6
In the agricultural and agrifood sector, there have been diverse attempts to understand what the needs of farmers, members of supply chains, and users look like and
to involve them in the technology design and innovation processes. However, a
deliberate and explicit consideration of human-centered design to address how technology fits into the social, cultural, and emotional context of its users is not common
practice. This is unfortunate, as such considerations would only increase the likelihood of success of innovation efforts, as well as the ability of innovation practitioners to truly apprehend how value is perceived by farmers and other participants in
food systems. Fortunately, several diverse human-centered methods to innovate
have been already developed in other domains. The following section briefly
describes one approach – design thinking.
1.3.1 A Primer on Design Thinking
One highly effective approach to create human-centered products and services is
design thinking.
4
It is typically structured as three overlapping phases:
• Inspiration
• Ideation
• Implementation
Typically, these phases proceed sequentially, although sometimes design thinking loops back onto itself as solutions are tried out. It is quite different from highly
linear or more rigid approaches to innovation.
Design thinking shapes the experience of both innovators and users. It recognizes organizations as human groups and factors in the importance of emotions. It
encourages learning and engagement. By closely involving users in the identification of the opportunity and its solution, design thinking garners a wider commitment to change (Liedtka 2018). Among its stand-out main characteristics, design
thinking is human-centered, possibility-driven, option-focused, and iterative.
Design thinking starts with real human beings instead of demographic data, and
before even attempting to generate solutions, it purposely delves into the lives, challenges, and circumstances of the people whose lives we aim to improve. It is possibility-driven since it addresses the question, “What if anything were possible?” and
it focuses on developing multiple options before zooming in on the most appropriate one. Furthermore, design thinking is iterative, as it sails through several rounds
of prototypes and multiple rounds of real-life experiments to refine ideas and potential solutions (Liedtka et al. 2017).
Design thinking is a highly effective, pragmatic innovation and problem-solving
approach.
4 A detailed discussion about design thinking goes beyond the scope of this chapter. Books such as
Change by Design by Tim Cook and Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential
Within Us All by Tom Kelley and David Kelley provide a more extended perspective on design
thinking.
H. Campos
In the agricultural and agrifood sector, there have been diverse attempts to understand what the needs of farmers, members of supply chains, and users look like and
to involve them in the technology design and innovation processes. However, a
deliberate and explicit consideration of human-centered design to address how technology fits into the social, cultural, and emotional context of its users is not common
practice. This is unfortunate, as such considerations would only increase the likelihood of success of innovation efforts, as well as the ability of innovation practitioners to truly apprehend how value is perceived by farmers and other participants in
food systems. Fortunately, several diverse human-centered methods to innovate
have been already developed in other domains. The following section briefly
describes one approach – design thinking.
1.3.1 A Primer on Design Thinking
One highly effective approach to create human-centered products and services is
design thinking.
4
It is typically structured as three overlapping phases:
• Inspiration
• Ideation
• Implementation
Typically, these phases proceed sequentially, although sometimes design thinking loops back onto itself as solutions are tried out. It is quite different from highly
linear or more rigid approaches to innovation.
Design thinking shapes the experience of both innovators and users. It recognizes organizations as human groups and factors in the importance of emotions. It
encourages learning and engagement. By closely involving users in the identification of the opportunity and its solution, design thinking garners a wider commitment to change (Liedtka 2018). Among its stand-out main characteristics, design
thinking is human-centered, possibility-driven, option-focused, and iterative.
Design thinking starts with real human beings instead of demographic data, and
before even attempting to generate solutions, it purposely delves into the lives, challenges, and circumstances of the people whose lives we aim to improve. It is possibility-driven since it addresses the question, “What if anything were possible?” and
it focuses on developing multiple options before zooming in on the most appropriate one. Furthermore, design thinking is iterative, as it sails through several rounds
of prototypes and multiple rounds of real-life experiments to refine ideas and potential solutions (Liedtka et al. 2017).
Design thinking is a highly effective, pragmatic innovation and problem-solving
approach.
4 A detailed discussion about design thinking goes beyond the scope of this chapter. Books such as
Change by Design by Tim Cook and Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential
Within Us All by Tom Kelley and David Kelley provide a more extended perspective on design
thinking.
H. Campos