Product Development

Is Your New Feature Worth It?

When you’ve created a successful application, it is tempting to relentlessly add new functionality. You think that if you stop building, you’ll fall behind. New features bring in new business. They show your existing users that you are still active and adding value. However, it’s important to step back and consider how new features will […]

The Vistage Issue Processing Framework – A New Sales Tool

I recently joined a local Vistage group run by Steve Johandes. Vistage is a peer-to-peer membership organization for CEOs, business owners, and executives of small- to mid-size businesses. Vistage has a powerful issue processing framework that I really enjoy. It’s effective at getting to the root issue of a problem that someone is facing, and it […]

A Human-Centered Design Approach to Involving IT in Product Development

Human-Centered Design (HCD) practices help companies develop innovative product concepts. From my experience, extending HCD practices inward to include a company’s information technology team increases the chances for success. What is Human-Centered Design? IDEO (a leading global design consultancy) recognizes that HCD involves viewing solutions through the lenses of Desirability, Feasibility, and Viability and building […]

What Are the Categories of Design?

We often hear that “design is an overloaded word.” This must be one of the biggest understatements of all time! Often when I’m communicating with others and the word design is dropped, we need to ask ourselves: are we talking about visual design? User experience? Markup? Tangible design? Tactical design? Strategic design? Or simply aesthetics? […]

An Operations Mindset Is at Odds with Innovation

Atomic Object has helped many companies design and implement new software products. I’ve noticed different environments at companies that are primed for innovation and companies that are not. Operational Mindset Roger Martin’s knowledge funnel concept describes how business practices become more algorithmic as organizations scale and strive for efficiency. As companies scale, their technology departments […]

Organizational Departments Aren’t Aligned with Innovation

Dedicated, poly-skilled project teams are more effective at delivering innovation projects than well-honed, departmentally-distributed, operationally-focused teams. The choice of using an internal vs. external team is often considered when planning how to take on a significant innovation project. Internal expertise and capacity are two common factors used to assess the viability of the internal team. […]

Client-only Use of Innovation Games

Innovation Games® are serious games designed to help solve business problems in sales, strategy, marketing and product development. There are three parties involved in a game: the trained facilitator (with support staff), the client, and the client’s customer. For example, a client who makes mobile phones might invite some of their customers to participate in […]