After the recent market downturn, we suddenly found customers at Price Engineering were asking us to help them build their system requirements for updating their technology. Clients were looking for not only for our application expertise, but also market knowledge, cab layout, control architecture, screen layouts and design. We then went seeking for ways to build our competency in looking, understanding and building these complex customer requirements. We found the tools at Maya Design where they practice Human Centered Design (HCD) and had synthesized their work into 36 unique methods or tools. When our clients needed help defining the control architecture for a new machine we turned to HCD methods and practice that we received through MAYA Design’s LUMA Institute. These methods proved immensely successful. Price Engineering has improved its’ capabilities to work with additional customers and strengthen our position as a supplier of choice. This led to a record year in 2011, increasing our business over 30%. We recognized the impact this could have on other manufacturers and businesses in Wisconsin, and in discussions with LUMA we decided to establish a HCD based business here. This has become the Maverick Innovation Lab.