What is Innovation? – What it Means to Innovate

Innovation is a term we use here a lot at MAKO. Not only that, but innovation is a term you’ll see sprawled out almost everywhere in the tech and design world. Like all things, it seems that almost everything is easier said than done, but does this relate to innovating?

In the tech and design world, we use the terms “innovative,” “innovation,” “innovate,” and “innovator” all the time, but do general audiences really understand what it means to truly “innovate”? Is there even a way to truly innovate at all?

This blog will help clarify what the term innovation means in the tech and design world, how to innovate, and some great examples in business and tech that best showcase the meaning of innovation to inspire you when innovating your product.

The Definition of Innovation

According to the standard dictionary, innovation means ‘to innovate,’ and to ‘innovate’ means to make changes in something established. However, it seems as if the term innovation and ‘innovate’ mean different things to different people – especially given the context in which they see innovation as belonging.

Since we are focusing on the world of design, innovation in design means bringing or creating something new to the world of design. In a sense, the more we push and advance the boundaries of design and what we understand design to be, the more we are taking part in innovation and innovating.

You can apply this to innovating your product by looking at the example of innovation in home design. As major cities become scarce in affordable living, smaller living spaces are being made; therefore, innovating small spaces to accommodate everything needed in apartments has been an exciting challenge for designers.

The best innovations to come out of these living challenges are ‘micro apartments’ that have been particularly popular in densely populated cities such as Japan and New York. The most innovative aspect of these apartments is finding ways in which tenants can alter, change, fit, and use different items in their house, given the small space they have.

How Innovation is Used

It would be helpful to look at the context in which the term is used when defining innovation. When people describe something as an innovation, they are typically referring to something new that has improved what is currently or recently become outdated or brought a new solution to a persistent problem.

When we speak of the design realm, we routinely mention that the best way to build or create a successful product is to examine what we currently have and pinpoint the problems that present a problem to its users.

Then, you strive to build a product that solves those problems!

Therefore, innovation means creating products designed to provide us with convenient, efficient, and new solutions. Past products have become unqualified enough to meet the new standards that society needs to function.

With this idea, innovating your product can be exemplified through today’s newest and most popular examples of innovations, such as electric cars and clear highlighters. The main idea is that innovation is used to help us advance and make the products that we interact with more convenient all while eliminating any possible problems.

Where Innovation is Used and Why

Another aspect to look at when we use the word innovation is the field in which it is used. Even though we’re focusing on innovation within the design world, the design world can also apply to the design business.

Innovation isn’t limited to the creation of tangible things. It can also work to create ideas or strategies that work well in the areas where they are needed.

For example, if you are working on the marketing of a product design, bringing a new, creative, and fresh way to market a product in a competitive market also counts as innovation! With this idea, rather than innovating your product, you are creating innovation through the presentation of what your product can offer.

An example of innovation in business or marketing can be a set-up prank that took place in a coffee shop to promote a new horror movie. The prank gathers attention from the direct audience within the coffee shop, news, and press from the city it took place in.

Moreover, the film coverage of the event was put online and went viral, which ultimately helped the overall promotion of the film! This unique marketing approach is a great example of how innovation can take place in different fields.

If you have a great new invention and you’d like to learn more about this process, get in touch with MAKO today to find out more. Or feel free to give us a call at 1-888-806-MAKO and we can set you up on a call with our product strategist!

About: MAKO Design + Invent is the original firm providing world-class consumer product development services tailored to startups, small manufacturers, and inventors. Simply put, we are the leading one-stop-shop for developing your physical product from idea to store shelves, all in a high-quality, cost-effective, and timely manner. We operate as one powerhouse 30-person product design team spread across 4 offices to serve you (Austin, Miami, San Francisco, & Toronto). We have full-stack in-house industrial design, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, patent referral, prototyping, and manufacturing services. To assist our startup and inventor clients, in addition to above, we help with business strategy, product strategy, marketing, and sales/distribution for all consumer product categories. Also, our founder Kevin Mako hosts The Product Startup Podcast, the industry's leading hardware podcast. Check it out for tips, interviews, and best practices for hardware startups, inventors, and product developers. Click HERE to learn more about MAKO Design + Invent!