Software Innovation course

Software Innovation
course introduction

course content

Intensive ESSENCE Course

course design

theory

practice reflection

preparation

IEC mini-project

• pedagogical style: action learning
• some formal lectures
• some interactive lectures
• some action based activity
• exercises – no formal exercise times, integrated
into 2-day camp and mini-project
• oral exam, graded, based on mini-project

work-style heuristics

Keep your head up
Grow your knowledge community
Target your product’s innovation profile
Shape your own process
Develop your personal creativity
Be a super-team-worker
Bring your toolbox
Know when you are (not) innovative

motivation – why study SWI
• macro reasons

• standardisation of software

• industrialisation

• globalisation

• user-developed software

• meso reasons

• creative team

• innovative firm

• micro reasons

• career

innovation: scientific disciplines
cognitive management
economics sociology others
science science

innovation

50-60 articles
software
innovation
institute’s research

computer software information
science engineering systems

basic terms
• invention - a new algorithm or program
(or software development technique)
• creativity – a state of mind which leads
to innovative thinking
• innovation - creative act and invention
carried into wider use, leading to
substantial kinds of change; thus the
successful exploitation of new ideas

(software) innovation overview

• (software) innovation =
invention + exploitation +
diffusion
• invention: the creative act
or process and its result
(e.g. a software program)
• exploitation: commercial
development and
adaptation to practical
situations
• diffusion: adoption by a
wider audience
time lag a continuous process

(software) innovation: consequences
• installed base = starting point
• result of software innovation is experienced as change in
• the way people work
• the way business is carried out
• people’s choice of entertainment
• communication habits and interaction
• governance of communities
• types of (software) innovation
• radical (disruptive, discontinuous)
• incremental
• resistance

(high-tech) innovation: the motor of the
economy (Schumpeter)

• new products
• new methods of production
• new sources of supply
• the exploitation of new
markets
• new ways to organise
business
• meets resistance (inertia)
from established players
• driven by the entrepreneurial
function

(software) innovation: forms

• the inventor and the imitator
(Schumpeter)
• technology transfer
• local and global innovation

(software) innovation: is not a ‘linear
model’

basic applied industry
research research application

• nut a more complex ‘system’ involving
users, national and regional actors,
inventors, researchers, universities and
firms

(software) innovation:
prerequisite

• openness or ‘absorptive
capacity’ for outside
knowledge
• ability to circumvent
established thinking
routines and avoid ‘not
invented here’ syndrome

(high tech) innovation:
(Pavitt)

• ‘science-based’ (research
and development and
close contact to organized
science)
• ‘special suppliers’
engineering skills and
close contact to users

(software) innovation:
product and process

• (software) product
innovation – (the creation
of novel and useful
software programs)
• (software) process
innovation – (the
introduction of novel and
useful ways of developing
software)

innovative processes and products

innovative software
innovative software process
product

• complex relationship between software process
innovation and innovative software products
• no particular evidence that innovative software
processes necessarily result in innovative
software products
• some forms of innovative software products may
be best developed using traditional methods.

the innovative software product

iPad review

innovative software products:
characteristics

• novelty - not previously developed
• global/local
• time dependence
• innovation accumulation
• utility - they have some form of application which users
value
• functional, aesthetic, symbolic
• market conditions
• utility forms

innovative software products:
consequences

social
invention exploitation diffusion change

in a user community

impact delay

hierarchies of technical systems
(Altshuller)

broad system subsystem

transportation cars, roads, maps, drivers, service stations

cars power train, brakes, heating, steering, electrical

brakes brake pedal, hydraulic cylinders, fluid, brake pad
assembly
brake pad assembly pad, mounting plate, rivets

pad particles a, b, chemical bond

chemical bond molecules a, b
focused

novelty: levels of
innovation (Altshuller)
low
level 1 - routine design problems solved by methods well known within the
specialty - usually no invention needed.

level 2 - minor improvements to an existing system using methods known
within the industry.

level 3 - fundamental improvement to an existing system using methods
known outside the industry.

level 4 - a new generation of a system that entails a new principle for
performing the system's primary functions - solutions are found more
often in science than technology.

level 5 - a rare scientific discovery or pioneering invention of an essentially
new system
high

incremental and radical innovation
broad
radical
innovation

technical
system
hierarchy
incremental
innovation

focused

low high
level of innovation

blue ocean strategies
(Kim and Mauborgne, adapted Yarmosh)

• red ocean: where the customers are

• price war: race to the bottom

• blue ocean: where the noncustomers
are

• move to uncontested markets

• software value (= utility) innovation
through value proposition: focus on
customer experience

• strategy canvas
• competing factors (software features)

• offering level (amount of investment in feature)

• four actions framework

Raise: which Eliminate: which of
features should be the features that
raised well above competitors take
the competitors’ for granted should
standard? be eliminated?

