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

Abstract

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.