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	Sylver Helps Shurline Outpace their Competition in the Down Economy Those who favor user-centered design practices know that innovation research offers value back to organizations. Yet, it's not always easy to quantify what that value is, as oftentimes the work of a design researcher informs the "fuzzy front end" of product development. And, the reality is, research is just one piece of an intricate puzzle that ultimately defines an offerings success or failure in the marketplace. So, needless to say, we love hearing stories where research is highlighted as being a catalyst for market success, especially those involving Sylver. A recent Forbes article shares how the manufacturer of painting products, Shurline, was able to maintain their 2008 level of sales as the overall category fell by 30%. They credited this performance to research insights gained via in-store observations, which were conducted by Sylver Consulting. In a recent blog post, we've provided some details on how we designed the research that yielded these insights. Check it out if you want to learn more. And feel free to reach out with further questions/comments. We'd love to hear from you!

Strategy	Trends	Research
How to Become a More Design-Minded Organization Ten principles toward becoming a design-minded organization are set forth in this recent article from DMI, making the prospect a little less daunting for those interested in the challenge. Innovators, Break Down Those Silos The most effective way to achieve meaningful change in business is to enable collaborative innovation across cubicles and industries. Some tips for achieving this are provided by BusinessWeek author, Saul Kaplan.	Who’s Playing Social Games? Popcap Games recently commissioned a survey intent on understanding the demographic playing social games, such as FarmVille and Mafia Wars. You may be surprised by the results. Women in their 40s are leading the pack. Managing an Online Reputation Monitoring web conversations, interacting with customers and honing your technical know-how can help your business get ahead. Tips for getting started are share by NY Times author, Kermitt Pattison.	Bagged Salad: What You Don't Know About Your Customers Harvard professor, Ranjay Gulati, demonstrates how an “outside-in” perspective to market research yields insights more capable of defining new market categories than traditional approaches of “inside-out.” d.School Bootcamp Bootleg This PDF reflects which methods, modes and mindsets Bootcamp students found most useful last quarter. It’s a nice refresher for those familiar with "design thinking" and a good teaser for those interested in learning more.

Sylver Consulting is an international innovation research and strategy firm. Our results extend beyond traditional market research in that the process we employ, Design Ethnography, seeks to not only offer a picture of who customers are, but to define intersections between their needs and your business' priorities and capabilities. For more information about our company, please call or write us. We'd love to hear from you! 1-312-239-0346 • info@sylverconsulting.com

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