Comprehensive Analysis of “ideo Shopping Cart Project”

...

Concept

The shopping trolley had single large metal or plastic basket, the new redesigned trolley had a number of plastic baskets with handles. These baskets were similar to the smaller hand held baskets used by shoppers at the grocery stores for picking few items. The newly designed baskets were fit into the frame of the trolley.

The design was comprises a trolley with sides constructed of steel and interior provided space for five similar baskets. The shopping trolley has two baskets on the top and three on the bottom. To connect the two sides of a trolley a steel tubing of shape ‘W’ is used. So, the bulky space between is used for the bulky items for example, large packages of toilet paper.

Impact

The trolley is currently at the prototype stage. But the plans for full-scale commercialization have not been released yet. Importance of this design is that it satisfied multiple design concerns simultaneously. For example, the removable baskets of the trolley allowed shoppers to leave their trolley at the end of an isle, go and select the several items, put these items in the basket and then return to their trolleys and reattach the basket. This design helped to solve the problem of theft. At checkout, the baskets were discharged as the groceries were scanned. The empty baskets were then put aside and bundled together. This created a new problem. Customers still had to get the bagged groceries out to their cars. This problem was solved by designing a series of 12 hangers on the inside of the trolley frame. Groceries put in plastic bags and hung over these hooks through the opening in the plastic bag that served as its handle. Shoppers now can easily take the frame of the trolley outside. So in newly redesigned shopping cart would neither serve as a good storage device nor as a good barbecue grill.

This case indicated that innovative solutions to problems of theft and shopping can be developed relatively in less time. By identifying the problems, the process looked rational and clinical. David Kelley said that: "It’s not organized, but it’s focused confusion". It is also about desire to take risks or, in other words "Trying stuff and asking for mercy". When analyzing new designs, the designer has to keep asking himself: "What needs should they boost their solutions to?"This means trailing new ideas in collaboration with colleagues. According to Peter Skillman,

"Knowledgeable trial and error succeeds over the planning of the one’s aptitude”

Conclusion

The main idea behind the “IDEO SHOPPING CART PROJECT” is to show exactly how the process of innovation takes place. The new innovation is required to eliminate the drawbacks associated with the previous design. For innovation to take place, the team work and the coordination among the groups is very important. So for a new innovation to take place the first step is to identify the problems. Second step is to meet or the interviewing with the related people for example, buyer, user; repairer etc. Each member comes with some new idea. Use trial and error method to get the best solution. Third step is to divide the team into groups. Each group will work on the one specific problem domain i.e. divide the problems into modules.

At last integrate all the best modules. So, innovation is a process.

References:

Kelley, Tom. The art of innovation: Lessons in creativity from IDEO, America's leading design firm. Crown Business, 2007.

U.S. government (2001) Insight for the People. United States.