Amongst the most influential people in the way I think about creativity, ideas and design are Tim Brown and David Kelley. They run a company called IDEO, the largest and most recognized innovation consultancy company in the world. Its rich portfolio of creative solutions (like Apple’s ‘mouse’) have made it the leading brand for innovation today.

What surprised me when I researched IDEO is how transparent they are about the ‘blueprint’ of their success. Like other modern companies, IDEO lectures, writes and trains in ideation, and in doing so have been a big inspiration for me ever since I first saw founder and chairman David Kelley’s presentation on TED in 2005.

This article is about the things I’ve learned from IDEO as a company, and how to apply their success into your idea development through a process called Design Thinking. Continue reading »

We’ve all seen them, or at least heard of them. The infamous ‘idea box’. The waste of space somewhere in a corner of an office. If not empty, its often a channel to anonymously vent frustrations – which quickly decreases management interest in ‘employee ideas’.

Personally I think it is a shame such a great opportunity to receive great ideas from the people dealing with your every day to day business is so often undervalued. The following seven steps ensure your employees will generate ideas, feel motivated to share them, and provide real opportunities to your company with the least amount of effort. Continue reading »