Reduce: which Create: which
features should be features should be
reduced well below created that
competitors’ competitors have
standards? never offered?
new
value
curve


raise: flame
and flicker
resolution and eliminate:
variety

create: social
sharing, gps
reduce: cost positioning,
breath control,
sound, ignition
sonic
lighter
value
curve

utility forms

• specify the type of utility that the innovative software
product delivers to its users

• computing infrastructural

• technology enabling

• user service

• business change enabling

• interaction communication

• entertainment

utility form 1:
computing infrastructural

• software innovations can provide underlying improvements for the
delivery of other computing services

• programming languages, compilers, translators

• operating systems

• network protocols

• internet browser

• grid computing

example: TCP/IP (1973-8)

• (data arrives in-order, data has minimal error, duplicate data
is discarded, lost/discarded packets are resent, traffic
congestion control)

• underpins TCP/IP internet protocol suite
• ARPANET, Cerf, Postel, Crocker, Lelann, Metcalfe
• adopted by American computer manufacturers (80’s)
• value proposition: file transfer by wire
• infrastructure: OS common file systems + porting
• social change: basic building block for internet - network
society

utility form 2:
technology enabling

• embedded software can enable innovation in other technology
products, such as cars and washing machines

• the software is not necessarily the innovation, but the technology
product is innovative

• convergence of software with other technologies

example:
København metro
• embedded software enables
driverless train
• the automated train is the
innovation: software may
also be innovative
• value proposition:
automation of driver function
• convergence of rail and
computing technologies
• many infrastructural systems
need to be in place – also
social (acceptance of
automation)

utility form 3: user service

• software innovations can provide new, improved, more efficient or
cheaper services for communities of users

• typically takes and existing service and provides some
combination of:

• extended functionality

• improved usability

• cost saving

• quality improvement

example: skype

• development of telephony service
• combines VOIP and peer-to-peer
technologies to provide:
• technology trajectory context:
digitalization of previously
analogue technology
• extended convergent
functionality (phone, chat,
address book, video
conferencing, file exchange)
• value proposition: free telephony

utility form 4:
business change enabling
• innovative software can be an enabler or driver for business
change
• new ways of:
• doing business
• internal administration
• reaching, holding, communicating with customers
• developing and manufacturing products

example: SAP (ERP system)
• technology trajectory: automation of manual business processes

• value proposition: integrated support for all conventional business
administration, rationalization and efficiency - replaces many function-
oriented stand-alone systems

• convergence of database and client server technologies

• common data model and database

• customisable interfaces

• variable implementations

• best practice business models

• integrated management information and data mining

• later: web + eBusiness interface

• later: supply chain connectivity and management

utility form 5:
interaction/communication
• innovative software can change the way people interact and
communicate, examples:
• Web 2,0, social networking software, Second Life

• greater reach and range
• time independence
• supported interactions
• varying communication media
• social network building
• identity control

example:
Facebook.
• value proposition: social
networking software - partial
transfer (or digitalization) of
social relations to the net
• convergence of web 2.0
technologies: video streaming,
personalization, IM, mail,
large scale server farms, user
generated content etc.
• timing: Facebook is the long
from the first social networking
application

utility form 6: entertainment

• software underpins novel entertainment forms

• leisure activity

• gaming

• media clip distribution

• user-generated content

• sport

• culture e.g. music

example: WoW

• value proposition: social gaming
• trajectory: digitalization of play
• convergence of gaming, 3D, virtual
world, social media

software product innovation profile

• the software has a particular user community, and the characteristics of that
community are understood
• the software is novel – it does something that other software cannot for its user
community, adding or combing features in a new way
• the software has a particular utility (or value proposition) for the community, the
form of which can be understood
• when the software is in use in the user community their behaviour will be different
in certain ways (social change) and it is understood how
• the user community can be understood as a market in an economic sense, and
the software has an economic value, price and cost which is understood
• the software is technically innovative, perhaps displaying digitalization or
convergence, in the context of a particular technology trajectory
• the necessary infrastructure for the user community to use the product is in place,
or will be when the product is released, and is understood.

work-style heuristic

target your product’s innovation profile

software innovation timing

trajectory
digitalization
convergence
infrastructure
innovation windows

technology development and economic
progress

• technology innovation is a good indicator for economic
growth
• society
• industry
• developed (= rich) societies/companies are
• more dependent on innovation
• better innovators
• early users of innovations
• non-innovative work often performed more cheaply in less
developed countries (e.g. outsourcing)
• incremental innovation produces change
• radical innovation produces transformation

technology trajectory
???????

music file compression

optics ???????
transistor mp3 player

valve

cd player
vinyl

gramophone

phonograph digitalization

software technology trajectory

embedded OS

OS/360
run-time monitor GM-NAA I/O IBM UNIX LINUX
libraries programs IBM
SCOPE PLATO PICK
CP/M
BASIC DOS apple
MCP TOPS-10
windows

(proprietary OS) (portability) (GUI)

50’s 60’s 70’s 80’s 90’s

technology convergence
box camera
telegraph
still camera DOS

telephone apple
video camera

digital camera windows
mobile
valve
pocket windows
transistor
silicon chip

mp3 player

cd player
text recognition
gramophone

phonograph
qwerty keyboard number pad

calculator
typewriter

infrastructure and innovation timing
• installed base - technical
infrastructure
• (Skype) improved internet internet
bandwith
access
• improved bandwidth
• many nodes skype
• enables convergence of
VOIP + peer-to-peer
• installed base – social
infrastructure
• (Skype) improved computer
literacy internet
• widespread internet use coverage
• communication intensification

market (user) demand and innovation timing

• recognise or create demand
• (Skype) increased consumer
demand for telephony and
related services
• im and sms breakthroughs
• increasing tariffs for
broadcasting frequency
licenses
• price war amongst mobile
companies

the innovation window
technology
trajectories

• software
technology
convergence
trajectories

• convergence
user demand
• (user) demand
(= market)
development

• infrastructure infrastructure development
development innovation
window

t

head-up software innovation

• software innovators know and understand
• trends, trajectories

• digitalisation, convergence

• social and technical infrastructure development

• user demand (market)

• timing and innovation windows


keep your head up

the innovative software process
6 innovation process strategies (+ 1)

how do you develop an innovative software
product?

