In Module 1, we will learn about a few basic things necessary for participating effectively in an innovation competition.  Specifically, we will understand the differences between idea, invention and innovation; learn about different innovation types; and the criteria that a good innovation has to satisfy.  We will also learn what it takes to innovate using well-known problem-solving approaches & processes.

Many of you are budding innovators.  You are in the process of coming up with an innovation and submitting it to an innovation challenge.  But, do you know the difference between an idea, invention and innovation?  Are they different names that refer to the same thing?  Of course not.  Idea, invention and innovation are all different.  Let's understand the differences between the three with the help of an example: 

An idea is a mental construct.  It’s something that pops-up in our mind, sometimes in a flash !  Or, it could be the result of our thinking over time.  For e.g., consider the idea of using electricity to generate light so that it illuminates your home.  It's a great idea, but it's just an idea.  It is not yet proven.  It has not become a reality yet.  So, we do not know whether the idea really works.  Ideas themselves are of little use.  We need to take the idea forward to make it tangible as well as practical.

Making the idea tangible: Invention is the act of bringing an idea into reality in a novel way to create something new that did not exist before.  That is, invention makes the idea tangible.  For e.g., a light bulb is an invention that came from the original idea of using electrical energy to generate light.  The famous scientist, Thomas Alva Edison invented the first electric light bulb that provides artificial light.  Over the last century since his invention, the light bulb has made use of different technologies to generate light - from the incandescent bulb that used tungsten filament, to the CFL bulb that used argon & mercury vapor, to the LED bulbs of today.   However, inventions themselves don't always add much value to anyone other than the inventor.   What use is the light bulb if it can't be mass-produced at an affordable price and made available to millions of people to light up their homes?  Well, that's where innovation comes into play !

Making the idea practical: An innovation takes an idea or invention forward and finds ways and means of making it practical and useful so that it can add value and provide benefits to people using it.  Innovation involves designing the light bulb as a commercial-ready product that can be sold in the market, put to practice use to light up homes and buildings, and also generate profits for the business producing the light bulb.  

Now that we know the differences between an idea, invention and innovation, let's understand what it takes to come up with a good innovation.

Innovation is the process of converting an idea or invention into a novel solution (in the form of product or service) that addresses a need, creates value for people, and for which people are willing to pay.   At it's core, the process of innovating involves problem-solving.  It identifies a need, problem, challenge, or desire of users, and comes up with a novel way to address the same.   Now, let's understand little more deeply on what it takes to come up with a good innovation.

If the idea is not desirable, feasible or viable, it just remains an idea.  It doesn't become an innovation.  Check out the example of a successful innovation below to understand things better:

Question: Are you submitting an innovation, or a mere idea?  Does your innovative idea have a clear user-need?  Is it technologically feasible to build?  Is it viable to commercialize it?  Does it provide value to people, and are they ready to pay for it, buy it and use it?

While we are required to come up with an innovation and submit the same for the innovation competition, it helps to understand various types of innovation so that we can decide what type of innovation we would like to pursue.   Check out the illustration below...

A smart watch is an example of a product-innovation as it brings new features to a wrist watch.  Byju's online schooling is considered a service-innovation as it redefines schooling experience for students.  Similarly, a table with new style, aesthetics, functionality, and usability is said to bring design-innovation.  A chatbot-based customer-service is considered a process-innovation as it re-defines the way customers interact with a business.  WhatsApp Payments can be considered as experience-innovation as it re-defines the experience of people in transferring money between each other.  App-based ride-hailing services (e.g., Ola & Uber) can be considered a business-model innovation as it re-defines the way radio-taxi businesses operate and makes money.  Google to find out more about the different types of innovation.  

Question: What type of innovation are you trying to come up with?

So far, we have understood the differences between ideas, inventions and innovations.  We also learnt that innovation involves problem-solving.  We have also touched upon the three criteria that a good innovation has to satisfy.  We even explored the various types of innovation with examples.  But, do we know how to go about innovating?  Do we know what are the steps involved in innovating?   

Well, innovating doesn't happen by magic.  It definitely is not a random act. It involves a systematic approach.  To understand the desirability factor, we need to empathize with users and understand their needs, problems or challenges well enough and articulate the problem we wish to address.  

To understand the feasibility factor, we need to understand tools & technologies, gain skills in using them, explore existing products or solutions, and build a working prototype and demonstrate the feasibility of the solution to address the identified problem effectively.  

To understand the viability factor, we need to put our prototype to practical use and gather feedback from users and refine our prototype successively until: it is ready for the market, people are ready to pay for it, buy it, use it, and derive value, benefits and satisfaction from it.

Understanding the desirability, feasibility and viability factors require us to undertake multiple steps.  When we put all these steps together, we get a streamlined process that provides a structured and systematic approach to innovating.  Design Thinking just does this.  It provides a structured approach to problem-solving & innovating by identifying a series of steps that innovators can use.

In the next module, we will learn more about Design Thinking approach to problem-solving and innovating.