There is no substitute for doing. Many consulting interventions that claim to increase corporate creativity and innovation are heavy on role-playing or toy building, but don’t result in anything tangible or useful.
The most innovative companies in the world provide time-20% in the case of Google- for employees to systematically explore (and measure) the potential of new ideas. Conversely, companies that don’t commit any time or resource for creating new things don’t get many new things in their portfolio. We are keen to help companies establish a cultural commitment to generating new things that differentiate them in the marketplace.
Build To Think
Our approach to innovation workshops is different. We gather a 5-6 person team from a client organization with 2-3 young designers to spend two days focused intently on a specific problem and possible solutions. Workshops are rule-bound and are designed to produce prototypes and other actionable, tangible agendas and/or solutions.
1. No hierarchy: Participants must come from different levels of the organization and from different functions.
2. Not allowed to say ‘I think’ or ‘I feel.’ Participants must use data to back up a point or shoot down an idea.
3. Don’t disagree, experiment! If you have a strong hunch but not enough data, conduct an experiment on the spot.
4. No hoarding: If you have useful information on a given problem, you must share it immediately. No trumping!
5. Don’t dismiss constraints. Love them. Examine them. This is where creative innovation often begins.
For more information about Build to Think programs, contact us at info@aquiferdesign.com