Tag Archives: Public Transportation

Mask of the Road Warrior – The Xupermask

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Xupermask on WILL.I.AM

WILL.I.AM and Honeywell have collaborated to bring the Xupermask to market.

What is the Xupermask?

It’s probably easiest to describe the Xupermask as equal parts: health & safety equipment, personal electronics, and fashion statement.

At its heart the Xupermask is a human-centered design intended to empower the user to feel both safe AND productive. It addresses the following set of user needs that are mostly unmet by traditional mask options:

1. Fits well to the face so escaping air doesn’t fog up your glasses
2. Fit also better prevents unsafe air from entering
3. Fans improve the ease of respiration
4. HEPA filters improve air quality
5. Built-in microphone for easier and safer phone calls
6. Built-in Bluetooth noise cancelling headphones for phone and entertainment

For me, the Xupermask seems like overkill for many day to day situations.

But, when I think about getting on public transport every day or flying on a commercial airline cross-country or across an ocean, the idea of having a Xupermask to wear becomes quite appealing.

And for those of us in the western United States, this could come in quite handy during forest fire season – just saying.

What do you think about the Xupermask?

Innovation or not?

Image credit: Xupermask


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The Power of Design Thinking in Government

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Transforming Public Services

The Power of Design Thinking in Government: Transforming Public Services

GUEST POST from Chateau G Pato

Design thinking is a human-centered problem-solving approach that empowers organizations to create innovative solutions. While traditionally associated with the private sector, design thinking has found a significant role in government organizations to transform public services. This article will explore two case studies that highlight the power of design thinking in improving government services and its potential to drive positive societal change.

Case Study 1: Redesigning the User Experience of a Government Website

In 2017, the Australian government embarked on a project to redesign their official immigration website, aiming to provide a more user-friendly experience. The initial website was complex, cluttered with excessive information, and used technical language that confused and overwhelmed users. Consequently, people struggled to find relevant information and complete application processes efficiently.

Applying design thinking principles, a multidisciplinary team comprising government officials, designers, and user experience experts collaborated to re-imagine the website. They conducted extensive user research, including interviews, focus groups, and user testing, to gain insights into the pain points and frustrations of website users.

Based on these insights, the team simplified the navigation structure, reorganized information, and revamped the language to be more accessible and user-friendly. They implemented a streamlined application process that focused on user needs, reducing redundancies and unnecessary steps. Additionally, they incorporated interactive elements and improved search functionality to enhance the overall user experience.

The redesigned website was rolled out, and its impact on user satisfaction and efficiency was immediately evident. User feedback indicated higher levels of understanding, reduced confusion, and a significant decrease in time required to complete tasks. This case study demonstrates how design thinking can drive the transformation of government services by prioritizing the needs and experiences of citizens.

Case Study 2: Improving Public Transportation Systems

Public transportation plays a crucial role in the daily lives of millions of citizens. Recognizing the need for an improved public transportation system, the Singapore government utilized design thinking principles to initiate a holistic transformation. They aimed to create a seamless and user-centric experience for commuters, thereby increasing overall public transportation usage.

The government engaged with citizens and stakeholders through surveys, interviews, and immersive empathy exercises to understand their pain points, desires, and aspirations related to public transportation. This comprehensive research informed the creation of personas representing different commuter profiles, which became the focal point for designing solutions.

Design thinking techniques were applied to various aspects, including bus stop design, route planning, mobile applications, and fare collection systems. Bus stops were redesigned to provide shelter, seating, and real-time information, catering to the needs of different user groups. Route planning was optimized based on commuter data, and mobile applications were developed to provide live updates on bus timings, route changes, and fare information.

The result was a remarkable enhancement in the overall public transportation experience. Commuters reported reduced wait times, improved convenience, and increased ridership. The government’s successful implementation of design thinking principles demonstrates its potential to transform public services by incorporating user needs into the core of service delivery.

Conclusion

Design thinking has an unrivaled power to transform public services by prioritizing citizen needs and experiences. The case studies discussed above exemplify how governments can leverage this approach to drive positive change. By emphasizing empathy, collaboration, and iterative problem-solving, design thinking can revolutionize the way governments design and deliver public services. It is time for governments worldwide to embrace design thinking as a catalyst for innovation and citizen-centric transformations.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Braden Kelley’s Problem Finding Canvas can be a super useful starting point for doing design thinking or human-centered design.

“The Problem Finding Canvas should help you investigate a handful of areas to explore, choose the one most important to you, extract all of the potential challenges and opportunities and choose one to prioritize.”

Image credit: Pixabay

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Poking the Box for Innovation

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Poking the Box for InnovationOne of the best ways to challenge people’s thinking and get a group moving in a direction towards innovation is to get the group to define the box.

Of course a million and one innovation and creativity consultants will endlessly drone on about thinking outside the box, but how can think outside the box if you’re not first clear on what the box looks like that you’re trying to think outside of?

When I speak about poking the box, I’m not doing so in the Seth Godin ‘take a risk’ sense, but from the perspective of wanting people to visualize themselves standing in the box, giving a voice to what each of the six main sides are for the context in which you’re trying to innovate.

