Chapter 1

Introducing Presumptive Design

Abstract

PrD is a research tool that places design thinking in service of innovation. Innovation, by definition, is fraught with risk. Regardless of the target of the innovation—a new product or service, a new market or business, or a new strategy—by its nature, innovation involves unknowns. For situations in which teams “don’t know what they don’t know,” a step-wise process will not reduce risk. PrD is an inexpensive, powerful means of reducing risk by rapidly and iteratively forming hypotheses, taking action, capturing and analyzing the results, and quickly offering insights about and tests of those hypotheses. Before we invest in any project, large or small, we engage in PrD: The cost/benefit is just ...

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