Innovation occurs when something new is created. I typically think of it through the lens of business but innovation can be anything from the new improving the camera on the new iPhone every year to a new way of doing something. Simply put, innovation is doing something or creating something new that has benefit. I view innovation in my personal life as a perpetual process, as I try to improve one day to the next, from changing my diet, implementing a new routine, or using a new product, all with the goal of making my life more enjoyable in one form or another.
It is easy to confuse innovative ideas with true innovation as innovative ideas have no value unless acted upon, which in doing so is innovation. This is also clear to me in my personal life, as me hearing about something I could do to improve my life doesn’t actually improve my life unless I actually do it. The same is for businesses, innovative ideas must be implemented in order to create value.
It is also important to recognize that innovation doesn’t only come from ground-breaking ideas such as the iPhone but it can be a small improvement in the way we approach a problem or complete a process that can have a tremendous impact over time.
The question, “What does innovation mean to me?” implies that there are many definitions of innovation and people use different ones interchangeably. Whichever definition we choose to use, we should make sure that we focus on not only how we can foster innovative ideas but how we can implement them to benefit from true innovation.
Out of all the reflections, I like yours the most. Why? Well, because you related design thinking to yourself. We are often thinking about innovation from a corporate perspective or a business point of view that I forgot how much we innovate on our day-to-day basis.
I just realized after reading your reflection on innovation, that we do indeed have innovation incorporated in our daily lives whether it be the smallest thing one changes for themselves or a big step one takes. I never thought of a simple change as eating healthier, cleaner meals as innovation for one’s self.