A TAXONOMY OF INNOVATION (Summary)

José Francisco López Ruiz ID. 116225

 Based on the work of Luma Institute, a global education company that teaches people
how to be more innovative by applying the discipline of human-centered design.

 Current markets demand that new products be designed fast. There are many tools and
methods available, but it is quite important to figure out which ones to use when.

 Luma Institute has identified 36 of the most effective of these methods, organized in three
categories (Looking, Understanding and Making), and nine sub-categories. This structure is
useful to identify the best tool/technique for each step of the innovation process, taking
into account the user and the context of the processes involved.

UNDERSTANDING
LOOKING MAKING

Observing human ANALYZING ENVISIONING FUTURE

experience CHALLENGES & POSSIBILITIES
OPPORTUNITIES

 Bill Lucas, of Luma’s cofounder, recommends that at least one method from at least two
categories be applied during each round of innovation activity, depending of the process
and/or the situation. He also advises that over the course of a larger effort, tools from all
three categories be used often.

Subcategories Subcategories Subcategories (Making)

(Looking) (Understanding)
1. Etnographic 1. Peoples and 1. Concept
research Systems Ideation
2. Participatory 2. Patterns and 2. Modelling
research Priorities and
Prototyping
3. Evaluative 3. Problem 3. Design
research Framing Rationale

 The diagram below shown how a company might move through Luma’s system to create a
new line of products: