ABC Nightline - IDEO Shopping Cart

Summary

In a five-day challenge, IDEO, a leading product design firm in Silicon Valley, completely reimagined the shopping cart. The diverse team, led by Stanford engineer Peter Skillman, addressed safety concerns, theft, and user experience. They embraced a culture of innovation, encouraging wild ideas and teamwork, leading to a new cart design with features like 90-degree wheel turns, modular baskets, and remote communication for shoppers. The project exemplifies IDEO's approach to innovation through focused chaos and enlightened trial-and-error.

Takeaways

• 🕒 The project had a tight deadline of five days, emphasizing the importance of time constraints in the innovation process.
• 🛒 IDEO is a highly influential product development firm with a diverse range of successful designs, including the first computer mouse for Apple and various consumer products.
• 👥 The team at IDEO is diverse and includes experts from various fields, which is typical of their approach to fostering innovation through interdisciplinary collaboration.
• 🔑 Safety was identified as a critical issue with the current shopping cart design, highlighting the need for redesign to prevent child injuries and theft.
• 💡 The IDEO culture values a flat hierarchy and encourages everyone to contribute ideas without fear of judgment, which is key to their innovative environment.
• 🔍 The team conducted firsthand research to understand the perspectives of those who use, make, and repair shopping carts, emphasizing the importance of user and expert insights.
• 🏎 They discovered that shopping carts can reach high speeds and are often unsafe, leading to the idea that the seat and overall design need a significant overhaul.
• 📈 The team followed IDEO's innovation mantra, which includes staying focused, encouraging wild ideas, deferring judgment, and building on the ideas of others.
• 📊 The process involved voting with post-it notes for ideas that were both innovative and feasible, demonstrating a democratic approach to selecting the best concepts.
• 🛠 The team created multiple prototypes, each addressing different issues like child safety and customer convenience, before combining the best elements into a final design.
• 🔄 The final shopping cart design was innovative in every way except cost, with features like 90-degree wheel turns for easier maneuverability and a frame for hanging bags instead of a traditional basket.

Q & A

What was the challenge given to IDEO by ABC News?

IDEO was challenged to completely redesign something old and familiar, like a shopping cart, in just five days.

What is IDEO known for in the product development world?

IDEO is known as one of the most influential product development firms in the world, with a wide range of designs from high-tech medical equipment to everyday consumer products.

What is the significance of Peter Skillman's role as project leader?

Peter Skillman is the project leader because of his ability to work well with groups, not because of seniority, as he has only been at IDEO for six years.

Why is safety an important issue in the shopping cart redesign?

Safety is an important issue because there are 22,000 child injuries per year that result in hospitalization due to shopping carts.

How does the team at IDEO approach the shopping cart project?

The team at IDEO approaches the project by splitting into groups to gather firsthand insights from people who use, make, and repair shopping carts.

What is the significance of the 'big red ball' in the IDEO office culture?

The big red ball symbolizes the absence of hierarchy at IDEO, where titles and permanent assignments are not emphasized, and everyone is encouraged to contribute ideas.

What is the mantra for innovation at IDEO?

The mantra for innovation at IDEO includes staying focused, encouraging wild ideas, deferring judgment, and building on the ideas of others.

How does the IDEO team ensure that all perspectives are considered in the design process?

The team ensures all perspectives are considered by conducting research, communicating, and sharing insights from various stakeholders involved with shopping carts.

What is the approach IDEO takes to idea generation and refinement?

IDEO encourages enlightened trial-and-error over planning by a lone genius, allowing for a chaotic yet focused process where ideas are freely generated and refined.

What is the significance of the 'fail often to succeed sooner' motto at IDEO?

The motto 'fail often to succeed sooner' at IDEO signifies the company's willingness to embrace failure as a part of the innovation process, allowing for rapid learning and iteration.

What innovative features were considered for the redesigned shopping cart?

Innovative features considered for the redesigned shopping cart included a scanner for self-checkout, a modular design for increased volume, and a focus on child safety and remote communication with supermarket staff.

