Deep Dive - Full Show
Summary
TLDRIn this video, IDEO, a leading product development firm, is challenged to redesign the shopping cart in just five days. The team, led by project leader Peter Skilman, focuses on innovation through a 'Deep Dive' brainstorming process, emphasizing teamwork, open-mindedness, and a playful work environment. They address issues like child safety, theft, and efficiency, resulting in a cart with modular baskets, a 90° wheel turn, and a scanner for self-checkout. The final design is not only functional but also theft-resistant and aesthetically pleasing, showcasing the power of focused chaos in driving innovation.
Takeaways
- 🌟 The video script revolves around the innovative culture at IDEO, a leading product development firm known for its influential designs.
- 🛒 The central challenge is to redesign the traditional shopping cart within a tight deadline of just five days.
- 🏢 IDEO's approach emphasizes a flat organizational structure where everyone's ideas are valued, regardless of their position or tenure.
- 👶 Safety, particularly child safety, is identified as a critical issue with the current shopping cart design, prompting the team to prioritize it.
- 🔒 Theft of shopping carts is a significant problem, with many carts going missing, which the new design aims to address.
- 🤝 The process of innovation at IDEO involves a 'deep dive' where team members brainstorm and build on each other's ideas, even the wild ones.
- 🚫 The script highlights the importance of not deferring judgment too early in the creative process, allowing for a wide range of ideas to emerge.
- 🏗️ The team's work environment is described as playful and chaotic, which is believed to foster creativity and innovation.
- 🏆 The redesigned shopping cart from the script went on to win a silver award in the Industrial Design Excellence Awards.
- 🔄 The script concludes with the notion that everything around us is designed, and the process of innovation is both hard work and a necessity for improvement.
Q & A
What is the main theme of the video script?
-The main theme of the video script is innovation in product design, focusing on how a company called IDEO approaches the process of redesigning familiar objects like the shopping cart to make them more functional and user-friendly.
What is the role of 'chaos' in the innovation process as described in the script?
-In the script, 'chaos' is portrayed as a constructive element in the innovation process, allowing for a free flow of ideas and creativity without immediate judgment, which can lead to breakthrough concepts and solutions.
Why did IDEO choose to redesign the shopping cart?
-IDEO chose to redesign the shopping cart as a challenge to demonstrate their design process and to bring the shopping cart into the 21st century by addressing issues like safety, theft, and user convenience.
What is the 'Deep Dive' mentioned in the script?
-The 'Deep Dive' is a brainstorming method used by IDEO that involves total immersion in the problem at hand, encouraging wild ideas, deferring judgment, and building on the ideas of others.
How does the script describe the corporate culture at IDEO?
-The script describes the corporate culture at IDEO as one that discourages hierarchy and encourages equality among team members, with a focus on innovation and creativity rather than seniority.
What is the significance of the 'neat squeeze' toothpaste tube mentioned in the script?
-The 'neat squeeze' toothpaste tube is mentioned as an example of a product designed by IDEO that demonstrates their ability to improve everyday items by focusing on user experience and functionality.
What is the role of 'playfulness' in the innovation culture at IDEO as per the script?
-According to the script, 'playfulness' is a key element in IDEO's innovation culture, as it fosters an environment where fresh ideas can emerge more freely, and it is considered essential for being innovative.
What is the 'trial and error' approach mentioned in the script in relation to product design?
-The 'trial and error' approach mentioned in the script refers to IDEO's method of iterating on ideas through prototyping and testing, which allows for continuous improvement and innovation in product design.
How does the script highlight the importance of teamwork in the innovation process?
-The script highlights the importance of teamwork in the innovation process by showing how diverse teams at IDEO collaborate, share ideas, and work together to solve complex design challenges.
What was the outcome of the shopping cart redesign project as described in the script?
-The outcome of the shopping cart redesign project was a cart that addressed issues like child safety, theft prevention, and ease of use, featuring innovations such as a modular design, a scanner for self-checkout, and a basket that could be locked in place.
Outlines
🛒 Innovation in Product Design
The video script introduces the concept of innovation in product design, challenging traditional corporate hierarchies where the boss's ideas are not necessarily the best. It emphasizes the importance of a culture that encourages creativity and the redesign of everyday items to improve both form and function. The script sets the stage for a deep dive into the process of redesigning a familiar object, the shopping cart, by a renowned product development firm, idio, known for its influential work in various industries.
