Innovator’s Lab
Design Challenge
We partnered with a Fortune 100 company to build an internal idea management software. The company wanted to increase innovation efforts in the organization by leveraging the potential creativity of their 200,000+ employee base. There were a few design challenges that we identified as important to address.
How might we be able to cultivate a culture of innovation and create a safe space for all members of the organization to contribute their best ideas?
How might we create a system where an entry level employee’s idea can be heard by the highest ranks of the organization?
How might we create transparency so that all operating companies, departments and geographical regions can take advantage of the latest innovative ideas to benefit the organization overall?
User Research Artifacts
Personas
JOURNEY MAPS
SitemapS
Basic architecture of application, idea submission process and campaign creation/management process.
Explore FEED
With an organization over 200,000 members, the platform needed to potentially handle thousands of ideas. It was also important that users would be directed to relevant ideas that they could engage with. This was solved during registration, where users needed to specify topics of interest. User activity also helped refine a suggested feed.
EXPLORE Feed Screens
Campaign Management
Ideas can be added at any time, and can be about any topic. Although this allows for a variety of new ideas and grassroots opportunities, the ideas may be disconnected from the immediate needs of the organization. Campaigns give structure to the platform and allows for guidance from upper management. Executive sponsors can call for a specific theme of ideas that would address a need that they are interested in solving. Members in the organization can then submit their ideas to the campaign. Selected ideas will go on to pitch day, where some may be chosen to be incubated, and the team will receive funding and resources.
Early Concepts
CAMPAIGN SCREENS
Idea Submission feature
Publishing an idea is kept to a simple and smooth process. Users get quick feedback about their ideas through other members’ comments and upvotes. An idea can be submitted to multiple campaigns, so it is necessary for the submission process to be intuitive and concise.
Idea Submission Screens
Results
The company we partnered with has already done a couple organization wide campaigns successfully. They have campaign administrators in place to manage the process and executive sponsors regularly participate in reviewing ideas and pitch day events. As of now, there seems to be enough support in place to make this idea management platform work for them.