A Wren Says

I decided to go to the gym, hit the treadmill and focus on getting better and running. But I also wanted to keep my hoodie on. Every time I started my run intervals, the strings bopped around and hit me. Previously wearing a different hoodie, those little metal aglets at the end of the strings were hitting me in the face. But now, watching Dan Churchill I see a solution. Apparently On Running makes a hoodie with a lace guard to keep those strings in place. I’m intrigued. It is a small feature to solve for an annoyance I’ve had for years. I might need a new hoodie.

This post is not going to be reviewing a new hoodie that I rushed out and bought. Instead, I am just prompted think more about product design. Clearly, someone on the On design team was tasked with really thinking about what their user community experienced while wearing their and competitor’s products. They walked through the potential problems they might have and came up with an innovative solution. While some might have thought the only solve was to get rid of strings altogether, On went simple. “What if we just stitch a piece of fabric for  the strings to tuck into? And that way you could keep the ability to adjust the hood easily, without the strings irritating you on your run?” Brilliant.

Innovation is simpler than you think. There is a problem you can solve for, no matter how small it is. What is your big idea?