Creative Perch » How to Be an Innovator

TED + The LXD

Dee Wilcox — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:00:18 +0000

Check out this impressive clip of the Legion of Extraordinary Dancers, a dance troupe that believes that dance can have a transformative effect. It’s truly incredible.

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TED 2009 + Herbie Hancock

Dee Wilcox — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:00:17 +0000

Herbie Hancock is an incredibly talented jazz musician. Watch the video to hear his “all-star set” at TED 2009.

Stanford + Steve Jobs

Dee Wilcox — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:56:48 +0000

Check out the moving commencement speech offered by Steve Jobs at Stanford University. To anyone else who is weighing the value of a standard college degree or who is on the brink of change – take fifteen minutes and listen to a person who started out with much against him, chose an unorthodox route, and found success through hard work and creativity.

TED 2009 + Making a Splash in Social Web

Dee Wilcox — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:43:44 +0000

I really enjoyed this rapid-fire talk by Alexis Ohanian of Reddit. Here’s how TED describes this talk:

In a funny, rapid-fire 4 minutes, Alexis Ohanian of Reddit tells the real-life fable of one humpback whale’s rise to Web stardom. The lesson of Mister Splashy Pants is a shoo-in classic for meme-makers and marketers in the Facebook age.

And it’s right on. If you have an idea that you want your right people to buy into, take four minutes and watch this clip. “The Lesson of Mister Splashy Pants” will change the way you do social media.

TED 2009 + Imogen Heap

Dee Wilcox — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:43:00 +0000

Imogen Heap is an incredible music artist, but I think it’s fair to say she’s an innovator in her field, as well. What do you think?

How to Be an Innovator eBook with Free Preview

Dee Wilcox — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:47:29 +0000

I am very excited to announce the release of the eBook version of the How to Be an Innovator Series. This was an incredible series to write and helped me grow personally in so many ways. It also tended to garner the most comments and build the greatest sense of community here at Creative Perch. I think this was mostly because we are all growing, trying to be better, trying to be our best each day. And we want our creative work to reflect our best.

In this series we learned,

How to create an epidemic
How to be idea champions
How to plan strategically
How to be remarkable

If you’d like to download a free preview of the first seven chapters, click here!

Jessica Smith, a recent newcomer to Creative Perch, had this to say about the series on her new blog, Social On the Inside:

Check out this series from Twitter friend @dee_wilcox …it’s called “How To Be An Innovator” but with the topics she covers it could very well be called, “How to Approach Your Social Business” or “How to Bring a Whole-Mind Way of Thinking to Everything You Do.” I covet this series already and plan to follow it, step-by-step, for empowerment and inspiration.

The entire series is still available for free on Creative Perch – just click here, and you’ll be taken to the series page where you can either read through page by page, or visit the original posts and comments.

However, I’ve taken the time to compile each of the posts into a PDF format. Here are just a few of the benefits:

Get the entire series at your fingertips! No clicking back and forth to read the entire series.
You can use the search function to look up specific details.
You can use the table of contents and page navigation to easily jump back and forth between topics.

I’ve listed the full eBook through e-Junkie at a price of $9.95. This is a minimal cost to help cover admin expenses, hosting, et cetera. Given the value of the content, I think it’s a steal.

Click on the add cart button below to place your order! You’ll be taken directly to the payment portal, and then the PDF download will be available immediately. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me an email or submit your message via the contact page.

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How to Be an Innovator Series Wrapup

Dee Wilcox — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:09:00 +0000

Today we officially wrapped up the How to Be an Innovator series. I’ve posted links to each article and am working on fine-tuning the navigation system. There is a lot of great content in the series, as well as a lot of incredible reader comments. I hope you’ll take some time to check it out. If you’ve missed part of the series, you can find all of the posts on the series page.

I am also working on the eBook for this series and should have it available for download soon. I have an idea for a more appealing layout, and I am super excited to share that resource with you.

But honestly, I can’t help feeling like the series isn’t quite finished.

And maybe that’s a good sign. I’m basing this assumption a little bit on stats but mostly on my gut, so I’d like to hear from you guys on this.

I definitely think innovation is something we need to keep fleshing out here. Are you guys with me on that? And if so, can you share a little about how you’d like the conversation to go? Creative Perch exists for you, to serve you where you are at in your creative journey. I’d really love to know your thoughts on how we can take this series forward.

If you feel comfortable doing so, please share in the comments, and we can brainstorm this as a community. Or, if you’d rather, send me an email, or contact me anonymously via the contact page. I look forward to hearing from you!

How to Be an Innovator, Part 30: The Heart of the Matter

Dee Wilcox — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:48:47 +0000

How to Be an Innovator is an original series by Creative Perch. In the last post in this series, I shared about my new focus on doing one thing, brilliantly. This week we’ll close out our series with a final post on the heart of innovation.

Part 30: The Heart of the Matter

Last September, my Twitter friend Jessica Valenzuela of Mavin Digital, Inc., wrote about how empathy is the thing that connects her most with her clients. (The post is titled “Doing It with Grok” – check it out when you get a chance!)

