helping Scottish SMEs achieve strategic, continuous innovation by design
our unique method for creating design-led innovations
the various ways we work with companies, from workshops to specific business problems
we are the centre for design & innovation at the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland
our communications channel: for the latest news, events & blog posts
challenge: communicating what our company does is difficult
we say: getting the message right helps you to stand out from your competitors and create valuable differentiation. We can help you refine what makes you unique, and show you how to communicate that through words and pictures: helping make your brand, website, marketing materials and other communications a clear, concise and authentic expression of your company's core values.
challenge: not enough ideas are coming forward, and those that do take too long to develop
we say: new ideas, successfully exploited, put you at the forefront of your sector. We are experts in idea generation: we can show you how to have ideas and make them work. Whether redesigning an existing product or coming up with a game-changing new service, we can help you come up with a hundred ideas in an hour, pick the winning one and prototype it on the fly, quickly and cheaply.
challenge: "competitors offer similar products at lower cost"
we say: add value through service. Customers are much less price sensitive if you also provide a valuable service. Understand what your customers actually value and design new services which cut costs and increase revenue. C4di can show you how to identify new opportunities, gain meaningful insights from your customers, map their journey and involve them in designing services of real value.
challenge: "we need to innovate, but don't know how"
we say: create a culture of innovation to motivate, inspire and retain your staff. Having an environment where ideas flourish, risk is rewarded and constructive failure embraced is essential to create sustained innovations. C4di can show you how to design a working environment and management structure to foster creativity.
As part of a c4di insights exercise, we helped a borders based manufacturer of conserves and preserves to determine their core values in a visual way.
The first stage of our work was to spend an afternoon observing the manufacture, labelling and packaging of products. Insights gathered during this process helped drive the process of determining core values.
Using our specially designed core values cards, we then started the process of defining & distilling those particular values that were most important to the company, and which made it unique. Several iterations of the exercise were undertaken, ending up with determining three specific core values.
Finally, existing products, branding, services and visual and written communications were evaluated against these values. By auditing and identifying areas that require refreshing in a strategic and systematic way like this has resulted in an improved and more consistent brand that remains authentic and true to its previously unarticulated core values.
We use a human centred approach to innovation to help companies enhance profits, performance and customer satisfaction. We call this design thinking, and we're here to show SMEs how to adopt it. This is how it works:
Asking the right question is the first step in getting the right answer. Skilled in looking beyond the immediate issue, we have devised a range of techniques designed to help uncover the real problem.
The more ideas you have, the more chance that one of them will be the killer one. We can show you how to have 100 ideas in an hour, by applying some of our unique brainstorming and visual thinking techniques.
We can show you how to explore ideas through prototyping. Using whatever materials come to hand, helps give ideas form and starts the iterative process of design. If it's not right first time (and when was it ever?) we gain insights from each prototype and apply them to the next. With only cardboard and pipecleaners at stake, we can afford to prototype as many ideas as possible.
This is the time to evaluate ideas, not earlier. We're experts at focusing down on the ideas that are feasible, desirable & profitable.
c4di insights are a period of up to three days spent working with a company on a particular problem, such as branding, service design or new idea generation. The output for the company could be the generation of a design brief for a rebranding project, an insights report from c4di outlining design-led recommendations for innovations, or a service visualisation.
We also offer bespoke company workshops, individual advice and team development activities.
The innovation by design workshop series is a four-part, practical and interactive introduction to design thinking, service design and problem solving techniques. The content and materials have been designed specifically by c4di to reflect the unique mix of sectors and expertise in Scottish SMEs.
Due to popular demand we'll be running the workshops again in autumn. Interested? Give us a call or send us an email.
To find out more about how c4di can work with your company, please give Chris Rigby a call on 01224 216087 or email her at c.rigby@rgu.ac.uk
C4di - The centre for design and innovation in Scotland aims to help Scottish SMEs to achieve strategic continuous innovation by using design as a tool for business growth. Established in 2008 by Robert Gordon University, with funding from ERDF and Scottish Government, our partners include Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland and Aberdeen City Council.
Led by Professor Julian Malins, Professor of Design at the Robert Gordon University, our multi-disciplinary team includes experts drawn from the fields of design, business management, communications and information technology. Additional expertise is drawn from the extensive academic resources of the University.
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european funding specialist
Connect Scotland are currently seeking applications from Technology businesses to take part in two investment focused events in November.
CONNECT SPRINGBOARD – Investment of Time Springboard is about offering early stage businesses the unique opportunity to find talented individuals that could drive your business forward. This is your chance to pitch to an audience of prospective senior executives, non-executive directors and business angels.
CONNECT CONFERENCE – Investment of Finance
If you have the revenue but need growth funding or if you are a business struggling to find out what investors are looking for? The Connect Investment Conference is offering you the platform to access mentoring, to become investment ready and to pitch to an audience of investors and business angels.
Applications for both events are NOW OPEN, so if you would like to be considered for one of these opportunities then visit our website for an application form.
www.connectscotland.co.uk/events.html
Closing date for applications is the 6th September 2010.
Should you wish to discuss this in more detail before applying, call Jeff Horner on 0141 572 8350. Please also keep c4di posted as we are keen to track when we have been of assistance. Email Dawn – d.m.shand@rgu.ac.uk
| date | event | further info |
|---|---|---|
| August/2010 | innovation by design | info coming soon |
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