Balance
Innovation Framework
The Balance Innovation Framework is a proven process that puts people at the center of innovation, helping clients efficiently and confidently create a roadmap of meaningfully innovative products and services. Our programs work by identifying elusive problems that potential customers face and developing effective strategies to solve them.
The philosophy at the core of this framework is this: by understanding people's struggles as they progress toward an objective (known as The Problem Space), we can create effective solutions (The Solution Space).
This framework has three parts: Planning, The Problem Space, and The Solution Space. Each plays a unique role in creating innovative products and services that help people make progress in their lives.
01
Planning
In the Planning Phase, we lay the groundwork for success. It involves team collaboration to refine the research goal and vision of success.
Objectives:
Agree on success measures.
Define the main Job To Be Done the research will address.
Identify who performs the job and those who play a supporting role.
Recognize any biases and fixed thinking that could affect our research.
Refine and customize the approach to maximize the effect of the research.
Outcomes:
A clear Research Strategy to guide recruiting, participant segmentation, and interview methods.
A shared understanding of the vision of success among all stakeholders.
02
The Problem Space
In the Problem Space phase, our team dives deeply into the challenges people face while trying to achieve their objectives. This intense 7-9 week phase is designed to uncover people's processes, the circumstances that positively and negatively impact their experience, and the moments of struggle and joy they feel along the way.
Methods:
In-person or remote interviews to understand people's processes and specific needs.
Surveys that quantify the scope and scale of the needs identified in the interviews.
Secondary Research for a better understanding of the specific topics uncovered during the interviews.
Outcomes: Experience Design Toolkit
Opportunities for Innovation: the highest value unmet or overlooked needs identified.
Mindsets: unique need-states people may have.
Experience Principles: universal needs to address in all solutions.
Experience Maps: visual representations of a person's journey while doing their job.
03
The Solution Space
The third phase involves creating solutions that truly matter, addressing unmet needs in line with our client's abilities and business goals. Our process works for both physical and digital products and services.
Process:
Team ideation sessions to envision solutions to the underserved and unmet needs.
Analysis of ideas and alignment with Experience Principles, Mindsets, context-of-use, and intent of the innovation opportunities.
Creation and prioritization of concepts and storyboards.
Outcomes: Innovation Roadmap
Prioritized Product and Service Concepts: The solution concepts communicate their features, benefits, value propositions, and user, business, and technical requirements. Concepts are communicated through text and detailed visuals.
Solution Ecosystems (if identified): Ecosystems demonstrate how multiple concepts might provide additional value when working together. Ecosystems are especially effective at defining unique lines of products and how multiple solutions support a broader service to the consumer.
Prioritized Solution Roadmap: Balance will work with the Premier team to prioritize each concept and develop a draft roadmap based on their business objectives, strategy, and feasibility constraints.
At the completion of our process, we deliver a comprehensive Experience Strategy. The Experience Strategy gives your team everything you need to develop differentiated, innovative solutions that provide meaningful value to your customers. Its design tools and solutions roadmap create long-term continuity and objectivity across teams and partners.
Learn more about how an Experience Strategy leads to the products and services your customers love.