This document summarizes a survey of innovation creation methodologies used in various university programs in Japan. The survey found that most programs focused on design thinking and business modeling and included students from a variety of disciplines. Analysis of the programs identified three clusters: those focused on business development after problem identification; those taking problems through to business models; and some resembling traditional MBA programs. The results provide insight into common approaches and how programs are addressing different phases of the innovation process.

1. ANALYSIS AND FINDINGS ON
INNOVATION CREATION METHODOLOGIES
YURIKO SAWATANI, TAKANORI KASHINO
AND MARIE GOTO

2. AGENDA
▸ Introduction
▸ Design Thinking and related researches
▸ Business Model related researches
▸ Methods
▸ Results and Findings

3. INTRODUCTION
ENHANCING DEVELOPMENT OF GLOBAL ENTREPRENEUR (EDGE) PROGRAM
▸ Japanese version of
NSF I-Corps project.
▸ I-Corps prepares
scientists and engineers
to extend their focus
beyond the laboratory,
and broadens the
impacts.
ref: http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/i-corps/ http://edgeprogram.jp/?locale=en

4. INTRODUCTION
EDGE PROGRAM OVERVIEW
▸ Educate students (undergraduates, masters and doctors)
and researchers to be innovators
▸ 13 universities are selected
▸ The University of Tokyo, Tokyo Institute of Technology,
Kyoto University, Wasoeda University, etc…
▸ 3 years program
▸ Survey the current activities at EDGE programs

5. INTRODUCTION
SURVEY AREAS
▸ Innovation Activities
PROBLEM-FINDING BUSINESS MODEL BUSINESS PLANPROBLEM-SOLVING
DESIGN THINKING BUSINESS MODEL

6. DESIGN THINKING AND RELATED RESEARCHES
DESIGN RESEARCH
▸ Designerly thinking (1960-)
▸ Design Thinking is simplified version
▸ Design definition:
▸ changing existing situations into preferred ones (Simon, 1996)
▸ the relation between creation and reflection (Schön, 1983)
▸ design process is a way of thinking to work on “wicked
problem” (Buchanan, 1992)

7. DESIGN THINKING AND RELATED RESEARCHES
TARGETS OF DESIGN PROCESS
1. symbolic and visual communication
2. material objects
3. activities and organized services
4. complex systems
5. environments for living, working, playing and learning

8. DESIGN THINKING AND RELATED RESEARCHES
DESIGN THINKING
▸ Design Thinking “a discipline that uses the designer’s
sensibility and methods to match people’s needs with
what is technologically feasible and what a viable business
strategy can convert into customer value and market
opportunity” (Brown, 2009)
▸ IDEO: Innovation = intersection of Human, Technology
and Business

9. DESIGN THINKING AND RELATED RESEARCHES
AIMS OF DESIGN THINKING
1. a methodology to make innovation with human-centered
design (Brown, 2008)
2. Management skill or theory to solve organizational
problems（Dunne and Martin, 2006; Boland and Collopy,
2004）
3. a learning process for effective knowledge creation
(Beckman and Barry, 2007)

10. DESIGN THINKING AND RELATED RESEARCHES
HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN AND PROCESS OF DESIGN THINKING
▸ Models in process of Design Thinking based on
categorizes of Norman (2013)
Institutes
Problem-finding Problem-solving
Observation Ideation Prototyping Test
Illinois Institute of Technology
(Kumar, 2012)
Research Analysis Synthesis Realization
Stanford, d.school
(d.school n.d.)
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
Singapore government
(Design Singapore Council, n.d.)
Understand Explore Test
British government
(Design Council, 2005)
Discover Define Develop Deliver

11. BUSINESS MODEL RELATED RESEARCHES
BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS (OSTERWALDER, 2004)

12. BUSINESS MODEL RELATED RESEARCHES
SERVICE SCIENCE RESEARCHES
▸ A service system is
a dynamic
configuration of
elements, such as
people,
organizations,
information and
technologies
(Spohrer & Maglio
2010)
Ecology
Elements Interaction
Value proposition
based interactions
Stakeholders
Metrics
Resources
Access rights
Governance
mechanism based
interactions
Outcomes
Win-Win
Win-Lose
Lose-Win
Lose-Lose
People
Organization
Information
Technology

13. BUSINESS MODEL RELATED RESEARCHES
MANAGEMENT RESEARCHES
▸ Business model: “depicts the design of transaction
content, structure, and governance so as to create value
through the exploitation of business opportunities” (Amit
& Zott, 2001)
▸ Shift from company based studies to business model
based analysis

14. WASOEDA-EDGE FUTURE CREATION BY DESIGN THINKING
FORESIGHT FRAMEWORKTM
+ SERVICE DESIGN
PERSPECTIVE OPPORTUNITY SOLUTION TEAM VISION
X
X X
Context
Map
Generational
Arcs
Janus Cones
White
Spots
Buddy
Checks
Vision
Statement
VIOCE Stars
DARPA
Hard Test
Crowd Clovers
Future
User
Future telling
Change
Paths
Paper
Mockups
Progression
Curves
© 2012 William Cockayne & Tamara Carleton
SERVICE SYSTEM
MODELING
Pathfinders
BUSINESS MODEL CANVASHIGH-LEVEL
BUSINESS CASE

15. CASE CASE STUDY: DIGITAL ME RETAIL BANK
present Intermediate steps future
HIGH-LEVEL BUSINESS CASE
Aggregation
service
Personal
aggregation
Client
application
type
aggregation
Utilize WEB2.0
-Provide standard components for
banking
-Configure components and create by
customers
Certificate
digitization
▪Standardization of certificate
▪Growth of enterprises with certificate
▪Web2.0 aggregation
components standardization
Japan/global cases
exist, however, they
hold the growth
Shop
receipt
digitization
▪Receipt standardization
▪Growth of digitized receipt
member’s stores
Server type
Client type
Digital Me
Financial
service
Content
digitization
▪Access to digitized contents
▪Link between receipts and contents
▪Security
▪Single-sign on
Server type
aggregation
Digital Me
Content
service
▪Service platform
Retail
financial
consultation
▪Service platform
▪Service platform
Provider type

16. THEMES
FUTURE LIFE

17. THEMES
FUTURE LIFE（未来の暮らし）

18. WASOEDA-EDGE FUTURE CREATION BY DESIGN THINKING

19. WASEDA-EDGE FUTURE CREATION BY DESIGN THINKING

21. METHODS
INNOVATION CREATION METHODOLOGIES SURVEY
period: 8/1 - 12/31/2015
questionnaires:
▸ The purpose of programs and details
▸ The cover area of innovation phases (problem-finding,
problem-solving, business model, business plan)
▸ The maturity level of methodologies in each processes
▸ The name of methods; both existing and original methods

22. RESULTS & FINDINGS
METHODS
▸ 27 programs
from 23
organizations
▸ more than 50
methods

23. RESULTS & FINDINGS
PROGRAM PHASE, MATURITY LEVEL AND PARTICIPANTS
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Par0cipants discipline
All
Arts and sciences
Eng., Agl, and modical
Science and Eng.
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Characteris6cs of programs
Design thinking Business model
Business model/plan
Problem-finding
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Maturity level of each phase
All
Business model/plan
Problem-finding/solving

24. RESULTS & FINDINGS
CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF PROGRAM PHASE

25. RESULTS & FINDINGS
CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF PROGRAM ATTENDEE

26. RESULTS & FINDINGS
SUMMARY OF SURVEY RESULTS
Business development
for identified problems
From Problem-finding
to business model development
Participants
(Sciences only)
Participants
(Arts and Sciences)
9
5 12
Universities・Organizations
Traditional MBA education

27. Thank you!