innovation: not normally a goal
goal method type explanation
complexity management traditional organisation of large development efforts
with many developers, requirements, lines of
code, complex architectures
uncertainty management agile, prototyping management of development where
requirements, costs, technology, people, time
scales are unknown or cannot be reliably
predicted
project management traditional, agile planning; disposition and monitoring of tasks,
people, time and resources
rational analysis and modelling traditional, contextual understanding a work situation or user
design environment through models
communication through traditional providing explanations for colleague
documentation developers, future developers and users
design through modelling traditional structuring design and programming work

automation of manual work traditional, agile providing computerised support for manual
processes work processes in the work situation
working code agile focusing on programming work
speed rapid development, agile producing a working system in a reasonable
time period
close relationships with agile, participatory improving interactions between people
customers and users development

linear
innovation
in industry

• Roberts, E.B.,
Managing invention
and innovation.
Research
Technology
Management, 1988.
31(1): p. 11-27.

the light bulb model
idea
• a sequence of stages or phases each of which is
dependent upon the successful completion of the first
(waterfall)
• conventional product innovation from technology-based
industries

product
• focus is on the software product
specification • conceptualized early in the process
• developed to be a marketable software system
prototyping

commercial
build

release

review

iterative innovation in industry
-Boeing’s innovation model

• Lind, J., Boeing's Global Enterprise Technology Process. IEEE Engineering
Management Review, 2007. 35(1): p. 38-52.

iterative models - also for
software development

iterative or agile software
innovation process model

• process–oriented (reflecting agile system development methods)
• does not necessarily start with an ’idea’ - a fully-formed software
concept at the beginning of development
• innovation takes place through highly focused and creative bursts
of development activity – e.g. storming
• focus on intense communication, room for experimentation
• innovation takes pace through the life of the project, and is not
confined to an idea generation phase
• the creativity and energy of the process offers the conditions for
innovative programming and development.

agility and innovation
• some aspects of agile methods resemble
innovation techniques elsewhere in industry (the
iterative model)
• the introduction of agile methods to a software
firm can be a process innovation
• some theoretical reasons to believe that they
should be helpful for innovation (e.g. flexibility,
freedom from bureaucracy, interaction with
customers…………………..)
but
• agile methods developed in response to
perceived need for more effective, programmer-
friendly development methods - not innovation
• no studies or evidence to support the idea
• agility probably necessary but not sufficient

market-led and technology-led software
innovation
market technology

• software technologies develop in
particular directions at various
speeds
• user communities have sets of
• some software firms are at the
needs which develop over time
leading edges of those
• those needs can be analyzed and, developments
to some extent predicted • leading edge software
technologies enable new products
• innovative software development which will create their own demand
process is targeted at utility - in the market
responding to perceptions of future
user needs (=the market) • innovative software development
process is targeted at novelty -
products which have not previously
been possible

process, instantiation,
improvisation, bricolage

improvisation,
bricolage
instantiation

• improvisation
the generic • deliberate, not a series of accidents
process • (locally) extemporaneous – without prior plan or method
• occurs during action
• implies the pre-existence of a set of resources (plans, tools,
knowledge, social structure) as the basis for variation
• bricolage
• ’to use whatever resources and repertoire one has to perform
whatever task one faces’
• Improvisation and bricolage are not ‘muddling through’

software process innovation

innovation

novel software development process

software development process
(routines, norms, standards,
behaviours, resources, tools,
techniques, procedures, written and
unwritten rules)
local global

the global picture
• traditional norms = waterfall, prototyping models + variants

• many hundreds of development models representing
incremental innovations on these norms

• some development styles in reaction to the norm (agile,
open-source, context-oriented, business-focused)

• = a complex picture of both incremental and radical
innovation in software methods, techniques tools and
processes

• distinguish from Software
Process Improvement

the local picture

• many software firms with method departments, process
improvement initiatives

• the innovative software developer takes control of process

• its then natural to want to improve the way you work

• the developer drives the process, the process
does not drive the developer

six innovation process strategies

• creative requirements analysis
• designed process framework
• low tech prototyping
• user-driven innovation
• community development
• research prototype

innovation process strategy 1:
creative requirements analysis

• integrate light bulb thinking RESCUE
• conventional requirements analysis
into a conventional
techniques (activity modeling, system
development cycle
goal modeling, use cases,
• replace requirements requirements management)
engineering techniques with • creativity techniques (creativity modes
more imaginative interaction – exploratory, combinatorial,
and creativity techniques transformational)
• analogical reasoning
• work with users who are • facilitated workshops
primarily responsible for new
ideas
• (for example) RESCUE, soft
systems methodology

• rationale: help users to
innovate

designed process framework

ESSENCE
• in the agile tradition - process • views: product, people, project, process
framework rather than • roles: challenger, responder, anchor
development method child
• tools, techniques, practices, • modes: idea generation, planning,
growth
roles
• in our case: used with creativity
• integrated creativity techniques techniques
• instantiated at use
• developers take responsibility
for idea generation

• rationale: help developers to
innovate

low tech prototyping
low tech
• paper prototypes: wireframe,
storyboard, card, wizard-of
oz,
• low-fi mockups: foam and
cardboard models, drawing
tool, video, powerpoint, html
• mashup, patchwork, open
source components
• code prototypes

high tech
• rationale: low cost
experimentation, rapid
learning

user-driven innovation
• users need to innovate
• need is emerging and is therefore not
(yet) recognized by software firms
• user need is specific
• market niche is not yet attractive for
software firms
• difficult and costly to transfer
information from users to
manufacturers (sticky information)
• lead users (identified users who are at
the leading edge of their profession
and have software or computer
(super-user) competences
• user communities
• toolkits

