How can we integrate a co-creation approach to innovation?

The Brief

In 2009, Vodafone wanted to understand how co-creation could play a more impactful role in their innovation process. They approached us to help support the development of a tool that would help demonstrate the value of co-creation and support the construction of more meaningful services. 

What we did

To explore the co-creation space, Vodafone conducted a series of controlled co-creation sessions with customers. The goal was to systematically understand the impact various factors played on the quality and value of co-creation output. Factors tested included group size, group dynamics, managing personality types, brand integration and working with non-designers. We worked closely with the Vodafone team to understand how a set of co-creation guidelines would be utilised. After exploring a range of different format options, we settled on a quick reference book, targeted at practitioners and strategists. It was decided that a physical book would provide a more tangible and accessible platform to guide the use of co-creation at Vodafone.

Result

The result was a double-sided manual that could be flipped over and read from either end, depending on the goals of the reader. The ‘Co-design for practitioners’ half aimed at designers, focused on hands-on techniques for conducting and managing co-creation sessions from a design standpoint. For those working in a business context, the ‘Co-design for strategists’ half provided a rationalised approach to integrating co-creation into the innovation process. With extensive use of info graphics and written in ‘plain-English’, the book was distributed amongst Vodafone staff.