Innovation Strategy

Redefine Holistic Wellness

To build a sense of community, advocating well-being through movement, mindfulness, and connection.

The project showcased is a team project completed as part of SFIN-6013-001 Strategy Development course in Winter Term 2022 at OCAD University for the Strategic Foresight & Innovation (M.Des) Program.

CREDITS - C. PaanO, J.Machado, N. Khan, P. Suing and T. Fernandes

ADVISOR- F. JAGDEO

Lululemon believes in helping it’s collective be well in every aspect of their lives – physically, mentally, and socially which is at the core of how it creates its products and experiences.

Lululemon Athletica is one of the world’s leading activewear brands, defining the athleisure category with its high-performance, yoga-inspired technical athletic apparel for women and men. The company goes beyond retail to function as a holistic lifestyle brand for a devoted following of consumers who apply its vision of wellness to their everyday practice of yoga, running, working out, self-care and mindfulness.

Strategy is about making deliberate choices—balancing what drives value today with what creates possibility for tomorrow.

This project deepened my understanding of how strategy and innovation intersect. Using the Ambition Matrix challenged me to think beyond ideas and consider how core, adjacent, and transformational initiatives each play a role in shaping impact.

“The events of the past year brought unprecedented challenges to the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of people worldwide. At lululemon, we believe in a holistic approach to wellbeing that helps create a healthier future for all… "

Calvin Macdonald, 2021

CEO, lululemon

Client

Services

Lululemon

Secondary Research | Strategy Development Tools & Frameworks | Futures Thinking Frameworks

Burning Platform

To build a sense of community, advocating well-being through movement, mindfulness, and connection.

The wellness industry is evolving rapidly. Hyper-customization, technology integration, and holistic approaches to health are redefining consumer expectations. Lululemon needed to harness its brand and capabilities to accelerate meaningful, positive change.

Innovation Intent

By the end of this decade, Lululemon aims to increase holistic well-being in its community from 29% to 100% by catalyzing proactive wellness and optimism.

DEFINING WELLBEING

Physical: Feeling capable to perform desired activities.
Mental: Emotionally balanced, self-aware, and moving toward a fulfilling life.
Social: Connected to a supportive community.

TASK

Develop a comprehensive innovation strategy positioning Lululemon as a leader in holistic wellness, leveraging technology, materials, retail experiences, and community engagement.

RESEARCH PROCESS

Conducted trend and foresight analysis on wellness, lifestyle, and technology adoption.
Explored consumer perspectives on well-being.
Mapped opportunities using strategic and foresight tools:
- Three Horizons: Explore long-term goals
- Ambition Matrix
- 2x2 Matrix: Map possibilities across technology dependence and wellness trends
- KT Matrix: Prioritize initiatives
Benchmarked industry leaders, emerging technology, sustainability and circularity economies, sustainable materials and consumer adoption patterns and competiotion.

WHERE DO WE
WANT TO GO?

The Three Horizon's Framework

The ‘Three Horizons’ framework served as a foresight tool, guiding our thinking about the future and inspiring innovation. It describes three patterns or ways of doing things and how their relative prevalence and interactions evolve over time. The shift from the established pattern of the first horizon (H1) to the emergence of fundamentally new patterns in the third (H3) happens through the transitional activities of the second horizon (H2). Horizon 2 represents the creative space of technologically, economically, and feasible innovations. These innovations can disrupt and transform H1 to varying degrees and may result in regenerative, neutral, or degenerative socio-ecological effects.

INNOVATION THEMES = ACTION

01 Technological Amplification

Expand beyond apparel: connected devices, wearable tech, MIRROR acquisition.
Develop digital ecosystems and soundscapes for home wellness.

02 Wellness Immersion

Introduce store-based wellness clinics with personalized health assessments.
Launch retreats integrating yoga, mindfulness, and holistic health.

03 Materials People + Planet

Develop inclusive, adaptive, and sensory-safe apparel using sustainable fabrics (e.g., Nulu™, Mylo™, hemp).
Implement circular initiatives by adopting new sustainable models.

04 A look inside a Lemon Tree

Transform internal operations to embed wellness and sustainability.
Explore insurance offerings, blockchain-based subscriptions, and carbon-positive practices.

Prioritized
Initiatives

Adaptive and sensory-safe clothing lines
Post-workout recovery products (sleep blankets, compression wear)
Wellness resorts and local movement partnerships
Planet-conscious appliances and materials innovations
Digital ecosystems integrating devices, soundscapes, and AI wellness tools

Ambition Matrix
as a strategy tool

We used the Ambition Matrix to align Lululemon’s innovation portfolio with its desired impact.

Core Innovation: optimizing existing products for existing customers.
Adjacent Innovation: expanding into areas new to the company, though often challenging to realize.
Transformational Innovation: breakthroughs that create markets not yet defined, requiring entirely new approaches.