• rationale: access to use domain
expertise

The Case of Lego Mindstorms

Mindstorms robot kit

The brain
• Computer “brain” within Lego brick
Movement
• 3 stepper motors
Sensors
• Light
• Touch
• Temperature
Teaching
• Kid-friendly, graphical
programming environment
• Programs downloaded from
PC via infrared

Price ~ $200

Lego mindstorms user communities grew rapidly
- without company involvement
Members
900

800

700

600

500

400 Robots become
widely available
Lego robots August 1998
300 announced
January 1998
200

100

Nov Jun Feb Oct Jun Jan Aug Apr
1997 1998 1999 1999 2000 2001 2001 2002

Within 3 weeks of commercial introduction users had improved it significantly

The rules The results

Robots follow 7 meter “track” of tape Winner (below left)
• Light sensors detect tape • Used hacker-developed LegOS software
• Internal software tells robot how to • Time under 10 seconds (73 cm/s)
move
Second place (below right)
Fastest time around track wins • Used program based on LEGO firmware
• Time of 25 seconds (28 cm/s)
About one dozen participants
Ability to rapidly sample sensors was the
key

Source: Italian Lego Users Group(http://www.itlug.org/) Contact Mario Ferrari [mario.ferrari@edis.it]

community development – the open
source model
• private collective model
• rapid iterative development
• developer=user expertise
• virtual collaboration example: Apache

• peering, sharing, openness, acting globally founder: Robert McCool

• rationale: many expert hands

research prototype
• external funding
• groupings of organizations example: KIWI (Knowledge in a Wiki)
• funded by European Union
• cross-functional expertise • universities, Logica, Sun
integration Microsystems, Semantic Web
• researchers understand
•
Company
convergence of wiki + tagging +
scientific boundaries database + social sharing
• developers understand technologies
commercial applications

• rationale: collaboration
with researchers at
knowledge boundaries
• speciale project on a
larger scale

not a process strategy:
the designed work environment

• physical surroundings Software
• tool support Innovation
Research
• integrated media Laboratory
• working and management
conditions


shape your own process

eight perspectives on personal
creativity in software development

1. creativity as the developer’s mental process
(Wallas 1926)

preparation (preparatory work on a problem
that focuses the individual's mind on the
problem and explores the problem's
dimensions),
incubation (where the problem is internalized
into the unconscious mind and nothing
appears externally to be happening),
intimation (the creative person gets a 'feeling'
that a solution is on its way),
illumination or insight (where the creative idea
bursts forth from its preconscious
processing into conscious awareness);
and
discovery point
verification (where the idea is consciously
verified, elaborated, and then applied).

2. creativity as a set of personal
development competences

• concerned with both solving problems and recognising
opportunities
• the creative software professional can:
• cope with poorly-defined problems

• exhibits:
• novel and unconventional thinking

• self-motivation

• persistence

• heuristic, rather than algorithmic thinking

2. creativity as a set of personal
development competences (continued)
• creative problem solving:
• is experience- and expertise-based:
• developer knows the programming
environment and application area
extremely well, and has worked on
comparable types of problems before

• requires
• good overview - the ability to keep many
aspects of a problem in play
simultaneously

• well-developed mental modelling
capacities - the ability to understand the
relationship between many complex facets
of a development task, and to express
them in appropriate modelling forms

• can be learned

3. creativity as a style of thinking
(Miller: Innovation Styles Profile)

• visioning: to envision the ideal future (e.g. a user-group with
an improved work-process supported by innovative software)

• modifying: to refine and optimize what has come before (e.g.
take an agile development process and focus it on innovation)

• exploring: to discover new and novel possibilities (e.g
applying table top computing to the development process)

• experimenting: to combine and test many unique
combinations: (e.g. use a paper prototype to explore
interaction paths for a large database interface)

4. creativity as meta (divergent)-thinking:
recognising unconscious pre-dispositions
• mindset:
• ‘a set of assumptions, methods or
notations held by one or more
people or groups of people which is
so established that it creates a
powerful incentive within these
people or groups to continue to
adopt or accept prior behaviours,
choices, or tools’ (Wikipedia)
• recognising and challenging your
own mindset
• thinking ‘out-of the-box,’ lateral
thinking, divergent thinking
• beyond conventional linear logical
thinking and generally held
assumptions
• challenging the mindset of others,
provoking uncharacteristic
reactions

5. creativity as whole-brain thinking:
beyond rationality

• the conscious, the pre-conscious,
the unconscious

• right and left brain thinking
LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses logic uses feeling
detail oriented "big picture" oriented
facts rule imagination rules
In the conceptual age, we will need to words and language symbols and images
present and past present and future
foster and encourage right-directed math and science philosophy & religion
thinking (representing creativity and can comprehend can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
knowing believes
emotion) over left-directed thinking acknowledges appreciates
order/pattern perception spatial perception
(representing logical, analytical thought) - knows object name knows object function
Pink (2005) reality based fantasy based
forms strategies presents possibilities
practical impetuous
safe risk taking

6. creativity as a relationship between the
developer and the outside world

• the systems
model
(Csiksentmihalyi)

• domain: a set of
symbolic rules
and procedures

• field: the people
who act as
gatekeepers to
that domain

7. creativity as a state of mind:

• flow (Csiksentmihalyi)
• clear goals at every stage

• immediate feedback

• challenge/skill balance

• action and awareness merged

• distractions excluded from consciousness

• no worry of failure

• self-consciousness absent

• time distortion

• activity becomes autotelic (an end in itself)

8. creativity as a universal mental skill -
to be enhanced (Csiksentmihalyi)

