Creax triple diamond framework illustrated for new product development of a camping fire

Future Thinking Illustrated

Imagine you are a manufacturer of camping stoves

The Creax triple diamond approach leads you through a systematic sequence of diverse (data-driven) research and exploration steps, followed by making decisions after bringing all the elements back together. These are the kinds of decisions you will make:

You’re a leader in manufacturing camping stoves using butane gas. For a while, your sales have been steady.

But now, with more people wanting green products, energy problems, and changing what they buy, there’s more competition. Your company knows that using butane gas might not work in the future because it’s not renewable. So, you’re thinking about the tech out there and what products you should make to stay in the game.

To make products that will sell well in the future and fit with what your company is good at, you need to think about what customers will want and what new tech can offer. Using the 3-diamond method can help find these new wants and tech opportunities, helping you build a strong product line for the future.

The first thing to do is:

Tripe diamond for innovation by innovation agency Creax

Diamond 1

1

Set out your
strategic direction

It is tempting to develop new solutions based on your existing expertise. However, as a producer of camping cooking solutions, you want to avoid investing in new products without knowing their potential for success. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand how emerging trends will influence the perception of holidays, particularly camping, and how these changes will impact cooking solutions. Here are some scenarios to consider:

Camping cooking will be flameless & powered by renewable energy
We won't have to compromise our comfort & food quality while camping
People will want to bring their digital tools with them when they go camping
People will want camping nutrition that is tailored to their individual needs and preferences
The need for cheap and sustainable cooking solutions will only become more pressing

Which trend do you want to address? Each scenario requires different types of cooking solutions and will impact your investment decisions accordingly. Which scenario would you choose to pursue, and what are your reasons? Your colleagues may have differing opinions. Unbiased, data-driven insights can aid in making this decision. Currently, flameless cooking appears to be the most prominent trend and aligns well with your strategy to leverage renewable energy. Click here to explore the details.

Read and download
the full report

The world keeps changing, and securing your business’s future with fresh ideas can be challenging. Innovation goes beyond being a trendy world-it’s essential for success.

Diamond 2

2

Identify,
Opportunities

It is tempting to develop new solutions based on your existing expertise. However, as a producer of camping cooking solutions, you want to avoid investing in new products without knowing their potential for success. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand how emerging trends will influence the perception of holidays, particularly camping, and how these changes will impact cooking solutions. Here are some scenarios to consider:

New functionality
New product
New experience
Delivery service
Incremental
Radical

There are many existing portable or transportable systems available, which is advantageous because you can ‘steal’ these ideas. However, it’s also a challenge due to the significant amount of intellectual property involved.

So, what’s the best opportunity for you? Are you interested in developing a groundbreaking product using solar energy? Or would it be even more disruptive for you to create a drone delivery service rather than a physical product? The state-of-the-art shows that there is still some white space,  even if you focus on your core competency of creating heating devices.

Diamond 3

3

Create your
next-gen portfolio

The key now is to differentiate yourself from your competitors. Essentially, you need to focus on three main elements: (renewable) energy, heating, and interface.

Cross-industry learning is invaluable for discovering ideas outside the domain of cooking devices and transferring them to your solution. It not only offers surprising inspiration but also shortens development time.

Data-driven research can further support this ideation process. Click here to explore cross-industry ideas that could be applied to your portable cooking systems.

Horizon 1
Horizon 2
Horizon 3

We have completed the ideation session, and your vision is to utilize hydrogen in an efficient, safe, and convenient manner. We’ve developed the “Hydrogen” concept, which is both ambitious and realistic, as all the underlying technologies have been researched or implemented elsewhere, though not yet in a camping stove.

The Horizon model provides a strategic framework for creating  your innovation roadmap. It consists of three stages—Horizon 1, 2, and 3—that build on previous knowledge and experience, focusing on short, mid, and long-term goals. Here, the “Catalytic Stove” employs commercially available catalytic heating technology, which can be retrofitted into your existing products. Meanwhile, you can experiment with hydrogen as an alternative fuel, ultimately applying your new insights to the “Hydrogen Concept.”

Keep track

That’s a wrap
or not?

Technologies evolve or are replaced by new ones, so we monitor these changes and early signs of disruption. At the same time, we aim to instill confidence. Through our Future Thinking methodology, which utilizes the Triple Diamond framework, we have explored future trends with an open perspective, ensuring that we anticipate and avoid potential surprises. This approach provides you with confidence in your ongoing investments in product development and market entry strategies.

Receive all relevant, tailored content directly in your inbox

Sign up and stay informed

Sign up now to stay in the loop and never miss an update! By subscribing, you'll receive all the latest and most relevant content, carefully tailored to your interests, delivered straight to your inbox.

Consent Cookie Policy*

Building on two decades of experience with over 1,250 projects in a wide range of industries. Creax is a trustworthy innovation partner.

Creax nv
Vaartstraat 130, 8500 Kortrijk (B)
BE0810607620

See what's behind | Diamond 3

Cross-industry learning is the process of transferring practices, ideas and knowledge from one sector to another.

Creax used its AI-driven contextual analysis Mynd to analyze thousands of patents, pbulications and web pages to discover a wide range of relevant and inspirational technologies and applications – both inside and outside the domain. This is a morphology board that maps relevant ones based on the functionality they provide.

See what's behind | Diamond 2

Creax uses AI-driven contextual analysis to analyse over 19,000 patents related to state of the art technologies for portable heating technologies. The AI algorithm clustered coherent topics describing technologies, features and applications.

Key findings

  • Alternative fuels are used, such as different gases, wood and biomass.
  • Heating systems like Peltier, exothermic heating and infrared are use.
  • Portable systems are battery-powered while external energy convertors using wind and solar are popular.

See what's behind | Diamond 1

Creax uses AI-driven contextual analysis to analyse over 8,000 topics related to “camping gear” from a public social forum. The AI algorithm clustered coherent topics describing needs, problems, and emotions related to “camping gear” into relevant topic groups.

Key findings

  • Fire bans encourage people to consider alternative and renewable energy source.
  • Negative emotions were expressed about grills, heaters, power banks, and chargers. Solutions were also sought to better charge electronic devices.
  • People suggest combining functions and limiting the number of carry-on items.