Do you ever feel like you’ve missed the next-big-thing?
In business, it can all to often feel like you should be doing something, just because your competitors are doing it. Well, my view is that if your competitors are doing it, then you probably shouldn’t. I often see how companies jump onto the next-big-design trend and invest all their resources, only to discover that the trend has changed and because there was no real value in their design ‘innovation’, they feel disappointed and frustrated about its outcome.
Last month, I attended a great talk by Dr Edmund Hunt on Swarm Robotics at the Malvern Festival of Innovation, which helped me think about my observation in more detail. Dr Hunt talked about how phenomena such as termite towers are possible. These phenomena are possible through swarm intelligence, which is based on a set of rules:
- Move in the same direction as your neighbour
- Remain close to your neighbour
- Avoid collisions with your neighbour
So what does this mean for your design project?
If you imagine that the swarm is the latest trend and your neighbour is actually your competitor, then you can imagine that things could get messy. If you don’t know what your competitor’s marketing goal is then you may be disappointed to discover that after copying your competitor’s actions, you have ended up in the wrong place. Alternatively, if you think you know where your competitor is heading, it will be difficult to avoid those collisions!
How do you create a successful design swarm?
You need to create your own swarm. Start by analysing the design swarms of your competitors, your brand values and what your customers may be interested in. Then think about who you would like to have in your team. Don’t forget that this may also be a great opportunity to collaborate with someone in your industry! Either way, start building your swarm or you will be caught up in someone else’s!
If you would like to talk through your initial ideas, I would love to hear from you.
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