• acquisition of creative energy
• curiosity
• cultivating flow
• habits of strength
• internal traits
• problem finding
• divergent thinking
• choosing a special domain

eight perspectives on personal creativity
in software development:

creativity as:
the developer’s mental process: recognising and exploiting
discovery points
a set of personal development competences concerned with
both solving problems and recognising opportunities
a style of thinking associated with different strengths in
individual’s development personalities
meta-thinking: recognising predispositions and tendencies in
one’s own (and others’ ) thinking and coming beyond
them

eight perspectives on personal creativity
in software development: (continued)

creativity as:
whole-brain thinking: beyond rationality
a relationship between the individual developer and
communities of people and ideas (domain, field)
a state of mind: the way the developer’s mind is disposed
when being creative (flow)
a universal mental skill to be enhanced


develop your personal creativity

team function
dys-functional team

functional team

innovative team

types of software teams

• co-located small project team (AAU project
group) versus:
• geographically distributed
• supported by co-operative work systems

• bureaucratic
• self-organising/non-commercial
• facilitated by the internet

• positive factors
software team • software team roles
innovation/creativity • communicative
interactions
factors
• the accommodation of
divergent thinking

• team learning
• negative factors
• overview (common
• creativity barriers purpose)

• group dysfunction • expertise integration

• social practice patterns

• environmental scanning

negative: creativity barriers

• workload/time pressure
• rigid work practices, bureaucracy
• stress
• inappropriate evaluation systems
• reward systems that penalise mistakes
• routine work
• poor project management
• resource shortage

negative: group dysfunction

• destructive dominance
• freeloading
• conformance
• conflict avoidance
• destructive conflict
• anchoring: digression
• search behaviour (premature solution seeking)
• groupthink

positive: innovation team roles
• conventional: idea generators, entrepreneur/product champion,
program manager/leader, gatekeepers/boundary communicators,
sponsor/coach
• research oriented: plant, resource investigator, co-ordinator,
shaper, monitor evaluator, teamworker, implementer, completer
finisher, specialist (Belbin)
• descriptive: patron, solo virtuoso, gatekeeper, matron, mercenary
analyst, surrogate customer, legend, wise fool, peace maker,
sacrificial lamb, guru, producer, supporter, deadbeat (Coplien)
• formative: XP: coach, programmer, tester, tracker, consultant,
big boss on-site customer. SCRUM: product owner, scrum
master, chicken (observer)
• innovative: ESSENCE: challenger, responder, anchor, child

positive: innovation team interaction

• process choices: 1. participants independently and
silently generate a list of ideas
• free interaction
2. the facilitator records one idea at a
• facilitated time going round the group

• technique-determined 3. group members discuss each idea for
clarification only, without considering
(e.g. brainstorming, its merit
nominal group
technique, …………) 4. participants independently rate and
rank the ideas
• communicative 5. the group prioritizes the suggestions
interaction: from by voting
discussion to dialogue
Nominal Group Technique

technology
positive: team learning
domain innovative team
use functional team
project domain
domain dysfunctional team

• project domain: organisation and management of the development
project, its process, structuring, management, tool support, financing,
project members and customers.

• technology domain: the hardware, software environment, programming
languages, design techniques, architectures and algorithms.

• use domain: the application area that the software is intended to be used
in, the habits and work (or entertainment) patterns of the users, their way
of interacting, the purpose and function of the software product in its use
context.

positive: innovative social patterns
(work habits)
• unity of purpose
• engage customers
• a social pattern of • domain expertise in roles
interaction
• architect controls product
• a work habit or • distribute work evenly
routine
• function owner and
• a way of organizing a component owner
software project • mercenary analyst

• innovative patterns? • architect also implements
• firewalls
• developer controls process
Coplien’s top ten patterns

• positive: accomodation of divergent thinking
• positive: expertise integration
• positive: overview, vision, common purpose,
shared learning
• positive: environmental scanning
• positive: tool support

an innovative team displays:

• good understanding and exploitation of roles, especially those
which promote creativity
• highly functional dialogue-based communicative interactions,
including accommodation of divergent thinking
• high levels of team learning leading to flexible response to
challenges (agility)
• good shared understanding of common purpose (overview) even
in the situation of rapid change
• constructive software practice patterns – that is productive work
practices
• diverse and deep expertise, well integrated
• intense awareness of their environment

some defining teamwork questions:
• which people would you want in your innovative team?

• which roles should be filled in an innovative team process?

• how structured should the team process be (tools and techniques versus
free interaction)?

• what is the creativity environment for a your team and how can you
improve it?

• what are the innovative work habits (patterns) of your teams?

• how does the team promote team learning and dialogue?

• how does the team develop a shared purpose and overview?

• what kind of automated tool support does an innovative team need?

• what learning do you need from outside the project and when do you need
it?

• how do you know when the team is working innovatively?


keep your head up
be a super-team-worker
grow your knowledge community
bring your toolbox
know when you are (not) innovative


be a super team worker

creativity tools and techniques

(article review)

research questions:
what kind of software tool support can underpin innovative software projects?
what kinds of techniques can underpin innovative software projects?

1

tools techniques

software support for the creative ways of accomplishing tasks in the
development process creative development process

e.g. mind mapping (ideas organised
hierarchically as nodes and edges)

2

repertoire and situation

toolbox (repertoire)
situation: (project, development)

tool support – some literature

Adamides, E. D. and N. Karacapilidis (2006). "Information Technology
Support for the Knowledge and Social Processes of Innovation
Management." Technovation 26(1): 50-59.

Greene, S. L. (2002). "Characteristics of applications that support
creativity." Communications of the ACM 45(10): 100-104.

Shneiderman, B. (2000). "Creating creativity: user interfaces for
supporting innovation." ACM Transactions on Computer-Human
Interaction (TOCHI) 7(1): 114-138.

