Purposeful Innovation: Focus21 at CES 2019
3D printers. Driverless cars. CD, DVD and Blu-Ray technology.
Those are just a few of the countless innovations launched from the springboard that is CES: the annual confluence of makers, dreamers and developers from across the consumer tech world.
The highlights of past shows form a veritable timeline of technology milestones, earning CES a reputation as the Global Stage for Innovation.
And this stage is a crowded one.
With over 4,000 exhibitors and a thousand speakers in attendance, it takes a lot to claim even fractions of a second in the CES spotlight. Media coverage gravitates towards a few key topics: crowd-pleasing product demonstrations, the latest consumer electronics, and newsmakers du jour.
That’s the popular notion of innovation. A revolutionary idea that evolves in great leaps and culminates in a product that changes everything.
But creators know the story behind innovation is loads more complicated, chaotic and captivating than the final product might have you believe.
Purposeful innovation — the kind that completes a company’s transformation to the digital age — doesn’t occur in isolation. It takes time and dedication. Seldom does it unfold linearly. Most importantly, an innovative solution doesn’t need to be universal, because niche problems often call for a niche solution.
Those are the stories Focus21 is bringing to CES.
This year, Focus21 will be among a cohort of 24 companies representing Canada as part of the Canadian ICT Trade mission to CES.
Focus21 works with global and local enterprises to build custom, digital platforms for specific purposes. These purposes vary from medical case management to city-based data discovery to volunteer resources allocation.
Complex challenges with unique contexts.
Each project kicks off with a deep dive into the company’s world. Focus21 draws insight from every aspect of the end user’s experience, along with business stakeholders and others who will benefit from the project’s success.
This immersive research forms the basis of personas and journey maps that guide the platform’s development from start to finish.
If the requirements pivot mid-stream, so can the solution. Focus21 utilizes an agile methodology to keep everyone on common ground throughout the project lifecycle, including software engineers, UX designers and data scientists.
This tandem approach eliminates the kind of miscommunication and inflexibility that stalls larger teams for days. Designers and developers work side-by-side to create new iterations week after week, improving the product while remaining laser-focused on the platform’s unique purpose.
That’s the difference between innovation and purposeful innovation.
With large institutions still struggling to adjust to the information age, the need for this brand of innovation is greater than ever. Not to change for the sake of change, but to grow in ways that create lasting value.
Join the Conversation at CES 2019
From January 8 to 11, the Focus21 team will be talking purposeful innovation at CES in Las Vegas, Nevada. Want to chime in? Drop in and join the crowd at Booth 1021, or book your one-on-one consultation with Focus21 at CES in advance.
