Any process of innovation must define and describe the actions and outcomes that result from the application of specific methods and tools (and the reasons behind these methods and tools). The actions of people following the process take place over time and, therefore, have a time linear nature that, if described strictly by a linear sequence of activities and events, belies one of the most important aspects of the innovation process itself - it is not linear!

The process of innovation relies on the non-linear methods of iteration and abstraction. Iteration because that is how we learn things and obtain new knowledge, by going back, refining and maturing what we know to gain insight and understanding of the things we see and learn. Abstraction because that is how we synthesize knowledge, see patterns and make connections to new things. Both of these activities, iteration and abstraction, are inherently non-linear, yet must necessarily take place over time as a series of concrete actions by people using a process for innovation.

The process described here is laid out as a sequence of Process Stages that unfold over time. These stages can happen, however, at different levels of abstraction or generalization and there are many, many iterative elements within each stage and between stages. These iterative and generalization components are an inherent part of the process and methods employed. The methods used are:

• Iterative Deepening (Iterative development and refinement of knowledge)
• Searching & Exploration (Evidence-based search and discovery)
• Knowledge Synthesis (Pattern Recognition and inductive reasoning)

Mastering these two techniques allows the innovator to gain the necessary knowledge, and to use it in the right ways, to discover those new things that are unknown and valuable.

One of the most important processes in any effort to innovate is to discover new opportunities to go after. This Opportunity Discovery Process focuses on finding specific unmet needs and desires that can be the basis for new and practical solutions. The focus of this process is on people and what they want, rather than on technology and what it can do. Mastering this process results in an on-going, continuous, front-end 'engine' that drives all innovation effort.