Sense Worldwide
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Strategy Consulting |
| Founded | London, United Kingdom 1999 |
Key people | Jeremy Brown, CEO |
| Website | www.senseworldwide.com |
Sense Worldwide is a London-based co-creation consultancy. In 1999 it started the Sense Network, described as ‘one of the earliest web-based communities’.[1] It was one of the first commercial practitioners of co-creation [2] and Extreme User Research.[3] It has influenced the development of Nike Sportswear [4] and Habbo Hotel among many others.[5] It has received funding from NESTA. Nesta named Sense Worldwide alongside Lego and Google as one of the 'Open 100' companies that pioneered open innovation.[6]
Co-creation
Sense Worldwide has used co-creation in its work from its inception.[2] Its work in this area has caused it to be listed as one of the NESTA Open 100.[6] It has also pioneered the commercial use of extreme user research, building on the Lead User ideas of MIT's Eric von Hippel[3]
Sense Worldwide introduced co-creation techniques to Nike and continues to work with Nike’s running, sportswear and football businesses.[7] It authored the Discovery Channel report into the lives of young men in Europe.,[8] and it contributes to the Economist Intelligence Unit's reports [9] and the Harvard Business Review[2]
SWW’s recent rebranding of the Young Vic Theatre in London resulted in the abandonment of its sit-anywhere policy and its new strapline, “It’s a big world in here” [8]
Sense Worldwide in popular culture
No Wax
In London in 2003 Sense Worldwide launched the first iPod DJ night with NoWax.[10] There was no DJ. Instead dancers took turns to play floor-filling music in the night club.[11] Resources for the event were open sourced, and NoWax nights have been staged in cities from Derby to Singapore and Tokyo.[12]
I Heart My Chair
In 2007 the Sense Network was asked to photograph and write about their favourite place to sit. The resulting book, I Heart my Chair, was widely distributed.[13]
Notes
- ^ Richard Donkin The Future of Work 2010 pp125-126
- ^ a b c "A Co-creation Primer". Harvard Business Review.
- ^ a b "Want Breakthrough Ideas? First, Listen To The Freaks And Geeks". Co.Design. 12 April 2012.
- ^ http://vimeo.com/5606365 interview with Nike
- ^ Marketing Magazine Agency of the Year 2009 P 23
- ^ a b http://www.openbusiness.cc/2010/01/06/sense-worldwide/
- ^ Nike interview http://vimeo.com/5606365
- ^ a b “Market Research Agency of the Year” Marketing Magazine (9 Dec 2009) P23
- ^ http://www.businessresearch.eiu.com/service-2020.html
- ^ "No Wax comes to Derby". BBC.
- ^ "What's On".
- ^ "Digital Citizens: My night as a DJ". BBC News.
- ^ "I heart my chair". Businessweek.com.
- July 2002, Richard Donkin "Give your creativity a chance to run free", The Financial Times, London