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Actionable are an award winning research, strategy &
innovation consultancy
We work with leaders to understand and tackle business challenges, explore opportunity and build innovation capability. We combine our expertise in human insight, research, business intelligence and design thinking, to help our partners understand people and markets, discover and improve offerings, develop exciting strategy and design new ventures.
Our clients range from global healthcare companies and sportswear brands, to ambitious SME’s, Government agencies and exciting new ventures.
INNOVATION | STRATEGY | INSIGHT | VENTURES
The Big Life Fix TV series
Actionable partner Trevor Vaugh recently appeared as an expert on the acclaimed RTE television series “The Big Life Fix”. The series partnered with a number of health focused charities to identify 12 participants that would share their stories and take part as co-creators. A team of 'experts' were assembled from the fields of design, engineering and computer science, to work through an accelerated design process, to conceive, concept and realise bespoke solutions that would significantly improve the quality of life of participants. Each 'expert' worked collaboratively with a spectrum of experts from neurologists to fashion designers and craft furniture makers. This purpose-driven collaboration insured the series and the projects delivered extraordinary impact within unique constraints.The significance of the program has been marked by a massive upsurge in public awareness of the role design can in innovation.
Challenge
This was an ambitious project in terms of scale, extremely tight production deadlines, and in some cases, the deteriorating health of participants. Over one year, the series followed eight 'experts' as they attempted to understand the unique challenges faced by the participants and then move rapidly into concept development, experimentation and a humbling dose of trial & error. This was a challenging process for participants, often asked to try things outside of their comfort zone. The prototyping phase saw the solutions refined, and first-of-their-kind, safe, robust and reliable solutions developed. Added to the complexity, the entire process had to be captured on camera, meaning projects had to be carefully planned to align with crew and participant availability and project scheduling. The brief to the 'experts' was simple – immerse in the participant lives to understand their challenges and design a solution that will make a meaningful improvement in their lives.
Resolution & impact
Over 45 minutes, across six episodes, two participants and the experts working with them were introduced to viewers. These participants had debilitating and often progressive medical conditions ranging from Alzheimer’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis, to Motor neuron disease and Caudal Regression Syndrome. Each episode tells the story of how the ‘experts’ worked to understand the participants challenges, meet doctors, medical supports and researchers and then proceed with designing, prototyping and producing an solution.
Each of the 12 projects were novel, bespoke and highly innovative. The 12 projects were universally considered to have exceeded the participants expectations and those of their families, carers and clinical teams.
Challenge
This was an ambitious project in terms of scale, extremely tight production deadlines, and in some cases, the deteriorating health of participants. Over one year, the series followed eight 'experts' as they attempted to understand the unique challenges faced by the participants and then move rapidly into concept development, experimentation and a humbling dose of trial & error. This was a challenging process for participants, often asked to try things outside of their comfort zone. The prototyping phase saw the solutions refined, and first-of-their-kind, safe, robust and reliable solutions developed. Added to the complexity, the entire process had to be captured on camera, meaning projects had to be carefully planned to align with crew and participant availability and project scheduling. The brief to the 'experts' was simple – immerse in the participant lives to understand their challenges and design a solution that will make a meaningful improvement in their lives.
Resolution & impact
Over 45 minutes, across six episodes, two participants and the experts working with them were introduced to viewers. These participants had debilitating and often progressive medical conditions ranging from Alzheimer’s Disease and Multiple Sclerosis, to Motor neuron disease and Caudal Regression Syndrome. Each episode tells the story of how the ‘experts’ worked to understand the participants challenges, meet doctors, medical supports and researchers and then proceed with designing, prototyping and producing an solution.
Each of the 12 projects were novel, bespoke and highly innovative. The 12 projects were universally considered to have exceeded the participants expectations and those of their families, carers and clinical teams.
Innovating one of the worlds most traditional industries.
This is the story of the design thinking process used to develop the worlds first Cantilevered Saddle. The saddle was the invention of Martin Ryan, a young Irish designer with a passion for innovation later commercialised under the brand name Bua. The Saddle was inspired by a design philosophy that challenges orthodoxies and focuses on improving performance of the product for horse and rider. The Saddle patent was formally granted in 2014.
Award-winning surgical system
While leading design at ASC, Actionable partner Trevor Vaugh was responsible for the research, concept design and early development of Laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS), or as it is better known ‘scarless surgery’. The system consists of a revolutionary access port, innovative instrumentation, a new surgical methodology and operative system. LESS has been heralded as the next evolution of laparoscopic surgery and was featured in the Cleveland clinic's top medical innovations of 2009. The system was developed for Olympus
The History of PPE - Audio essay by Trevor Vaugh on RTE Radio One 'The Business"
€28m worth of personal protection equipment such as masks, gloves and goggles is coming from China to Ireland. It comes as healthcare workers complained about the shortage of protective equipment in our hospitals. Trevor Vaugh, from Maynooth University explains the origins of such products.
Design Strint with Musgrave Group
UX Design module Talent Garden
This module was designed to give participants a deep introduction and understanding of the Human-Centered Design process. Working closely with the leadership team in Talent Garden, Actionable designed and delivered this engaging, hands-on and challenge based module.