producing a group term project.  Execution of this project will require real-world problem identification and market insight; creative solution generation and development; and conceptual communication through various methods; both within the team and to external stakeholders.

 

 

OBJECTIVES

This course is based on the premise that the quality of execution of the first stages of an innovation project is critical to a successful outcome. Without such preparation it can be very difficult to either introduce corrections later in the process or to abandon the work entirely. The objectives of this course are derived from that premise and include:

 

• 1. Practice methods for discovery & identification of high potential problem/need insights & opportunities
• 2. Exploration & use of idea/solution generation methodologies using a Persona as the focus to enable effective creative team process.
• 3. Development of informed consensus and a filtered idea/solution set
• 4. Evaluation of the potential for conceptual products that may stem from ideas generated
• 5. Professionally report on the conceptual outcomes of the discovery, exploration, development generation, and evaluation efforts

 

The achievement of these objectives leads to decisions to proceed with efforts to further develop and potentially commercialize the concept, or to abandon it entirely.  It should be noted that if the process leading to the decision is effective, a decision to abandon is as valuable, if not more so, than a decision to proceed.

 

 

STRUCTURE AND FORMAT

The course is structured in these stages:

 

Stage 1

Groups are organized in the first week.  Initial practice sessions exploring group creative methods and communication expression are performed.  Students will individually complete the first assignment, and using these as input, each group creates an Innovation Brief as their focus for the group's term project.  This stage involves creative thinking, observation, communication, and preliminary evaluation.  Students will learn about creative thinking, problem identification, innovation, and primary qualitative fieldwork (contextual observation) techniques.

 

Stage 2

Students will learn about the process of interpreting fieldwork results; insight and problem finding using persona and scenario scripting development; as well as idea/solution generation, filtration, and development.  Students will be given the opportunity to work on visual representations of products (i.e. simple mock-ups, story boards, etc.) during class time.

 

Stage 3

The final stage is about preparing a product "story" for an audience beyond the group that will have a stake in the resulting product or service.  Students will learn about idea/solution evaluation, effective concept communication, and stage-gate decision-making.

 

A mixed formal lecture / possible guest lecture / workshop format will be used. Workshops will explore the following: group processes, qualitative research, and idea development and communication.

Assignments & EVALUATION:

 

Due Date	Assignment	Value
May 27	Individual Exploration PART A. Favourite Product Analysis 2-page written paper describing why product is student's favourite: what outcomes they seek with the product, and how this is student's favourite using Dr. P.W. Jordan's 4-Pleasures affective and behavioral assessment framework + 1-page with three images and captions representing 3/4 pleasures when thinking about or using the product.   PART B. LifeNoise - Most Disliked Product or Activity 2-page written paper describing why product/activity is student's most disliked and how this is student's most disliked using Dr. P.W. Jordan's 4-Pleasures framework as contrarian. + 1-page with three images and captions representing 3/4 displeasures when thinking about or using the product. + 2 pages with general ideas or directions to improve product/activity - can be mix of metaphors, analogies, similes, visuals, or plain description.	35%   Individual Grade
June 10	Innovation Brief ("Group Synthesis") Outlines the group's chosen project focus and directional objectives going forward. Synthesis of the significant findings from all group members individual assignments and field activity plus a developed persona and scenario being addressed for innovation initiative	15%
June 24	Final Group Presentation A simulation of a professional, 10 minute "pitch" presentation to your corporate client	15%
June 30	Final Group Paper 10-15 page paper containing Innovation Brief, discussion of research methods, innovative findings, persona development, mini story boards, photo captures of mock-up development, market potential/ scorecard summary evaluation, potential next steps, and accumulated knowledge (from the course)	20%
Group + Class Participation Mark		15 %
Total		100%

 

Note: Please return assignments directly to the instructor if possible. If it is not possible to do so, a daytime drop box is available in SS110; a date stamp is provided for your use. A night drop box is also available for after-hours submission. Assignments will be removed the following morning, stamped with the previous day's date, and placed in the instructor's mailbox.

REGISTRAR-SCHEDULED FINAL EXAM

NONE

 

GRADING POLICY

Grades will be calculated based on the numerical scores for each assignment and presentation on a 1 - 100 scale. Scores will be weighted according to the percentages of each assignment listed above.  Students will be provided with comprehensive scoring/marking guides for each assignment and presentation.

 

The average weighted score across all assignments will be used to calculate the final grade. Letter grade equivalents for each assignment and the final grade will be based on the following scale:

 

A+      =         96-100

A        =         92-95

A-       =         86-91

B+       =         81-85

B         =         77-80

B-        =         71-76

C+       =         65-70

C         =         62-64

C-       =         59-61

D+      =         55-58

D        =         50-54

F         =         0-49

 

 

Note:  Assignments submitted after the deadline may be penalized with the loss of a grade (e.g.: A- to B+) for each day late.

