Ian Patterson – Digital Strategist @ Desktop Shortcut
One thing I love about digital is the innovation. Sure you have to be interested in order for that to be a factor, but what I’m trying to say is that digital has become synonymous with innovation, and for that reason I enjoy talking with people about digital, the change it can bring and the doors it can unlock.
It’s not lost on me that digital can ‘function’ without innovating, and that’s good too. Of course, we want things to ‘just work’ when they need to, but I believe we all have an inbuilt desire to progress to the next shiny thing too. And that’s OK. Every younger generation looks back to the previous and wonders how they survived with only TV, magazines and radio. Then the next looks back and wonders how we survived with only websites, live video and Artificial Intelligence! And those days are compressing. The rate and pace of digital change is accelerating, and we’re all looking to the horizon more often and with ever increasing expectation. That’s innovation in a nutshell, to ask “why” we do thing’ s the way we do, to look for opportunities to improve what we do and make things better. If I had to say it in one-word it would be convenience. OK – convenience and curiosity (two words I know!)
Craving convenience
Leaving aside the technology that powers things (because a smaller group of people enjoy talking about tech in my experience) digital is the most prevalent driver of convenience in our lives. It’s addictive, and intentionally so. Think of the buzz you get from completing something in an App. The likes, the rewards, the buzz in your pocket that acknowledges you completed that task. Make no mistake; digital engineering is engineered around our emotions and the more we enjoy the convenience it brings. More time to do the thing we want to, more time to think, more time… to be people again. So, when it comes to innovation, ask “is this going to make our lives easier”.
Naturally curious
During lock-down I became the proud owner of a Disney+ subscription. With three kids it’s probably the best purchase I’ve made all year. A friend suggested I should watch the Imagineering Story. A documentary about the Imagineering team at Disney. It didn’t disappoint! The thing I found most endearing of the philosophy Walt Disney entrusted to his people, was that innovation was almost a secondary by-product of the work ethic. A natural outcome of working the way they do. In his words “There’s no secret about our coach [what we do]. We keep opening new doors, trying new things – because were curious, and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths. We’re always exploring and experimenting… we call it Imagineering.” It’s easy to look at Disney and think – well that has nothing to do with our work, or what we need to achieve– it’s too unrelated. But think for a moment; who is it that reaps the rewards for innovation? It’s the people who make time for it (first of all) and those who stop talking about it and actually make a start (another one of Walt’s words of wisdom there!).
Here’s where the rubber hits the road (sticking with the US quotes) – we all need to keep innovating. Why? Two reasons 1) Because the world is changing so fast around us - we need to keep up. 2) Because the convenience we can achieve from innovation is so profoundly impactful.
Now, one person’s innovation is another’s folly (I get that) but that’s why I enjoy digital so much. It’s the adventure and excitement it offers – to connect with people, tell stories, influence lives and change things for the better. Sure, it’s all relative – so innovation for you might be having your very first video team meeting. For others it might be installing a chat bot with Artificial Intelligence, and yet others – introducing a new way to give - and the list goes on.
Digital has become so complicated that you’d be forgiven for feeling everyone has their own mountain to climb. We know the world is changing, we know we need to keep up – and we know there’s not enough hours in the day! But baby steps for some are mountain climbing for others. What’s most important is that you are making steps and not paralysed in trepidation. Taking a step is innovating in my book, because it’s all relative.
Innovation Wrap-Up
So if it’s all relative; how can we talk in terms of ‘digital maturity’? [I hear you say]. When considering what good looks like, we have the ultimate judge, and that our customer’s, or donors, our advocates and audiences. It’s these people that have great digital experiences every day. The question is, are they having these great experiences with your organisation?
In my final words on innovations I’d just say this… in the early days of ‘doing digital’ we were all led to believe that we needed to understand technology, and (more’s the point) be interested in it. These days we know that’s not true. We’re happy that people can do ‘the tech’ but we are free to innovate by asking big questions, in the knowledge that technology is no longer a barrier. The biggest question being: “What if?”.