Inventing and refining new and improved products and processes is a core business for Transition States. We have contributed to innovation in a broad range of industries: from branded consumer goods like foods, soft drinks packaging and sporting goods, through diagnostic and interventive medical devices, to basic industrial materials and manufacturing.

We begin with a precise definition of client and market requirements, taking into account intentions for intellectual property development, first-mover advantage, production capability, and other key factors. This scope definition exercise is, in itself, often found by clients to be exceptionally valuable. In addition to both formal and informal criterial elicitation techniques, we have developed powerful concepts to link technology with brands—for example, shelf-evident product characteristics, and credibility tokens that communicate both brand values and performance attributes.

Having established the "problem space," we may collect relevant data as appropriate from academic and industry experts, the patent and technical literature, client internal knowledge, and our own diverse network.

Information from multiple sources is integrated in a proven methodology drawing on multiple thinking styles. We can work independently of the client, offering interim results for selection and further development. Our preference, however, is to include key client staff (and associates) from various functions in the creative process. Part of our approach is to extract functional features and elements of imperfect but interesting ideas, with the best of these recombined to produce optimal, practical solutions.

The result is typically a spectrum of solutions that suggest multiple business directions. Further, this collaborative, inclusionary, efficient process facilitates downstream progress of the new ideas, in ways that are satisfactory to manufacturing, marketing and other responsible functions. And please ask about our learning trajectories approach to minimizing risk while accelerating exploration of new markets with new products, technologies or business approaches.

Having come this far, Transition States can also help with implementation by developing working prototypes, patent claims, and story-boards for consumer testing, assisting with cross-licensing (including the out-licensing of surplus intellectual property) and in other ways.

As described in Targeted Creativity, we will also teach client staff our own innovation methods, including training facilitators who can propagate these practices throughout your organization.