0.0 Comm1120 Notes

COMM1120 SUMMARY NOTES
WEEK 1: Discover – Innovation and Creativity

PRE - TUT NOTES
“Creativity and innovation are characteristics that people seek to develop to help them look
at the world in new ways and form ideas to improve or add to it”
 Creativity is about creating / generating a new idea / concept

 Innovation is about implementing it and making it work
Creativity:
 The ability to take the risk of coming up with new ideas
o E.g rethinking a busines model
Innovation:
 Making the idea work in a practical business sense (+ value to business & customers)
 Innovation can either be an invention, improvement to existing product/service, new
application of an existing product/service
 It is the process of uncovering a new way of doing things
o E.g modifying a business model, adapting to changes in the market, coming up with
a better product or service + improvement
o ++ generate profitability, improve customer service
 Innovative doesn’t mean changing the world from the ‘first go’ (incremental changes)
 Small, incremental changes, doesn’t have to be a big revolutionary change
Why does it fail?

 Wrong decisions: insufficient information as a basis for decision
 Low priority for innovation: innovative culture vs lip-service
 Lack of market orientation: Assumptions about market needs; no market needs, no
market testing, unclear value proposition
 Slow structure: bureaucratic decision making, not keeping up with competition
 Weak business models to support innovative ideas
 Lack of effective communication to market
 E.g. Vine, Kodak
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Netflix:
 Before Netflix = had to go to video stores (limited copies  no guarantee)
 1997 = sending DVDs to home (readily available to everyone)
o Adapted to tech change (risk of disrupting their own business, not afraid of change)
o Collaboration with Amazon  developed backhand infrastructure for online stream
 don’t be too attached to your own ideas, be aware of others
 working with others  healthy conflict  more creative  innovation
 Ensured that they understood their customers (collection of data)
PRE - TUT ACTIVITY
To prepare for your workshop, have a think about the Double Diamond approach that was
mentioned in the Welcome video and reflect on how it might apply to the following three
context areas: a. in context of your own experience b. in context of a business case c. in
context of Assessment task 1A: Goal Setting Jot down a response below to each area to
bring them along to your workshop class.
a. Personally, I have used the DD approach when dealing with large obstacles as it allows
me to break down the issue into smaller components and provides a pathway to create an
effective solution.
b. In context of the Netflix mailing to streaming subscription transition business case, the
Double Diamond framework was employed by Netflix to first conduct market research into
customers' issues with the current entertainment media viewing options of those times
before deciding that they would focus on solving the inconvenience and inefficiency of
mailing DVDs to customers. They then would've conducted research into possible
solutions until settling on the viable option of transitioning to a streaming service which
would be more convenient and provide more value for the customer, subsequently aiding
Netflix to reach a wider audience as the physical constraints of mailing were removed
which would benefit their profit margins in the long-term.
c. In the context of Assessment Task 1A: Goal Setting, the Double Diamond framework will
help me to methodologically follow an innovative process to better my chances of
successfully completing the assessment task and having innovative ideas.
WEEK 2: Discover – The Role of Collaboration
PRE - TUT NOTES
VIDEO 1
 Collaboration is about increasing the overall value by bringing a variety of skillsets
 Collaboration also means being able to understand your role within the team (not doing
everything on your own) and instead, empowering others to try and achieve their roles
 We can learn and gain advice from them which we can use as feedback to improve
ourselves
 ‘Diversity’ in collaboration we are often referring to strengths, skills, experiences, and
mindsets
 The ‘Problem Diamond’ section draws on a lot of evidence-based content from
academics, whereas the ‘Solution Diamond’ focuses more on real life examples from
industry professionals
VIDEO 2
 Innovation is all about creating value and collaboration is critical in this process
 Collaboration is important for risk-management
o It can uncover risks because you’re working with a broader set of perspectives
o Can uncover disruptive ideas faster and cheaper if you have collaborators
 There are negatives in the collaboration process: “The Blame Game”
o Everyone should take responsibility and be held accountable for their part, but
attributing blame doesn’t help anyone
o The group should learn from their conflict and go forward
 When things go wrong, there are ways to adapt / modify a project so it can continue
o Ensure that there is a common goal (similar priorities)
o Ensure everyone is comfortable with what they’re doing
Innovation in a team = diverse composition + good team processes + how we react & utilise
external shocks
 It is crucial for a team to become robust and resilient (fail early and reflect)
o Recognise failure, learn about the team and their tolerances, capabilities
 To outperform competition, risks must be taken (team must be comfortable)
VIDEO 3
Does collaboration matter in all organisations and professions?
 Collaboration brings together diverse people and ideas for innovation which enables
businesses to sustain performance
COMM1120 “How do I collaborate” toolkit
 Create a structure for your team
 Establish team processes
o Transition – set targets for the team to monitor progress on collective outputs
o Action – team begins to work on the project and engage in action (team transitions
through various milestones together)
o Interpersonal processes - relationship with team members, communication
 Develop skills for team dynamics
o Team members must be able to adapt to change
o “Punctuated Equilibrium Model”
1. Inertia stage – not much progress in tasks
2. Equilibrium is punctured by an abrupt change in activities
3. Teamwork accelerates and task is completed
o “Five Stage Model”
 Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning
PRE - TUT ACTIVITY
Individual preparation for the week 2 tutorial activity – Setting a Team Agreement
Many teams aim to have high performance, learn as much as they can and foster
relationships with people all at the same time. However, compromises and trade-offs often
need to be made because multiple time pressures and stressors are experience (For
example: Work v/s study v/s personal life). For example, if team members are exploring a
team assignment in depth (focussing on learning), they may not leave enough time to write
up and edit thoroughly to obtain a high grade. If your team is to work together effectively,
you will need to reach agreement about how you intend to balance these potentially
competing priorities (Performance, Learning and People). To prepare for this conversation,
think through your personal goals for the COMM1120 team you will be a part of.
1. What grade are you aiming for in this course? To be realistic, how many hours of
personal study are you willing to put to this team assessment?
Distinction, 20-30hrs for each part
2. While working in this team, what do you want to focus on learning (e.g., specific course
content, a team process, a personal skill)?
Understanding and applying the DD framework

