The Innovation Journey: The Crucial Triad of Desirability, Viability, and Feasibility
Raam Shankar
Specialist in future energy systems and decarbonisation, delivering engineered solutions across industries including Green Hydrogen, Alternative Fuels, E-Mobility and Energy Storage.
Over the last few weeks we have seen individually what roles desirability, viability, and feasibility play in the innovation journey from idea to solution. Today we attempt to bring them together and show a cohesive picture, which hopefully is bigger than the sum of its parts.
Innovation is the lifeblood of progress, driving change and creating solutions that address emerging challenges. However, the journey from a mere idea to a fully realized solution is fraught with complexities. To navigate this path successfully, innovators must balance three critical dimensions: desirability, viability, and feasibility. These pillars form the foundation of any successful innovation, ensuring that solutions are not only imaginative but also practical and sustainable.
Desirability: Meeting Human Needs and Desires
Desirability is the cornerstone of innovation, focusing on whether an idea resonates with its intended users. An innovation must address a genuine need or solve a significant problem to be embraced by its audience. This human-centered approach ensures that the solution aligns with the preferences, values, and emotions of the users.
Understanding the User
To achieve desirability, innovators must deeply understand their target audience. This involves extensive research, including interviews, surveys, and observations, to uncover unmet needs and pain points. By empathizing with users, innovators can tailor their solutions to provide real value.
Iterative Feedback
Desirability also demands an iterative process of prototyping and feedback. Early versions of the product or service should be tested with users, gathering insights to refine and improve the solution. This cycle of testing and learning helps ensure that the final product meets user expectations and delights them.
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Viability: Ensuring Business Sustainability
While desirability focuses on the user's perspective, viability addresses the business aspect of innovation. An idea must be economically sustainable and align with the organization’s strategic goals to move beyond the concept stage.
Market Potential
Assessing market potential is crucial for viability. Innovators must analyze market size, growth trends, and competitive landscape to ensure that there is a sufficient market for their solution. A thorough market analysis helps in understanding the economic viability and the potential for profitability.
Business Model
A robust business model is essential for viability. Innovators must define how the solution will generate revenue and ensure that the costs of development, production, and delivery are covered. This includes considering various revenue streams, pricing strategies, and cost structures to create a sustainable business case.
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Feasibility: Technical and Operational Practicality
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Feasibility examines whether an idea can be realistically implemented with the available resources and technology. It ensures that the innovation is not only desirable and viable but also practical and achievable.
Technical Feasibility
Innovators must assess the technical requirements of their solution. This involves evaluating whether the necessary technology exists, if it can be developed within the project's constraints, and whether the team has the technical expertise required. Feasibility studies often include technical prototypes and pilot tests to validate assumptions and identify potential challenges.
Operational Feasibility
Operational feasibility considers the practical aspects of implementing the solution. This includes the availability of resources, the capability of the organization to deliver the solution, and the integration with existing systems and processes. Innovators must ensure that the solution can be scaled and maintained efficiently over time.
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Balancing the Triad for Successful Innovation
Achieving success in innovation requires a delicate balance of desirability, viability, and feasibility. An idea that is highly desirable but not viable or feasible will struggle to sustain itself. Conversely, a feasible and viable solution that does not meet user needs will fail to gain traction.
Holistic Approach
A holistic approach to innovation involves considering all three dimensions from the outset. This integrated perspective ensures that the solution is not only innovative but also practical and sustainable. Cross-functional teams that include designers, engineers, and business strategists can collaborate to address each aspect effectively.
Continuous Iteration
Innovation is not a linear process but an iterative journey. Continuous feedback loops involving real users and stakeholders help refine the solution across all dimensions. By constantly testing, learning, and adapting, innovators can navigate the complexities of bringing an idea to life.
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Conclusion
In the innovation journey, desirability, viability, and feasibility are not isolated checkpoints but interconnected pillars that support the entire process. By ensuring that a solution is desirable to users, viable for the business, and feasible to implement, innovators can transform ideas into impactful, lasting solutions. Embracing this triad approach increases the likelihood of success and drives meaningful progress in the ever-evolving landscape of innovation.