Business Innovation Discovery Canvas

The Innovation Discovery Canvas helps a project team cover a wide range of contexts to fully understand the strategic problems that need to be solved for the customer and business. By working through four main themes, you can clarify the feasibility, viability, desirability and ethical impact of a strategic design and areas that require additional research.

When can you use this canvas?

Use this canvas when engaging in discovery, design research, or problem framing, in situations where there is a broad range of essential business parameters to understand. The Innovation Discovery Canvas can be used in a variety of settings:

• In a workshop setting when kicking off a project with the project team and stakeholders

• Used as a conceptual framework for parameters to research during discovery

• Completed ad hoc as various stakeholders are engaged during the setup or discovery phase of experience or strategic design

How does the Innovation Discovery Canvas work?

Work through four themes to gather data and known information to create a shared understanding of contextual factors, opportunities and challenges, uncovering the broader context of where the problem or project sits.

• Internal: Understanding the internal operations of the business. What current people, networks and processes exist that come into contact with our project.

• Business: Understanding the broader business parameters. Consider the strategic objectives, what products and where the business sits against competitors.

• Audience: Understanding the end-users, customers or audience. Consider who the people are and their needs, how well do we understand their journey and the impact the project will have.

• Society: Thinking broader than the business, consider the more significant impact across the triple bottom line of society, the environment and economy.