Analogous inspiration to sparks innovation in service and product design
Analogous Inspiration is a creative problem-solving method used in service and product design that involves finding inspiration and solutions from unrelated industries or fields. The idea behind Analogous Inspiration is that by looking beyond the traditional sources of inspiration, designers can generate new ideas and solutions that can lead to breakthrough innovation.
In service design, Analogous Inspiration can be used to identify solutions for complex service challenges. For example, a healthcare provider may look to the hospitality industry for inspiration on how to improve the patient experience. By examining the way that hotels or resorts create a welcoming and comfortable environment for their guests, the healthcare provider may be able to identify new ways to improve the comfort and care of their patients.
In product design, Analogous Inspiration can be used to develop new product ideas or improve existing ones. For example, a designer working on a new mobile app may look to the gaming industry for inspiration on how to create engaging user experiences. By examining the way that games create immersive and addictive experiences, the designer may be able to identify new ways to make the app more engaging and fun for users.
The Analogous Inspiration method typically involves several steps. First, the design team will identify the problem or challenge they are trying to solve. Then, they will identify unrelated industries or fields that may have insights or solutions that can be applied to their problem. Next, the team will research and analyze the identified industries or fields to understand their approaches and strategies. Finally, the team will apply the insights and strategies they have learned to their own problem or challenge, developing new ideas and solutions.
Analogous Inspiration is a powerful tool for service and product design that enables designers to break out of their traditional sources of inspiration and generate new ideas and solutions. By looking to unrelated industries or fields for inspiration, designers can gain fresh perspectives and insights that can lead to breakthrough innovation and improved user experiences.
Here are some examples and links to tools that can help you apply the Analogous Inspiration method in your service and product design:
IDEO Design Kit: IDEO is a design agency that has developed a toolkit to help designers apply the Analogous Inspiration method. The kit includes a set of cards that can be used to identify and analyze unrelated industries and fields for inspiration. It also includes a guidebook with step-by-step instructions on how to apply the method:
https://www.designkit.org/methods/analogous-inspiration/
Smaply: a service design tool that includes a feature for identifying and analyzing inspiration from unrelated industries or fields. The tool allows designers to create customer journey maps, personas, and other visualizations to help them identify and analyze potential sources of inspiration:
https://www.smaply.com/analogous-inspiration/
Canva: a graphic design tool that can be used to create visual representations of Analogous Inspiration. The tool includes a wide range of design templates and graphics that can be used to create mood boards, mind maps, and other visualizations of inspiration from unrelated industries or fields:
https://www.canva.com/templates/search/analogous-inspiration/
Google: can be a great resource for finding inspiration from unrelated industries or fields. By using search terms like "cross-industry inspiration" or "analogous inspiration examples", designers can find articles, case studies, and other resources that provide examples of how the method has been applied in different contexts.
These are just a few examples of the many resources and tools that are available to help designers apply the Analogous Inspiration method. As with any design tool or method, it's important to choose the ones that work best for your specific needs and context.
Good luck!
Monika
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