Jessica is an incredibly energetic person, but it’s not because she’s an avid kiteboarder or snowboarder, or because she bikes to work occasionally. Instead, her sense of empathy causes her to buy in to her clients’ vision, which for her, translates into relentless energy.

Energy to keep working, to keep looking for solutions.
Energy to do things differently, better than anyone else.
Energy to take risks, to try things that have never been done before.

Not Just for Startups

It takes energy to get a new company off the ground – whether you’re the newly minted CEO or the brand manager or the shipping guru. But once you’re off the ground and running, it takes even more energy to keep the engines running full speed ahead.

Passion and vision and empathy aren’t just for startups. They’re for anyone who has a great idea or a big vision. When the train is moving fast – especially when t feels like it is moving too fast – empathy will keep you connected to your purpose and grounded in your vision. Empathy is that quality that allows us to identify with and feel what others are feeling, whether or not we are experiencing the same circumstances ourselves. This alone helps us connect with and stay connected to our “right people” (to borrow the term from Havi Brooks).

Meaningful Solutions

At the end of the day, innovation is about solving problems, but sometimes we forget who is on the other end of that problem. It is important to stop and ask ourselves who we are solving for, and why. How is this problem affecting them, and how can we help? What is their ideal scenario?

When we remember the person for whom we are solving a problem, it brings meaning to our work, but it also helps us bring our best to the table each day. Because being an innovator isn’t just about creativity, or business savvy, or advanced technological skill. It’s about actively engaging with the world around us, participating in the creative process, and connecting in a wider community.

When we are willing to put ourselves out there and feel empathy for others, that is when the real work, the great work truly begins.

How to Be an Innovator, Part 29: Do One Thing, Brilliantly

Dee Wilcox — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:30:45 +0000

Last week in our How to Be an Innovator series, we talked about the importance of keeping your vision at the forefront of your activities. I hope you’ve enjoyed the series so far and are finding ways to apply to your life as a creative – whether you’re a creative entrepreneur, an artist with a day job, a video editor who is motivated by a cause, or a photographer looking to break out of the box.We’re beginning to wind down the series now, so this week we’ll look at the one thing that has changed the way I approach creativity and innovation more than any other single thing. And that is choosing to be remarkable.

Part 29: Do One Thing, Brilliantly

Last December I posted my review of Seth Godin’s book Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable. I look back now and realize my review was too brief. Maybe I thought that since it’s a short book, if I went into too much detail, I would give the whole thing away. I’m not sure.

What I should have told you is this: The idea of being remarkable, and choosing to be remarkable, changed the way I live. The only way to be successful and fulfilled in your creative work is to give your best, selflessly and fully.

I even have a note that says, “Remember the lesson of the Cow… BE REMARKABLE!” posted above my desk.

Now let’s get down to brass tacks. My creative life is a busy one, and I’m sure you can relate. I am constantly looking for ways to stay inspired AND be productive. I divide my days into admin time and creative time. I block out hours on my calendar for writing time, creative work, client work (not always the same thing), paperwork, meetings, errands, walking my dogs with my husband, date nights, and homework.

Thankfully, I’ll finally be finished with my BS in Organizational Leadership next quarter, but then I’m on to grad school. Homework is not going away for a while yet, but you’ll notice in my list of priorities that homework is last. I live my life, and then I sit down after the day is done, read my texts, post to the class discussion boards, and turn in my requisite assignments. In all honesty, homework gets the last bit of energy I have to offer at the end of a long day and a long week.

It’s not that I don’t care. I do. I REALLY do. It kills me to get anything less than an A. But my husband and my relationships and my creative life way top the list of my life priorities.

When Worlds Collide

Last session I had a wakeup call, although probably not the kind that you’re expecting. I didn’t fail out or quit. Instead, two weeks after I spent an entire weekend working on a paper that I felt like I had given my all on and yet was still just not quite there, I received my grade with a note from my instructor. I received a perfect 100, and his note included the words,”You are a brilliant writer.”

I’m not trying to boost my own ego here. My point is that it was almost midnight when I received his email. I was exhausted and worn out. I was wondering why I was still in school, why I still try to keep this blog going, how I have so many other priorities and things on my plate. Not only had I forgotten why I was doing what I was doing, I had forgotten the what as well.

I realized that when I am writing for school, even if it seems like the most boring topic in the world and the furthest thing from any of my interests, I am writing. And I must do it brilliantly.

Do One Thing

My chief aim is to be remarkable at one thing, and that is writing. So when I am down, when I wonder why I keep coming back to the blank page, I remind myself, “I am a brilliant writer.” This is my one thing, the one thing I prioritize above every other task on my list, the one thing I protect and cherish in my heart.

This chief aim directs all of my other priorities. It’s the prioritizer when I choose to take on new projects; it’s the decider when I am choosing resources; it helps me be my very best. And I know that if I can just do this one thing well, and when I choose to be brilliant at this one thing, I am most fulfilled, and the other things fall into line.

What is your one thing? What decisions can you make today to do that one thing brilliantly?

