Why is the virtual space so monotonous? Whether it’s a team meeting, fireside chat, maker session, client presentation, design jam, or social hour, every online box we enter seems to be formatted with the same, same, same experience. Something’s got to give if we are to effectively extend our innovation activities into this uncharted realm.
I’m no expert on digital twinning, but what I’ve learned from raising my children — identical twin “Baby Zoomers” (who, thank goodness, have taken to their new “everything is online” reality) — is that although they might have the same DNA, they are clearly different in personality, mindset, and behavior. This, as a matter of principle, should apply to any type of digital twinning of your innovation hub — be it a direct copy or a loose virtualization of the innovation experience.
In the last issue of InnoLead’s magazine, we published a vision of an Innovation Hub Utopia/Dystopia complete with everything you’d ever/never want. Since then, we created a spin-off on how to make a Work From Home Utopia/Dystopia. This illustration of a digital twin Innovation Utopia/Dystopia completes the trifecta of the “new normal” hybrid experience by including the virtual dimension — a place with blurred boundaries that we seem to be clocking into endlessly.
Click here to download “The Do’s and Dont’s of Twinning Your Digital Innovation Hub”
Amanda Ramos is Gensler’s Innovation Director and advisor to the Foundations, Associations, and Organizations practice area. She has led research projects about innovation adoption, innovation hubs, and building a culture of innovation. She currently serves on the advisory council at Women In Innovation (WIN).
This piece is a part of the Fall 2020 special issue of IL’s magazine, which collects advice and insights from 25 contributors. Read the full “Innovation Matters More” magazine.
Document Download
Click filename(s) to download and view.
