Identify the right problems to solve - make a clear, prioritised innovation roadmap for success
Understanding opportunities and identifying the right problem to solve is the foundation of successful innovation. Many organisations move quickly toward solutions, technology investment, or product development without first validating that they are addressing the most meaningful challenge. The Innovation Pathfinder Workshop provides a structured, expert-led process to step back, interrogate assumptions, and define a clear, prioritised innovation roadmap grounded in real user and business needs.
Delivered as an intensive and collaborative session, this workshop is designed for manufacturing organisations, SMEs, innovation teams, and Industry 5.0 transition leads seeking clarity and direction. Through facilitated exercises and guided discussion, we explore strategic ambition, market positioning, operational constraints, and customer realities to uncover where the greatest opportunity truly lies.
Participants are guided through a disciplined framework that includes problem framing, stakeholder mapping, unmet need identification, risk assessment, and opportunity prioritisation. Rather than generating broad idea lists, the focus is on narrowing attention toward the highest-value opportunity areas — those that balance desirability, feasibility, and commercial viability. The workshop also surfaces hidden assumptions and potential misalignments between leadership intent, operational capability, and market demand. By mapping current task flows and decision pathways, we identify friction points, inefficiencies, and overlooked value creation moments that may not be immediately visible within day-to-day operations.
Outputs from the Pathfinder Workshop include a clearly articulated problem statement, defined target user groups, an agreed opportunity hierarchy, and a practical next-step roadmap. This roadmap outlines where further research, prototyping, validation testing, or technical exploration should be directed — ensuring that subsequent investment of time and budget is focused and evidence-led.
The Innovation Pathfinder Workshop empowers teams to move forward with confidence. Instead of reacting to pressure or trends, organisations gain strategic clarity, shared alignment, and a structured pathway toward meaningful innovation outcomes.
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Innovation Pathfinder Workshop
Frank Long
Frank is a senior design leader and innovation strategist, and Director at Frontend.com, a Dublin-based consultancy specialising in human-centred design, digital transformation, and product innovation. He works at the intersection of strategy, design, and real-world implementation — helping organisations turn complex challenges into practical, measurable solutions. His work focuses on understanding people first — their needs, behaviours, and working environments — and using that insight to shape effective products, services, and systems.Frank has extensive experience across healthcare, MedTech, manufacturing, and enterprise technology, where he leads multidisciplinary teams delivering research-led design and innovation programmes for global clients. Much of his work involves helping organisations identify the right problems to solve, define opportunity areas, and develop clear product or service roadmaps. He regularly leads innovation workshops, problem-definition sprints, and user research programmes that inform strategic decision-making and guide product development from concept through implementation.
Connect with Frank on LinkedIn.
Henry Poskitt
Henry Poskitt is a design and innovation leader and Director at Frontend.com, a Dublin-based consultancy specialising in human-centred design, product development, and digital transformation. He works with organisations to translate complex business and technology challenges into clear, practical solutions that deliver measurable value. With a strong background in strategic design and product innovation, Henry helps companies navigate change — whether developing new products, modernising digital platforms, or transforming operational systems. His work spans multiple sectors including healthcare, MedTech, manufacturing, enterprise technology, and advanced engineering, where usability, safety, and performance are critical.
Henry leads multidisciplinary teams delivering research-driven design programmes that align user needs with commercial and technical goals. He is particularly focused on bridging the gap between strategy and execution — ensuring that insight is translated into implementable solutions, not just concepts. His work often involves product strategy, service design, user experience architecture, and the development of scalable design frameworks that support long-term growth. He has extensive experience working with global organisations, guiding innovation initiatives from early problem definition through to design delivery and validation. This includes facilitating workshops, shaping product roadmaps, and helping leadership teams make confident decisions about where and how to invest in innovation.
Henry is known for his pragmatic, structured approach to design — combining analytical thinking with creative problem solving. His focus is always on delivering solutions that work in the real world: operationally effective, technically robust, and meaningful for the people who use them.
Connect with Henry on LinkedIn.