How to Be an Innovator, Part 28: Stay True to the Vision

Dee Wilcox — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:00:45 +0000

Last week in this How to Be an Innovator series, we talked about using smart marketing strategies to position your business effectively, especially during economically challenging times like these. This week we’ll talk about the importance of staying true to your vision.

Part 28: Stay True to the Vision

After you’ve spent so much time identifying problems, planning your strategy, building your team, and marketing your idea, it can be easy to lose track of why you started the journey in the first place. Sometimes it feels like the process has been a full-out battle, or at the least, an uphill climb. Other times it feels like there are so many viewpoints and so many people ideas flowing that it’s hard to remember the original vision.

But a vision is necessary to help you stay on track. It reminds you of why you do what you do, and it acts as a filter for the people you hire, the jobs you commit to, the policies you consider. Your vision guides your business. There are two important things you can do today to help keep the vision at the forefront of your efforts.

1. Write it Down

Schedule a time to meet with your team to write out your vision. Bring your idea of what the vision is with you, and lead an open meeting to discover what your team members think the vision is. Then, write it out and agree upon it. A few helpful things your vision should include are,

Who. Who is on the team? Who is your market niche? Who are you reaching?
What. What do you do? What service do you provide? What goal are you trying to reach?
Why. Describe what motivates your work. Share your passion for what you do and for whom you do it.

2. Keep It at the Forefront

The simple act of writing out your vision with your team will automatically help you stay true to it. However, a vision that is written down and then tucked into a drawer or filed away isn’t much good to anyone.

Look for creative ways to keep it in front of your team. Some companies post it on a big banner in the foyer of the workplace, but this doesn’t really help translate the vision into everyday work. Here are a few creative ideas to help your team keep the vision in front of them:

Send daily emails with creative ways to implement the vision in that day’s work.
Give each of team members a tactile item with vision posted on it, like a mousepad or laptop cover, so that they’ll see it constantly before them.
Discuss the vision in team meetings. Be open and ask your team members how they think you are all measuring up in your effort?

How do you keep the vision at the forefront of your business? Please share your experience in the comments!

How to Be an Innovator, Part 27: Use Smart Marketing

Dee Wilcox — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:00:38 +0000

Last week in this series, we talked about the importance of building up your team. A big dream requires the support of a team, so we discussed three ways to build up support. This week we’ll head in a different direction and talk about ways to use smart marketing techniques to build your support for your idea, brand, or organization in the public arena.

Part 27: Use Smart Marketing

It used to be that the best, sure-fire way to market a business was to buy TV ad spots, but those days are long gone. Although innovative networks are looking for ways to boost viewership, many marketers are still looking for more effective outlets.

A smart marketing approach begins with clarifying the difference between advertising strategies and a marketing plan. A marketing plan speaks to how an idea/product/brand/organization desires to be viewed, and by whom. Marketing is the end goal. Advertising is just one tool in the toolbox.

Smart Marketing in a Down Economy

In an uncertain economy like the one we’re currently experiencing, it is impossible to ignore budgetary factors. The good news is that good, quality, inexpensive marketing outlets do still exist.

The Smart Marketing Process

Before you decide how you are going to market, it’s important to first work through a basic planning process by answering the following questions:

First, define the goal. How do you want to position your idea/brand/product/organization? How do you want to be seen? Who do you want to be seen by? Who do you want to ultimately join your tribe?
Then, define gaps in results. We’ve discussed gaps in results here before. So, where are you seeing success? Where are you not seeing the results you desire?
Last, choose a tactic. Most of the time, it’s easier to choose a tactic than it is to answer the two previous questions. However, if you answer those to questions first, you’ll be able to choose the right method to gain the high-payoff results you desire.

Choosing the Right Means

Marketing is a means to an end, which is to help you achieve your goal. Choosing the right means or the right tactic is key, and as we all know, budget-friendly options that don’t sacrifice quality are best.

Embrace social media. Years ago, when the internet was first taking off, marketers and leaders began to notice the success of trends that “went viral,” meaning that the most successful ideas were those that caught on with a group who then told their friends about, who told their friends, etc. – very similar to the ideas presented in The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. Social media outlets like Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace are great, free ways to build your tribe and market to the right people.
Print is (not) dead. While it is true that newspaper advertising may not be as effective as it was ten years ago, print media as a whole is still thriving. Consider using untraditional outlets, or creative handmade outlets, for marketing your business. Including print marketing materials with order shipments is a great way to get something tactile in the hands of your customers, which has been shown to increase brand recognition and information retention. For example, many of my favorite Etsy sellers include little extras in their shipments, like notepads, mini-prints, magnets, stickers, business cards, and the like. I love receiving these items because of the creativity that has gone into creating them.
Explore video. It used to be that creating cool videos was just for the pros, and while there is still a great deal of technicality involved in producing a movie-quality video, the barriers to entry in this field get lower all the time. I can create a simple video of me talking or my dogs playing just using PhotoBook on my MacBook Pro. There are lots of easy tools out there for basic, “at home” video editing. Consider doing VLogs or creating humorous, creative videos and uploading them to YouTube. Let your fan base know the video is live and see what happens.

