How IBM’s Innovation Lab Leverages Design Thinking
June 26, 2019 | Innovation
by ExperiencePoint

jHow IBM’s Innovation Lab Leverages Design ThinkingIf you’re wondering whether IBM, one of the most forward-thinking, innovative companies on the planet, uses design thinking, look no further than the Enterprise Design Thinking lab. It is IBM's in-house innovation center where it, and other companies, use design thinking to create human-centered design solutions aimed at putting the customer experience into the stratosphere.

Profiled recently on the Digital Surgeons blog, the lab consists of 30 studio spaces used specifically for design thinking sessions.

IBM’s philosophy about design thinking is that great experiences don’t just happen;They start with your team and the people you serve —customers, end users, whoever is the target of your product or service.

Now more than ever, the world is moving, and changing very rapidly, spurring disruptive innovation everywhere. Customer and end user expectations are evolving, and there is less and less room for error. People want what they want, and they want it now.

IBM wants to help teams meet these evolving consumer expectations quickly through design thinking, which is focused around the real needs of their users. The scalable methods of design thinking helps teams be more agile, delivering results time and time again.

But IBM doesn’t just put teams in a room with a whiteboard and some sticky notes and let them fend for themselves. They provide training on human-centered design, along with support, project guidance and other services, including a facilitator or a coach, if needed. The whole idea is to use design thinking to help teams “work more efficiently, stay aligned and keep people at the center of their work.” This culminates in faster to market, and greater ROI—all through design thinking.

It’s one more way some of the most innovative companies in the world are using design thinking to keep connected to their customers, creating an even better customer experience in the process. And in today’s marketplace, it’s a must.

 

Learn how to enable innovation skill-building at scale here or download our free ebook Kickstart Innovation: A Guide for Organizations.