My plenary speech at the inaugural UX Live London conference on October 26, 2017. Eric Reiss CEO and Author 4.30pm-5.15pm Innovation vs. Best Practice – Conflict or Opportunity? “Best practice” implies doing things in the best possible manner, based on past experience. But we like to think of ourselves as innovators in a dynamic industry – we want to go where no one has gone before. Thus, “best practice” and “innovation” are like oil and water – they don’t easily mix. How can we, as UX professionals, balance the need for consistency that “best practice” provides, with our on-going mission to improve the quality of our products? How can we create genuine improvements – and when have we been seduced by the evil twins, Fad and Fashion? “Innovation vs. Best Practice” explores the elements that make up these two ends of the UX spectrum. We’ll take a closer look at the popular definitions of both innovation and best practice – and discover why these are frequently inadequate, misleading, or both. Why is a “standard” not always a “best practice”? And if “invention” can be spontaneous, why is “innovation” always planned? We’ll also examine some of the worst reasons to innovate, which are also some of the most common, plus the Japanese concept of “chindogu” – “useless innovation.” Perhaps most important of all, we’ll see how User Driven Design helps us avoid harmful innovation in comparison to the more common User Centered Design methodology.

1. Innovation vs. Best Practice
Eric Reiss
@elreiss
UX Live
London, UK
What is it?
Why bother?
Who cares?

2. Source: Financial Times, 6 October 2010

6. in·no·va·tion
noun
1 : The act of innovating; the introduction of novelties
2 : A change made in the nature or fashion of anything

7. in·no·va·tion
noun
1 : the introduction of something new
2 : a new idea, method, or device

8. best prac·tice
noun
1 : best way of doing a thing
2 : a tested idea, method, or device

10. Best practices represent
short-term solutions.
Innovation builds
long-term success.

11. a better, actionable definition of innovation
a process that leads to business success
some practical do’s and don’ts
My goal today is to give you:

12. To differentiate your product/service
To be “original”
To satisfy designer ego
Three bad reasons to innovate

17. “pushing the envelope” ≠ innovation

22. following a fad ≠ innovation

23. Zen litter box

24. “Chindogu”
(Japanese term for useless innovation)

28. Invention vs. innovation

29. Experiment

30. Invention

31. Invention

32. Innovation
15 April 1912

36. to solve a problem!
There is only one reason to innovate…

37. Eric’s Law of Innovation #1
If an innovation does not solve
a problem, it will create one.

38. Let’s look at mouthwash...

39. She’s a trained professional. Don’t try this at home!

40. Eric’s Law of Innovation #2
Problems do not exist in isolation.
Solutions often have unintended
consequences.

41. Enfield M1853
• Technological
• Social
• Political

49. Tech Social Political

50. copenhagenletter.org

51. Eric’s Law of Innovation #3
True innovation is impossible
if you haven’t done the research
or do not understand the research.

52. Gus the cat

55. A customer is always a user.
But a user is not always a customer
UX
CX
CX
UX

56. User Centered Design
Users
Innovate >

57. Users
Innovate >
User Driven Design

58. Important note:
Unhappy customers are dangerous

61. Eric’s Law of Innovation #4
Invention may be accidental.
Innovation is always planned.

62. Eric’s Law of Innovation #5
Innovators understand the rules.
This is the difference between
innovation and idiocy.

64. Eric’s Law of Innovation #6
Intuitive solutions do not
need instructions.

71. Intuition Instruction
Website Driving a car
Low High
Barrier to entry

73. Incremental Distruptive
Type of innovation

74. R
“My problem is greater than the
effort needed to learn the system”
OI(Return on Innovation)

76. Best practice is not the same as
fashion or habit.

77. Invention
Innovation Lifecycle
Innovation
Best practice
Habit
Innovation
Best practice
Fashion
Old-fashioned
Time
Progress

84. What are the warning signs of
fad and fashion?

85. Your solution is only being used in your
local market
Your solution is only being used by a single
branch or industry
Your solution looks like something you also
did last week
Watch out if...

86. Do we have a digital revolution?
Do we have disruptive innovation?
Do we need to start from scratch?

87. No!
We apply
old skills
in new ways

88. Eric’s Law of Innovation #7
Innovation almost always
represents the combination of
two well-known technologies to
create a new, useful synthesis.

90. Eric’s Law of Innovation #8
Innovations can take a long time
before they are accepted.

93. < Nils Bohlin

95. a better, actionable definition of innovation
“Innovation is a planned activity that addresses a latent
or acknowledged problem, often combining two or
more well-established technologies.”
a process that leads to business success
Do your research
Identify real problems
Think about how your solution will affect
technological, social, and political issues
some practical do’s and don’ts
Don’t invent problems
Don’t succumb to designer ego
My goal this afternoon was to give you:

96. “It’s amazing how much we can
accomplish when you don’t care
who gets the credit.”
Harry S. Truman

97. Thank you!

98. You can (usually) find Eric at:
The FatDUX Group ApS
Strandøre 15
DK-2100 Copenhagen
Denmark
Office: (+45) 39 29 07 07
Mobil: (+45) 20 12 88 44
Twitter: @elreiss
er@fatdux.com
www.fatdux.com