How to get your innovation engine started? THoMer Stefan built the ultimate innovation guide: he collected insights, processes and templates to help you prepare for take-off.

1. The innovation kickstart toolkit

2. Objective & Resources
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• Introduction to the innovation kickstart toolkit
• Kickstart innovation at work:
1. Create an innovation team
2. Align on the innovation vision
3. Initiate a first innovation project
4. Stimulate an innovation culture
Objective
• Innovation kickstart templates
• 3 – 5 people
• Post-its & pens
• 3 hours for 4-5 weeks
Resources
Innovation kickstart toolkit

3. Kickstart your innovation at work by using the following templates
Innovation kickstart toolkit3
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Vision Canvas
Environment Map Canvas
Observation Preparation & Observation Record Canvas
Value Proposition Canvas

4. Let’s guide you through each of the templates (1/2)
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A. Visual of the template: B. Value of the template:
Innovation kickstart toolkit

5. Let’s guide you through each of the templates (2/2)
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C. How to use the template:
D. What the outcome should look like:
Innovation kickstart toolkit

6. 1. Vision Canvas
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B. Value of the template:
The value of the Vision Map is twofold:
On the one hand, it creates a reference point to check if ideas
later on in the process are aligned with your company’s DNA.
Secondly, and maybe even more importantly, it creates
consent about the overall objective to which innovation has
to contribute.
Innovation kickstart toolkit
DOWNLOAD THIS TEMPLATE

7. 1. Vision Canvas
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C. How to use the template:
D. What the outcome should look like:
Print out the Vision Map. Bring a core team of 3-5 people together and put your post-its on the table. First, each individual writes
down answers. If necessary, go back to the origin of your company to find its roots. Next, present to each other and paste post-its to
the canvas. Finally, try to formulate a consensus around each of the elements by discussing and clustering answers. Golden tip: don’t
rush things. Only ‘sign off’ the vision map when the answers make everyone – or at least the majority of the people around the table –
enthusiastic and aligned.
You should now have an aligned and enthusiastic team that has direction and a point of reference during the next steps of the
innovation journey. Well done, you have finished your first template. Let’s continue!
1 2 3 4Innovation kickstart toolkit

8. 2. Environment Map Canvas
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B. Value of the template:
This canvas is an actionable template that forces you to look
outside-in, rather than inside-out.
Not only does the canvas force you to fight innovation blindness
by investigating what competitors are doing and by trying to
understand how your customers are changing, it also helps you to
spot opportunities in the market: trends, new technologies, and
changing market dynamics.
1 2 3 4Innovation kickstart toolkit
DOWNLOAD THIS TEMPLATE

9. 2. Environment Map Canvas
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C. How to use the template:
D. What the outcome should look like:
Print out the template. Do some research in team or individually, and discuss the findings. For once, force yourself to be a trend
watcher, a sociologist or a generation Z-expert – you name it. Do it. See it as your responsibility to not only break down your own
boundaries, but to also help others to ‘see’ again and to be more open to change.
Golden tip: try to formulate at least 3 macro and 3 micro trends before discussing them in group.
An overview of macro and micro trends that will likely impact your business in the short, mid and long term.
This is your icing on the cake: you have now created an inspired team that is one step closer to act as the innovation fortune teller that
will help in challenging and predicting the future.
1 2 3 4Innovation kickstart toolkit

10. 3. Observation Canvas (1 & 2)
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B. Value of the templates:
1 2 3 4Innovation kickstart toolkit
DOWNLOAD THESE TEMPLATES
After having investigated external macro and micro trends, it’s now time to create a deep understanding of the behavior of your target
market and your customers. These two templates help you to create and conduct a first empirical observation research. Such research
will in turn help you to define pain points and needs that can be seen ‘opportunities to address’.

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D. What the outcome should look like:
C. How to use the template:
Print out the templates. Discuss in team who and what you would like to investigate. Is it the usage or consumption of your product? Is
it the behavior of a potential customer at one of the touchpoints in the journey?
Once everything has been defined and prepared, run a first experiment to check if the outcome is what you expected. Golden tip: if
possible, try to let the observed person ‘tell you out loud’ what he/she is thinking about when – for example - consuming your product.
This helps you to capture unmet needs and spot opportunities.
3. Observation Canvas (1 & 2)
Try to have a least 10 completed Observation Canvases. Check if there are similarities in the results. If so, you can move on to the final
exercise. If no similarities have been found yet, continue your research until you are sure you have captured the most important
insights.
1 2 3 4Innovation kickstart toolkit

12. 4. Value Proposition Canvas
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B. Value of the template
The importance of the Value Proposition Canvas is that is has the
customer/consumer at the center of its thinking, and that it helps
to ideate products and services that the market is asking for,
rather than the other way around.
The insights of the Observation Canvas are input to build upon
during this last kickstart exercise.
1 2 3 4Innovation kickstart toolkit
DOWNLOAD THIS TEMPLATE

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D. What the outcome should look like:
C. How to use the template:
Look at the outcome of the previous observation exercise and start at the right side of the Value Proposition Canvas. Write down pain
points, needs and gain creators onto the canvas. When all insights of your observations have been written down, try to cluster findings
and determine the key elements. Next, try to high level define products/services that address these needs and pain points, for
example, ‘ice cream that melts less fast’.
Golden tip: try to put yourself in the mind of your customer/consumer. Walk the customer journey and understand what the
customer’s needs are. Try to really understand what could make his/her life easier.
4. Value Proposition Canvas
Once completed, you have a Value Proposition Canvas with an overview of customer needs you could address on one side, and
product/service definitions that help to create market fit and market value on the other side. Good job, you have just completed the
first steps of your innovation process!
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Stefan Herrebosch
Innovation Consultant
M + 32 485 52 31 08
Stefan.herrebosch@thom.eu