12 | SYDNEY OFFICE UPDATE
BY GENSLER
AN OVERUSED WORD AND AN UNDEREXPLORED PRACTICE .
The word innovation continues to get thrown around . For the past decade at least , innovation has been a catch-all for that special sauce that gets companies to act first on the newest technologies and market opportunities . It ’ s considered the key to yet another buzzword : disruption .
With the rules of startup culture in mind , businesses from big pharma to evolving finance have treated innovation as something they should aspire to . We find that when organisations particularly tell us they want to innovate , they usually mean they want design to be the hero by transforming their space .
At first , they believe that their teams of experts will find a magic bullet inside war rooms , creative labs and collaboration spaces . But therein lies the gap : the expectation that innovation only comes about as a result of the right kind of space when there is so much more to it .
INNOVATION FRENZY — EVERYBODY ’ S DOING IT .
There ’ s been an uptick in the building of accelerators , incubators , innovation labs — all kinds of terms for spaces that are in support of innovation . We ’ ve been calling it an innovation frenzy .
There are precedents , wacky ideas and benchmarks about how to foster innovation in the workplace , but it ’ s important to look at what you ’ re trying to accomplish and what ’ s the best means to get you there .
Just as an example , we gathered some research about things that people are doing to spark innovation in the workplace and collected examples of over 60 unique physical interventions . We mapped them across a spectrum from the most direct , like an Einstein Room that screams “ you will be a genius when you are in here ,” to more indirect interventions , like bringing in views of nature so employees will have fresher thinking .
OUR BIGGEST FINDING WAS THAT IT IS NOT JUST THE PHYSICAL DIMENSION THAT LEADS TO SUCCESS , BUT ( OBVIOUSLY ) THE PEOPLE , CULTURE AND PROCESSES THAT TAKE PLACE THERE .
SO , WHAT DESIGN SUPER POWERS ARE NEEDED FOR INNOVATION ?
SUPER POWER # 1 : PLAY A DISTINCT PART
Let ’ s flip the switch just a little and stop talking about innovation and start talking about InnovaTORS , because ultimately , we ’ re designing for people . Starting with people and their unique skills and perspectives , we ’ ve found that high-performing teams tasked with innovation find success not only through intense focus , but through commitment to each other .
When a person plays a distinct part , they inhabit and perform a set of behaviours that come most naturally to them . When acting as part of an innovation team , technical skill sets matter , but alignment of diverse social skills , workstyle preferences and conversation style is crucial . Teams need design to help them articulate where they fit in the innovation process , and where they can best contribute . Wearing the right hat can make for a successful outcome because the right talent is in the right place .