Hasta La Ideas

Over the next months we will be highlighting award-winning projects and ideas from this year’s Core77 Design Awards! For full details on the project, jury commenting and more information about the awards program, go to Core77DesignAwards.com

Designers: Dennis Chan, Maggie de la Vega, Jo Glenny, and Tucker Kobylski
Location: Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Category: Strategy/Research
Award: Student Notable

Designing Innovation Diffusion

Innovation is recognized as a critical factor required to succeed and sustain a competitive advantage. A research study was initiated to identify the challenges and best practices of organizations that continuously diffuse innovation throughout organizations. Research data was collected, analyzed, and used to design a seven phase diffusion approach.

The framework was designed as an adaptable approach to be used in a wide range of organizations, from non-profits, small business, to Fortune 500 companies, across a myriad of specialties (manufacturing, transportation, education, and tech). Therefore, the research study focused on both secondary and primary sources of information, while targeting the insights of professionals within organizations in the industries of product and service innovation. This took us to corporations and consultancies to better understand the barriers and best practices of these organizations. The consultancies focused on the areas of: architecture, digital interaction, infrastructure, innovation, and product development. The corporations were in the following industries: consumer health, global restaurant chain, transportation, and web development.

Core77: What’s the latest news or development with your project?

We are currently pursuing further professional feedback and brainstorming ways to test the Seven Phase Diffusion Approach.

Would you tell us a little about developing your project?

Saving Grace: We were lucky enough to have our work sessions at night in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Walking the halls at midnight in one of the most incredible museums in the world served as a perfect reset button. We could walk away, lose ourselves, and then get back to the grind refreshed.

Humorous Anecdote: Learning that one of the team members was 4 months pregnant a week before the thesis presentation

Lesson Learned: Transcripts – Good experience but don’t do it. Pay someone.

Grateful For: Technology is pretty amazing to allow the 4 of us to work remotely in 4 parts of the continent.

Greatest Challenge: Time….when you work full time and two of the four team members commute to school (one from another state, one from another country), not to mention handling all extras that life throws at you, the ability to manage our time became an art form. We thank all of those who supported us through it all.

Read on for full details on the project and jury comments.

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