ABN AMRO’s Innovation Department faces a persistent and structural challenge: despite many promising initiatives and a well-structured innovation funnel (DARE), not a single innovation has successfully transitioned into operational use within a Client Unit over the past five years. While ideas are developed and validated, implementation, referred to as "landing", consistently fails. This is not due to a lack of ideas or structure, but to the absence of a relational and human-centred vision towards the landing spot during the process.

This thesis identifies a critical blind spot: the role of Intermediate Users, such as Business Leads in the Client Units, who are expected to translate innovation into practice, but are rarely engaged as users in their own right. Without true two-way dialogues, mutual understanding, a sense of ownership, and trust, these key actors remain disconnected, and implementation stalls.

At the core of this issue is a lack of empathy. The research shows that while Human-Centered Design tools are widely used for end users, they are rarely applied to Intermediate Users. This gap in understanding creates a growing tension between those who design innovation and those who are expected to implement it.

To address this, the thesis proposes a new design direction: embedding a Layer of Empathy into the innovation process. Rather than replacing existing structures, this human-centred layer builds on familiar tools and reframes them around relational dynamics like motivation, collaboration, trust, and ownership. As an example of this approach, the concept “Block & Bond” introduces a simple but symbolic ritual to kick off collaboration, designed to make people feel seen, committed, and part of a shared innovation journey.

This project shows that implementation is not just about getting the process right, it is about getting the relationship right. When Intermediate Users are recognised, involved, and heard from the start, innovation has a far greater chance of truly landing. In doing so, ABN AMRO moves one step closer to turning bold ideas into lasting impact.

Design for our future // Banking for better, for generations to come.