Presentation: TweetInternet of Things: Smart Products, Smart Places but most of all Smart People

Innovation Director Lorna Goulden believes that "we are in a paradigm shift of all paradigm shifts". In order to innovate our way forward we need to be able to both think differently and create differently if we are to successfully ride the impending disruptive wave. Yet from disruptions also come opportunities – if you know where to look for them – which is where Lorna chooses to focus her attention. One key disruptor is the convergence of capabilities behind the Internet of Things the impact of which Lorna presents with her own unique perspective.

Using her "triggers, trends and signals" tool to map hundreds of examples – giving a glimpse into the workings of a creative innovators brain – she illustrates how it is possible to gain a deeper level of understanding into both the broader impact as well as future opportunities. By shifting the focus of enquiry beyond "what" and the ever enticing "how many" to dig deeper and uncover the patterns that help us understand a more qualitative "why" and "how". Why a change is occurring, why certain behaviour is emerging and how new value can be created within the context of the Internet of Things. At the same time she questions whether the dominant drive to automate people out of many smart and connected systems should be more balanced by incorporating both the intelligence and unpredictability of people back into these systems.

«A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools», Douglas Adams.

Prerequisite attendee experience level: beginner