The Product Field is essentially a generic framework for developing and adapting specific models of product innovations. It provides a common vocabulary and visual representation to enable stakeholder participation and frame thinking about product innovation in a way that helps maximize positive impact.
The framework is defined on the following levels:
CONCEPTUAL SPACE AND CANVAS – The foundation of the model is a conceptual space in which the interactions of a product innovation’s agents, strategies, artifacts and conditions can be understood. This space is visually represented as a canvas.
ASPECTS AND AREAS – The individual components are categorized into several aspects of product innovation. These are visually represented as areas of the canvas.
SETS AND ZONES – The aspects are grouped into sets based on their respective position in the conceptual space. The sets are visually represented in the zones of the canvas.
ELEMENTS AND CHARACTER – Finally, the aspects can be aggregated into four elements of innovation, the particular realization of which in a concrete innovation define its character.
A shared understanding of product innovation requires abstraction as well as illustration.