Outlines

00:00

🛒 Redesigning the Shopping Cart at IDEO

The video script introduces a project at IDEO, a leading product design firm in Palo Alto, California, tasked with redesigning the shopping cart within a tight five-day deadline. The team, led by Peter Skillman, consists of diverse professionals including an MBA, a linguist, a marketing expert, and a psychologist. They quickly identify safety and theft as key issues with current shopping carts, which result in over 22,000 child injuries annually and significant losses due to cart theft. The team's approach emphasizes the absence of hierarchy and encourages a culture of innovation, where ideas are shared freely without immediate judgment. They engage in field research to understand the perspectives of those who use, make, and repair shopping carts, identifying practical problems such as wind catching plastic carts and safety concerns with the cart's design.

05:03

🔨 The IDEO Innovation Process and Prototype Evolution

This paragraph delves into IDEO's innovative process, which values trial-and-error over solitary genius and emphasizes teamwork and open-mindedness. The team faces challenges in narrowing down their ideas and creating a cohesive design under time constraints. They explore various concepts, such as modular baskets, a tech cart with a scanner for self-checkout, and designs focused on child safety and customer service. The team's iterative process involves refining prototypes and incorporating feedback to improve their design. The final shopping cart prototype features a 90-degree wheel rotation for sideways movement, hooks for bag storage, and a focus on safety and convenience. The video concludes with the team's pride in their innovative design, which, despite needing further refinement, is praised for its functionality and aesthetics. The narrative highlights the importance of an innovative culture, enlightened trial-and-error, and the collaborative spirit that drives innovation at IDEO.

Keywords

💡IDEO

IDEO is a renowned product design and development firm known for its innovative approach to creating a wide range of products, from tech gadgets to everyday items. In the video, IDEO is tasked with redesigning the shopping cart within a tight deadline, showcasing their expertise in the design process and their ability to innovate under pressure.

💡Innovation

Innovation refers to the process of creating new ideas, methods, or products. The video's theme revolves around innovation, as the IDEO team is challenged to innovate on a familiar object, the shopping cart. The team's brainstorming sessions, idea generation, and prototyping efforts exemplify the essence of innovation in action.

💡Shopping Cart

A shopping cart is a wheeled basket used by customers to transport goods in a retail environment. The shopping cart serves as the central focus of the video, as the IDEO team aims to redesign it to address safety, theft, and user experience issues, reflecting the challenges and opportunities inherent in innovating everyday objects.

💡Safety

Safety is a critical issue that the IDEO team identifies early in the redesign process. The video mentions that 22,000 child injuries occur annually due to shopping carts, emphasizing the need for a safer design. The team's consideration of safety features in their new design illustrates the importance of prioritizing user well-being in innovation.

💡Teamwork

Teamwork is the collaborative effort of a group to achieve a common goal. The video highlights the importance of teamwork in the innovation process, as the diverse IDEO team members with different backgrounds work together to brainstorm, prototype, and refine the shopping cart design. Their collective efforts underscore the power of collaborative innovation.

💡Prototyping

Prototyping is the process of creating a preliminary model of a product to test and refine its design. In the video, the IDEO team develops multiple prototypes of the shopping cart, each addressing different aspects such as safety, theft prevention, and user convenience. Prototyping is a key step in the innovation process, allowing the team to visualize and iterate on their ideas.

💡Design Process

The design process is the series of steps taken to create a product, from concept to final design. The video emphasizes the IDEO team's expertise in the design process, which includes understanding user needs, brainstorming solutions, and iterating on designs. The team's methodology is central to their ability to innovate within a short timeframe.

💡Child Injuries

Child injuries related to shopping carts are a significant concern highlighted in the video. The statistic of 22,000 hospitalized injuries annually underscores the urgency of the team's mission to redesign the shopping cart for safer use by children, reflecting the real-world impact of design decisions.

💡Theft

Theft is identified as a common issue with shopping carts, as many are stolen from stores. The video suggests that the IDEO team's redesign must address this problem, indicating that innovation not only improves user experience but also considers operational challenges faced by businesses.