Develop effective communication skills where I come out of my comfort zone and initiate
‘courageous conversations’
3. Do you have expectations to build social and/or lasting relationships to beyond this
course (e.g., not further connection, meeting for a coffee, support one another during the
first year, keep connected professionally such as through LinkedIn)?
Try to build on the social relationships and keep in contact throughout University
- discuss taking further courses together
- helping each other out in courses
4. Of the above goals, which is most and least important?
WEEK 3: Define – Complex Problems
PRE - TUT NOTES
 Defining the problem accurately is important & helps with coming up with a good solution
 You need a sustained period during which you can focus and get into the flow of thinking
o What value are you creating? Who are the end users you are creating value for?
o Important to look at the factors that drive the different problems
o Important to look at the context and the ‘eco-system’ of the problem
 The 5Ws
o Why is the problem happening?
o Who is the problem happening to?
o What is the problem all about?
o When is the problem occurring (what time period)?
o Where and in what context is the problem happening in?
 Starting point in understanding the problem:

o Use literature review to research the topic
o Meta-analysis helps with aggregating data from different studies
 Primary research is research you conducted yourself (direct to the subject of research)
o Gives you the ability to gather a depth and richness of information yourself
 Secondary research is research conducted by others
o Useful in getting a sense of the market, academic thinking of the problem and what
is happening in the world
 Recognise that having different perspectives on an issue will serve well in the long-term
o Helps with understanding the problem in many different ways from diff perspectives
 1. Ensure that you try to frame your current state in the group in terms of what
consensus you already have (you agree on 60% of the issue)
 2. Have your team members understood your perspective (ask team members on how
they understood your perspective  preventing miscommunication)
 3. Voting system where everyone puts up their ideas and assign votes
 It is important to understand what competitors are thinking as it gives a compass to your

own thinking process
o ‘First Mover Advantage’ captures a market segment but has the disadvantage where
no one has done it before so there’s no knowing of complexities and challenges
o It can be useful to look at the features and attributes other solutions have (take
aspects of the solution, not the entire thing)
 The 5Ys
o Ask yourself 5 times “Why is this the problem?” to find the root cause of the issue
 How can we frame a problem?

