Science rarely looks to non-scientists for ideas and solutions. But on this occasion, the nuns have helped scientists to understand more about the achoques and how to breed them. The nuns gained lots of their understanding from the indigenous people who know where to find the salamanders.
Creative Thinking – A Masterclass for Facilitators
It is a misunderstanding to think that the purpose of a creative thinking session is to come up with new ideas or innovative concepts. Nor is it the mere application of a creative thinking technique, however exotic it may be. What then?
Creative and Surprising Ideas from the Corona Crisis (1)
Can you design inventive social distancing devices that encourage socializing?
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.
A Concept R&D Department
In 1968, Dick Fosberry won a gold medal in high jumping at the Summer Olympics. Instead of diving with his belly over the bar and landing on his feet, he did it reverse, jumped over the bar with his back and landed on his back. Nearly two thousand years since the Olympics in Athens, mankind …
Interesting Reading Areas 2019 – New Thinking
Most end-of-the-year lists of books have the underlying message that “if you haven’t read these books, you are a cultural bar-bar, does not belong to the well-informed elite and not able to go along in conversations”.
Solving Creative Challenges
In 1968, Dick Fosberry won a gold medal in high jumping at the Summer Olympics. Instead of diving with his belly over the bar and landing on his feet, he did it reverse, jumped over the bar with his back and landed on his back. Nearly two thousand years since the Olympics in Athens, mankind invented …
Ideation: breakthrough idea construction
In Ideathons, a deliberate attempt is made to create breakthrough ideas. They have tightly directed 2-hour events. The participants work together in small groups of 5 to 6 thinkers. There are clearly defined areas - not too wide nor too narrow. Areas where there is an urgent need for better ideas. For that purpose, world-renowned …
How to Become a Creative Genius
In an earlier post we republished Michael Michalko's The Difference between the way the average person thinks and a creative genius thinks" As Michael Michalko noticed that an average person focusses his attention on a specific information and excluding all else. In contrast, a creative genius sees the whole but would move from one detail …
What’s (not) an Innovation?
Nowadays, innovation is very in fashion. As a person, you should be innovative (creative?). A product should be innovative to tempt you to buy it (why?). Research should be dedicated to innovations (instead of discoveries?). Or even worse, boards of directors feel compelled to proclaim a "year of innovation" or ask their employees for …
Creative Marketing – Thinkibility Boost
Classical marketing campaigns are mostly massive in nature, like the Napoleonic Wars. By using brute force and heavenly leaning on resources (people, money, gun power, logistics, management skills) they ty to win. Basically, both parties are in the same game, each trying to use better but more-of-the-same tactics. An alternative for the not so powerful …
What Big Data, what information dominance?
A new adage is blowing around in the world of innovation. According to Wikipedia, The term "big data" often refers simply to the use of predictive analytics, user behavior analytics, or certain other advanced data analytics methods that extract value from data, and seldom to a particular size of data set. Analysis of data sets can find …
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Thinking outside the Sea Map
In 17th and 18th centuries England, France, and Spain contested the Dutch domination of world trade and the control over the seas and trade routes. After initial English successes, the war ended in a decisive Dutch victory. In 1667 Lieutenant-Admiral Michiel de Ruyter sailed up to the river Thames and attacked the British Royal navy …