Interview with Lomig Unger - former director of Renault’s Creative Lab
In a world where innovation is essential for businesses, idea boxes are powerful tools to harness employees' creativity. These mechanisms generate new proposals and strengthen employee engagement by involving them in shaping the company of tomorrow. Renault, always striving to remain at the forefront of technology and meet consumer needs, was one of the first companies to adopt and structure idea boxes.
Lomig Unger, former director of Renault’s Creative Lab and the Square Renault in Paris, implemented one of the first idea boxes at Renault. The Creative Lab, created to handle calls for ideas, was a space for idea exchange and prototyping. It was used to synthesize ideas, engage with selected idea proponents, and initiate explorations through design thinking. Lomig shares the lessons he learned from this experience and provides advice on adapting this model to other companies.
The Initial Success of the Idea Box
Initially, the idea box was successful: during calls for ideas, Renault often collected between 100 and 200 proposals. The major challenge was then filtering these ideas—selecting the most promising ones and converting them into viable projects. This process required evaluating and narrowing down 200 ideas.
The Secrets of the Idea Box
To tackle this challenge, Lomig collaborated with the École des Mines. Researchers from the school, who had analyzed similar idea calls in other companies, helped Renault develop criteria and methods for evaluating and filtering ideas.
The research revealed a common phenomenon: among the 200 collected ideas, many were either too original and unfeasible or highly feasible but not original. Lomig explains:
"Researchers analyzed two large-scale idea calls at a major telecom operator. Management reported a recurring issue: they’d gather around 200 ideas per call, but after filtering them through evaluation grids, none of the ideas would pass the final selection."
The "Banana" of Idea Calls
Lomig noticed that when mapping ideas based on originality and feasibility, the distribution often resembled the shape of a banana.
"When you ask for ideas on a broad topic, plotting them on a graph with originality on one axis and feasibility on the other creates a distinctive banana shape," explains Lomig.
He categorized the ideas into two main groups: highly original but unfeasible and not very original but feasible.
Feasible but Unoriginal Ideas: These ideas underwent quick evaluation by Renault's experts. The results were telling: most ideas were either already in development or had been previously considered and rejected. In fact, out of every 10 ideas, 7 were rejected and 3 were existing internal projects. As Lomig notes, "Is the idea call valuable in such cases? Usually, the answer is no."
Original but Unfeasible Ideas: "When I consult an expert, they'll say it's not feasible. That's understandable—after all, it's just a raw suggestion shared on a platform, lacking clarity and direction."These ideas received more intensive development, with teams working alongside the original authors to refine and develop them. Through this "maturation" process, raw concepts evolved into more viable and actionable proposals. For example, an imaginative idea proposed to include a cat in the car to enhance the interior atmosphere. This idea evolved into exploring the concept of “a presence on board." This led to deeper questions: What constitutes a "presence" in a vehicle? How might it manifest? What should it accomplish? These explorations formed the basis for investigating ways to create a pleasant vehicle ambiance.
From Ideas to Projects
Lomig quickly discovered that collecting ideas alone wasn't sufficient—employees needed hands-on involvement in developing their proposals.
"When someone submits an idea through a platform, they often assume it will progress automatically. This creates a false impression of how innovation works."
The idea box transformed into an intrapreneurial program called the Pitch & Poc program. Teams formed naturally, with members dedicating time to develop their ideas. This approach filtered out less committed proposals while fostering active employee engagement. Lomig explains: "Anyone can suggest an idea, but turning it into reality demands dedication and hard work."
The Intrapreneurial Bootcamp
Teams with selected projects participated in a design thinking bootcamp. Over the course of a week, they were coached to refine their ideas and develop prototypes or MVPs (Minimum Viable Products). This intensive approach fostered creativity and responsiveness, allowing participants to pivot and adapt based on feedback and challenges.
"The 10 teams selected for the bootcamp demonstrated varying abilities. Some pivoted two or three times in a week, while others presented the same idea at the end of the week as they had at the beginning."
Beyond the tangible projects that emerged, the initiative had another major benefit: identifying entrepreneurial talent within the company. These individuals, with their innovative mindset and ability to handle complex projects, became valuable assets for Renault’s future initiatives.
Key Takeaways
Lomig's experience with Renault's idea calls and collaboration with the École des Mines revealed three essential insights:
The Banana Distribution:
Feasible but Unoriginal Ideas typically provide little value, as they're either already under development or have been previously considered.
Original but Unfeasible Ideas can evolve into viable innovations with proper development.
From Ideas to Projects:
Idea collection alone isn't sufficient—success requires active employee participation in development. Structured programs like bootcamps and acceleration weeks help transform raw concepts into prototypes while revealing untapped potential.
Talent Identification:
Intrapreneurial project calls serve as excellent tools for discovering and developing entrepreneurial talent within the company, creating valuable assets for future innovation.