UCD and Innovation - timing

Are we mixing up inspiration with innovation here?

Inspiration is when you have a damn good idea for something. It can
come from anywhere, but certain conditions make it more likely, such
as a freedom from self-censorship, time to think without undue
financial or administrative pressures, a well-informed mind that is
both broad but focussed on particular concerns, sometimes certain
visualisation exercises, too much/too little sleep, etc.

At this point, knowledge of user problems and challenges may or may
not be part of the background information that serves to inform the
inspiration process, but dedicated consideration of use/market is
really part of self-censorship, and thus obstructive.

Once you've had an idea, you do several things to progress with it
from 'leap' to product/service. But primarily you check if the idea is
original, ie it has the potential to be innovative. And you check if
the idea is practical, ie whether it is worth designing into an
innovation or not. Once you consider an application for the idea, you
are in the arena of designing for...  There can be no design without
the question 'for whom?' or 'for what?' following it. Which is why UCD
is so important... it's an attitude. It embraces the need for research
as well as thought. Methods follow on from that.

At this point, without consideration of use/market, the rest is art.
Or sometimes not even that.

So, it's all a matter of timing.

<snip>
And yes, I also totally agree with everyone that says that a
combination of techniques is better than one or a few. It's the leap
in thinking that I want to know how to harness and raise discussion
about. Once you've made it, you can put all of the good practices and
ideals of UCD, interaction design and other techniques to best effect.

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