Shneiderman, B. (2002). "Creativity support tools." Communications
of the ACM 45(10): 116-120.

Shneiderman, B. (2007). "Creativity Support Tools." Communications
of the ACM 50(12): 20-32.

research style

• two types of article
• general frameworks (inspirational, structural, situational)
(collect, relate, create, donate)
• tool development report
• purposes
• generalized advice
• tool promotion
• lessons learned
• methods
• literature review
• (anecdotal) eclectic examples
• (under-theorised) tool development

problems for SWI

• not software developer (domain area) specific

• eclectic examples

• frameworks too generalized to be operationalised

• many aspects of SWI potentially to be supported

• many potential use situations

characteristics of applications
supporting creativity (Greene)

• applications support:
• (pain free) exploration and experimentation (sandbox
mode)
• engagement with content to promote active learning and
discovery
• search, retrieval and classification
• collaboration
• iteration
• instructive mistakes
• domain-specific actions

creativity support tool tasks:
(Shneiderman)

(1) searching and browsing digital libraries, the web, and other
resources
(2) visualizing data and processes to understand and discover
relationships
(3) consulting with peers and mentors for intellectual and emotional
support
(4) thinking by free associations to make new combinations of ideas
(5) exploring solutions—what-if tools and simulation models
(6) composing artefacts and performances step-by-step
(7) reviewing and replaying session histories to support reflection
(8) disseminating results to gain recognition and add to the
searchable resources

Commercial Creativity Support Tools
 ACTA Advantage  Mind Mapper
 Axon Idea Processor  MindMan
 Brainstorm  MoonLite
 BrainStormer  MORE
 Brainstorming 1.0.1  Paramind
 Brainstorming Toolbox  Personal Best 3.1
 CK Modeller  Plot Prompt
 CM/1  Plots Unlimited
 ComedyWriter  Powerpoint
 Concept Draw  Scriptware
 Corkboard/Three by Five  Serious Creativity
 CreaPro  Simplex
 Creative Whack Pack  Sirius
 Creative Studio  StoryBuilder
 Decision Explorer  StoryCraft
 Dramatica  StoryCraftNet for Writers
 DynoNotePad  SuperMemo
 Genius Handbook  The Creativity Machine
 GroupSystems II  The Electric Brain
 Grouputer  The Electric Mind
 Idea Generator Plus  The Solution Machine
 IdeaFisher  Thoughtline
 IDEGEN++  Thoughtpath
 In Control  TreePad
 InfoDepot  Turbo Thought
 Innovation Toolbox  Visimap / InfoMap
 Inspiration  VisionQuest
 Invention Machine  Visual Outliner
 MaxThink  WinGrid
 MicMac  WordPerfect
 Microsoft Word (Outlining Feature)  Yeahwrite Ref: Creativity Web
 Microsoft Word (Thesaurus Module)

a proposed software support toolbox
• support for escaping routine work
• programming editors, visual editors, case tools and diagrammers, project
management tools, code management and versioning
• sandbox tools
• prototyping tools, screen painters, demo makers, animation and slide-show
software, visual RAD tools
• knowledge tools
• search tools, technical problem solving and coding documentation sites,
knowledge base, wiki, experience exchange, idea repository
• collaboration tools
• internal and external collaboration, communication tools, collaborative writing, social
network support, dialogue support
• visualisation and overview support
• simple diagrammatic support for visualising and agreeing common purpose in the face
of complexity: mind maps, Microsoft Visio
• creativity technique support
• support for particular creativity techniques used in the project


tools techniques

software support for the creative
ways of accomplishing tasks in the
development process
creative development process

e.g. mind mapping (ideas organised
hierarchically as nodes and edges)

creativity techniques (Mycoted wiki)

conceptual schemas

Mycoted Martin Leith

• Worldview 1 - The World is a Machine (based on
• Process rational cause and effect thinking, and first
order change - emphasis on producing many
• Problem Definition ideas and selecting the brilliant one)

• Idea Generation
• Worldview 1 Plus - The World is a Network of
Relationships
• Idea Selection • Worldview 2 - The World is a System (complex
issues are addressed through context
• Idea Implementation manipulation, pattern analysis and constraint
removal)
• Worldview 3 - The World is a Field of Energy
and Consciousness (involves heightening the
perception of the idea generator)

creativity techniques and innovation styles

a starting repertoire
technique description use

Brainstorming well-known technique for idea generation first software product and its
feature ideas
Backward mapping visioning the software product in use understanding the desired user
experience
SCAMPER substitute, combine, adapt, magnify, put improve a software concept
to other uses, eliminate and rearrange
Six Serving Men what why when how where who fill out and interrogate initial
concept
Six thinking hats facts, emotion, caution, logical positive, project review
ideas, control
Vision box design the box that the product will be understand the essential selling
shipped in points of the software
Elevator test who (statement of the need or describe the product effectively
opportunity) the (product name) is a to others outside the project
(product category) that (key benefit,
compelling reason to buy) unlike (primary
competitive alternative) our product
(statement of primary differentiation)


bring your own toolbox

23

• A man lives on the twelfth floor of an
apartment building. Every morning he
takes the elevator down to the lobby
and leaves the building. In the evening,
he gets into the elevator, and, if there is
someone else in the elevator -- or if it
was raining that day -- he goes back to
his floor directly. Otherwise, he goes to
the tenth floor and walks up two flights
of stairs to his apartment.

• A rope breaks. A bell rings. A man dies.