How are you employing smart marketing to grow your creative business?

How to Be an Innovator, Part 26: Build Support

Dee Wilcox — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:11:44 +0000

Last week in our How to Be an Innovator series, we discussed identifying real needs and choosing the right problem/opportunities for your organization. This week we’ll go a step further and delve a little bit into the strategic planning process.

Part 26: Build Support

No man is an island, or so the saying goes. Nor can any great idea be pulled off without a team.

If you have a big vision, or if you see a need for major change in your organization, before you do anything, make sure you have the support of the team.

A leader is someone who has people following him or her. A leader invests in those followers, to help them grow and achieve their potential. Whether or not you are the CEO or have any physical position of leadership really doesn’t matter. Motivating people, believing in them, and investing in them does.

There are many great resources on leading people; John Maxwell’s series of incredible books is a great place to start. However, here are a few keys to help you get started:

Identify who is on your team. Who are the influencers in your group? Where are the get-it-done people? Do you have a good mix of both? If you have an imbalance, consider recruiting new members to help bring a diversity of ideas and a balance of skills to the team.
Build them up. Showing interest in the personal dreams and goals of your team members will help strengthen their relationship with you. Actually helping make those dreams happen will build a kind of loyalty you can’t buy anywhere.
Communicate your vision. And communicate, communicate, communicate. Tell your team your big idea, and tell them why. Why is it so important? Why they should the invest their energy and commitment? Get their feedback. Set goals, and communicate them. Post progress updates. When a deadline is missed, or something in the process fails, go to them for feedback and ideas. Communicate.

Are you building a new idea, or preparing for a big change? How are you keeping your team involved in the process?

How to Be an Innovator, Part 25: Get Your Facts Straight

Dee Wilcox — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:21:16 +0000

Last week in our How to Be an Innovator series, we talked about how strategic planning can help in the innovation process. This week we’ll go a step further and talk about how to get the information you need to choose the right problems and build a solid plan.

Part 25: Get Your Facts Straight

When it comes to strategically growing an organization or an idea, many times we feel like we have a good, general idea of where things are out – how productive we are, or how profitable, or how successful. But to develop an effective strategic plan, you need more specific data. You need to know where your strengths are, where your opportunities are, and where your weaknesses and threats are.

The Value of a Needs Assessment

We’ve talked before about the difference between wants and needs in a business setting, but just to reiterate, a need is a gap in results. A problem is a gap in results that you’ve decided to fix.

Many times, we confuse wants and needs with generalized statements like, “We need a goal benchmarking system,” or, “We need another designer to help us handle the work load.” In reality, these are wants until they are matched up with specific gaps in results. So, for example, if you’ve determined that you’re behind on X number of projects and won’t be able to take on any new work until X date, you are one step closer to identifying a real need for another person on your staff.

Needs assessments can help you identify these kinds of areas where you have a gap in results between what is and what should be. There are many models for needs assessments, some you can buy online and some you can just follow yourself. The model I am most familiar with is the SOCER model:

Scope and Plan. Identify the person spearheading the needs assessment, who is participating, and what seemingly apparent problems you are addressing. Also identify if there is any data currently available to help guide you in Step 3 – Collecting Data.
Obtain Participation. It is very important to involve the team in the needs assessment process. If you are addressing customer service or client satisfaction issues, you may even want to involve your external clients.
Collect Data. This is the most time-consuming part of the process because the goal of this step is to understand the problem area as fully as you can. If you want to improve your benchmarking, you need to collect data on past projects. If you are trying to improve financial performance, you need to understand your current accounting methods and gather all the financial data that you can. If you want to improve processes, you need to learn everything you can about your current processes.
Evaluate Data. To me, this is the most crucial step because what you learn from the data will drive the rest of your strategic planning. If you feel overwhelmed by the data you have collected, you might consider bringing in an outside perspective to help you see things more clearly or to highlight areas you overlooked.
Report Findings. This is the step where you identify possible solutions and develop ways to implement them. If you’re a small business owner, you may just be reporting to yourself and your team. Use the opportunity to solicit feedback, identify top priorities, and establish your core objectives.

Needs assessments are time consuming, and many times we put them off simply because we feel we don’t have the time, energy, or resources to devote to them. However, we can’t afford to overlook their importance because they give us the facts we need to develop stronger business plans. Today is the first day of October and the beginning of the fall quarter. Make time to look at your business objectively, do a needs assessment, and begin developing your objectives for the new year.

How to Be an Innovator, Part 24: Prepare to Plan

Dee Wilcox — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:23:00 +0000

Part 24: Prepare to Plan

At first glance, the whole idea of strategic planning seems counterintuitive to the creative process. And maybe the actual planning part of it is – or can be. But preparing to plan is like preparing a creative brief. The process gives you the tools you need to create a framework by identifying the problem you are trying to solve, the key players involved, and the end goal. Then you can begin the creative part of the problem solving process through brainstorming and developing solutions to the problem, implementing them, testing them for effectiveness, and revising them.