Start by making a list of the top six assumptions/constraints that we all make in this context:

  1. Assumption/Constraint
  2. Assumption/Constraint
  3. Assumption/Constraint
  4. Assumption/Constraint
  5. What does success look like in this context? — or alternatively, another Assumption/Constraint
  6. What does failure look like in this context? — or alternatively, another Assumption/Constraint

I’d like to thank innovation colleague Ton Verbeek for sharing the following video which looks at the ‘box’ of ground transportation and what happens if you shift from a 2D approach to ground transportation to a 3D approach:

So, what are the assumptions in ground transportation?

What are the constraints?

What does success look like in ground transportation?

What does failure look like in ground transportation?

How has the designer who created this video poked the box?

How has the designer explored the walls of the box and proposed pushing some of them outwards?

Which other assumptions or constraints could be challenged in ground transportation and what characteristics would potential solutions have in order to push a particular wall outwards?

As an example, I would say that the assumption the designer has challenged here in the context of ground transportation is the following:

— Must make efficient use of land to transport the maximum amount of people and goods

What other walls of the ground transportation box could and what would that look like?


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Starbucks Train Making Connections with Customers

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Starbucks Train Making Connections with Customers

What happens in Switzerland if you forget to buy your latte or cappuccino before you get on the train?

Well, Starbucks has taken the next leap in connecting with customers as they make their rail connections, moving beyond retail locations in train stations across Europe to opening its first store on a Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) car, the national railway line for Switzerland.

Starbucks Train InteriorThe new Starbucks train café is one of the smallest the company has ever designed, and they have managed to include space for 50 people, baristas, a pastry case, standing bar, and a lounge area, all tastefully assembled into a two level train car.

This latest Starbucks retail twist may only be a test, and the first of its kind for the company, but it now officially puts them in planes, trains, and automobiles, and is a smart way to extend the customer relationship and maintain their connection with existing customers while also possibly building new ones in a captive audience situation.

It’s a smart move for Starbucks to test this format even if it fails like Amazon Tote.

Starbucks Train CustomersIt’s incredibly important for companies like Starbucks that sell daily indulgences to be in the places where people are looking to enjoy that little treat, and with the level of quality increasing (at least in the coffee experience) at competitors like Dunkin Donuts, McCafe, Caribou Coffee, and others, Starbucks has to do everything they can to reinforce their premium image and customer loyalty.

The questions every retailer (or business for that matter) must continuously ask themselves include:

1. What type of customer relationship do we have?
2. What type of relationship does the customer have with our product or service?
3. What products and services do we have our customers’ permission to provide?
4. Where do our customers want us to be?

If you have a copy of my popular five-star book Stoking Your Innovation Bonfire, you can dig into the ideas behind these questions more in Appendix A where I look at a number of different “Customer Relationship Types” and “Levels of Customer Permission” in an effort to help you maximize the customer relationship

If you are looking for additional opportunities to serve your customers, maintain existing customer loyalty, and to build new customer relationships, you might also want to check out Appendix B in Stoking Your Innovation Bonfire, where I get into my framework for visualizing the customer purchasing journey and my framework for visualizing the core business operations that support the customer purchasing journey.

And then when you’ve got some ideas that you want to possibly pursue, you might want to run them through The Innovation Baker’s Dozen framework in Appendix C.

There is a lot of great content hidden in the book in various places, which is why it has done so well, and this exploration of the new Starbucks Train is the perfect time to highlight some of the insights captured in the appendices.

So, ask yourself the four questions above, check out the appendices, think about what Starbucks has done with their espresso train and let me know what you come up with!

Here is the official video announcing the Starbucks and SBB collaboration on the Starbucks train experience:


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Innovation or Invention? – Gyroscopically Stabilized Electric Motorcycle

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Innovation or Invention? - Gyroscopically Stabilized Electric MotorcycleI came across the C-1 from Lit Motors in an article by Donna Sturgess over on Innovation Excellence that made me wonder, will this be an invention or an innovation?

As you may know my definition of innovation stresses that a new offering must transform the useful seeds on invention into solutions valued above every existing alternative. An there are lots of existing alternatives in this space including:

  • Bicycle
  • Public Transportation
  • Skateboards and Razr Scooters
  • Smart ForTwo
  • BMW C1 (launched in 2000)
  • Standard Motorcycle
  • Standard Scooter
  • Segway
  • Segway Hands-Free
  • Nissan Leaf (and variants)

Is the gyroscopic stabilization and electric drive enough to distinguish it from some of these other options?

What about at a price of $24,000 – up from earlier estimates of $16,000?

For me there are a couple of key questions. Are they going to try to keep it categorized as a motorcycle or try and get it categorized as a car? And if so, will it survive the car crash safety tests. Although getting it re-classified as a car might make it more accessible (no motorcycle license needed), I have a hard time thinking the greater access would offset the publishing of head on and rear crash test results (and pictures). So, I would place this one in the invention camp – unlikely to reach wide adoption.

What do you think? Invention or innovation?

Is this something that will catch on with commuters around the world?

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