Hi Andréa Blixter!

What led you and your colleague to decide that Foxway should participate in our Challenge?

Elin contacted us and told us about their ongoing project "crossinnovation," and when we heard about the setup with a two-day challenge together with a group of creators, we became more than intrigued! At Foxway, we have been working for some time now on issues related to digital inclusion for the elderly. It’s important to highlight the challenges from many different perspectives and to think wisely and broadly together to maximize the effectiveness of the measures taken. So, we saw this as a real opportunity to brainstorm with people outside of our industry—a chance to really "think outside the box."

How would you briefly describe the process? What happened?

For two days, we worked under the guidance of a very experienced and professional process leader. We were divided into smaller groups, with the companies working together with 3-4 creators. We brought our company’s key question into the groups. Using various methods, we were, for instance, able to define the target audience of our key question much more precisely, analyze what emotions and thoughts our key question evokes in those expected to take responsibility for it, define obstacles and opportunities, and so on. This deep dive allowed us to refine our original question significantly, become more concrete, and move towards action. The work was mixed with exercises that improved everyone’s creativity and forced new thoughts and ideas; it was an exciting and educational process!

What surprised you in the work, both with the creators and the facilitated process?

I was surprised by how quickly the creators were able to grasp our key question and contribute with such great engagement and focus. "Impressed" is actually a better word. We got started quickly, and the work both confirmed our theories and brought a number of new perspectives. Usually, we work internally on questions like this, and it’s not uncommon for my colleagues and me to think quite similarly about possible ways forward. In this workshop, people with very diverse experiences and backgrounds participated, and I was positively surprised by the wide range of suggestions the group came up with. Much of this is thanks to a facilitation process that constantly kept us on our toes.

It's been three months since Foxway participated in this innovation workshop. What have you taken forward (or what have you taken away from the work)?

After those two days, we landed on a very concrete measure that we believe will clarify our key question and highlight the urgency of this issue even more. We are actively working on it right now. Additionally, the process gave a lot of new energy to me and my colleagues. And, not least, many new contacts!

What would you say to other companies considering participating—what is good to bring into the process to get the most out of it?

It’s good to start with a key question that is concrete and relatively narrow, so the creators can easily get into your challenge. But also be prepared to throw all the balls in the air again and be ready to land somewhere completely different. In the process, dare to let go of your early ideas and try something entirely new, and be willing to put even your half-formed thoughts on the table, as they might inspire someone else to complete the idea.

It’s a fun process—join the ride!