Keeping close to the action
The book “The Art Of Innovation: Lessons In Creativity” by Kelley, T. on page 31 writes:
“Whether it’s art, science, technology, or business, inspiration often comes from being close to the action- That’s part of why geography, even in the Internet age, counts. Andy why so many high-tech companies have emerged from Silicon Valley- and not Connecticut or even New Your. New ideas come from seeing, smelling, hearing — being there.”
Well, while I was reading this paragraph, I just was nodding like an idiot. I think this is so true. And I would say, the whole situation with Corona let us see that. Just by moving around, being in an environment like the Toni-Areal, surrounded by creative people, has such an impact on a design process. I realized the importance of talking with friends and having a deep face-to-face conversation about whatever. It gives so much inspiration and a creative boost. It somehow feels like charging a battery.
I think this question it’s an adamant one. It’s hard answering without sound cheesy.
For me, innovation hasn’t to be big or over the top. Improvement in every way is kind of innovative. Since the quarantine, I started making my bed every morning, just as a ritual of saying goodbye until the evening. I rarely did that before. So for me, it feels like a little innovation in my daily routine. Even if it is a small improvement, we have to learn to enjoy the little thing and embrace them in the same way as significant innovations.
There is not “the one” right explanation for it because it is such a subjective thing. I know that these questions somehow request an answer to the designer’s perspective. But since I’m still figuring out the precise definition or better said how I can explain “design” to a four-year-old child, it is even harder to put it straight into a perfect formulated answer. In some points, I think something innovative has to evoke a “wooow”- or an “uhh. I never saw something like this before” effect.
But on the other hand, there are so many innovative things out there that already existed, but someone just improved some parts of it. Sometimes it feels quite exhausting working all the time on the aim to have a super innovative thing as a result. In my current state, I would say it is an approach that is better kept somewhere in the backyard of our minds than being prioritized in the design process. Innovation can also happen unconsciously.
I think it also goes along with asking the right questions to achieve an innovative product. It is also to think outside of the box, thinking about things that aren’t currently possible but maybe one day. Somehow with a speculative design approach — More to it, you will read in my next blog post.
I liked that our teacher Joëlle said that you don’t have to be a genius like Steve Jobs and invent Apple in a garage. That’s Hollywood stuff, and of course, these stories should somehow motivate the people, that they’re able to reach everything. But in the other way it also daunting and demotivating, when you’re not a “genius”. You don’t have to be a genius to be innovative.
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