🚀 The idio Design Process
The script delves into the workings of idio, a product development firm that thrives on innovation. It highlights the firm's approach to design, where no titles or permanent assignments exist, and every team member is considered equal. The process involves understanding the user's perspective, identifying issues, and brainstorming solutions. The team, led by Peter Skilman, consists of diverse professionals, reflecting idio's non-hierarchical and inclusive culture. The script also touches on the importance of hiring individuals who think independently and the firm's disdain for the rigid structures of Corporate America.
🤔 Ideation and Problem-Solving at idio
The video script describes idio's brainstorming process, known as a 'deep dive,' where the team immerses itself in the problem at hand. The firm's mantra for innovation is emphasized, which includes focusing on one conversation at a time, encouraging wild ideas, and building on others' ideas. The script illustrates how the team generates hundreds of ideas, some of which are quite unconventional, to ensure a broad spectrum of potential solutions. The process is dynamic, with the team narrowing down ideas through voting and eventually focusing on specific areas of concern, such as shopping, safety, checkout, and finding items in a store.
🛠️ Building Prototypes and Refining Ideas
The script continues to detail the transition from brainstorming to building physical prototypes at idio. The team splits into groups to address specific areas of concern identified earlier. The process involves a balance between creative freedom and the need for structure, with Dave Kelly, the firm's leader, stepping in to guide the team when necessary. The script highlights the importance of time constraints in innovation, ensuring that the process does not become endless. The team's work culminates in the creation of four distinct mockups, each addressing different aspects of the shopping cart redesign.
🏆 Final Prototype and Reflections on Innovation
The final paragraph of the script describes the culmination of the team's efforts, resulting in a unique and innovative shopping cart design. The new design addresses various issues, including child safety, theft prevention, and improved shopping efficiency. The script concludes with feedback from a store owner and reflections on the innovation process, emphasizing the importance of hard work, an open mind, and effective teamwork. The shopping cart project not only won an award but also sparked interest in commercial development, showcasing the power of innovative thinking in product design.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Innovation
💡Design
💡Corporate Culture
💡Product Development
💡Hierarchy
💡Playful Environment
💡Prototyping
💡Teamwork
💡Trial and Error
💡Deep Dive
Highlights
The traditional hierarchy in companies is challenged, where the boss doesn't necessarily have the best ideas.
Innovation thrives in environments that embrace chaos and diversity of thought.
The importance of status based on ideas rather than seniority or title within innovative cultures.
The necessity to challenge the status quo and redesign familiar objects for improvement.
The difference between design and invention, exemplified by dental floss and its packaging.
IDEO's approach to product design, emphasizing process over expertise in a specific field.
The 'Deep Dive' brainstorming method used by IDEO to generate innovative ideas.
The significance of safety, especially child safety, in the redesign of the shopping cart.
The role of playful environments in fostering innovation at IDEO.
The importance of teamwork and focused chaos in the innovation process.
The concept of 'enlightened trial and error' over the planning of a lone genius.
The redesign of the shopping cart to address issues like theft and customer convenience.
The final shopping cart prototype features, including child safety and modular design.
The shopping cart's innovative checkout system, allowing customers to scan items themselves.
The potential commercial development of the redesigned shopping cart by IDEO.
The broader implications of IDEO's innovative culture and process for corporate America.
