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There is a common misconception that innovation happens when a lone genius works in a garage and waits for a lightning bolt of inspiration to strike. However in reality, innovation happens when people from different departments work together creatively across silos to understand the customer needs and pain points and to brainstorm and test solutions.

There are many different types of innovation. Technology driven innovation, where there is a technical break through that leads to innovation. Or, a business model innovation, where the product remains pretty much the same, but the innovation is in the business aspect. And, there is also design-led innovation that starts with human values. Design-led innovation is driven by a deep understanding of customer needs, which then leads to the question, what technology and business model can we use to deliver the experience that will delight our customer?

However, design-led innovation needs a culture change. Most organizations are set up for streamlined execution, and they are not ready for a culture of creativity and innovation.