Designing Innovation: frameworks for making ideas actionable
I recently published two articles in Practical Academic Librarianship that, while designed as standalone pieces, are deeply linked in my thinking. I actually view them as a set. Together, they explore the pragmatic and strategic sides of innovation in academic libraries. I like to think of them as companion essays—part one and part two of the same journey.
In Thinking Around the Box, I introduce the idea of complementary innovation—a way to move beyond the binary of “disruptive” versus “incremental” change. Rather than constantly inventing something new or simply improving what already exists, this model encourages us to assemble and coordinate services around specific user needs. It asks: what does this group really need to succeed, and how can we pull together tools, expertise, partnerships, and programming to support that journey holistically? I frame this as a service design approach rooted in intentionality, integration, and relevance. The essay includes the Integrated Program Development Map, a tool to help teams brainstorm and build well-rounded, thematic service bundles—essentially creating custom ecosystems of support for key user groups like researchers, creators, or first-year students.
In What Should We Do Next? I shift focus from program design to organizational strategy—presenting an innovation portfolio model that helps libraries manage complexity and chart a deliberate course forward. Using frameworks like the Innovation Matrix and the Three Horizons Model, I explore how we can categorize and prioritize different kinds of ideas—from near-term improvements to long-range exploratory projects. The goal is to help libraries balance core operations with experimentation, and to avoid reactive decision-making by rooting innovation in clearly framed problems. I also discuss how to allocate resources across timeframes using the 70-20-10 rule, creating a healthy mix of sustaining, adjacent, and visionary initiatives. This model is about cultivating an innovation culture that is strategic, adaptive, and mission-aligned.
Both articles speak to common questions I hear in our field:
How do we innovate without burning out?
How do we decide where to focus?
How do we balance creativity and accountability?
I’m grateful to the PAL editors (Stacey & Jennifer) for giving me space to explore these ideas. My hope is that these essays offer useful tools and mindsets for anyone shaping change, designing services, or leading strategy in today’s evolving library landscape.
Here are some of the visuals from the essays:
