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Innovating for Feeling

Molly Hiebert

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I'm a business designer and strategist working at the intersection of strategy, innovation and design to transform complex and ambiguous ideas into scalable solutions. At the root of it all is my fascination and deep understanding of human behaviour – I strive to understand what makes people tick to uncover underlying motivations, trigger points, and brand opportunities.

With over 6 years working within the world of strategy and design across tech, health & wellbeing, fashion, healthcare and finance, I'm passionate about turning uncertainty into clarity. I aim to make a positive difference in the lives of others and the world around me through mastering the art and science of innovation and influence through a human(ity)-centred approach. 

I'm also an artist -- check out some of my work on my website! www. mollyhiebert.com

I'm a business designer and strategist working at the intersection of strategy, innovation and de...

In an era of overstimulation, innovation frameworks like design thinking often neglect how subconscious and embodied responses shape user engagement. This masters thesis set out to explore a critical gap: How might we integrate neuroaesthetics, the neuroscience of aesthetic experience, into innovation frameworks to enhance emotional resonance, cognition, and adoption? The project culminated in the development of a Neuroaesthetics-Led Innovation Framework, designed to be implemented in early-stage design and innovation processes. The graphics below showcase selected pages from the full report, including the developed frameworks, as well as the short-form editorial.

Final work

Research Approach and Output

This project applied a mixed methods, interdisciplinary research approach using triangulation across three key methods – a comprehensive literature review, expert interviews and a participatory sensory workshop. Each phase of research informed the next, ensuring a cumulative, grounded framework development process.

In addition to an academic journal article, I developed a report to showcase the key models and frameworks used within the research and those that were developed as a result. Below shows a selection of pages from the report.

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Editorial report

Alongside the long-form journal article and report, I developed a shorter, more accessible article as a deep dive into a key component of the research: the sensory workshop. Drawing on my background in visual design, I crafted the piece in an editorial format – pairing narrative text with graphics and pull quotes to enhance engagement and readability. The editorial not only made the research more approachable but also served as a live activation of insights around visual processing and sensemaking uncovered during the project.

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Innovating for Feeling

In an era of overstimulation, innovation frameworks like design thinking often neglect how subconscious and embodied responses shape user engagement. This masters thesis set out to explore a critical gap: How might we integrate neuroaesthetics, the neuroscience of aesthetic ex...

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