First Steps

Preparing to plan means getting an accurate picture of where you’re at, measuring gaps in results, and choosing the problems that need to be solved. Here are a few steps to get you started:

Identify the new realities of your business. The crazy economy has meant changes for everybody, no matter what industry you are in. What does this mean for where you are at right now? What does it mean for your future?
Identify the members of your team and the stakeholders who are most involved in your organization’s future. If change is needed, are they on board with you? What is the best way for you to work together to craft effective solutions?
Measure gaps in results. In my business, the three main areas I measure are customer satisfaction, campaign effectiveness, and turn around times. Gaps in results in any of these three areas directly affect the future of my business, and resolving them will always be top priority.
Identify priority needs. We talked about this some last week. What needs directly affect your future? What needs can you afford to ignore, and which can you not?

Next week we’ll go over the actual planning process. As technical as it all may seem sometimes, problem solving is just creativity at its best. Can’t wait to share with you!

How to Be an Innovator, Part 23: Choose the Right Problem

Dee Wilcox — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:45:22 +0000

How to Be an Innovator is an original series by Creative Perch. Last week we talked about the importance of identifying where you are and where you are going by asking the right questions. This week we’ll clarify true needs and show you how to identify real opportunities for innovation in your organization.

Part 23: Choose the Right Problem

A few weeks ago we talked about how every great innovation starts with identifying a need. I’d like to revisit that for a bit to clarify what exactly a need is and why it is important to choose the right ones to get the results you want.

By definition, a need is a gap in results. It’s the gap between where you are and where you are going, what is and what should be. A problem is just a need that has been identified and chosen for resolution.¹

In your organization, a need may constitute a (quantifiable) gap in growth, a gap in sales, or a gap in competitive edge. In contrast, a want is a solution without a problem, and a quasi-need is a want posing as a need. For example, better technology is usually a want, and better technology to stay competitive is a quasi-need. But if you’re a medical clinic, better technology to get accurate medical test results is a genuine, quantifiable need.

Step 1 of the creative process and of innovation is identifying the problem, but this is more complicated than it first appears. The first step is identifying a need, and that begins with knowing where you are (by asking the right questions) and choosing where you are going.

Knowing where you are and where you are going is the only way to know which needs need to be solved, and which problems have the potential for innovation. Otherwise, you might waste your time satisfying a want or solving a quasi-need… and wondering why you are just going around in circles.

Take some time this week to think about the real, genuine needs that exist in your organization. Where are there gaps between what is and what should be, between where you are and where you are going? Those are the problems that need resolution, and ultimately, they are your opportunity for innovation.

Endnotes:
1. Kaufman, R., Oakley-Brown, H., Watkins, R., & Leigh, D. (2003). Strategic planning for success: Aligning people, performance, and payoffs. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeifer.

How to Be an Innovator, Part 22: Ask the Right Questions

Dee Wilcox — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:42:01 +0000

How to Be an Innovator is an original series by Creative Perch. In the last post in this series, we looked how reinventing an old medium can fulfill a market niche in a way that wasn’t possible before. This week we’ll look at how sometimes finding the right solutions starts with learning to ask the right questions.

Part 22: Ask the Right Questions

When an opportunity for innovation and creativity arises, it usually means there is a problem or challenge that must be tackled. At first, the prospect can be a bit daunting, but then as one begins the process of mentally wrapping one’s mind around the project, beginning the process of solving the challenge comes down to a single question: “Where to start?”

The Wrong Questions

It is really easy to become so tied into or wrapped up in a project that one loses perspective. Then, when it comes down to creating a solution, it is even easier to start off on the wrong foot by asking the wrong questions:

Whose fault is this?
How will we ever get through this?
Why did we ever decide to do this in the first place?

Many times, these questions lead to the very unproductive, damaging habit of shifting blame. Instead of even starting down that road, get down to the business of creating an innovating by learning to ask the right questions.

Start with the History

Knowing the right kinds of questions to ask begins with how you arrived at the problem in the first place. Is it the result of an idea failure? Is it a new, unforeseen challenge? Is it the result of a change in politics, economics, trends, or the marketplace? Create a background for problem-solving by first establishing how you got to where you are.

Create a Vision of the Future

After you’ve established where you are and how you got there, work with your team to establish a vision of where you’d like to be. Call it goal setting or vision casting or creating a mission statement or whatever – you need to have a destination in mind.

Getting from Here to There

The next part is the hardest part – creating a roadmap to get you from where you are to where you want to be. To get a clearer picture of where here is, I usually start with a SWOT analysis.

Identify

Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats

Then, I use this analysis to create my roadmap. I build to my strengths, work on my weaknesses (by adding members to the team, building my skill set, or otherwise addressing problem areas), expand and explore opportunities, and look for ways to out-innovate threats (either by creating a new market, a new niche by building on original ideas).

Innovation is all about the journey from where one is to where one is going – and what new frontiers are created in the process. Set yourself up for success by getting off on the right foot and asking the right questions. There is no better way to create a roadmap for the future.

