Logical frameworks are wonderful for shaping new ideas and explaining innovation to corporate sponsors, venture capitalists, bank managers and spouses. This article explains the seven questions you need to answer to test the potential of a new innovation.

A folding plug won the Brit Insurance Design Awards in the UK this week. As gadgets get smaller, Britain has the largest plug in the world. The traditional British plug was invented in 1946. Why did it take 64 years to invent a better one? More importantly, why didn’t any of the rest of us have that idea?

The iPhone is one of the least usable phones for sending text and email but gets the highest consumer satisfaction of any smartphone. Why? It’s designed around experience not features.

Premature genius is one of the most overlooked challenges of product development. To visualise the problem, think of a change curve. Launch too early and no amount of marketing and development spend will get you to take off. Launch too late and you may not catch up with competitors.