Special Session Summary Creativity and Innovation: From Studying the Tribe to the Aaha’S@ to Evaluating the Ideas

Citation:

Laurel Anderson (2003) ,"Special Session Summary Creativity and Innovation: From Studying the Tribe to the Aaha’S@ to Evaluating the Ideas", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 30, eds. Punam Anand Keller and Dennis W. Rook, Valdosta, GA : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 354.

Advances in Consumer Research Volume 30, 2003     Page 354

SPECIAL SESSION SUMMARY

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION: FROM STUDYING THE TRIBE TO THE "AHA’S" TO EVALUATING THE IDEAS

Laurel Anderson, Arizona State University

 

a(x4): A USER-CENTERED METHOD FOR DESIGNING EXPERIENCE

Paul Rothstein, Arizona State University

In today’s marketplace, designing consumer experiences has become a critical challenge. This presentation described a(x 4), a method for researching, exploring and communicating scenarios about new consumer experiences. Structured around four key factors (actors, activities, artifacts and atmosphere), a(x 4) features ethnographic and creative exercises that development teams can use to transform field data into compelling speculations about new consumer experiences.

 

ME AND MY COMPUTER: THROUGH TEEN EYES

Laurel Anderson, Arizona State University

This research utilizes the user-centered methodologies of photo essays, metaphor development, textual and collage analysis to gain an understanding of teens (Gen Yers) and their computers. These methods are used to get at what teens "don’t know they know." The focus is on the descriptive scenarios of the a(x4) framework and include actors, activities, artifacts and atmosphere. Different types of teen computer users were identified, including the Fly Me to the Moons.

 

FEDERAL EXPRESSIVE: GENERATING THE DESIGN FOR THE TRIBE

Steve McCallion, Ziba Design

Quality, as a product and service differentiator, is becoming increasingly commoditized. What’s Next? Experience. What’s new? Crave. Crave takes experience beyond the expected to the inventive. It starts with understanding customers on a deep and fundamental level. It doesn=t ask customers what they want, it surprises them with what they need. Creating crave requires gaining deep insights into customer motivations, habits, practices, and perceptions; and translating these insights into actionable promises. It also requires understanding what visual identity makes these promises believable. ZIBA will present how it used a number of user-centered research tools, as well as descriptive and prescriptive modeling tools to help FedEx create crave for customers of its 1400 Retail Service Centers.

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