TED Talk: Golan Levin Makes Art That Looks Back at You

Dee Wilcox — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:13:55 +0000

I’ve been catching up on the TED talks that were posted this month and last, and so far, this one by Golan Levin is my favorite. Levin is both a software engineer and an artist. He combines technology and art in a unique way, hopefully a way we’ll begin to see more of in the future.

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How to Be an Innovator, Part 21: Don’t Be Afraid to Reinvent

Dee Wilcox — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 14:56:28 +0000

How to Be an Innovator is an original series by Creative Perch. For the last few weeks we’ve been addressing various ways of looking at a problem to discover new solutions. We’ve talked about understanding the backstory, looking for loopholes, and looking for repetition. This week we’ll address the kind of tunnel vision that is rooted in fear – either of the unknown or of failure.

Part 21: Don’t Be Afraid to Reinvent

I’ve have been so pleased to watch Uppercase Magazine develop and grow, gain support, and become a raving success over the last several months. If you’re unfamiliar with the new magazine, it’s produced by Janine Vangool of Uppercase Gallery in Calgary. She has a fantastic blog that I look forward to reading everyday, as well an online shop full of lovely curiosities. She’s also @uppercasemag on Twitter.

The magazine market is full of naysayers right now, with many predicting their demise in the next decade. But Janine had a vision for a new kind of magazine, one tailored to creatives from all genres that connects readers with one another, both online and off, across North America and Europe. Janine did not let the naysayers dissuade her or convince her that now is not the time to start a magazine. Instead, she did it anyway.

I was thrilled and delighted when I received my first issue of Uppercase. It was so thoughtfully and colorfully laid out, and there were almost no advertisements. The few that were there were put together creatively, and didn’t really feel like ads. Many of them were simply shout-outs of support for the magazine from the creative community.

To make her vision a reality, Janine had to create a new model for her magazine. Her model is subscriber rather than advertiser-based, though she does have a few ads and a few individual issues available for sale. However, subscriptions are highly encouraged, as Jeanine has made it clear that they are the best way to really support the magazine. She even offers a combined magazine/book combination subscription as a further incentive.

In Issue 2 Janine announced that they had gained enough subscribers to sustain the magazine, and that hopefully they would be able to begin paying staff and contributors.

Which tells me that for the last two issues, the contributors and volunteers who make Uppercase Magazine have been making it happen simply for love of the work and belief in the vision. Jeanine put aside her fears, shared a vision, cast it out amongst the creative community and all of her contacts, and pulled together a team to believe with her, a team that believes just as much as she does and is willing to do what it takes to make the vision a reality.

What is Holding You Back?

The number one thing we can learn from Jeanine is that fear is never a good reason to not try. Jeanine could have given up for fear of failing miserably, or she could have let the prospect of launching a magazine and all the unknowns that go along with it prevent her from trying. And, Jeanine didn’t try to take the old magazine model and try to make it work with her vision. Instead, she pushed forward and invented a new kind of magazine, based on a sustainable, subscriber based, artist co-op model that effortlessly engenders support from the creative community.

What is holding you back today? When the odds seem to be against you, take a cue from Jeanine. It’s always a good time to reinvent.

How to Be an Innovator, Part 20: Look for Repetition

Dee Wilcox — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:02:24 +0000

How to Be an Innovator is an original series by Creative Perch. Last week we discussed how trendwatching can reveal new and untapped possibilities. This week we’ll learn how to take a cue when when we receive repetitive answers.

Part 20: Look for Repetition

I admit it, I’m a researcher. Google is my friend. So is the library.

I’m also a do-it-yourselfer. Nine times out of ten, I would rather figure something out and do it myself than ask someone else to do it for me.

For example, when it came to building this blog, or creating my own Twitter background earlier this year, I Googled and searched forums… for hours. And I came up with tons of repetitive suggestions that didn’t really work, and only a few solid, helpful tools. With the “start” those tools provided, I was able to forge my own way. Although there are now tons of tutorials available, when I first finally figured out how to do my own Twitter background, everyone wanted to know how I did it, culminating in my own tiny little bit of innovation.

Searching for Clues

When you come across a problem that doesn’t seem to have an answer (or everyone has the same answer), it’s a clear sign that an opportunity for creativity and innovation exists. Here’s how you can leverage these opportunities:

Identify the need.
Identify the audience – who shares this problem with you? Who is looking for answers?
Gather your research and information. Unearth common complaints, read reviews about common approaches, and look for loopholes in their effectiveness.
Engage a team. If an answer is immediately clear to you, or you lack the resources to tackle the problem, get a team together to help you.
Get to work on the problem!

When was the last time you noticed a repetitive (and ineffective) answer? What can you do about it?

How to Be an Innovator, Part 19: Be a Trendwatcher

Dee Wilcox — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:00:32 +0000

How to Be an Innovator is an original series by Creative Perch. In Week 18 we discussed how uncovering a problem’s back story can help reveal new answers and solutions. This week we’ll tackle how trends can reveal new and untapped possibilities.