Transcripts
[Music]
it used to be that you deferred to the
boss is it the boss is always going to
have the best ideas not likely here
Nimble fingers alert minds and tireless
machines and it used to be in most
companies that chaos was
discouraged this is where the crazies
live this is where we do our work it's
different good morning good morning used
to be you were supposed to climb the
corporate ladder good morning status is
who comes up with the best ideas not
who's the oldest not who's who's been
with the company longest not not who has
that biggest title if you go into a
culture and there's a bunch of stiffs
going around I can guarantee they're
they're not likely to invent
anything you could stack us up big as
big as you
want that's great thanks a lot and we
had a great time today well forget the
way it used to be tonight the Deep dive
one company's secret weapon for
[Music]
innovation
[Music]
a lot further along in this broadcast
near the end as a matter of fact you
will hear one of the central character
suggest that we look around the only
thing that's not designed by anybody he
will say is nature actually you could
say the same thing by observing that the
only designs that don't require constant
modification are the ones we find in
nature but the point is well taken from
the buildings in which we live and work
to the cars we drive or the knives and
forks with which we eat everything we
use was designed to create some sort of
marriage between Form and Function does
it work and can we make it look
interesting or attractive what is truly
amazing is how long we tend to put up
with things that may not work
particularly well or may look especially
unattractive simply because we're
accustomed to them and because no one
has ever suggested redesigning those
things there's an interesting
distinction between design and invention
whoever came up with the idea of dental
floss for example was an inventor but
the man or woman who put it inside that
clever little plastic box that lets you
tear off just the right length that was
a designer now how does the process of
Designing a better product work and
would it be interesting to watch that
process when we first broadcast this
program back in February we weren't at
all sure what you would think but
judging by the number of you who ordered
video cassettes of the program and the
number of people who contacted the
industrial product design firm that is
featured in this program you liked it a
lot here was the premise of the program
we went to idio the product design folk
and said take something old and familiar
like say the shopping cart and
completely redesign it for us in just 5
days ABC News correspondent Jack Smith
tells us what happened next 9 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 Paulo Alto California in the
heart of Silicon Valley and these are
designers at idio probably the most
influential product development firm in
the world designers are the reason TV v
s have square screens chairs four legs
and toothbrushes nowadays those squishy
Handles in fact it was idio that
designed those squishy handles Ido has
designed everything from high-tech
medical equipment to the 25- Ft
mechanical whale in the movie Free Wily
and the first computer mouse for Apple
Smith ski goggles Nike sunglasses NEC
computer screens hundreds of products we
take for granted this is a called the
neat squeeze squeeze tooth uh toothpaste
tube which
the man who runs Ido is Dave Kelly a
Stanford engineering Professor with a
Groucho marks mustache a dad of genius
and an approach to Innovation that
usually works oh thank you Fred but not
always thanks a lot I can show you some
products that failed came up with this
idea called Monster shoes where you take
these little monsters and Lace them into
your shoes like this and we built a
bunch of them and um I didn't want those
either so mostly what Ido designs though
does work and it works very well Dave
and his design teams create about 90 new
products every year 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 and so for the next
5 days the team will apply that process
to Bringing the supermarket shopping
cart into the 21st century I think first
we should maybe all acknowledge that
it's kind of insane to do an ENC an
entire project in a week project leader
is Peter skilman a 35-year-old Stanford
engineer project leader because he's
good with groups not because of
seniority he's only been at Ido 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
ERT Jane Fon Suri psychologist Alex
kazak 26 a biology major who's turned
down medical school three times because
he's having too much fun at IO kids
climbing up and doing this kids
do 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 was
reported in the store that's yeah
actually
that's hospitalized right and theft it
turns out a lot of carts are stolen you
know what is the average life of a cart
do it last 2 years 5 years 10 years and
and how big is this theft thing 10: a.m.
as the team works it becomes clear there
are no titles here no permanent
assignments the other side says gives us
a lot of help says be
safe everyone appears to be equal and
they love to mock Corporate America I'll
give you status I'll give 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 you're a senior vice president you
know what do I get the desk red ball
it's all the
same 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 according to Kelly even
employees who merely listen to the boss
don't add that much either so you got to
hire people who don't listen to you and
that I don't think Corporate America
wants to hear that right yet I think we
ought to start making those lists about
the kinds of questions that we're going
to ask the team splits into groups to
find out firsthand what the people who
use make and repair shopping carts
really think okay go the problem with
the plastic cart is the wind catches it
yeah and these things have been clocked
at 35 across the parking
lot man that's actually a pretty good
point the the trick is to find the 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 um so probably
the seat itself is going to have to be
