Participatory foresight for social innovation. FLUX-3D method (Forward Looking User Experience), a tool for evaluating innovations

• Published in: Technological forecasting & social change 2015-12, Vol.101, p.275-290
• Main Authors: Bas, Enric, Guillo, Mario
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accessibility; Change management; Constants; Corporate culture; Cultural identity; Cultural values; Culture; Decision making; Design thinking; Flux; Graphical representations; Group identity; Human; Identity; Innovation; Innovation culture; Innovations; Interest groups; Organizations; Participatory foresight; Satisfaction; Science and technology; Shareholder activism; Social change; Social innovation; Social networks; Studies; Technological planning; Technology adoption; User satisfaction; Users' experience
• ISSN: 0040-1625; 1873-5509
• DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2015.06.016

The new socio-technological paradigm based on global access, constant change, immediacy and social networking is forcing organizations to be more empathetic with their stakeholders by adopting a “human centered approach.” This change implies a need to look for new more flexible, creative and participatory ways to approach future research. The concept of social innovation becomes highly relevant in this context, since it means understanding innovation as a culture: an essential part of the value code and the collective identity of a society and/or human organization. This concept implies a holistic, creative and democratic way to approach innovation, traditionally associated with science and technology and future thinking.5 FLUX-3D is a tool designed to assess innovative proposals (ideas, products, processes or services) according to users' experience. Thanks to its simplicity, together with the fact that it is systematic and based on tridimensional cube-shaped graphic representations, FLUX-3D provides key information about users' satisfaction – with regard to their expectations – immediately and at first sight, on three different levels of analysis (dimensions, indicators, variables), and in a very accessible as well as intuitive way. It can additionally provide real time feedback which is helpful both for short-, medium- and long-term decision-making because of its participatory and open nature. •Firms and governments are starting to embrace a more human centered philosophy.•Foresight should evolve towards more emphatic and participatory approaches.•New methods to assess users' expectations are needed.•FLUX 3D makes it possible to evaluate an innovative proposal in a straightforward and systematic way.•FLUX 3D provides real-time feedback that can prove helpful for strategic decision-making.