Innovation of Social Concepts

We are waiting for better ideas to improve society. But should we design them deliberately rather than wait? One thing is certain – governments need much better ideas. A little less-of-the same ideas and strategies is no longer an option. The stage where changes in choices and cuts can solve our problems, is already far …

Thinking about the Spread of the Coronavirus (2) – Concepts

In the crucial month of February, in those weeks before the major outbreak in Europe, there was still room to stock up on protective equipment, to scale up the laboratories, to expand the purchase and production of test materials, to prepare for the removal of serum with antibodies in healed patients. Only, it didn’t happen. …

A Totally Misused Concept: the Average

In our Thinkibility nibble What Is An Interesting Book? we suggested that books with intellectual value should be categorized by the publisher into categories: Mainstream Improvement Criticism Provocation and Alternatives We propose a strong candidate for category 4: Provocation and Alternatives: The End of Average: How We Succeed in a World That Values Sameness Subversive Dispels a …

Social Innovation

What are Social Innovations? According to Wikipedia social innovations are new strategies, concepts, ideas and organizations that meet the social needs of different elements which can be from working conditions and education to community development and health — they extend and strengthen civil society. Social innovation includes the social processes of innovation, such as open …

How to Describe a Concept

According to Wiktionary, a concept is an abstract and general idea, an abstraction. It is an understanding retained in the mind, from experience, reasoning and/or imagination. It is a generalization (generic, basic form, or abstraction (mental impression), of a particular set of instances or occurrences (specific, though different, recorded manifestations of the concept. As you …

Ways Concepts Are Camouflaged – Thinkibility Boost

Thinking with concepts is very powerful, as we earlier showed in the post Conceptual Thinking. Conceptual Thinking is the ability to identify patterns or links between seemingly unrelated issues. This in contrast to concrete thinking – that is a style of thinking in which the individual sees each situation as unique and is unable to generalize from …

Social Innovation in Slovakia – Thinkibility Nibble

Better solutions and new ways of solving problem is required in all areas of society. Social innovation is a concept that is perhaps less known that innovation in technology sector. But to make positive social change happen requires new ideas and solutions. The Young Foundation  has Thinking Action Change as their motto and the organisation …

Conceptual Thinking

Many people are not very proficient in Conceptual Thinking. Perhaps because it is nowhere taught. Conceptual Thinking is thinking with the aid of concepts.   Some people  describe it as the ability to effortlessly walk up and down the ladder of abstraction. A concept is 1. A general idea derived or inferred from specific instances or occurrences. …

Design and Social Innovation

Today, many public and social leaders are embracing ideas and methods previously only associated with design. Visualisation, experimentation and user involvement is becoming central factors in social innovation. Terms that signify collaborative and inclusive approaches such as design thinking, service design, co-design, human centred design and strategic design are increasingly becoming more prevalent. A designer …

Global Warming -Thinking in Relations

We assume that the cause of the Global Warming and reduction of sustainability lies in typical Western mono-causal, unilateral, individualistic thinking. New concepts as have emerged in biomedical sciences and cellular biology as in physics are currently lacking in business and the public domain, let alone on an individual level.

Policy Design

Classical Rational Policy Analysis and interactive policymaking are basically reacting to existing problems that, for some reasons, get “high on the societal agenda”.
However, a real innovative policy can only come about if policymakers redefine themselves as designers instead of reactive problem solvers.

Global Warming and Economic Theory

Fortunately, there are some initiatives to arrive at healthier economic theories. With difficulty, because there are hardly any media that write about these new quests. Names such as ecological economics, bio-economics, eco-economics or eco-capitalism characterize them.