redesigned what you're seeing here is
the kind of social science like
anthropologists you know like you go and
study tribes what is it that that they
do that we can learn from that will help
us design a better cart 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 in Corporate
America many bosses like measure whether
their whether their people are you know
who the good people or the people who
are performing are the ones that they
see at their desk all the time that
couldn't be further from the truth the
people who are really getting the
information are out here talking to the
buzzes of the world going to to meet
other experts much more useful than
sitting at your desk 3:30 in the
afternoon and the group is back at idio
there is no letup
each team is going to demonstrate and
communicate and share everything that
they've learned today um people went off
in the four corners of the earth and are
coming back with the golden keys to the
to Innovation a uh shopping cart has
been clocked at 35 M an hour traveling
through a parking lot in the wind we
were in the store what 2 hours and and
it was truly frightening just to see the
kind of stuff going on you got to
designate some people to make damn sure
that the store point of view is
represented after nine straight hours
the team is tired they call it a day so
um cool well uh that's great thanks a
lot we had a great time
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
[Music]
today
want to get together and start here day
two and the start of idido's unique
brand of brainstorming they call it a
deep dive a sort of total immersion in
the problem at hand idido's mantra for
Innovation is written everywhere one
conversation at a time stay focused
encourage wild ideas defer judgment
build on the ideas of others uh that's
the hardest thing for people to do is to
uh restrain themselves from uh
uh criticizing an idea so if anybody
starts to nail an idea they get the bill
you
know the Deep dive begins and for the
next few hours the ideas pour out and
are posted on the walls oh the blind the
the Privacy blind like when you're
buying six cases of condoms know one see
nesting is it sort of has to nest if it
doesn't Nest we don't have a solution
how about velcro pants and and velcro
seats for the kids and you just drop
them down on there vcro seats velcro
pants for kids yeah see you have to have
some wild ideas if then you build on
those wild wild ideas and end up being
better ideas than if you said if you if
everybody only came up with same things
you know kind of appropriate things
you'd never like have any points to take
off to to build a a really Innovative
idea it's
organized organized cha it's not
organized um what it is is it's focused
chaos by 11:00 a.m. the group begins
narrowing down the hundreds of ideas
written or drawn on the walls how by
voting for them vote with your poit not
not with an idea that's cool but with an
idea that's cool and buildable um if
it's if it's too far out there and can't
be built in a day then I don't think we
should vote on why not have you be the
judge you're the because because I'm I'm
going to be wrong it's the team that
that's able to really judge with the
best
idea otherwise ideas wouldn't come out
that's right Enlighten trial and error
succeeds over the planning of Lone
genius enlightened trial and error
succeeds over the planning of the lone
genius if anything sums up idido's
approach that is it that at the focused
chaos that seems to go with it um I take
a point of view I call it the sport
utility vehicle cart it is noon 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 we don't want to
tell them what to build or else we take
theit the what needs should they
optimize their solution to the purpose
is to refocus the Deep dive maybe we
arbitrarily say we could do five teams
four or five teams four four or five
teams and we and we give each team a
need area hey can we uh grab everybody
over to the uh wall here there has to be
a Command Decision it becomes very
autocratic for a very short period of
time in defining what things people are
going to work on like it or not the team
is told it will split into groups to
build mockups covering four areas of
concern that have been
identified shopping safety checkout and
finding what you're looking for I
noticed that toward the end of the
process the adults took over yeah that's
because we we have no choice but to to
stop that cycle I mean there's um if you
don't work under time constraints you
you could never get anything done
because it's a messy process and go on
forever
while the team starts building
prototypes Dave Kelly takes me on a tour
of the rest of idio what's happening in
here is uh that's a client meeting
that's a first client meeting that's the
first time we met with a client so we
haven't trained them
yet if if we took them straight from
there into a room where music was
blaring and everybody was throwing Nerf
darts at each other that would be a
little hard to take you know so um we're
warming them up but this is this is
where the crazies live this is where we
do our work it's different you can tell
whether place is playful in about the
first 15 minutes as you walk down the
hall being playful is of huge importance
for being Innovative I mean if you go
into a culture and there's a bunch of
stiffs going around they're not I can
guarantee they're they're not likely to
invent anything invent anything like
this futuristic looking instrument for
kids so no matter what you do with that
thing you always sound great you always
sound good you have to make it so that
this can
happen
whoa it didn't break no it didn't
break there's a whole department at Ido
devoted to toys turns out to be one of
its most profitable areas fun too so we
got these little wings and no matter
what you do I get in trouble here it's
always a
spiral at Ido they found that fresh
ideas come faster in a fun place not
only is the furniture on Wheels to suit
the needs of the moment but people are
encouraged actually to build their own
work areas and they were designing this
space and they said to me you know we'd
