Crowdsourced Innovation Ideas

🧠 “How We Brainstorm And Choose UX Ideas” (+ Miro template) (https://lnkd.in/eN32hH2x), a practical guide by Booking.com on how to run a rapid UX ideation session with silent brainstorming and “How Might We” (HMW) statements — by clustering data points into themes, reframing each theme and then prioritizing impactful ideas. Shared by Evan Karageorgos, Tori Holmes, Alexandre Benitah. 👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾 Booking.com UX Ideation Template (Miro) https://lnkd.in/eipdgPuC (password: bookingcom) 🚫 Ideas shouldn’t come from assumptions but UX research. ✅ Study past research and conduct a new study if needed. ✅ Cluster data in user needs, business goals, competitive insights. ✅ Best ideas emerge at the intersections of these 3 pillars. ✅ Cluster all data points into themes, prioritize with colors. ✅ Reframe each theme as a “How Might We” (HMW) statement. ✅ Start with the problems (or insights) you’ve uncovered. ✅ Focus on the desired outcomes, rather than symptoms. ✅ Collect and group ideas by relevance for every theme. ✅ Prioritize and visualize ideas with visuals and storytelling. Many brainstorming sessions are an avalanche of unstructured ideas, based on hunches and assumptions. Just like in design work we need constraints to be intentional in our decisions, we need at least some structure to mold realistic and viable ideas. I absolutely love the idea of frame the perspective through the lens of ideation clusters: user needs, business problems and insights. Reframing emerging themes as “How-Might-We”-statements is a neat way to help teams focus on a specific problem at hand and a desired outcome. A simple but very helpful approach — without too much rigidity but just enough structure to generate, prioritize and eventually visualize effective ideas with the entire team. Invite non-designers in the sessions as well, and I wouldn’t be surprised how much value a 2h session might deliver. Useful resources: The Rules of Productive Brainstorming, by Slava Shestopalov https://lnkd.in/eyYZjAz3 On “How Might We” Questions, by Maria Rosala, NN/g https://lnkd.in/ejDnmsRr Ideation for Everyday Design Challenges, by Aurora Harley, NN/g https://lnkd.in/emGtnMyy Brainstorming Exercises for Introverts, by Allison Press https://lnkd.in/eta6YsFJ How To Run Successful Product Design Workshops, by Gustavs Cirulis, Cindy Chang https://lnkd.in/eMtX-xwD Useful Miro Templates For UX Designers, by yours truly https://lnkd.in/eQVxM_Nq #ux #design

I have made the mistake of seeing myself as a typical user of my product too many times. Why is it bad? How to avoid it? As the hilarious picture shows, the product creators may understand their market, but still not capture the real needs of the users. You, the Product Manager, are to be the user and business ambassador, not the actual user. Why is your perspective likely wrong? • Lack of diverse point of view: single perspective • You can't possibly know all your users' challenges • Being in tech gives you instincts no tech users miss • You will miss innovation that only users can uncover • You carry inherent biases and assumptions, as any individual • Being a product expert makes you blind to beginner challenges    ...and likely more. "Ok, smart guy, - you may say - but how do you ensure you design the right product for your users?" Way ahead of you! Here are a few actions a typical Product Manager can invest in, to ensure it's the users's perspective driving product development, not the limited PM ones: 1) KYC (Know Your Customer) client research With the work done by a dedicated company, you will deeply understand your users' needs, behaviors, and motivations. 2) Building user personas Create detailed profiles representing different user types to guide design and development decisions. Use data to identify usage patterns that can be labeled as specific types of users and polish them in a dedicated workshop. Speaking of which: 3) "Jobs to be Done" workshop With this you will identify the tasks users aim to accomplish, focusing on their goals rather than features. This is the ultimate way for PMs to identify the right problems to solve! 4) Dealing with data, not opinions Goes without saying, base decisions on analytics and user data instead of personal hunches. Especially your own. 5) Quantitative discovery (polls and surveys) Use surveys to gather measurable user insights. If you ask the right questions, you will get a representable number. You can also look for those in your reporting suite. 6) Introducing MVP quickly to understand users' reactions You can always launch a Minimum Viable Product early to collect feedback and iterate. Even embed some polls with it to gather live feedback! 7) Qualitative discovery (user interviews and observations) Engage directly with users to gain an in-depth understanding of their experiences. They will tell you whether your prototype resonates with them and they can complete assigned tasks easily. There you have it, many ways to keep your opinion away from good Product decisions. So, have you ever assumed you knew what your users wanted, only to be surprised by their actual needs? How do you get to understand your users? Sound off in the comments! #productmanagement #productmanager #userexperience P.S. To become a Product Manager who truly understands and serves your users, be sure to check out my courses on www.drbartpm.com :)

