Innovation is both creating new products from scratch and to refine existing products. We help companies to innovate while maintaining focus on end users.
Lene Nielsen has, among other, facilitated innovation processes for Arla Foods amba., Novo Nordisk and Bdr. Andersen’s furniture factory.
Interview with a client
Jørgen Andersen Brdr. Andersen Furniture describes the rewards of a user-driven innovation process with personas as follows:
“It’s not something we believe. This is now something we know.
The company Bdr. Andersen thought they knew their customers, but it was not quite so. They had the courage to jump on the User-driven Lifestyle project and through hours of investment gained new knowledge about their customers. A very positive CEO is now ready to work on with user-driven innovation.
“Before I said ‘we believe’, but now I can say ‘we know’. We can prove and document our knowledge – this is a strength and I feel we were very lucky we got the opportunity to engage in the User-driven Lifestyle project” says Mr Andersen.He has already established a group within the company to pursue the method further. ”This is a little like getting a license – now we must learn to drive, we’ve got some tools, and we must begin to use them.”
“Now it is us who know the customers”
Architect Ditlev Karsten has for many years worked with Bdr. Andersen and have been involved in the process.
“It is a natural part of architectural training to look at the user’s needs, yet it has been an instructive experience to meet the people who buy the furniture I’ve drawn. Just before we started, I was asked to design a dining table for families with small children, but I did not know how they live. Do they sit down and eat, or are they constantly on the road to sports etc? I’m too old to know, but now I have a concrete understanding of the customers’ lives. And they do sit down – the customers give priority to sitting nicely and eating together”, says Ditlev Karsten and Jørgen Andersen adds:” Previously, we trusted what the designers presented. They knew and understood the market. Today we have the inside knowledge – it’feels good that it is now us who know the customers. “(ULD-book p. 164)
Read the full case study here (in Danish): http://www.moebelcenter.dk/images/images/uld/Samlet bog.pdf