6. Dimensions of Predictive Innovation

There are 6 dimensions used in Predictive Innovation. Finding What, How, When, and Where primarily deal with 3 of these dimensions. Why and Who requires more depth of all 6 dimensions. The 6 dimensions are:

1. Actors – are people involved in making and using innovations
2. Desires – are the focus of innovation
3. Scenarios – are the boundaries of a set of desires
4. Alternatives – the ways of satisfying desires
5. Outcomes – are the objective criteria that defines satisfaction
6. Elements – are the detailed parts of an Outcome

Actors

There are 8 types of Actors. Each Actor can be a single person or multiple people. There is always at least one person who is the User. Users are the central focus of innovation. If the users' desires are not satisfied innovation fails. The 8 types of Actors are:

Customer	User
	Beneficiary
	Decider
	Payer
Provider	Designer
	Builder
	Seller
	Communicator

Customers are divided into four distinct roles: Beneficiary, User, Buyer, and Payer. Roles can be performed by one or more people but someone performs each of the roles. The desires of the person acting in that role are different from the desires related to the other roles.

Users are people who use the product or service. There must be at least one User. Satisfying the desires of the User is essential to innovation. Examples of Users' desires are:

• How well the product performs the task
• Feelings related to using the product.

Beneficiaries experience the benefits of the product or service. In most cases the User and the Beneficiary are the same person but not always. Products used in performing a service have a different User than the Beneficiary.

Deciders make the decision to purchase the product or service. Examples of Deciders' desires are:

• price
• warranty
• where to purchase the product

Payers supply the money or materials for the innovation. For consumer products the User, Buyer and Payer are often the same person. In business these are usually three different people. Examples of Payers' desires are:

• Return on Investment
• Total cost
• Achieving a larger strategy

Provider is divided into four roles:

• designer
• builder
• seller
• communicator

Provider can be divided differently but these four provide a sufficiently accurate description to understand the process. Just like customers these could be a single person or multiple people. The provider could also be the same person as the customer and each of the roles could be shared by people acting in other roles. So the User could be Builder and the other 6 roles be someone else.

Designers convert desires into actionable designs. This frequently is more than one person. Examples of Designers' desires are:

• Know criteria to satisfy desires of Actors
• Access to technology
• Interesting challenge

Builders convert design into real products. For services the builder does the work. Builders are often many different people. Examples of Builders' desires are:

• Ease of production
• Tools needed
• Start up costs

Sellers deliver the product or service to the User. The Seller is involved in the purchase transaction. Examples of Sellers' desires are:

• Size of market
• Quantity discounts
• Turn over
• Profit margins
• Hassles of delivering products or services

Communicator gathers information and translates between Actors. Examples of Communicators' desires are:

• Know the desires of Actors
• Able to reach other Actors
• Accuracy of communication

Customers act as more than just Users. There are markets and innovations for each Actor in a Scenario. Innovation starts by satisfying Users.