The method

The FORTH innovation method

FORTH is a proven five-step innovation expedition created by Gijs van Wulfen in 2006. It takes teams from innovation ambition to tested new business cases, customer-driven and with the internal support to actually deliver. The method is available in 14 languages and applied by organisations around the world.

FORTH Innovation Method map by Gijs van Wulfen, illustrated as five island stages: Full Steam Ahead, Observe and Learn, Raise Ideas, Test Ideas and Homecoming, each with its own workshops, deliverables and pitfalls.

Five steps

What the letters stand for.

Full Steam Ahead

Align leadership, define a focused innovation assignment and set the boundaries before any ideation starts.

Observe & Learn

Discover customer frictions, trends and technology first-hand, so ideas start from real insight instead of assumptions.

Raise Ideas

Turn insights into new concepts in a structured ideation process with the right people in the room.

Test Ideas

Check concepts with real customers and sharpen them based on what you learn.

Homecoming

Return with tested mini new business cases that win support inside the organisation.

Evidence

Independently researched.

FORTH has been evaluated in independent empirical research, not only described by its creator.

How to Reduce the Failure Rate of Innovation: Outcomes of Research on the Efficacy of the FORTH Innovation Method

Prof. Dr Herman van den Bosch · Open University of the Netherlands · 2015

Independent empirical research report · FORTH projects in ten organisations in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.4443.0886

The method is set out in full in two books. Creating Innovative Products and Services is the original step by step guide, and Online Innovation covers running FORTH with a team that cannot be together in one room.

Why it works

Focus, customers and buy-in.

Most innovation efforts do not fail on creativity. They fail on focus (working on the wrong opportunities), on distance from the customer (ideas born in meeting rooms) and on lack of internal support (great concepts that never survive the boardroom).

FORTH addresses all three in one expedition: a sharp assignment up front, real customer discovery before ideation, and business cases that come home with the support of the people who joined the journey.

Questions

About the FORTH method.

What is the FORTH innovation method?

FORTH is a structured five-step innovation method created by Gijs van Wulfen in 2006. The name stands for the five steps: Full Steam Ahead, Observe and Learn, Raise Ideas, Test Ideas and Homecoming. It takes teams from innovation ambition to tested new business cases and is available in 14 languages.

Who is the FORTH method for?

Organisations that want customer-driven innovation with internal support: executives, innovation leaders and product or strategy teams. The method is applied in corporates, SMEs and public organisations around the world.

Can Gijs van Wulfen present FORTH at our event?

Yes. The keynote Double Innovation Effectiveness presents the FORTH roadmap and is delivered in 30 to 60 minute formats or as an interactive workshop. Email gijs@gijsvanwulfen.com with your event date, audience and format.

Bring FORTH to your organisation

Book the FORTH keynote or workshop.

The keynote Double Innovation Effectiveness presents the FORTH roadmap, delivered in 30 to 60 minute formats or as an interactive workshop.

Request availability

Or see all four keynotes by Gijs van Wulfen · download the speaker profile