Innovation had always seemed daunting for Janice Saji, a research assistant at Humber’s Office of Research & Innovation, and innovators—elite beings belonging to a special species handpicked by a greater power in the universe.
The thought of people creating complex devices, like going from using candles to being illuminated by light bulbs, from writing letters to video calling their loved ones using smartphones, and from using libraries to creating computers that let people store it all seemed nothing short of witchcraft or a special sort of genius to her.
But her thoughts about innovation took a 180-degree turn after attending this year’s ESOMAR Congress in our beautiful city of Toronto. It taught her that a driving catalyst for innovation is quite simple and understated. It begins with listening and observing people and their needs. She walked into ESOMAR dreading the thought of innovation and analysis and walked out of it realizing how human these topics are. Because at the end of the day, there will always be endless possibilities to make life easier.
