Archive for the ‘Brainstorming’ Category
Why Good Ideas Are Like Porn
Recently, I had a very fun assignment. I was asked by a client to help define creativity when he was invited to give a presentation on the subject. What a cool opportunity to look scientifically at something that I do every day – generate ideas.
What is Creativity? What Are Good Ideas?
Defining creativity turned out to be harder than we anticipated. Former Supreme Court Justice, Potter Stewart, said of pornography, “I know it when I see it.” The same adage often applies to a good idea; it’s something we know or feel, but the why can be elusive. Furthermore, the label of “good” can depend on the context and/or the metric chosen to measure the idea’s success.
So, instead of trying to determine a universal definition for creativity, my client and I chose to examine the DNA of ideas instead. We consulted a great book called, How to Get Ideas, by Jack Foster, and agreed upon two powerful characteristics of ideas that also serve as an effective launch point when brainstorming.
Great Ideas Redefine the Familiar
A creative idea is something universally known or accepted, but conveyed in a
novel, unique, or unexpected way.
Take something familiar, add a powerful twist, and voila – creative brilliance. At Smitten Ice Cream in Hayes Valley of San Francisco, customers are eponymously infatuated with its new spin on a traditional dessert. Smitten makes custom ice-cream from fresh ingredients in 60 seconds with a one-of-a-kind liquid nitrogen machine. The process ensures deliciously pure ice cream and people are literally lapping it up. Smitten takes something familiar and redefines it; even the tagline is, “New Old-Fashioned Ice Cream.”
Yet, sometimes creativity is not a makeover, but matchmaking between two familiar things. Diane von Furstenberg’s legendary wrap dress is a robe and dress united. If a laptop had a baby with an iPhone, you’d end up with an iPad. And the most popular new FiDi lunch spot in San Francisco is Sushirrito where diners savor sushi ingredients nestled conveniently in a tortilla. Sometimes a pair of things have the chemistry to become one new concept that’s far greater than its two parts. Or in the case of Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, sometimes not – so the trick is to find the magic combination.
Great Ideas Make Things Simple
A creative idea synthesizes the complex into the startlingly simple. It ties up all the loose ends into one neat knot.
A big misnomer is that a great idea requires layers of complexity, when in fact, the best ideas simplify, not complicate. They have what I like to call the Duh Factor, as in, “Duh, why didn’t I think of that?” I have to look no further than my own floors for an example. Swiffer has to be the best housekeeping innovation of the last century. Replacing a mop, rags, and a pail of sloshing water, is one little disposable wipe that makes my hardwood floors sparkle. First runner-up to Swiffer in the Duh Factor Pageant is putting wheels on a suitcase. Duh, indeed.
Simplicity doesn’t just apply to tangible design, it extends to communications too. Simplify your message and people will more readily understand what your brand might mean to them. Take the Miller Lite tagline, “Tastes great, less filling.” What could be simpler than that?
To sum it up, if you’re daunted by brainstorming and ideation sessions, don’t be. As you and your respective organizations come up with creative ideas, streamline your process by redefining what’s already familiar to you and keeping it simple. In the end, you might ask, “But how will I recognize true creativity?” Like porn, you’ll know it when you see it.