like to have you know $4,000 extra in
our budget for a DC3 wing and I said uh
DC3 you have to have that and they said
yeah they have to have it so that's a
DC3 Wing piece of a DC3 wi yeah and
that's just Decor that's Decor that's um
Ambiance you know that says we're weird
and we're proud of it umbrellas on the
ceiling to shade computer screens from
direct sunlight and bicycles on ropes to
prevent clutter the first guy who hung a
bike up on a thing he didn't come to me
and ask me he didn't ask some facilities
person was was okay he tried it and then
like he waited and see if anybody
complained if nobody complained another
guy hung a bike up and pretty soon
everybody's got their bikes up and
nobody's complained right so it's that
whole thing of trying stuff and ask
forgiveness you know instead of asking
permission is the way people come up
with new ideas Ido has such a reputation
for Innovation that client companies are
increasingly asking Dave not just for
new products but but also to remake
their corporate cultures you may be
looking at the workplace of the future
here it's one thing to be able to do a
product once in a while but if you can
build a culture and a process where you
routinely come up with great ideas
that's what the companies really want
okay Peter we're done back at the shop
it is 6:00 and the four mockups 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
we've been Tech cart that gets you
through the traffic jam a checkout 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 let
Shoppers talk to the supermarket staff
remotely uh yeah where can I find the
yogurt the yogurt open daily but the
adults again decide more work needs to
be done before the mockups can be
combined into one one last prototype why
don't we have all the carts come up here
for a second I think you'd take a piece
of each one of these ideas and kind of
back it off a little bit and then put it
in the in the design the design is still
not there but there's another motto at
Ido fail often in order to succeed
sooner and some of the team will be up
half the night trying to put together a
design that finally does
work
it is day five and Dave Kelly has no
idea what the final cart looks like only
the team does if they kind of got their
heads down they don't look at me I'm
nervous you know if they say wait till
you see it then I know we're in good
shape so I'm getting wait until you see
it I think it's that'll be good there it
is there it
is so we took the best elements out of
each prototype designed this entire cart
in a day and then this cart was
fabricated in a day with an amazing team
of people in our machine shop pulling
this off working in shifts throughout
the night wow I'm impressed so are
we the cart which is designed to cost
about the same as today's carts is
different in every other way hand
baskets that stack in a metal frame and
major improvements for all you you just
lift the handle up you drop the put the
children in and then you can close the
um the the uh handle right over them and
they instantly have some little bit of a
work surface that they can play with
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 I mean let's you know
take it over to a local supermarket and
see what they say yeah works really well
the cart's wheels turn 90° so it can
move sideways no more lifting up the the
rear in a tight spot and you shop in a
totally different way rather than taking
your cart everywhere you go in the store
through a crowded store like this uh
much more efficient to take a small
basket rush around to where the the
particular shelves are and come back and
put them back put them here and treat
this as like a center for your shopping
and with a high-tech scanner so that in
the future you skip the checkout traffic
jam here's how you would scan an item
reach over and pick up anything like uh
like the salad dressing and I would I
would scan it and if I want to accept
that item I would just press plus and
then drop it in my basket because stores
don't yet have those high-tech scanners
the team designed checking out today
means doing it the oldfashioned way but
the bags are hung on hooks on the cart's
frame remember there is no basket here
why get rid of the big basket the basket
is tyranny the basket is tyranny because
it's not really needed if all your stuff
ends up in bags why need the basket in
the first first place talk to me about
theft there's no value in this cart
without the basket because you can't
carry anything in it it's useless to
anybody you can't use it as a barbecue
so it's not going to get stolen that's
right so this ought to appeal to store
owners then yes I love it I think it
looks great 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 it
makes us feel great um and she also gave
us some really good comments about how
we can make this thing better just
wherever you are look around the only
thing that's not designed by somebody
like is nature so the trees are not
designed by us but everything you see
everything you see every light fitting
every flower vase every scale every
stand for fruit everything is designed
has to go through this kind of process
and they can do a better or a um a
better or worse job of innovating or
improving but everything is designed it
has to go through this process it wasn't
this effortless oh my God so that's how
it works thing that I saw there it was
actually hard work it's a lot of hard
work um we all love it so it doesn't
look like it's hard work but it's a lot
of ours a lot of ours also an open mind
a boss who demands fresh ideas be quirky
and clash with his a belief that chaos
can be constructive and teamwork a great
deal of teamwork and these are the
recipe for how Innovation takes place
this is Jack Smith for Nightline paollo
Alto
California I'll be back with a brief
update on our story in just a
moment incidentally the Nightline
shopping cart won a silver award in the
industrial design excellence awards and
there's talk now of developing it
commercially that's our report for
tonight I'm Ted coel in Washington for
all of us here at ABC News good
night
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