COURSE TEXTS

Any reading materials will be handed out as photocopies or internet linked through Blackboard.

Intra-group Evaluations

Each group will be expected to notify the instructor of any negative group dynamic issues immediately, and accordingly, these matters will be resolved quickly with fairness to all concerned.  In addition, at the conclusion of the course, each student will be provided a form with which they will evaluate their fellow group member's performances. The evaluations may be used by the instructors to award the appropriate portion of the 15% group participation grade for each individual.

 

HUMAN SUBJECT FIELD WORK RESEARCH

During the initial information gathering phase of the course the students will be expected to do some form of primary observation and data recording of friends, family, colleagues roommates etc. along with public domain shopping, observation, and public domain inquiry.  Formalized, direct human research beyond friends, family and colleagues in normal everyday scenarios is neither expected nor part of this course activity.  These interactions will be permission based only and respectful at all times - please refer to University of Calgary student code of conduct.

 

Writing Skills Statement

Faculty policy directs that all written assignments (including, although to a lesser extent, written exam responses) will be assessed at least partly on writing skills.  For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info.  Writing skills include not only surface correctness (grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc) but also general clarity and organization.  Research papers must be properly documented.

 

If you wish help with your writing at any stage, including drafts, you are invited to contact the Writing Centre, SS110, 220-7255.

 

Plagiarism

Using any source whatsoever without clearly documenting it is a serious academic offense.  For details see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info.  Consequences include failure on the assignment, failure in the course and possibly suspension or expulsion from the university.

 

You must document not only direct quotations but also paraphrases and ideas where they appear in your text.  A reference list at the end is insufficient by itself.  Readers must be able to tell exactly where your words and ideas end and other people's words and ideas begin.  This includes assignments submitted in non-traditional formats such as Web pages or visual media, and material taken from such sources.

 

Please consult your instructor or the Writing Centre (SS110) if you have any questions regarding how to document sources.

 

 

 

Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with a disability who may require academic accommodation, it is your responsibility to register with the Disability Resource Centre (220-8237), and discuss your needs with your instructor no later than fourteen (14) days after the start of this course.

 

 

Students' Union

For details about the current Students' Union contacts for the Faculty of Communication and Culture see www.comcul.ucalgary.ca/info

 

"Safewalk" Program -- 220-5333

Campus Security will escort individuals day or night -- call 220-5333 for assistance.  Use any campus phone, emergency phone or the yellow phone located at most parking lot pay booths.

 

SCHEDULE

 

May 15           Introduction; show "IDEO" video; establish groups; practice group creative communication workshop; Individual assignment: Due May 23rd

 

May 20           Group structured creativity tools; group creativity practice session given "real world" topic focus

 

May 22           Insight seeking methods/fieldwork methods; primary + secondary data collection, ethnography (contextual interview/observation design), groups share individual assignments and synthesize Innovation Briefs for term project focus + make field work plans w/Look, Learn, Ask tools; sign off by group and instructor; Hand in Parts A.B.C. of Inno Briefs and Individual Assignments.

 

May 27           Field Work Day 1 - groups meet and may divide into sub groups to collect primary and secondary data based on group's Innovation Brief focus.  Field work may be in public domain, friends or family observation, contextual interviews, participant observation, internet, etc. Material will be recorded in appropriate manner and shared back with the group.

 

May 29           Field Work Day 2 - groups meet and may divide into sub groups to collect primary and secondary data based on group's Innovation Brief focus.  Field work may be in public domain, friends or family observation, contextual interviews, participant observation, internet, etc. Material will be recorded in appropriate manner and shared back with the group.

 

Jun 3              Persona and scenario script writing; groups share with each other their field work findings and develop a focus persona to innovate for, and begin scripting the insight scenario that their innovation will impact positively;

 

 

Jun 5              Lecture on recombining technology with contextual persona insight to create a useful and marketable innovation;  show overall process and expected deliverables for final project re: effective and concise communication of ideas and concepts; Groups use Ideo TRY methods and begin rapid modeling and storyboarding development of term project using variety of simple materials provided - identify outcomes sought by Persona in scripting developed last class &  identify features required in innovation.

 

Jun 10            Each group presents 5 min max overview of concept development progress to get feedback and help from the other groups; Group project time using variety of visual and written methods

 

Jun 12            Lecture -Why Innovation is so important to society; issues in modern corporations with innovation practice; where do people take their ideas...licensing; innovation seeking companies; brokers; entrepreneurship issues & methods; stage gating and evaluation go or stop; Group project time...

 

Jun 17            Group project time - refinement of concept and develop final presentation materials

 

Jun 19            Group project time - refinement of presentations

 

Jun 24            Final professional presentation simulation 20 mins each - group and peer evaluations - Guest Lecture on IP Industry

 

Jun 26            Last day of classes - Group time to finish final report - no formal class scheduled - arrange to meet with instructor if required.