Your research findings are useless if they don't drive decisions. After watching countless brilliant insights disappear into the void, I developed 5 practical templates I use to transform research into action: 1. Decision-Driven Journey Map Standard journey maps look nice but often collect dust. My Decision-Driven Journey Map directly connects user pain points to specific product decisions with clear ownership. Key components: - User journey stages with actions - Pain points with severity ratings (1-5) - Required product decisions for each pain - Decision owner assignment - Implementation timeline This structure creates immediate accountability and turns abstract user problems into concrete action items. 2. Stakeholder Belief Audit Workshop Many product decisions happen based on untested assumptions. This workshop template helps you document and systematically test stakeholder beliefs about users. The four-step process: - Document stakeholder beliefs + confidence level - Prioritize which beliefs to test (impact vs. confidence) - Select appropriate testing methods - Create an action plan with owners and timelines When stakeholders participate in this process, they're far more likely to act on the results. 3. Insight-Action Workshop Guide Research without decisions is just expensive trivia. This workshop template provides a structured 90-minute framework to turn insights into product decisions. Workshop flow: - Research recap (15min) - Insight mapping (15min) - Decision matrix (15min) - Action planning (30min) - Wrap-up and commitments (15min) The decision matrix helps prioritize actions based on user value and implementation effort, ensuring resources are allocated effectively. 4. Five-Minute Video Insights Stakeholders rarely read full research reports. These bite-sized video templates drive decisions better than documents by making insights impossible to ignore. Video structure: - 30 sec: Key finding - 3 min: Supporting user clips - 1 min: Implications - 30 sec: Recommended next steps Pro tip: Create a library of these videos organized by product area for easy reference during planning sessions. 5. Progressive Disclosure Testing Protocol Standard usability testing tries to cover too much. This protocol focuses on how users process information over time to reveal deeper UX issues. Testing phases: - First 5-second impression - Initial scanning behavior - First meaningful action - Information discovery pattern - Task completion approach This approach reveals how users actually build mental models of your product, leading to more impactful interface decisions. Stop letting your hard-earned research insights collect dust. I’m dropping the first 3 templates below, & I’d love to hear which decision-making hurdle is currently blocking your research from making an impact! (The data in the templates is just an example, let me know in the comments or message me if you’d like the blank versions).

Too many Indian MSMEs still operate locally when their potential is truly global. For years MSMEs have been seen as local enablers that is strong in manufacturing, logistics or niche healthcare services but rarely viewed as global collaborators. That mindset is changing fast. With digital platforms, cross-border partnerships, and new-age startups leading the way, MSMEs today can directly plug into global ecosystems. They can develop products, technologies and solutions that reach markets across Asia, the Middle East, and beyond. How can MSMEs go global? 1. Collaborate with New Age Startups Startups bring agility, MSMEs bring operational depth. When both come together then innovation becomes scalable and scale becomes smart. We’ve seen this firsthand from a startup analytics firms partnering with midsized pharma manufacturers to digital health startups co-creating solutions with traditional diagnostic chains. 2. Build Global Ready Systems MSMEs that invest in digital infrastructure, AI led process automation and international regulatory readiness can integrate into global supply and innovation chains with ease. 3. Position as Specialized Partners Global enterprises are not just looking for low cost execution, they also want domain partners. MSMEs with niche expertise can play a critical role in clinical data services, nutraceutical innovation, wellness analytics and more. I’ve worked with MSMEs across industries to work on operations, build cross border partnerships and reposition their brands from local operators to global collaborators. We’ve helped founders: Partner with fast growing startups to co create global solutions Adopt scalable technologies for expansion Build credibility that attracts international clients and investors The world no longer rewards size because it rewards speed, innovation and collaboration. If you’re leading an MSME today, your biggest growth opportunity may not be in your city but in the global partnerships waiting to be built. The future belongs to those who can bridge experience with innovation. And that’s exactly where India’s MSMEs can lead the world. #msme #startups #India #tech