o It can be tempting to fill out a problem definition template which can be useful but it
won’t be if it is done in a shallow way, you need to get to the depth of the issue
o Understand the user experience (what are the individual steps and interactions)
TAKEAWAY:
 Understanding the problem and the context
 How do you accurately define a problem?
 Never let go of the problem and keep testing
WEEK 4: Define – Creative Abrasion
PRE - TUT NOTES
 Creative abrasion is when people with diverse backgrounds are brought together to
discuss ideas
 When there is insufficient debate, we slip into a team bias called ‘Groupthink’
o Groupthink is a phenomenon that occurs when a group of individuals reaches a
consensus without critically reasoning or evaluating the consequences/alternatives
o Groupthink is based on a common desire to not upset the balance in the group
whereby creativity and individuality tend to be stifled to avoid conflict \
o E.g. Challenger Space Shuttle disaster where engineers of a space shuttle knew
about some malfunctioning parts months before the take off. However, given the
emergence of Groupthink, the launch progressed and exploded.
 Prof Webby: Creative Abrasion = Constructive Discomfort

o Getting people out of their comfort zones, changing roles and patterns of behaviour
o E.g. DISNEY  delivered great guest experiences, build new websites, improve the
experience, continually measure and adjust. Partnered with all parts of the Disney
business to ultimately integrate technologies into the p ark experience (mobile app
and Magic Band – wearable technology)
o Creative abrasion towards a shared vision (anonymous experience to a
personalised, seamless experience)
o Culture and learning shift
o Creative abrasion requires getting the right people in the room and having robust
process is to work together
 Dr. Collings: innovation is a ‘social team process’

1. Think: What type and amount of conflict?
o Process conflict: disagreement over the methods/procedures the group should
use in order to complete tasks (occurs when strategies/procedures clash)
o Interpersonal conflict: personal differences, emotional responses and personal
attacks
2. What do I do? Develop collaboration skills

o Avoiding
o Competing or forcing
o Compromising
o Collaborating
o Accommodating
 Assign tasks on skill
 Focus on content not delivery style
 Forecast workload
3. What do we do? ‘Suit’ up

o Share information
 Ensure members share all ideas
 Focus on unique ideas
 Speak up against the majority
o Understand ideas
 Look at the details, focus and analyse to fully understand others’ perspective
o Integrate views
 Don’t be competitive, put aside emotions
o Team decision
 Ensure everyone agrees
WEEK 5: Develop – Rapid Prototyping
PRE - TUT NOTES
 Prototype: an early sample, model or release of a product built to test a concept or
process
 Design thinking process:
1. Empathise – research your users’ needs
2. Define – state your users’ needs and problems
3. Ideate – challenge assumptions and create a lot of ideas
4. Prototype – start to create solutions
5. Test – try out the solutions and test them on users
6. Iterate – make changes to features that didn’t work
 Use storyboard to map out user journey
 Key value proposition: the key value we are bringing to users through the prototype or
MVP (minimum viable product)
 Assumptions are things that you assume to be true for the purpose of developing a
strategy, making decisions and planning
 Fidelity
o High  highly functional and interactive (very close to final product)
o Low  quick and easy way to translate high-level design concepts into tangible and
testable artifacts (testing functionality rather than the visual appearance of product)
WEEK 7: Develop – Engaging with Stakeholders