• You live in an poorly developed African
county and are responsible for
developing the central phone service.
The program is going slowly, cable
installation is expensive and only the
major towns have acceptable service

• you work for SAP – you need to
understand requirements for the next
generation of your ERP system in order
to continue to be a market leader – but
you have many different installations in
diverse countries, industries and firms

software innovation:
network and community

network (community)
model: practice
• the conjunction of people, ideas and
expertise
• physical: Silicon Valley, Bangalore,
Zhongguancun Science Park, Hsin-Chu
………………
• virtual (e.g. open source)

innovation networks: theory

• invisible college, thought community, community of practice
(Wenger), practice network

• field, domain (Csiksentmihalyi)

• reflective practice

• knowledge as social process, social construction of
meaning, knowledge creation space (“ba” - Nonaka)

• knowledge exchange

open source community indicators

• Free Software Foundation, Linux, Freenet, Apache,
Fetchmail
• hero/legend (Richard Stallman, Linus Torvalds, Ian Clarke,
Rob McCool, Eric Raymond)
• joining ritual, high entry threshold, start with bug-reporting
and fixing
• specialists and generalists (core developers, architects)
• copyleft (GPL)
• Sourceforge.net
• 50,000+ projects
• 500,000+ registered users

open-source community principles
virtual net-enabled communities of programmers set the norms for practice and provide a wider sense of
community contributing and belonging. The community is often enabled by the internet and the products
of the community are free and open to all its members.

the software the focus of the community is the software it builds: the software solution, characterised as a
challenge challenge to be collectively overcome.

self-organisation in work is self-organised by independent and equal peers in networks across traditional
networks organisational boundaries, rather than managed in the traditional sense. Networks merge,
change and dissolve in response to evolving technical challenges.

technical mastery programmers aspire to technical excellence – mastery of their craft - where the ability to
create innovative or elegant programming solutions is the primary measure of success.

self-realisation in the community sets the scene for personal expression, creativity, heroism and championing
the technological innovation. Membership of, and status in the technological elite is the primary reward, not
meritocracy commercial success.

code sharing, peer improvement of the software solution takes place through code sharing and code revision by
feedback, other programmers. The process is iterative and improvisatory.
improvisation

technology programmer communities aspire to and attain technology leadership through technical
leadership mastery applied to the production of software solutions. The techno-elite do not follow
markets or technology trends – they lead the markets and set the trends through innovation.

code quality the engineering quality of the resultant code is the measure of success.

programming programming competence development is the motivating factor for improvement.
competence
development

open source community principles
virtual net-enabled community
•
the software challenge
•
self-organisation in networks
•
technical mastery
•
self-realisation in the technological meritocracy
•
code sharing, peer feedback, improvisation
•
technology leadership
•
code quality
•
programming competence development
•

private collective model
(von Hippel and von Krogh)
• existing economic innovation models:
• private investment (industry)
• innovation supported by private investors (typically companies) who expect
private returns
• intellectual property law, copyright, patent (=knowledge/innovation loss to
society)
• collective action model (science)
• innovators relinquish control of new knowledge to a common pool for the
common good
• typically supported by the state

• new model (open source)
• private collective
• Developer-users invest their own resources
• free revealing of knowledge (code)

software innovation – assessment and
evaluation
personal and group creativity
product assessment
work environment inventory
summary

facts insight
decision perceiving
modifying exploring
visioning experimenting

innovation styles:
•modifying
•exploring
•experimenting
•visioning

personal creativity: psycho-metric testing
based on the innovation styles profile (ISP), http://www.creativeadvantage.com/profile.htm

innovative software product assessment
(Lobert, B. M. and D. G. Dologite (1994). Measuring creativity of information system ideas:
an exploratory investigation.)

software innovation

work environment inventory (WEI)

• six parameters:

• freedom

• challenging work

• sufficient resources

• supervisory encouragement

• work group support

• organizational encouragement

problems for SWI

• eclectic examples

• no systematic framework

• many sides of SWI to be evaluated

• many conventional assessment techniques are long term
measures

• highly situation dependent

software innovation measures
here and now
•flow
•psychometric testing •team performance
•product assessment •technical challenge
•market assessment •customer relations
•work environment •user responses
assessment •project status
•challenge/response level
•copyright
formal •patent informal

•return on investment •goodwill
•market value •developer or firm reputation
•market share •scientific reputation
•scientific citations

long term

the work heuristic here-and-now informal
project evaluator tool

keep your head up
bring your toolbox

keep your head up
do you know the latest technical development in the field you are working on?
do you know the rival products that other companies are working on?
do you understand the emerging technology potential?
what infrastructure do you need and is it in place?
what is the potential market for your product?


are you in contact with leaders in the field, researchers, universities, lead users?
can you import necessary expertise for the project when you need it?
do you get valuable external feedback?


what is the added value (utility) for the user?
why is your product new and original?
do you understand your user community?
how will their lives change when they use your product?


is the development process suitable for the task?
are there techniques and practices which stimulate the creativity of the team?
does it allow space for creativity and innovation?
do you adapt it to the current needs of the project?
can you improvise your way out of the difficulties?


are you learning fast?
does your role suit you?
can you bring your expertise and experience to bear on the problem?
are you challenged by the tasks you have without feeling chronic stress?
are you often in flow?


does the team have a shared vision and know where it is going?
does the team have effective communication (dialogue)?
how does the team accommodate divergent thinking?
does the team communicate its experience and expertise and learn fast?

bring your toolbox

do you have creativity techniques that help you to move forward?
do you have the right tool support to maximise progress and minimise drudge work?


does the team recognise when it is not moving forward and do something differently?

