We take on big world challenges . . . using unique ideation techniques . . . and try to solve them in a week (or less).
Ok, it’s a pretty bold statement, but this is the Innovation Festival.
We eat bold for breakfast.
The basics . . . in a nutshell
Each year at NWG Innovation Festival HQ, we look at a range of challenges currently facing our business, as well as looking at broader environmental issues impacting our wider industry and communities, and then open our doors and bring together a unique group of people who tackle them, head on. Our innovation citizens. People from our own business, from other water companies across the UK, Europe and beyond, from tech industries, energy and renewables, government, healthcare, communications, design and manufacture. Our innovation citizens are proudly unique, and bring all sorts of different skills but all have one thing in common . . . they want to change the world we live in for the better so we leave behind a brighter, more sustainable future for generations to come.
Our workshop styles
Challenges set, this is what makes up our festival programme. A series of workshops each focussed on their own unique challenge, purpose and desired outcome - and each with a dedicated NWG sprint lead who helps guide the journey onsite – like your own personal Yoda. Our workshops are energetic, fast-paced and highly focussed, so be prepared when you sign up. This is a ‘sleeves rolled up’ kinda gig.
You may here a few different terms for our workshops onsite. Here’s a quick low down on what we mean . . .
This workshop follows a specific and structured process created initially by New York Times bestselling author Jake Knapp when he worked at Google, although we’ve added our own style to it over the years. A sprint typically runs over four days.
Sprints are expertly facilitated by a sprint lead, who guide the sprint team through each stage of the process. So think whiteboards. Pens. Post-its. An all-important timer, and you’re set.
Exactly what it says on the tin, this workshop is designed to deliver a year’s worth of work in just one week.
By cutting out the internal red tape, we take current ‘live’ projects stuck within businesses and fast track the problem solving process with a solid team of do-ers to get the job done.
This is a sprint like workshop in which specifically data experts, programmers, software developers, digital graphic designers, and domain experts come together to tackle tech based challenges.
A Hack does not follow the same format as a design sprint and therefore it can be completed in two or three days.
It’s still a facilitated, fast-paced collaborative workshop. Participants are presented with the challenge, then its laptops out, power up, wifi on and get cracking!
A daily dash is a rapid style sprint workshop, working through the ideation process in just one day.
A daily dash can be intense and a little chaotic at times but delivers real results in under half the time of a sprint. It’s a great workshop choice for anyone who can only dedicate one day out of their diaries and want to get creative and collaborative with other like-minded solutions driven professionals.
Collaboration is key
In order to produce viable solutions at the end of the festival, we encourage participants to sign up to the workshop they are most passionate about and feel they can add the most value in. It’s important that anyone signing up brings something to the table.
We welcome diversity at the Innovation Festival and are always eager to learn from other industries and sectors. Collaboration is key to our workshops, so no matter what your industry background is, our fundamental ask of you is to be prepared to be open when sharing ideas. You only need to check out the results from our previous festivals to know we mean business here.
Want to know more about Design Sprinting?
There’s tonnes of great reading material out there on the Design Sprint theory. We highly recommend reading ‘Sprint’ by New York Times bestselling author Jake Knapp or visit www.gv.com/sprint/ to get more insight in to this winning process.
Jake actually attended the Innovation Festival back in 2020. You can watch the full interview when Nigel met Jake right here.
Fancy joining the community?
Our ever-growing innovation community is the reason we continue to deliver amazing results, directly impacting our local communities and businesses. So if you’d like to be involved in our next festival or just learn more about what we get up to in the world of innovation, sign up here to our monthly ‘Innovation Connect’ newsletter.