PRE - TUT NOTES
 Who do we consider to be stakeholders?
o Customers – must understand who you’re serving and test with them
o Suppliers
o Certifiers
o Accreditation bodies
 How to reach out to some stakeholders:
o Building personas to empathise with the perspective of stakeholders
o Doesn’t matter where you start, you’re trying to get to a point in the future and
people will reflect on the latest version of the product
o Have the confidence to go up to people and ask questions / survey and introduce
their service / product
o Put up an easy website and send out emails sharing the website
o Find an audience that resonates with what you’re doing and seek feedback
 It is important to receive all kinds of feedback (both positive and negative)
o Negative feedback is the most valuable (used for improvement)
Demographics
Name – Brent Greg
Age - 34
Occupation – Tax Consultant
Education – Bachelor of Commerce, Major in Accounting and Taxation
Location – Concord, Sydney, Australia
List 2 tasks the persona accomplishes in their occupation or personal lives that are relevant to
the prototype
- End of Financial Year Tax Returns
- Drives his two sons to weekly soccer matches
2 Goals and Aspirations while accomplishing the tasks

- Sending his sons to private high school
2 Frustrations and Difficulties in accomplishing the tasks

- Doesn’t know where the money for his bills ends up
- Doesn’t have enough time to clean his house / commuting time
2 Behavioural Characteristics
- Wants to be cost – efficient in every situation
- OCD
WEEK 8: Develop – Value Proposition
PRE - TUT NOTES
 Value proposition depends on the audience and what you are trying to solve for them
 Value can be as simple as doing it easier, quicker or better
 Value proposition always evolves
 Address the client’s needs when articulating your value
 Willingness to pay is a key factor in value creation in the business context
Why is the process of testing and iterating so important?

 Testing is necessary to articulate the value proposition
 Any outcome of a test is a piece of information and feedback you can take into your
value proposition
 After long-term testing and iterating, you know exactly what message resonates to
suppliers
 Iterating along the way is necessary to deliver the value to customers
Through your research, what happens after you find out that your value proposition is
completely misaligned to your expectations?
 Go back to drawing board
 If test results come out completely different to expected results, you have to go back to
the fundamental questions:
o “What’s the problem / solution?”
o “Who are we solving it for?”
o “Why are we doing this?”
WEEK 9: Deliver – Persuasive Communication
PRE - TUT NOTES

 Storytelling is the interactive art of using words and actions to reveal the elements and
images of a story while encouraging the listener’s imagination
 Storytelling enacts the imagination and emotion of your audience
o Evokes an emotional response that stimulates the audience’s desire to action
 Storytelling works because its memorable, consistent and takes your listener through the
journey with you
 Use everyday language (no acronyms, jargon, terminology, or other languages unless
you 100% know that the audience will understand)
 Pitch genius zone = where the story you’re telling is supported by the slides, and your
delivery and presentation skills are congruent with your words
 Get to the point quickly, demonstrate research, passion, and a sense of subject at hand
 Be confident and honest
 Research your audience to critically deliver your solution
 Tailoring the information to the audience’s motivation is important

o Need to understand their values and problems, then pitch to that
o They need to see the benefits of investing or funding your project
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COMM1120 SUMMARY NOTES

WEEK 1: Discover – Innovation and Creativity

 Creativity is about creating / generating a new idea / concept

Why does it fail?

PRE - TUT ACTIVITY

Distinction, 20-30hrs for each part

Understanding and applying the DD framework

4. Of the above goals, which is most and least important?

 Starting point in understanding the problem:

 It is important to understand what competitors are thinking as it gives a compass to your

 How can we frame a problem?

 Prof Webby: Creative Abrasion = Constructive Discomfort

 Dr. Collings: innovation is a ‘social team process’

2. What do I do? Develop collaboration skills

3. What do we do? ‘Suit’ up

WEEK 7: Develop – Engaging with Stakeholders

2 Goals and Aspirations while accomplishing the tasks

2 Frustrations and Difficulties in accomplishing the tasks

Why is the process of testing and iterating so important?

WEEK 9: Deliver – Persuasive Communication

PRE - TUT NOTES

 Tailoring the information to the audience’s motivation is important

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