We’ve all been accused of being ‘left brained’ or ‘right brained’ at times, depending on who we disagree with.

The ‘secret’ to a successful brainstorm is of course the enthusiasm of the people involved in the brainstorm. All the brainstorming guidelines result in nothing if the participants don’t get into a creative mood and start adding to each others ideas, and are willing to offer ideas that beyond the obvious. This might seem straightforward, but getting in a habit of adding to each-others ideas (instead of criticizing) and offering risky, unconventional ideas (instead of safe and obvious suggestions) is not something everyone does naturally when they participate in a brainstorm.

In order to stimulate creative and constructive behavior that will get some real results, I often use a 10 to 15 minutes warming-up to break the ice and get the creative juices flowing. These creative warming-ups have several purposes: Continue reading »

You have to systematically create confusion, it sets creativity free. Everything that is contradictory creates life.

In ‘A Whole New Mind’ former chief speechwriter for former vice-president Al Gore Daniel H. Pink paints a picture of a future where collaboration, creativity and cultivating six senses ( design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning) are no longer optional to prosper in the Western World. The book is an accurate guide to survival in a world that seems to increasingly resemble the future as depicted by Pink at the time of writing, and is one of the Crinid bibles.

Loved it because:

• Stuff that matters – Pink writes accurately about changes we can observe every day, and the opportunities inside them
• Gamechanger – Insights into our own thinking, providing insights into human behavior
• Must-read for marketers and PR people that want to understand the modern economy without ‘technobabble’

You might not like it because:

• A Whole New Mind promises a lot at the start of the book, but slowly starts to get more practical and focus on the 3 major ‘issues’ facing our economy (Abundance, Asia, and Automation) which in my opinion damaged some of the potentially visionary ideas offered and turns them into reactionary models.

Short film about the birth, short life and demise of a creative idea. From a Canadian advertising awards show.

(Via Het Mediaplein)

In the midst of a global conversation about change, many designers are pondering their own impact in the world. How does our experience in software interfaces, web sites, and physical products prepare us to address the profound issues humanity is facing? These issues involve many complex systems, systems too big to fit into the scope of any single company or institution. Design methods are potent at large scale and scope, but what does it take to be effective as a practitioner, as a team, as a company? What is it like to actually achieve a meaningful, sustainable, positive difference in life?

In this talk Marc Rettig offers insights into that question, drawing lessons from a number of serious, heartfelt attempts to affect change. The work we have all done in recent decades has prepared us to take on much bigger challenges. The foundations of design remain powerfully effective. That said, there are ways in which “designing for change” requires additions to our inventory of methods, and transformations in the way we plan and conduct our work.

These new ways of working can also benefit the design projects most of us tackle every day – challenges less grand in scale than shifting to sustainable transportation or raising the quality of a nation’s schools. The grand projects force us to consider the social situation we work within, the social systems we affect, the ripple effects of our actions, the nested web of parts and wholes, and the personal journey of our team. Attention to these things can improve the effectiveness of any effort to accomplish meaningful change.

There’s a few people you never forget after you’ve seen them give a presentation. At the top of this list is probably the self-described “professional loud-mouth” Tom Peters.

His physical presentation (the old and wise man, grey haired, suit wearing business exec.) is in sharp contrast with his passionate, creative and provocative presentations and arguments. This controversy rapidly wrote the story of ‘the brand Tom Peters’ and created a loyal fan base, amongst which many other Big Thinkers in the marketing and innovation industry.

Now one of the all-time guru’s of ‘new business’ Tom Peters uses his distinctive, trademark flashing powerpoint slides and a seemingly never calming anger (passion) about the (big) mistakes and opportunities in modern business to convert multi-million dollar corporations and decisionmakers to the path of innovation, creativity and diversity.

Reason enough to take a closer look at Tom’s perspective on innovation. Continue reading »