2.

) 5 attributes that determines the spread of innovation

1. Relative advantages

Potential audience needs to see how your innovation improves from previous generation products
according to their current situation. Improvements can be made in one or many of these areas:

• alliance of multiple functions into one tool,

• better service,

• decreased need for equipment and supplies,

• improved interface,

• increased customizability, longevity,

• empowerment of users,

• reduced user effort, environmental impact,

• increased productivity,

• Saving of time, money, space and storage.

The simple example of innovation is typewriters are replaced by computer word-processing programs.
The relative advantage was obvious; this word programs didn’t require any extra physical other then a
personal computer; reduced the need for ink; documents could be edited easily and files could be saved
and transported to other computers using PDs, disks. Soon, typewriters were cleared out of offices
replacing these computer word-processing programs.

2. Compatibility

Compatibility refers to the harmony of relationship that an innovation has with potential individuals as
they absorb mentally it into their lives. To potential users it is important to know that the innovation you
are providing will be agreeable with their lifestyle. If your innovation requires a huge lifestyle change; or
a user have to acquire additional products to use your innovation then it is more apt to fail.

Innovations are a greatest success when individuals are able to smoothly adopt them; they could easily
replace an existing product or idea, for the better with your innovation.

Apple’s iPad is a perfect example of an innovation; it had a high level of compatibility with users’ lives
when released. Many users were capable to replace their currently using products with the iPad, to
check email, to read magazines, books and blogs, to view videos online and many more activities which
they currently were doing on their smartphones and laptops.
Designers must understand infrastructure and what improvement will work on the product they are
designing, and should have deep understanding of conditions that your product will met. A designer
must answer following question while thinking of his innovation compatibility:

• How will your innovation fit into lives of its users?

• Is there any additional products will be required by your innovation to succeed?

• How will your innovation bring shift in the behaviour of its adopter?

• What are existing products that your innovation may replace?

• How does your innovation affect your potential adopters’ mentally, their beliefs and attitudes
regarding your innovation release?

The questions are meant to highlight a designers need to be aware of not are comprehended. The
success of your innovation lie on your design team which ensure that the innovation adjust with the
users’ beliefs, values, attitude and behaviours.

3. Complexity vs simplicity

How difficult for an adopter to learn and use your innovation?

Obviously, complexity slows down your progress; the complex innovation is more difficult for potential
users’ to incorporate it into their lives. Adopters do not invest much time in learning to use an
innovation. The more instinctive your innovation would be, the more surely it will be adopted.

Your design team should design with keeping in mind main focus Simplicity. Your team must be able to
address usability issue that users face, and then clarify them through FAQs, walkthrough videos, tooltips,
otherlearning materials.

4. Trialability

How easily your potential adopters can explore your innovative idea describes trialability. Before
committing to your innovation, users want to give a brief look on what your innovation can do and want
to give it a test run. This is what the fundamental concept of trial sizes for concrete goods and beta
releases for digital goods. Every adopter wants to see for themselves what and how life might be they
adopt the product.

Every designers need to make product available to potential adopters for trials. There are examples for
accomplishment of trailability of digital product; offers of 30-day free trial with limited functionality,
hoping that users might have a good experience during this period, and paying for the full subscription
price is worth being.
Most importantly your design team must ensure that trial product provided should be of high quality
and represents the experience that your users wants to have. Don’t overdo your free trial phenomenon;
this is not your first opportunity for testing or gathering user feedback.

5. Observability

Observability is the benefits or results of using an innovation visible to potential adopters. Observability
stretches beyond having earlier users use an innovation in view of later users; potential adopters must
clearly figure out the benefits of adopting an innovation and using it.

There are some ways through which you can show benefits to potential adopters:

• Side-by-side comparison.

A side-by-side comparison with currently using product is good when your innovation has simple and
easily noticeable improvements.

• Before and after

Showing adopters the positive difference in their lives your innovation will bring, will have a huge impact
on the success of your innovation.

• Testimonials

Running an ad campaign, is important, people like to hear who they perceive to be like them. Users who
write reviews and testimonials make a big impact on influencing the potential adopters.

Conclusion: Go Fizz And Innovate!

Design team should be prepared to control the expected situation in addressing the concepts related to
innovations. They should make the lists of typical characteristics of innovation. They must ask following
question while releasing your innovation.

• What conditions are needed to advance your innovation (like access to high-speed Internet)?

• What technologies are required to agreeable with your innovation?

• What elements are there that you can control and make improvements in?

• Who are your competitors?

• What are your competitors marketing criterion? And what marketing is beneficial for success of your
innovation?

• What type of trialability will you offer?

• How your innovation going to affect the lifestyle world wide?

• How will you make aware of your innovation?

In my experience of launching products, the five characteristics listed are critical to
achieving rapid rates of adoption and overall success in the market place.
#1. Relative Advantage: the degree to which an innovation is perceived as being better
than the idea it supersedes. The advantage can be expressed in many ways ranging in
profitability, time, usability, social prestige and so forth. But regardless of how the
advantage is expressed it needs to be perceived as big. An incremental improvement is
a non-starter so if you don’t have an ah-ha breakthrough idea at this point there is
probably no value in going any further.
The challenge in the early stage of adoption is a lack of evidence proving the relative
advantage of the innovation. That’s why we start with the venturesome innovator. The
innovator has an imagination, loves new ideas and requires very little evidence. For the
innovator its all about what they can imagine.
#2. Compatibility: Consistent with existing values, past experiences, and needs of
potential adopters. Where relative advantage is about comparing value propositions
between current solutions and the new; compatibility flies higher, lives longer, and runs
further kinds of comparisons. Compatibility is at a higher order and is probably the first
diffusion hurdle. If our innovation isn’t perceived as having potential, our venturesome
innovator won’t even allow us to get to the relative advantage part of our story.
Reasons for failure at the compatibility stage could be as simple as selecting the wrong
category and therefore incorrectly positioning the innovation. If the customer doesn’t
see the solution as compatible with a need then the question becomes, “what’s it good
for?”
#3. Complexity: The degree to which the innovation is perceived as relatively difficult to
understand and use. At the consumer level think of yourself when you are observing an
innovation and if you perceive it as complex. Your first thought might be “I don’t have
time for that” and if so, game over.
In a commercial sector the question may become how easy is it to introduce into current
processes? Will it require new skills, tools or training? Every invention is simple in the
eyes of the inventor, but inventors don’t buy. People who buy must perceive your
innovation as elegant within the grand scheme.
#4. Trialability: The degree to which the innovation may be experimented with on a
limited basis. This is especially important in the early stages of adoption. The customer
needs to mitigate risk and lacking evidence such as well-established references, trials
are important. But importance will diminish over time with the development of hard
evidence and reference accounts.
#5. Observability: How easy is it to observe and communicate the results to
others. Observability on one level is all about “getting it.” How quickly/easily can the
market perceive the value at a glance? Will the customer go “wow” when they observe
the innovation? Are their instructions in multiple languages, diagrams and reference
websites? Or when they see it they instantly get it?
The second element, communication is the high value proposition in adoption. Here it’s
more than how easily can the observer describe the value proposition. It’s how excited
and articulate will the person be when they describe the innovation in their terms to their
next level prospect/buyer.
3. Framing Decisions about Technological innovation