Master Series - Janaki Kumar

Loop11’s co-founder Shefik Bey speaks with Janaki Kumar, the VP Head of Design and Co-Innovation Center at SAP and the author of ‘Gamification At Work: Designing Engaging Business Software”.

They also discuss her Woman of Influence Award and what it meant (2:20), what she feels her strength and decision that led to her position in the industry (3:37) and how innovation lies at the seams of multiple disciplines (5:52) and how this aided her. Janaki’s key area of focus at SAP (8:40) and how she has ended up working in the enterprise (13:20) and why she loves the challenges it presents. The degree and rate of change within the enterprise as it relates to embracing design (16:41). How the creation process requires skillset and mindset and how a good understanding of design principles relate to this (18:21).

The increasingly complex nature of the challenges that are being tackled by designers (19:38). The co-creation exercise Janaki ran with the Vilore warehouse staff emphasizing empathy and inclusion (21:06). How to tackle the problem of scaling empathy (27:10) and creating an empathy map to engage stakeholders (30:15). How are enterprise companies managing the balance between convergent and divergent thinking (33:27). Creating a culture of design led innovation and how organization should try to implement this (37:30). SAP’s framework for an innovation culture riding on the three pillars of people, process and place (43:50).

Janaki’s history with the UX Awards as a board member, advisor and past winner (50:52) plus how she defines great UX and references the “Hero’s Journey”. Whether the design industry understands how to implement and leverage gamification (55:00) within product design. Areas of work processes which a primed for the inclusion of gamification elements (58:17).

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