Supporting the establishment of an internal innovation studio
Providing staff with the tools they need to move through the innovation lifecycle independently and effectively
Industry
Pharmaceutical
Duration
4 Weeks
Deliverables
Design Thinking Playbook
Innovation Decision Tool
Impact
Supported the client to launch a brand-new creative innovation space
Developed key assets to educate, inspire and empower individuals to independently undertake a design thinking project from start to finish
Delivered the assets in a format that would meet the specific needs of the organisation, allowing them to evolve over time
WHAT was the problem
Our client, a global biopharmaceutical company, is committed to pushing the boundaries of healthcare. Their mission is to 'go beyond the pill' and find innovative ways to support stakeholders in their healthcare journey. In pursuit of this vision, they embarked on a significant initiative - establishing Co-Lab - a creative space within their Sydney HQ, dedicated to fostering collaboration and co-creating solutions to address customers' and patients' most pressing healthcare needs.
The Co-Lab initiative represents a bold step towards their global strategy of 'growth through innovation.' This innovative space, aptly named Co-Lab, aims to inspire individuals by providing a visually captivating environment that acts as a catalyst - transitioning them from task-mode to creative-problem-solving-mode. They recognise the power of collaboration and the need to foster a culture of innovation to meet the challenges of an ever-evolving healthcare landscape.
But how to get there? To make Co-Lab a reality, our client sought a partner with the right skills and expertise - that's where WAVE entered the picture. We were engaged to develop the content and visual design for several key assets that would enable the Co-Lab's efforts.
The assets: a summary of the service offering, design thinking playbook and innovation decision tool, needed to effectively engage the company’s staff and external partners, educating them on the value of Human Centred Design and equipping them with the knowledge and skills to independently move through the innovation process from start to finish.
APPROACH we took
While both the company and WAVE had much of the content already, our expertise was essential in consolidating and refining the materials into a cohesive and impactful offering.
Our approach was centred on understanding the needs and objectives of the company and what they wanted to achieve through the Co-Lab. We diligently reviewed the existing Co-Lab documentation and conducted alignment workshops with key stakeholders to clarify and confirm the requirements for each asset. These sessions helped us define the use-cases, desired outcomes, target audience, format, and visual style of the assets.
Drawing on our extensive knowledge base, we handpicked relevant content and incorporated it into the artefacts. Our expertise in design thinking and human-centred design added depth to the materials and we used specific healthcare examples to bring the HCD tools to life. This approach provided the pharmaceutical company with a robust and tailored solution to meet their unique requirements.
VALUE we created
The success of any solution lies in its alignment with organisational goals and its ability to be implemented. We ensured the offerings met the criteria for viability and feasibility through careful curation of content and alignment with the company’s needs.
With our assistance, the company saw the Co-Lab initiative come to life. The outcome was a set of foundational assets that would prove instrumental in driving innovation and collaboration within the organisation. These assets were not isolated efforts but fit seamlessly into the broader business strategy and growth plans.
Working in this way we provided a tangible pathway for the company to achieve success in their innovation endeavours, providing confidence that they were not only making the right decision in working with WAVE but also mitigating the risks associated with innovation.
EMPOWERMENT we embedded
The impact of our work extended beyond the deliverables. We invested in the company’s success by providing ongoing support and setting clear next steps for the client. Notably, a key requirement was that the assets could continue to be modified and developed as the Lab evolved. We tailored the design of the materials, and provided the outputs in a format that could easily be incorporated into the company’s existing workflows and using their current technology systems.
Our work shows the company has a partner they can trust - a team that won’t just provide advice and disappear but who will continue to support them in their innovation journey into the future.
Project Reflections
This particular pharmaceutical company is a long-standing client of WAVE Design. Several years ago I had the opportunity to work with the same client team on a completely different project. It was terrific to rekindle that relationship and work with them again. It’s also amazing to see that the organisation's innovation maturity has evolved and to think that I, and WAVE, played a role in that. It’s one aspect that I really appreciate about WAVE design: the long-term partnerships we form with our clients and the relationships we establish. While this was only a short project, I’m confident we delivered something of high quality and value that they’ll be able to take and continue to develop as the Lab takes shape. Exciting times ahead.
- Mike Jennings | Design Lead, WAVE
Mike’s background is in mechanical engineering, a discipline that honed his analytical and systems thinking mindset. As a design leader, he adds a layer of curiosity to shape and realise human-centred solutions in complex contexts, whether the complexity is in the nature of the client or where the solution is needed.
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