Nihilent secures patent for PROLICY-D: A design thinking led product life cycle framework

Nihilent, a global consulting and change management company that uses a human-centred approach to problem-solving, has announced it has secured the patent (SA Patent No 2019/06429) for ‘Product Lifecycle Development (PROLICY-D)’. Probably, this is the first instance in our knowledge that a design thinking led product development framework has been awarded a patent anywhere. This patent comes against the backdrop of almost five years of extensive deliberations and research. The patent was filed almost a year back. This prestigious patent is a manifestation of our years-long understanding and solving customers’ latent demands.

PROLICY-D defines the product life cycle and the need for an ingrained design thinking led holistic product development approach. PROLICY-D framework is based on design thinking and holistic design principles. What makes this framework unique is its human-centred approach to incorporate the aesthetic, emotional and psychological preferences of customers during the design and development of a product or service.

Reflecting on this unique achievement, LC Singh, Director and Executive Vice-Chairman at Nihilent, says: “The PROLICY-D framework helps in developing successful products by granulating the customers’ needs, wants and aspirations and uses interaction design principles to deliver a high level of ‘interaction experience’. A successful product will be evaluated based on the functionality it provides. Several factors go into successful product creation, such as usability, aesthetics and the emotional connection it creates with the users. All these have been considered while designing PROLICY-D framework.”

Minoo Dastur, Director, President and CEO at Nihilent, underlines great significance to the new patent. He adds: “In comparison to the conventional generic methodologies of product development, which make very limited use of these elements, PROLICY-D framework, if followed truthfully, can consistently deliver desirable and successful products and services to the consumers.”

Over the years, Nihilent has leveraged its rich engagement experiences and leadership expertise to develop proprietary frameworks and methodologies. These include tools such as MC3, a patented tool that helps us provide our change management solutions; 14Signals, a tool which is used for evaluating the perception, experience and aspirations of a customer; and SightN2, a framework for digital marketing. In the series of consulting frameworks, PROLICY-D makes for a great addition.

Nihilent is an early mover in advancing the design thinking framework with integrated design thinking as a core foundational aptitude for problem-solving. Nihilent’s ‘Holistic Design for Digital Innovation’ model emphasises achieving total awareness, or in other words, knowing all that can be known before embarking on the innovation and solution journey.

PROLICY-D framework will be an indispensable asset for making successful products and helps in constantly innovating the product life cycle and subsequent versions through customer feedback. PROLICY-D brings to the table an evolutionary paradigm and gives ample headroom for product developers to develop products that truly resonate with the users.