This important yet subtle distinction is too often blurred. The success of a solution or product is largely determined by how effectively it supports a given task or solves a specific problem; not by how inventive it is. The “execution” or “how” is far more critical than the “what” and, unfortunately, there exist few exceptions to the rule. Invention can be exciting and, at times, even revolutionary. But when haphazardly applied, invention just isn’t good enough.

In the end, it’s all about consistently re-working solutions around people’s needs in order to better solve problems.

Putting innovation before invention is when…

* Users feel understood – this means religiously putting less emphasis on target audience defaults or assumptions and more emphasis on relevance and emotional impact by researching users “in the wild”. Consider analytics and log analysis. Explore the competition, alternative solutions and keep in constant contact with users. And consider combining these efforts with off-line (in the real-world) ethnographic research to really get to know your users as people not just clicks. These insights can create remarkable results and as marketing guru Seth Godin continually reminds us: “Products that are remarkable get talked about.”

* Problems are sought out and quests are embarked upon – this should be done early and often. Sometimes the problem you think you are solving is very different from the problem you are really solving…so constant identification and re-identification of the problem is critical; this is at the core of both online and traditional product innovation. Facebook and the iPhone have done this very well. Any problem worth solving requires that it be considered something like a mythological quest to solve. Embark on a worthwhile quest and many others will join you in finding the right solution.

* Learning takes priority – The Internet makes it easy to acquire second-hand innovations by learning from giant, high-traffic sites. Particularly, those sites that take user-centered and data-driven design as seriously as Google or Amazon.com. I find myself considering this often. For example, you won’t ever find me re-creating a fancy new web-based shopping cart and checkout system.

I love hearing from you. Do me a favor and let me know your thoughts.

Related Posts You Might Also Enjoy:

an honest business model innovation?
disruptive innovations will drive “real good”
simple insights drive innovation