Designer Interview: Roger Dennis
Designer Profiles, Innovators & Creators, Uncategorized
Based out of Christchurch, New Zealand, Roger Dennis consults in strategic innovation, foresight and the intersections between them. He has worked with clients in a host of sectors including industrial design, telecommunications, and research services. Dennis authors the blog Ideaport , which helps organizations to address complex strategic issues in the world of design. He is also an associate of Innovaro – Europe’s leading strategic innovation consultancy.
1. Will we see more innovation in 2009 or less? I think many organizations will cut their innovation capability in the next 18 months. It is obvious there is a lot of pressure to cut costs in the current recession, and innovation teams often are the first to go in such circumstances. However, companies that cut carefully and preserve the core of their innovation capabilities will be well positioned when the recession ends. The proof of this approach can be found in many examples, but the most well known is Apple. (For more information read: http://www.rogerdennis.com/ideaport/?p=160 )
2. What was your first impressionable moment that involved design? I’ve always valued well-designed products, but never really appreciated the work in design until the late 90’s when I was exposed to the work of the Ideo crew in London when working for egg (an online bank in the UK).
3. Name something that needs improved upon that would benefit the consumer if re-designed? Most products designed for babies or young children. The notable exceptions to this are products designed by Bugaboo (http://www.rogerdennis.com/ideaport/?p=49 ) and Stokke.
4. You describe your IdeaPort blog as mental floss. What brings your readers coming back for more and keeping a nice, white smile? I think there’s a lot of confusion about the links between strategy, innovation and design. I’m interested in the intersections and overlaps of these three disciplines, but not in the jargon that surrounds them.
5. Name one person who influenced how you see things with a “designer’s eye.” I couldn’t attribute this to any single person – but the Ideo experience I refer to above had a massive impression.
6. I understand your home base is in New Zealand. Would you consider New Zealand to be more innovative than Europe and the U.S.? New Zealand has the advantage of having fewer people here, and therefore (in theory) change should be easier. In addition, the country has historically been isolated from the rest of the world, so if you wanted a solution to something you had to make it yourself. However, it lacks some of the culture that accepts failure – essential for innovation – and that balances out the equation. Given these two factors I’d say it’s probably on par.
7. What or Who would you consider as a best source on innovative thinking? Gary Hamel is still hard to beat as a source of inspiration, but if you want a real dose of inspiration just spend some time online digging out the next re-mix, mashup or embryonic startup.
8. You recently submitted a post about brand and strategy. In it, you wrote about how you supplied a customer service division with a single guiding principle: “Our service is like oxygen and a customer dies after three minutes without it.” Does this not explain the frame of mind you should have when promoting any product or service? That was actually a guest post by a colleague of mine – Patrick Harris. I think there’s a danger in taking a catch phrase and applying it to any and everything. That particular piece of work that Patrick referred to had a specific purpose. If you want to read more about this, then I recommend a copy of the book “Made to Stick.”
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