Masterclass: how innovation in “product language” can overturn markets – the power of emotion‐focused design

Abstract

Purpose

Leading CEOs have put innovation at the forefront of their agenda for most of the last decade, but they have come to realize that it can take many forms, with different degrees of competitive impact. The paper aims to compare and contrast several forms of innovation and schools CEOs in the latest version, “design‐driven” innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyzes how a leader can utilize design‐driven innovation.

Findings

The paper finds that design‐driven innovation represents a timely convergence of the value innovation perspective and “emotion‐focused design,” a term that denotes an innovation in which the novelty of a message and of a design language prevails over the novelty of functionality and technology.

Practical implications

Design‐driven innovation offers a powerful new approach that draws upon deep socio‐cultural insights to create the basis for new levels of emotional attachment to commercial products.

Originality/value

Innovation theory and practice has tended to focus on two strategies, “technology‐push” and “market‐pull.” Design‐driven innovation offers a third strategy, one that is more like basic sociological research, and just as systematic.

Citation

Leavy, B. (2010), "Masterclass: how innovation in “product language” can overturn markets – the power of emotion‐focused design", Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 38 No. 2, pp. 30-36. https://doi.org/10.1108/10878571011029037