If you ask 100 CEO's if they want to be an innovative company, you can expect 100 affirmatives. If you ask the same 100 CEO's what methods they plan to use in order to innovate, you can expect uncertainty. LUMA Institute solves that.
We live in an age of innovation. Steve Jobs stated it as the difference between a leader and a follower. Peter Drucker considered it a new capacity to create wealth. Some might even consider it an over-discussed topic. Whatever the point of view, innovation is a key growth driver and much sought-after capability for companies and organizations today. Innovative products, services, and offerings are critical to future revenues and economic sustainability.
But how does this mysterious process happen?
Is it art?
Is it science?
Can it be taught?
LUMA leadership came from creative professional service backgrounds where innovation was a common extension of their creative development work. Human-centered design is a well-known discipline that clarifies work methods to create things of value - more usable, more efficient, more effective - insisting that the human, the user, be the judge of its relevance and value. Using human-centered design as its foundation, LUMA developed and formalized a taxonomy that served them well as product and usability designers in their assignments. They believed these methods were teachable and translatable.
LUMA Institute's portfolio contains 36 techniques arranged in three categories: looking, understanding, and making. Each category contains 12 innovation tools like "Visualize the Vote", "Rose, Bud, Thorn", and "Buy a Feature". Teams then select certain tools that are ideal and relevant for a given innovation assignment.
Flexible. Adaptable. Creative and exciting.
Armed with these valuable learnings and tools, LUMA desired to propel themselves into a crowded innovation market. They were confronted with many ideas and theories for growth, but sought Vista's guidance in defining a clear compass heading for their growth path. Using the Vista Brand Roadmap, we engaged with the LUMA team to clarify their strategies, structures, and resources to seize their large market opportunity.
After a deep and fruitful engagement, LUMA's Growth Plan was declared. Since that time, they have grown in desired ways by helping solve the world's problems with innovative solutions.
At Vista, our view is that innovation isn't about how much R&D dollars you have. Apple created the Mac when IBM was outspending them by 100 times. It's about people, their intentions, how they are led, and what tools they use. We also believe that the future belongs to the innovators.
To learn more about this fascinating company, visit www.lumainstitute.com.