The 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 (𝐏𝐑𝐨𝐅) teaching case shows how a large healthcare consortium and a small group of manufacturers collaborated to rethink innovation in a highly regulated sector. At its core, the case demonstrates how PRoF turned the interaction between two very different communities into its main innovation engine. The large consortium represents the healthcare user community: nurses, doctors, caregivers, patients, and hospital managers who express the lived reality of care. Their contribution is experiential and value-based. Through structured “brainwave sessions,” they surface latent needs and convert them into broad keywords such as comfort, privacy, dignity, or anti-loneliness. These keywords form a shared language that avoids technical jargon and allows hundreds of users with diverse perspectives to converge around common priorities. The small consortium consists of manufacturers, architects, and designers who have the capabilities to transform these user insights into concrete room concepts. Their commercial goals are kept strictly outside the creative process, allowing trust to grow between the groups. Once the user community defines the keywords, the producer community develops prototypes, after which the large consortium returns to evaluate and refine them. This modular sequencing keeps tensions low, ensures rapid progress, and prevents commercial logic from dominating user needs. The interaction between these two communities solves a longstanding problem in healthcare innovation: suppliers often misunderstand user needs, while users lack the means to innovate. PRoF bridges this gap by letting users drive ideation and letting producers translate that insight into solutions. What emerges is a genuinely user-oriented innovation ecosystem in which neither community could succeed alone, but together they generate concepts that reshape expectations of care design. You can find the case study at HBSP: https://lnkd.in/e6nxTFM7 #UserCentricInnovation #Collaboration #OpenInnovation #CrossCommunityCollaboration #HealthcareEcosystems #CoCreation #Ideation

While auditing content for an Entrepreneurship course at UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture I discovered a secret. The secret to enhanced user-centric innovation: We often get "stuck" with what we're taught, and this sometimes affects how we think. We all learn about Design Thinking as a standalone tool, but there's MUCH MORE to it. Integrating Design Thinking, Lean UX, and Agile methodologies creates a powerful framework for driving user-centric innovation. Here's how it works: → Design Thinking: for deep empathy and problem definition → Lean UX: for rapid prototyping and validation → Agile: for iterative development and delivery ... And what happens when each is missing? • Without Design Thinking = "Misunderstanding" • Without Lean UX = "Wasted Effort" • Without Agile = "Stagnation" Combining these methodologies offers a holistic approach. Concept Exploration + Iterative Experimentation = Needs-and-Pain-point Discovery The initial stages emphasize brainstorming and prioritizing insights, leading to hypothesis formation that guides subsequent experiments. Continuous experimentation allows for the revision of hypotheses based on real user feedback, creating a dynamic loop of learning and adaptation. Here's how to integrate them: 1/ Design Thinking: Start with empathy. Understand your users deeply before defining the problem. 2/ Lean UX: Prototype quickly. Validate your ideas with real users early and often. 3/ Agile: Iterate. Develop in short cycles and adapt based on feedback. As teams build and explore new ideas, they foster collaboration across disciplines, leveraging diverse perspectives to refine solutions. This integrated framework not only enhances the customer experience but also drives sustainable growth. This helps founders ensure they remain competitive and relevant in their respective industries. George Dr. Kelsey Burton Yenni 👀 LESSGO!

Don't reject unconventional use of your products. Embrace unanticipated ways that your customers use your products. 🚀 As product managers, we design, develop, and forecast how our products would be used by customers. But what happens when our customers surprise us by employing our products in entirely unexpected ways? Some examples 💡 Collaboration tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams were designed to facilitate team communication and project management. However, users have expanded their use cases by creating virtual communities, hosting webinars, or even organizing online events and conferences. 💡 Ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft were originally created as an alternative to traditional taxis. However, users have found additional uses, such as using these services for deliveries, running errands, or even as a means of transportation for their pets. 💡 Crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter or Indiegogo were designed to help individuals raise funds for creative projects. Users have extended their use cases to include launching new product lines, funding charitable initiatives, or even validating market demand for new business ideas. Instead of resisting unexpected customer usage, product managers should eagerly embrace the unanticipated, reaping the rewards of uncharted territory. 1️⃣ Listen and Learn: Actively seek feedback from your customers and diligently monitor their usage patterns. Their unanticipated usage reveals new needs and pain points, allowing you to unlock innovation and tailor your product more effectively. 2️⃣ Adapt: Embrace the mantra of flexibility and adaptability. By tweaking your product roadmap to incorporate unexpected use cases, you can stay ahead of the curve and respond to emerging customer demands with agility. 3️⃣ Redefine User Research: Traditional user research focuses on expected use cases, but true insights lie in understanding the context and motivations behind unexpected usage. Dive deeper into your customers' experiences to unveil hidden opportunities and build stronger, more customer-centric products. #productmanagement #productleadership #productinnovation #productdesign

