The Deep Dive
Summary
TLDRThe video script details a revolutionary approach to innovation at design firm Ideo, where a team redesigns a shopping cart in just five days. It emphasizes the importance of diverse perspectives, playful work environments, and a culture that values process over hierarchy. Ideo's process involves brainstorming, prototyping, and rapid iteration, leading to a cart that addresses safety, theft, and efficiency. The project's success underscores the power of teamwork, focused chaos, and a playful atmosphere in fostering innovation.
Takeaways
- 😀 The video script highlights the importance of innovation and challenging traditional corporate hierarchies where the boss is not necessarily the one with the best ideas.
- 🛒 The story revolves around a project by IDEO, a leading product development firm, to redesign the shopping cart within a tight deadline of just five days.
- 🏆 IDEO is known for its influential designs, including the first computer mouse for Apple, Nike sunglasses, and various medical equipment.
- 👥 The team at IDEO is diverse, consisting of individuals with different backgrounds such as engineers, linguists, and psychologists, which fosters a culture of innovation.
- 🌟 A key aspect of IDEO's innovation process is the 'Deep Dive', an intense brainstorming session where wild ideas are encouraged and judgment is deferred.
- 🔍 The team conducts field research to understand user experiences and pain points, which informs their design process and ensures solutions are user-centric.
- 🚫 IDEO's workspace is designed to be playful and non-hierarchical, which is believed to be conducive to generating innovative ideas.
- 🏢 The video suggests that corporate cultures that value status and seniority over innovation may struggle to keep up with more flexible and creative environments.
- 🛍️ The redesigned shopping cart prototype addresses issues like child safety, theft, and checkout efficiency, showcasing how design can improve everyday objects.
- 🏅 The shopping cart project by IDEO was recognized with a silver award in the industrial design excellence awards, indicating the project's success and potential for commercial development.
Q & A
What was the main challenge faced by the company in the script?
-The main challenge was to redesign the supermarket shopping cart, bringing it into the 21st century with significant improvements within a tight deadline of just 5 days.
Who is Dave Kelly and what is his role in the company?
-Dave Kelly is the man who runs IDEO, a Stanford engineering professor with an approach to innovation. He is not only a leader but also a facilitator of the design process, encouraging his team to innovate.
What is the significance of the 'Deep Dive' mentioned in the script?
-The 'Deep Dive' is a unique brainstorming process at IDEO that involves total immersion in the problem at hand. It is characterized by focused chaos, where wild ideas are encouraged, judgment is deferred, and ideas are built upon by others.
How does IDEO ensure that innovation is not stifled by hierarchy?
-IDEO operates without a rigid hierarchy, ensuring that everyone's ideas are valued and that status does not dictate the direction of innovation. They believe that good ideas can come from anyone, not just those in higher positions.
What is the role of safety in the shopping cart redesign project?
-Safety was a key consideration in the shopping cart redesign, with the team focusing on reducing the 22,000 child injuries that occur annually with current cart designs.
Why is the concept of 'organized chaos' important at IDEO?
-At IDEO, 'organized chaos' is important because it fosters an environment where creativity can flourish. It allows for focused brainstorming and idea generation without stifling creativity through strict structure.
What does the term 'enlightened trial and error' mean in the context of the script?
-In the context of the script, 'enlightened trial and error' refers to the iterative process of prototyping and refining ideas through experimentation. It emphasizes learning from failures and making continuous improvements to achieve success.
How does IDEO approach the problem of shopping cart theft?
-IDEO addressed the problem of shopping cart theft by designing a cart that has no value without its basket, making it useless to thieves. This innovative approach reduces the incentive to steal the carts.
What was the outcome of the shopping cart redesign project?
-The outcome was a redesigned shopping cart that addressed issues of safety, theft, and efficiency. The cart featured improvements like a modular design, a high-tech scanner for self-checkout, and a basket that could be used as a child seat.
What award did the Nightline shopping cart win, as mentioned in the script?
-The Nightline shopping cart won a silver award in the Industrial Design Excellence Awards.
What is the broader implication of the work done at IDEO as hinted in the script?
-The broader implication is that IDEO's approach to innovation and design thinking can be applied to remake corporate cultures, potentially leading to more innovative and efficient workplaces in the future.
Outlines
🛒 Innovation in Design: Rethinking the Shopping Cart
The script introduces a radical shift in traditional corporate culture where innovation is prioritized over hierarchy. It discusses the importance of an environment that fosters creativity and the willingness to challenge the status quo. The narrative focuses on a company's secret weapon for innovation, which is not just about having the best ideas but creating an atmosphere where everyone can contribute. The video promises to delve into how one company, idio, approaches innovation by redesigning the shopping cart, a familiar object, in just five days. The process involves a team of diverse experts working together, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and the rejection of traditional corporate ladders in favor of creative solutions.
🎯 The Ideo Process: Transforming the Shopping Cart
This paragraph delves into the process of how Ideo, a leading product development firm, tackles innovation. The team, led by project leader Peter Skilman, is tasked with redesigning the shopping cart within a week. The team's diverse background, including a linguist, a psychologist, and a biologist, reflects Ideo's approach to problem-solving. They focus on real-world issues such as child safety and theft, which are significant concerns in shopping cart design. The script highlights the company's culture, which values equality and creativity over traditional corporate structures. The team's research involves engaging with users, manufacturers, and repairers of shopping carts to gain insights that drive their design process.
