Co-Innovation between a Lead User and Producers:

Product Innovation for Figure Skaters by a Figure Skater

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss co-innovation between Lead Users and Producers. To practically apply the user innovation theory to product development, two methods have been used: the lead user method and user-community based theory. Recently, community-based methods have become main stream in this field of research. On the other hand, the lead user method has been less noticed. In this paper, we show the significance and problems of the co-innovation between lead users and producers through interpreting a case of the development process of an innovative skating blade by a top figure skater from the two perspectives: lead user theory and the sticky information hypothesis.