Challenging conventions There are three main phases to each probes project; generating what is known as a disruptive scenario, creating a provocation based on the scenario, and then carrying out an evaluation. “One of our main aims is to challenge conventional ways of thinking and to come up with concepts that really make people sit up and take notice,” says Lucy McRae, Body Architect at Philips Design. Although some of these concepts may seem at first glance to be extremely ‘off the wall’ and far removed from everyday Philips activities, they are none the less valuable seeds for the innovation process. As Van Heerden says;
“If you can’t lay an egg once in a while, nothing will ever hatch.” Probes and the three research horizons The McKinsey book The Alchemy of Growth claims that companies have to manage three different horizons simultaneously in order to innovate effectively. Horizon 3 involves inves tigating interesting territories and creating viable options, horizon 2 is to do with building emerging business and discovering the most appropriate application, while horizon 1 is about extending and defending core business. Probes are essentially horizon 3. Three main probe projects are currently being carried out; SKIN tattoo, SMELL and Sustainable Habitat. The SKIN tattoo project follows on from the work that saw the creation of ‘emotive dresses’ (see New Value by Design issue 30). “We believe that the body is a platform for interactive technology,” says McRae, who has been heavily involved in numerous probe projects. “In this context, it is fascinating to examine the growing trend in extreme body adornment like multiple tattoos, piercings, implants or scarring and see how this could evolve 15 or 20 years down the line.”
right: "Frisson" a cat-suit covered in miniscule electronic filaments that are sensitive to touch, movement and the proximity of other bodies. Like the hair covering the human skin which sense presence, danger, temperature and a range of other conditions, Frisson lit up when whispered to and 'shivered' in response to the arousal of the person under it's 'second skin'. 72