Part 19: Be a Trendwatcher

Over the last few weeks we’ve looked at current or past problems and how they have been approached by ourselves and by others. We’ve looked for loopholes and uncovered the back stories of these problems. This week we’ll go in a different direction – identifying new problems and opportunities.

New Problems?

There are so many challenges in the world today that I can understand why you might wonder why on earth I would want to look for new problems. But trust me, you need a problem. The first step of the creative process is the presence of an opportunity for creativity, and problems are opportunities for innovation.

Where to Look

Trendwatching is one of the best ways to begin identifying new problems and looking for opportunities. With just your average Internet access, you can watch financial trends, search term trends, work trends, out-of-work trends, popular sales items, successful product launches, failed product launches, and even popular conversation topics (think Twitter).

Speaking of conversation – the next time you are hanging out with your friends, or browsing in a shop, listen for popular conversation themes. These trends can clue you into highly-actionable opportunities in your social network or community.

Trendwatching resouces help, too, but in a more artificial way. For example, I receive an update every so often from trendwatching.com that clues me in to many global and broad-scale trends. Sometimes there is a way I can contribute or an opportunity I can develop, and sometimes not. I scan a few favorite magazines and Google news alerts for trends as well, but in my experience, these are less personal and often not as easily applicable.

Where do you look for trendwatch? Or do you have another favorite technique for identifying new problems (a.k.a. opportunities)? Please share in the comments!

How to Be an Innovator, Part 18: Uncover the Back Story

Dee Wilcox — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:00:48 +0000

How to Be an Innovator is an original series by Creative Perch. Last week we discovered how asking questions and looking for loopholes can unveil unique opportunities for creative problem-solving and innovation. This week we’ll look at how uncovering a given product, idea, or challenge’s back story can provide clues to the answer.

Part 18: Uncover the Back Story

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, back story refers to history, or the “story behind the story.” For example, you may meet someone who seems to have achieved overnight success. However, the individual’s back story may be years of of living on ramen noodles in an apartment with four other people, or spent evening after evening in a research lab, until they finally achieved recognition for their work. The back story is what happened before “the beginning” of the new story – the story we most often hear.

There is always a back story. Think about it. When you meet someone new, and they ask what you do, do you tell them what you’re currently working on and with or for whom, or do you tell them about where you started and how miserable and hard that was? More often than not, unless pressed to do otherwise, we tend to present the prettier picture of the present day.

A Little Bit of History

When you are working on solving a problem or creating a new idea or solution, it helps to understand the history of the challenge. For example, for someone who is trying to improve their financial management, it is helpful to go back and review a history of financial decisions, the factors at play, and the process and methods by which the individual reached a decision.

The same applies in new product development. Consider the development of the iPhone. When the iPhone landed on the market, it wasn’t the first smart phone we had ever seen. It was the product of a series of developments and a long history of making phones smaller, faster, able to do more for us, and ultimately changing how we view the purpose of a phone. (I use my iPhone more for its apps than I do for talking. Don’t you?)

How to Uncover the Back Story

Sometimes uncovering a back story is a simple as finding the right person to ask the right questions. Other more time might be required for research and interviews. But it all starts with getting the right perspective on your project.

Is this an original problem?
Who worked on it before you?
What was their theory? What methods or approaches did they try? What worked? Failed?
Why did they choose to tackle this problem?
Why are you tackling this problem?

Learning from the Past

Most obviously, uncovering a problem’s back story can help you avoid common pitfalls. Even more valuable, we can learn from the methods other people tried. Sometimes there is a modification that might make it work; other times, technology has advanced or resources have become available to make a solution work. When that doesn’t do it, sometimes these insights help point us in a new direction – one that has never been tried before. It is at these times that we create our part of the story.

Twitter and the Tour de France

Dee Wilcox — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:00:57 +0000

The Tour de France is the highlight of the year for many cyclists and enthusiasts. However, the team behind the event struck gold this year by engaging social media and thereby a wider section of the global community.

The New York Daily News reports,

“A robot is touring through France painting Twitter messages on the road for competitors and cancer survivors, CNN reports.

The Chalkbot paints messages with letters facing the cyclists on their route through France. Chalked messages have been an important part of the Tour for a long time but the Chalkbot helps create a more global fan community.
“If you talk to any cyclist, they’ll tell you there’s a longstanding tradition to chalk messages of support,” Derek Kent, a spokesman for Nike, told CNN. “And what we’ve done is taken that insight and bought it to another level, so that someone in Asia can participate in the Tour and feel a part of something bigger.”

The Chalkbot was created with Nike and Lance Armstrong’s LiveStrong foundation.

According to CNN, the robot scrawls the messages that come in via text messages from Twitter posts. A person with a laptop then instructs the robot to paint the message. The bot itself resembles a tractor and is towed by a truck.
“Cancer wont defeat us” and “Good luck” are some of the recent tweets sent to Chalkbot. Not every message sent to Chalkbot will be painted on the road but it has been scrawling around 200 messages per day on the tour.
A few villages in France have banned the Chalkbot from painting on their roads, but most of them have been supportive of the campaign.

