Today marks the launch of the iphone!

For those who remember, back in 29th?June 2007:

• Tony Blair had resigned two days before, leaving Gordon Brown to take up the reigns.
• Milan had won the Champions Leagues, beating Liverpool 2-1.
• Umbrella by Rhianna (featuring Jay-Z) was the number 1 song in the UK charts.
• NASA’s messenger spacecraft had made its second fly-by of Venus on route to Mercury.

I’m sure you could add your own memories of significant events in the comment box, the above is just a few of what I can recall! I distinctly remember being in Shoreditch with my good friend Simon Waterfall RDI , my mouth wide open seeing it being unveiled.

I’m sure those of a certain age will recall the launch of the iphone, with its revolutionary screen, UI and operating system. You will also remember NOKIA who dominated the market for so many years before. Apple took the market by storm, turned everything upside down and disrupted, leaving the competition in its wake.

Happy days? The technological improvement is unquestionable, a true example of human centred design and being completely aligned with user needs. One could also observer how embedded it’s become in society – mostly for the better, but arguably some things for the worse. And how it has mobilised change to all UI in many aligned applications. This is perhaps a good example of how innovation can create a societal change.?

Interestingly Pd-m were founded two years before the launch of the iphone. Over that time we’ve seen technology mature and accelerate to lightning levels. The fourth industrial revolution is upon on us, and there are musings about i5.0. If you want to catch our thought pieces, pod casts and many other treats head and over to our free access ‘From the Studio’ https://www.pd-m.com/from-the-studio1

However, the same rules with innovation now as it did with the iphone:

• Don’t try to innovate around a problem which doesn't exist.
• If the user is not part of the problem, they cannot be part of the solution.
• Fail fast, fail cheap.
• The user doesn’t care about what it is, they care about what it does.
• Consider technology obsolescence in your innovation strategy.
• Don’t let ego’s get in the way.
• Just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should.
• Embed design principles from the outset – for example system aware design and human centred design.
• Implement and stick to an innovation strategy.
• Consider and apply risk at every stage.
• Apply Technology Readiness Levels and be disciplined in the achieving milestones.
• Prototype, test, learn, repeat.

The real value to the iphone is that it shows the wider community how design can make a significant difference, enter new markets, generate a greater return on investment and mobilise change.

I talk about the whole theme of innovation a lot and have given many, many masterclasses to variety of organisations since 2005 – too many to mention here. I also mentor and coach those who want to really understand what innovation is, and how it can make significant bottom-line impact if done right.

18 years on and Pd-m is still innovating with clients to address real challenges in health-tech, sustainability, consumer, nursery and industrial products. So pleased to be part of this amazing community, and humbled to have so much responsibility for the future too.

If you want to learn more about how we can help you innovate and avoid making mistakes, please reach out to [email protected] or the team. 'We Will Take You Further'.

Happy Birthday iphone!