Innovation X : Why a Company's Toughest Problems Are Its Greatest Advantage

The word innovation is one of the most widely used—and misunderstood—terms in business. What used to be a means to create a successful enterprise, improve the lives of customers, and make the world a better place has been distorted to become an end in itself—usually nebulous in definition and almost always immeasurable. Clearly, innovation is broken. But innovation is not the problem. The problem is the problem—and the solution. Innovation X defines a new class of business problems— X Problems—tough new challenges that thwart conventional planning but present massive innovation opportunities. Written by Adam Richardson, creative director at the award winning global innovation firm frog design, Innovation X outlines a proven process for translating customer insights into relevant innovations. With a simple but powerful framework, Richardson shows how to use X Problems to harness customer insights (Immersion); open new advantages (Divergence); integrate systems of products, online experiences, and services (Convergence); and stay nimble in a fast moving environment (Adaption). Challenging conventional wisdom, Innovation X shows why companies must start crafting solutions before they fully understand the problem, how standard customer focused approaches hinder innovation leadership, and that "wasteful" innovation provides greater efficiency. Featuring a wealth of case studies from such leading companies as Google, Zipcar, salesforce.com, and Hewlett Packard, as well as detailed examples from frog design s work, Innovation X offers business leaders and managers the information and tools they need to accomplish truly effective innovation in today s disruptive climate. Grounded in insights about rapidly changing customers, competitors, and technologies, Innovation X is the manual for leaders seeking greater clarity about the emerging challenges facing their businesses, innovation strategies that will work in dynamic markets, and tactical methods they can put to use immediately.