This is one of the best uses of social media to engage both the public and online communities that I have seen so far. What do you think?

17 Words of Architectural Inspiration

Dee Wilcox — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:04:27 +0000

Tonight I listened to Daniel Libeskind’s TED talk titled, 17 Words of Architectural Inspiration. Whether you’re a fine arts artist, a designer, an inventor, or a business person, there is something for you in this talk. Enjoy!

How to Be an Innovator, Part 17: Look for Loopholes

Dee Wilcox — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:11:02 +0000

How to Be an Innovator is an original series by Creative Perch. Last week’s discussion focused on how innovation and creativity work together to provide the answer to a need. This week we’ll look at how asking, “What about…” can be an important step in identifying an unmet need.

Part 17: Look for Loopholes

Many times I look at the marketplace or the social landscape and think, “Someone has already taken care of everything. What can I possibly do?” This has happened on multiple occasions where I thought I had discovered a need that no one else had addressed, only to discover later that there were better, more qualified people than me already working on the problem.

Other times I look out and see so many problems that it is overwhelming, and then I think, “What can I possibly do? My efforts will just be a drop in the bucket!”

In each of these situations, I am failing to see the whole picture. There is always a problem that each of us is uniquely gifted to solve.

“What about…”

When you are looking at a problem that seems to be covered (skilled people have crafted a strategy and are hard at work on the challenge), you have two options. You can assume everything is covered and look for a new challenge, or you can ask, “What about…”

What about what isn’t being said?
What target demographics (or mediums or trends) are getting the most attention? What about the ones who are being ignored?
What about the problems or issues that aren’t being addressed?

Off the Mainstream

Organizations and individuals most well known for identifying loopholes in a given system are often way off the mainstream. Many times they are motivated by an important cause or a well defined set of beliefs. Often, they are the ones who look at the mainstream and point out the issues or challenges that are not being addressed. For example,

They address questions about sustainability and how it can (and cannot) really be measured.
They challenge how charitable work is achieved and how common goals are accomplished.
They demand accountability and refuse to accept the myths and “truths” communicated to the public (like the FDA’s definition of “safe” foods or like many financial institutions and their lack of regulation).

Asking Questions and Success

If you asked a lot of questions as a kid, your experience was probably that eventually it got you into trouble. But in the marketplace, asking questions is an important key to success. Looking for loopholes in logic or research can shed light on important needs and opportunities.

Apple famously identified music lovers’ desire to be able to own individual songs rather than entire albums. They believed consumers were inherently good and would pay for the music (rather than pirating it) and were the first to create a system that met this need. In my view, they single-handedly averted a major music industry crisis.
From the crisis in Iran to the global recession, authors and bloggers use the written word to raise questions and awareness about important social, political, and economic challenges.
Etsy recognized the “starving artist crisis” and identified a gap between buyers’ awareness of handmade goods and ability to purchase them. Through smart marketing and a user-driven interface, they have created an opportunity for artists to support themselves through their art (rather than day jobs) – something many considered impossible just a few short years ago.

So take another look at the challenges you see in front of you. Ask, “What about…” and look for the people or issues that aren’t being addressed. If the problem looks solved, look again. You might be surprised at what you find – and how you can help.

How to Be an Innovator, Part 16: Identify a Need

Dee Wilcox — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:14:27 +0000

How to Be an Innovator is an original series by Creative Perch. Last week we talked about the role of an idea champion in the innovation process. This week we’re taking a different tack and looking at how you come up with a Great Idea in the first place.

Part 16: Identify a Need

All of today’s great innovations answer a need. The light bulb provides more efficient and reliable light; the telephone provided faster, more efficient, clearer communication; the hybrid car attempts to answer the need for transportation and energy savings.

On a lesser scale, Starbucks succeeded because it answered the need for a Third Place, where friend could gather and business people could meet casually. Likewise, Redbox has been a runaway hit, providing inexpensive movie rentals with no waiting for the mail and no late fees. On a much lesser scale, the Coffee Cozy answers the need to protect hands from hot coffee cups, prevents lawsuits, and has now attracted the attention of crafters and the fashion industry.

Look Around You

The individuals who created these products and services saw a need in the world around them, developed a concept, and partnered with a team to make it happen. There are problems and needs in the world around you, too. You may have personal challenges, people you know may have challenges, or your community might be facing a major need. Look closer. What is it?

Is it a need for more work-life balance?
Is it a need for a stronger community framework?
Is it a need for a place for children to play?
Are their hiccups in the system at your workplace? What are common customer complaints?
What are common employee complaints?
Who can you help today?

Another way to look for unmet needs is to consider the basic problems solved by standout companies. For example, what problem does Amazon solve? Versus brick and mortar bookstores? What about Google? Why are they the most popular Internet search engine, far over Yahoo! or Dogpile, or any of their predecessors?

There are always needs. The beauty of creativity is that it can provide an answer to these needs and begin the process of innovation.