Software Innovation Design Game

with valuable prize

rules of the design game
1. tasks: first come first served
2. design proposal must be viewable by all and presented in
five minutes

3. design proposal must be theoretically based
4. evaluation criteria
• novelty, utility, elaboration

• theoretical justification

5. judges’ decision final

presentation

1. slide(s) (mockup, demonstration) explaining the design
proposal

2. slide explaining the theoretical connection

design task: sketch an innovative
software product (not IEC product)
task describe a innovative software product

task description sketch an idea for a software product which displays novelty and
utility with a defined innovation profile (SI p.54) for a particular
user community
task objective develop a coherent and defensible idea for a new software
product
suggested work method brainstorm, refine idea, apply innovation profile thinking
(consider IEC techniques)
background theory SI ch. 1,3

output slide(s)/mockup showing an overview of the product,
perhaps communicated in several different ways
other resources your IEC experience

success criteria well-communicated overview of product with clear
innovation profile

design task: sketch an innovative
software process
task design a software process targeted at innovation
task description the process should provide a lightweight, adaptable process
framework which would guide a student project team through a
semester project with a focus on innovation

task objective software process innovation in the department’s
development work

suggested work method brainstorm, sketch process, include agile practices,
creativity techniques

background theory IEC material and experience, SI ch 4
output process steps, tools techniques, practices
other resources lecture 11 slides, creativity techniques, mind map
success criteria good communication of well-argued process

design task: sketch the ideal work
space for an innovative software
team
task outline a physical and/or psychological environment
which maximises the creativity of the software
development team
task description revolutionalize your group room and project conditions and provide a vision
for how they could be in the future with a focus on innovation

task objective developing understandings of stimulating work
environments for software developers
suggested work method brainstorm, visit SIRL, low tech prototypes
background theory SI ch. 5-7, SIRL
output architectural sketches of work-space, descriptions of work
practice and management conditions
other resources SIRL

success criteria work conditions that are practical, imaginative and
stimulating

design task: innovative team tool
support
task specify ideal tool support for an innovative software
development team
task description a creative software team needs software tool support for its work -
envision the suite of tools that might be necessary and choose,
specify or design them

task objective develop understandings of appropriate tool support in
innovative development context
suggested work method brainstorm, low tech prototypes, sketches of screen dumps

background theory SI ch. 7 (maybe 5, 6)

output a model of the team member’s desktop

other resources

success criteria well-argued tool support collection that underpins the
innovative software development task

design task: software developer
personal creativity short course
task design a creativity short course

task description design a short course (e.g. 2 days) which challenges and
stimulates the ability of the individual software developer to
generate and develop innovative ideas in the software field
task objective support and develop personal creativity in the
individual software developer
suggested work method brainstorm, determine objectives, design supporting
activities
background theory SI ch. 5, 7

output outline of course with explanations of activities

other resources IEC experience

success criteria well-explained course outline with clear goals and
suitable activities

design task: online software
development innovation community
task innovation through virtual software community

task description devise a strategy for establishing an online community (and its
online home) which develops innovative software in a given field
task objective understand virtual user-community led software
innovation
suggested work method brainstorm, select field, research SourceForge,
target community members, sketch portal
background theory SI ch. 2

output community and portal design, community growth
strategy, software development strategy
other resources SourceForge.net

success criteria clearly-articulated strategies

design task:

task

task description

task objective

suggested work method

background theory

output

other resources

success criteria

software innovation
course summary

learning strategies
Kolb’s
learning
cycle

Argyris:
double
loop
learning

content overview

Intensive ESSENCE Course

infrastructure and trajectory

• market and technology
trajectories
• hardware and software
convergence
• market (user demand)
• infrastructure
development
• innovation windows

innovation networks/community
• innovation networks: theory
• the social character of knowledge
• extending knowledge boundaries
• open source community
• private collective model

the innovative software product
• invention v. innovation
• novelty and utility
• consequence = social change
• incremental v. radical
• technical system hierarchies/levels of
innovation profile:
innovation
• utility forms •novelty
• computing infrastructural •utility
• technology enabling •user community
• user service
•social change
• business change enabling
• interaction/communication •market
• entertainment •technical innovation
• innovation profile •infrastructure dependence

the innovative software process
• IEC experience
• linear and iterative innovation models
• linear: the light bulb model
• agility: necessary, not sufficient
• market-led and technology-led software innovation
• improvisation, bricolage
• six innovation process strategies
• creative requirements analysis
• designed process framework
• low tech prototyping
• user-driven innovation
• community development
• research prototype

the creative software developer

• the developer’s mental process: recognising and exploiting
discovery points
• a set of personal development competences concerned with both
solving problems and recognising opportunities
• a style of thinking associated with different strengths in
individual’s development personalities
• meta-thinking: recognising predispositions and tendencies in
one’s own (and others’ ) thinking and coming beyond them
• whole-brain thinking: beyond rationality
• a relationship between the individual developer and communities
of people and ideas (domain, field)
• a state of mind: the way the developer’s mind is disposed when
being creative (flow)
• a universal mental skill to be enhanced

the innovative software team
• negative
• creativity barriers
• negative: group dysfunction
• positive
• innovation team roles
• positive: innovation team interaction
• positive: team learning
• positive: innovative social patterns
• positive: accommodation of divergent thinking
• positive: expertise integration
• positive: overview, vision, common purpose, shared learning
• positive: environmental scanning

tools and techniques for innovative
development
• creativity techniques
• brainstorming
• backward mapping
• repertoire
• SCAMPER
• six serving men • situational choice
• six thinking hats
• vision box
• elevator test
• tools for:
• support for escaping routine
work
• sandbox tools
• knowledge tools
• collaboration tools
• visualization and overview
support
• creativity technique support


bring your toolbox

evaluating software innovation


keep your head up
bring your toolbox

Software Innovation course

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