🤝 Ideo's Deep Dive: Brainstorming and Refinement
The script describes Ideo's 'deep dive' brainstorming session, where the team engages in focused chaos to generate innovative ideas for the shopping cart redesign. The session is characterized by a mantra that encourages wild ideas and defers judgment, allowing for a free flow of creativity. The team then votes on the most promising ideas, considering both their innovation and feasibility. The process involves breaking down into smaller groups to develop mockups addressing specific areas of concern, such as shopping, safety, checkout, and finding items. The narrative emphasizes the importance of playful and chaotic environments in fostering innovation, as well as the need for a command decision to guide the team's efforts towards a final design.
🛠️ Prototyping and Iteration at Ideo
This section of the script details the prototyping phase at Ideo, where the team constructs physical models of their ideas. The team is split into groups to focus on different aspects of the shopping cart redesign, such as modular baskets, child safety, and remote communication with supermarket staff. The script highlights the importance of iterative design, where the team refines their prototypes based on feedback and testing. The narrative also touches on the company's culture, which encourages experimentation and the 'try and ask forgiveness' approach. The team's dedication is evident as they work through the night to perfect their design, embodying Ideo's philosophy of failing often to succeed sooner.
🏆 Final Design and Reflections on Innovation
The script concludes with the reveal of the final shopping cart design, which incorporates elements from each of the prototypes. The new cart features innovations such as stackable hand baskets, a scanner for self-checkout, and a design that discourages theft. The team's hard work and dedication are praised, and the cart is tested in a real supermarket setting, receiving positive feedback. The narrative reflects on the broader implications of the design process, emphasizing the importance of teamwork, an open-minded approach, and a culture that embraces chaos as a catalyst for innovation. The shopping cart project not only wins an award but also sparks discussions about commercial development, showcasing the power of Ideo's innovative approach.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Innovation
💡Design
💡Ideation
💡Prototyping
💡Iterative Process
💡Corporate Culture
💡Playfulness
💡Hierarchy
💡Anthropology
💡Product Development
Highlights
Emphasis on innovation over hierarchy, where the best ideas rise to the top regardless of an individual's position.
The importance of a chaotic environment for fostering creativity, as opposed to traditional corporate orderliness.
The concept of 'climbing the corporate ladder' is challenged in favor of innovation and fresh ideas.
The necessity of constant redesign in human-made objects, contrasting with the unchanging designs found in nature.
The role of design in improving both the form and function of everyday products.
The process of designing a better product involves understanding user needs and iterating on ideas.
IDEO's approach to innovation, which involves a 'deep dive' into the problem and focused brainstorming.
The significance of hiring diverse team members with different expertise to foster a broad range of ideas.
The importance of safety in product design, especially in the context of shopping carts and child injuries.
The issue of shopping cart theft and its impact on design considerations.
The value of hands-on research and understanding the end-user's perspective in the design process.
The concept of 'organized chaos' as a method for generating innovative ideas within a team.
The practice of deferring judgment in brainstorming sessions to allow for the free flow of ideas.
The idea that innovation requires a culture that encourages risk-taking and learning from failure.
The transformation of the shopping cart through innovative design to address modern shopping needs.
The final shopping cart prototype that incorporates child safety, theft prevention, and improved shopping efficiency.
The potential commercial development of the redesigned shopping cart and its recognition with a design award.
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 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 of 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 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 are 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 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 Ido probably the most
influential product development firm in
the world designers are the reason TVs
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
willly 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 you invented the
man who runs Ido is Dave Kelly a
Stanford engineering Professor with a
Groucho marks mustache a dab of genius
and an approach to Innovation that
usually works well 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 entire 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
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 that 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 not reported
in the store that's you actually have
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 you 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
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 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 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 of 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 owners point of VI 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
[Applause]
[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 U 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 no 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 just drop them down on
there velcro 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 really Innovative idea it's
organiz 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 it 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 what the best
ideas otherwise ideas wouldn't come out
that's right enlightened trial and error
succeeds over the planning blown genius
enlightened trial and error succeeds
over the plan planning of the lone
genius if anything sums up idido's
approach that is it that and the focused
chaos that seems to go with it um I took
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 so we don't want
to tell them what to build or else we
take away the benefit of the whole thing
what needs should they optimize their
solution to 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 a place is playful in about the
first 15 minutes as you walk down the
the
hob 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 you sound great you
always sound good you have to make it so
that this can
happen who 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 got
these little wings and no matter what
you do if I get in trouble here it's
always a
spiral at Ideo 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 $44,000 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
that's a DC3 Wing piece of a DC3 Wing
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 fa 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 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 a high
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 yeah where
can I find a yogurt the yogurt over
daily but the adults again decide more
work needs to be done before the mockups
can be combined into one last prototype
why don't we have all the carts 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 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
so it is day five and Dave Kelly has no
idea what the final cart looks like B
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 this well I 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
it works really well the cart's wheels
turn 90° so it can move sideways no more
lifting up 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 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 you 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 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
a barbecue so it's not going to get
stolen that's right so this ought to
appeal to store owners 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 uh 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 i'
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 lot of
hours a lot of hours 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 in Pao
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
Coppel in Washington for all of us here
at ABC News good
[Music]
night
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