The Ten Faces of Innovation

“There is a time and a place for being a devil’s advocate, but those moments can stifle innovation, hurt feelings, and cut off dialogue if not performed in an acceptable way.”

Tom Kelley's book, The Ten Faces of Innovation, starts with a discussion of how we all too often play the role of "Devil's Advocate.'' Of all the roles we could take on, at least temporarily, this is the one that is both given a name and is adopted more than the others. What are these others? You might not even know. But Kelley shares that other roles are much more useful and effective. There are 10 other roles or “faces” of innovation you and I can, and should, adopt when working on a collaborative design project or when giving feedback on someone else's proposed solution, decision, or idea. These 10 faces are: The Anthropologist, The Experimenter, The Cross-Pollinator, The Hurdler, The Collaborator, The Director, The Experience Architect, The Set Designer, The Caregiver, and The Storyteller.

The Anthropologist 

The Anthropologist is one who watches and studies other people and their interactions with products. These are friends and associates who notice the actions, behaviors, and performance of you and me and can pinpoint the pain points in our lives. For example, when sharing with a friend "They should really put a sidewalk on that street for safety," you're being an Anthropologist.

The Experimenter

The Experimenter is always tinkering with ideas and concepts. They are continually coming up with small projects to evaluate if something can be done. You may have a friend who is always 3D printing something, working on their Raspberry PI, or sketching. Not everyone, but a lot of designers and engineers find themselves in this role from time to time. They sometimes eschew Yoda's advice. They give it a try, and if they do not, they will certainly learn a lot…

The Cross-Pollinator 

That friend (or even you) who reads those articles and watches those YouTube videos about other technology far removed from their own field is a Cross-Pollinator. They gather lots of mental skills, techniques, and knowledge and synthesize those concepts into new ways of thinking. We all do this too, but some of us are really good at it. I once had a graduate student who was an exceptional Cross-Pollinator. Anytime I asked him if he had heard about ________ he said he had and would send me an informative Internet link within seconds.

The Hurdler

They know the game. They know the rules. They know the hoops to jump through and which ones to step around. They can see the obstacles and figure out ways around them. They seem to have an uncanny ability to identify the solutions to the problem (not just the problems… that's the Devil Advocate). Everyone needs to be, or have access to, a Hurdler when the going gets tough.

The Collaborator 

They know people and bring them together. I have a contact on campus that I go to when I need to know who I should go to. He's at the university level and has access to all the various colleges and departments. He doesn't know the answers but he knows who does. For me, his role is that of Collaborator. You likely know people too and hook them up with others. Sure, setting up some blind dates falls within this category, but from a design perspective, when you invoke your own network to push the design down the road you are being a Collaborator.

The Director 

A Director identifies talent and places the right people on the right job to maximize performance by making sure everyone is working together. Hopefully, the team lead or project manager is a good Director, but everyone can participate in this role too through suggesting better organizational procedures and distributing tasks or assignments intelligently.

The Experience Architect

The Experience Architect is concerned about the reactions to a particular product or design and is often seeking to dive below the surface level of understanding.  They will establish the environment, context, and situation so that the customer experience is enhanced and useful. They recognize that context is often as important as the product itself and work to make the customer experience both applicable and compelling. Maybe you've been the one to grab a blanket, get the popcorn, and dim the lights. The movie by itself may be entertaining but everything else, over and above, makes the experience better.

The Set Designer 

They are concerned with the environment in which innovation can flourish this is sometimes manifested through unique and comfortable chairs, toys, pictures, and memorabilia at one’s desk, and even interesting colors, views, and locations to spur on the creative juices as team members work together. If you've ever hung up an inspirational poster, brought some donuts to a meeting, or went for a walk while discussing a design, you were being a Set Designer.

The Caregiver

They care. They can sense the needs of others and respond accordingly. They are sensitive to the changes, moods, and reactions of others and often anticipate the needs of not just the customer but other team members. Perhaps you've noticed a stressful colleague and stepped in to help them with their task. Maybe you've been the recipient of such an action. Regardless, these are the people who have real sympathy for others and they are absolutely necessary for innovation when people are involved (and people always are!).

The Storyteller

They know how to communicate. They bring to the table anecdotes, metaphors, and tales to help others visualize the product or understand particular details. The really strong Storytellers are sometimes the people who end up presenting to the boss, but everyone should develop their storytelling skills. Sharing ideas as narratives and in “storyboards” can go a long way to effectively communicate.

Final Thoughts

These 10 faces of innovation are not the only ones, but they are some of the most common and prominent. Everybody takes on these roles in different proportions at different times. Furthermore, there will be some that come more naturally to you. You should absolutely play to your strengths and look for opportunities to use them. But on the other hand, don't forget about developing your weaknesses as those can eventually become even more useful.

Lastly, to get the ball rolling with these faces or roles, instead of saying "Okay, I'm going to be a devil's advocate here...." before you give feedback, say something like "Okay, I'm going to take on the role of Cross-Pollinator right now, and I think..." You may find that starting with the role's name will change the way you communicate and how everyone will respond.