💡Modular Design

Modular design refers to a design approach where components can be easily added, removed, or rearranged. The video mentions the idea of modular baskets that can be attached to the shopping cart, allowing for greater flexibility and adaptability in the design. This concept is an example of how the team thinks creatively to enhance the functionality of the shopping cart.

💡Remote Communication

Remote communication is the ability to interact with others from a distance. In the context of the shopping cart redesign, the video describes a feature that allows shoppers to communicate with supermarket staff remotely, such as asking for product locations. This feature exemplifies the team's innovative thinking in enhancing the shopping experience through technology.

Highlights

IDEO, a leading product design firm, is tasked with redesigning the shopping cart in just five days.

IDEO has a history of designing a wide range of products, from medical equipment to the first computer mouse for Apple.

The project leader, Peter Skillman, is chosen for his ability to work with groups, not seniority.

The team at IDEO is diverse, including an MBA, linguist, marketing expert, psychologist, and a biologist.

Safety is identified as a key issue with 22,000 child injuries per year related to shopping carts.

The team discovers that theft is a significant problem with shopping carts, many of which are stolen.

IDEO's culture is innovative and does not rely on hierarchical structures, promoting a collaborative environment.

The team conducts field research to understand the perspectives of those who use, make, and repair shopping carts.

The shopping cart's speed and safety are discussed, with carts reaching 35 mph in the wind.

The team's innovation mantra includes staying focused, encouraging wild ideas, and building on the ideas of others.

IDEO's approach emphasizes enlightened trial-and-error over the planning of a lone genius.

The team holds informal sessions to ensure focused work under tight time constraints.

Mock-ups are created, including a modular shopping cart and a tech cart with a scanner for self-checkout.

The team explores ideas for child safety and remote communication with supermarket staff.

The final prototype incorporates elements from each design, aiming to cost similar to current carts.

The redesigned cart features 90-degree wheel turns for sideways movement and a frame for hanging bags.

The project concludes with a successful redesign that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Transcripts

Tonight the deep dive one Company's secret weapon or innovation

we went to IDEO the product design folk and said take something old and familiar like say the shopping cart and

Completely redesign it for us in just five days

ABC news Correspondent Jack Smith tells us what happened next?

9:00 in the morning day one and these people have a deadline to meet so welcome to the kickoff of the

shopping cart project

This is Palo Alto, [California] in the heart of Silicon Valley these are designers at Ideo

Probably the most influential product development firm in the world

Ideo has designed everything from High-Tech medical equipment

to the twenty-five foot mechanical whale in the movie 'Free Willy' and the first computer mouse for Apple; Smith's ski goggles

Nike sunglasses NEC computer screens

Hundreds of products we take for granted

The point is that we're not actually experts at any

given area you know we're kind of experts on the process of how [you] design stuff so we don't care if you give us a

Toothbrush a Toothpaste Tube

A tractor a space shuttle you know a chair

it's all the same to us we like want to figure out how to

Innovate in in by using our process applying it

project leader is [Peter] Skillman a 35 year old stanford engineer

Project leader because he's good with groups not because of seniority he's only been at Ideo for six years

The rest of the team is eclectic, but that's typical here Whitney Mortimer Harvard MBA

Peter Coughlin, Linguist Tom Kelly [Dave's] brother marketing expert Jane Fulton Suri

psychologist, Alex Kazakhs 26 a biology major

Who's turned down Medical school three times because he's having too much fun at IDEO

safety Emerges early as an important issue

22,000 child injuries a year which is and so they're hospitalized injuries. I mean there are many others and

Theft [it] turns out a lot of carts are stolen as the team works. It becomes clear. There are no titles here

No permanent assignments the other side says give us a lot of help says be safe

I'll give you a big red ball on a on a on a on a post and that says you're a big guy if you

Got a ball your senior vice president. You know what do I get over the desk the red ball. It's all sink in

in a very innovative Culture you can't have a kind of hierarchy of here's the boss and the next person down the next person down the next person down

Because it's impossible

That the boss is the one who's had the insightful experience with shopping carts

[it's] just not possible [the] team splits into groups to find out firsthand what the people who use make and repair shopping carts

Really think okay, go

Probably the plastic card is the wind catches it yeah, and these things have been clocked at 35 across the parking

yeah, that's actually pretty good point the the trick is to find these real experts and so that you can learn much more quickly than

You could by just kind of doing in the normal way and trying to learn about it yourself from everything

I read these things aren't that safe either. You know

So probably the seat itself is gonna have to be redesigned one of the interesting things for me is looking at how people really don't

Like to let go of the cart except for the professional shopper. Whose strategy is to leave the cart at various places

3:30 in the afternoon and the group is back at I do there is no let-up each team is going to

demonstrate and [communicate] and share everything that they've learned today [a]

Shopping cart has been clocked at 35 miles an hour

traveling through a parking lot in the wind we were in the store wet two hours and and

It was truly frightening just to see the kind of stuff going up you got to

Designate some people to make damn sure that the store owners [Point-of-view] is represented after nine straight hours the team is tired

They call it a day, so I'm a cool well. Uh that's great. Thanks a lot. We had a great time today

I do Mantra for innovation is written everywhere

one conversation at a time

Stay focused encourage wild ideas Defer judgment build on the ideas of others

That's the hardest thing for people do is to

restrain themselves from

Criticizing an idea so if anybody starts to nail an idea they get the [bell] you know

The ideas pour out and are posted on the walls

[oh] the blind beat the privacy plain like when you're buying six cases of condoms you know and suits if it doesn't nest

We don't have a solution. Okay, nice kid

It's [not] organized [um] what it is is its focused Chaos vote with your post-it not not with an idea

That's cool

But with an idea, that's cool and buildable

Um if it's [worry] if it's too far out there and can't be built in a day, then I don't think we [should] vote on

enlightened Trial-And-error

succeeds over the planning [blown] genius enlightened Trial-And-error

Succeeds over the planning of the lone genius if anything sums up ideos approach that is it

Worried that the team is drifting

What can only be called a group of self-appointed adults under dave Kelly holds an informal side session [for] five?

Four or five times a week, and we give each team a need area

It becomes very autocratic for a very short [period] [of] time in defining

What things people are gonna work on if you don't work under time constraints?

You could never get anything done because it's a messy precedent go on forever

Back at the shop. It is six o'clock before mock-ups are ready for showing

baskets also can be if you think

[you] will have more volume baskets can be put in a modular shopping cart you

pile hand baskets [onto] things you've been tied tech cart that gets you through the traffic Jam a check out that you could mount a

Scanner on the shopping cart so that you as the customer as you pull it off the shelf

would scan each item one that's built around child safety and

Another that lets shoppers talk to the supermarket staff remotely uh yeah, where can I find a yogurt?

But the adults again decide more work needs to be done before the mock ups can be combined into one last prototype

[why] don't we have all the cards come up here for a second?

I think you take a piece of each one of these ideas and kind of back it off a little bit and then put it

In that yeah in the design the design is still not there

But there's another motto at I do fail often in order to succeed sooner

Some of the team will be up half the night trying to put together a design that finally does work

So we took the best elements out of each

Prototype the cart which is designed to cost about the same as today's carts is different in every other way, what do you think?

Well, I'm very proud of the team. [I] think it's it's great this does this work for you works for me great

It's also beautiful the carts wheels turned 90 degrees

So it can move sideways no more lifting up the rear in a tight spot

And you shop in a totally different [way] the bags are hung on hooks on the carts frame

Remember there is no basket here

At first I was a little shocked, but I think it's you have some fantastic ideas here

It needs a little refining, but I think that it's great. I mean we would we would want them

She also gave us some really good comments about how we can make this thing better [a] lot of hours

Also an open mind a boss who demands fresh ideas be quirky and clash with is a belief that Chaos can be

Constructive and teamwork [a] great deal of Teamwork [and] these are the recipe for innovation

[tax] place

This is Jack Smith for Nightline a Palo Alto, California