Beyond the Zero-Sum: Why Global Health Needs a Biotech Bridge, Not a Race In the high-stakes arena of biotechnology, the prevailing narrative often centers on national dominance and "winning" the race for the next blockbuster cure. However, as we navigate the complexities of 2026, it is becoming clear that the greatest breakthroughs for global health do not come from isolationist competition, but from a synergistic model of global collaboration. By marrying European innovation; rooted in deep foundational R&D and complex modalities with Asian velocity; characterized by unparalleled manufacturing scale and rapid clinical execution - the world can accelerate the delivery of life-saving therapies. This commentary explores how firms of all sizes are moving beyond zero-sum competition to seek "unique alphas" through cross-border partnerships, ultimately creating a more resilient and equitable global health ecosystem. #BiotechCollaboration #GlobalHealth2026 #EuropeanInnovation #AsianVelocity #HealthEquity #LifeSciences #ESG #BiotechBridge #FutureOfMedicine

Europe and New Zealand - a natural partnership for the global Bioeconomy The global bioeconomy is expanding rapidly, valued at over US$4 trillion and projected to exceed US$8 trillion by 2030. Spanning agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, biotechnology, bioenergy, and advanced manufacturing, this growth presents a unique opportunity for strategic collaboration. Europe and New Zealand, with distinct yet complementary strengths, are well-positioned to lead together. 🫵 Europe’s strategic edge - policy-driven innovation Europe’s approach, guided by the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, emphasizes circularity through residues, waste, and renewable biological resources. It prioritizes competitiveness by scaling bio-based innovations to strengthen industry. Climate alignment supports the European Green Deal and net-zero goals, while industrial scale-up is accelerating the shift from pilot to full-scale bio-based production. These pillars drive policy-led demand for sustainable, high-performance products. 🫵 New Zealand’s integrated strength - science meets nature New Zealand offers a sector-agnostic bioeconomy linking forestry, agriculture, and aquaculture with biotechnology, synthetic biology, and advanced manufacturing. Increasingly, companies and research organisations are translating biodiversity and scientific expertise into high-value, globally trusted products, including marine bioactives, natural ingredients, and functional foods. 🫵 Shared vision, complementary strengths Europe and New Zealand are aligned in advancing circular systems and technologies like synthetic biology and biotechnology. New Zealand’s agile, export-focused manufacturing complements Europe’s industrial ambitions, while its sustainable primary sectors support Europe’s innovation goals. Europe’s regulatory frameworks pair well with New Zealand’s strengths in sustainability and traceability, creating synergy between policy pull and export ambition. 🫵 Integration in action - what collaboration could look like Collaboration could take the form of cross-sector value networks spanning farms, forests, biotech labs, and global markets. There’s potential for culturally grounded innovation, where biotechnology intersects with mātauranga Māori to create globally distinctive products. Shared scale-up pathways, especially in the TRL5–8 range, could de-risk innovation, while aligned standards in certification, life cycle assessment, and data frameworks would enable seamless market access. 🫵 The opportunity - innovation with global impact Together, Europe and New Zealand can deliver high-value food and bio-based products, sustainable materials and ingredients, and technologies that enhance global brands while protecting biodiversity. This partnership holds immense promise for shaping the future of the bioeconomy. #Bioeconomy #Biotechnology #Biomanufacturing #CircularEconomy #EUstrategy #NewZealand https://lnkd.in/gpqW2VCV

In product development, understanding user feedback is akin to observing how a frog interacts with its little home. This approach not only brings products closer to user needs but ensures efficient resource use. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬: >> MVP Creation: Start with a Minimal Viable Product - a simple version of the product that meets the basic needs of your users. Think of it as building a basic shelter for a frog, just enough to call it a home. >> User Observation: Watch how the user (or frog) uses the MVP. Do they seem comfortable? What modifications do they seem to need? >> Feedback Collection: Through surveys, interviews, or direct observations, gather insights. For our frog, this means noting what changes make it hop happily or what features cause a croak of discomfort. >> Iterative Design: Use the feedback to refine and enhance the product. Prioritize new features that directly respond to the user’s needs. >> Continuous Improvement: Keep the loop going. More feedback leads to further refinements, creating a product that evolves with its users. 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬: >> User-Centric: Products finely tuned to user needs and preferences. >> Resource Efficiency: Focuses development on features that matter, reducing waste. >> Adaptability: Encourages flexibility in product plans based on actual user behavior. 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬: >> Commitment to Feedback: Requires a genuine commitment to integrate user insights continuously. >> Handling Failure: Must be prepared to pivot or discard features based on user response. Just like monitoring a frog in its habitat can teach us what makes a suitable home, listening to user feedback helps build products that truly resonate with their audience. 🔄 Have you ever had to pivot drastically based on user feedback? How do you integrate user observations into your development process? #innovation #technology #future #management #startups