possibility thinking

I am not 100% sure if I have written a post about this idea, however; I KNOW that I have talked about it at least 100 times in the past 12 months.

From time to time there is that occasional person who is compelled by one of my design works, rather it be a graphic design, typography work, or concept for the purpose of serious thinking, they are compelled for whatever reason. One question that I get most often is...

"How did you come up with that? WHAT made you THINK of that?"

My answer to them is rather standard, I share with them the ideas behind "design thinking", but along with that I tell them about an idea that I feel is paradigm shifting, and this idea is "possibility thinking". I honestly feel that the combination of "possibility thinking" and "design thinking" are the two weapons that all great thinkers must have. One will shape new markets while the other innovates within the new paradigm ...

For example: Steve Jobs and the thinkers at Apple abandoned the idea of "cell phone" competition and tapped into "possibility thinking" when they conceptualized the iPhone, THEN within the paradigm of the iPhone and it's application platform there was a whole new market formed. THIS is "possibility thinking" at it's finest today... YESTERDAY, the Wright brothers thought about the possibility of flying... and you know how that story ends.

"Possibility thinking opens new doors, shifts paradigms and shapes new markets ... Design thinking innovates on the new landscape."

james white: commemorative posters

2010

Project: Commemorative Posters
Designer: James White
Complete Project: http://tr.im/commposters

james o'connel: istd imbalance

Editorial

Project: ISTD Imbalance
Designer: James O'Connell
Complete Project: http://tr.im/oconnel

barral fabien: manouchian

Manouchian

Project: Event Poster
Designer: Barral Fabien
Complete Project: http://tr.im/manouchian

macie leszczynski: black & whites

Sit

Incredible black and whites by Macie Leszcznski 

Photographer: Macie Leszczynski
Complete Project: http://tr.im/blackandwhites

design thinking: mac view

Mac_view

With all of the rumors flying around about the new Apple iPad - I thought it would be a delight to share this incredible idea by Patrycjusz Brzezinski. What he is calling the MacView (which I like a LOT better than iPad) is a visionary take on a multi-media tablet with two touch screens. 

What I REALLY like about this project is that Patrycjusz not only gives us amazing concepts to taste, BUT he sprinkled the project with some sketch's that really bought a LOT of flavor to this project. This approach bought out the real ingredients behind what I think is a VERY clever approach to what the iPad COULD POSSIBLY be, the design thinking. 

The tagline to this project: MacView "Have what you want" is absolutely brilliant, as it answers to the idea of you having control over your experience...

Designer: Patrycjusz Brzezinski 
Complete Project: http://tr.im/macview

jeff martin: the spanish matador

Matador

Photographer/Photo Journalist: Jeff Martin
Project: The Spanish Matador
Complete Project: http://ow.ly/106Wm (Powered by Behance)

creativity never sleeps? pt.2

I would have never thought that THIS post would create so much "buzz" BUT I love it ... 

Creativity sleeps, and this is the when and hows of it all...

If you have been following this idea of "sleeping creativity" you may have opposing ideas about it. IN FACT I know you do, because I have been getting comments on it from the second I posted it. AND for the sake of THINKING, I want to propose another way of looking at this idea. I am going to give you a real life example of when my very own creativity "went to sleep" and what I had to do to wake it up. Before I start let me give you what I feel to be a compelling idea ... 

"How can you separate a Creator from his/her creativity? Creativity is an ethos, a way of thinking and processing, not some random "spirit" floating around. SO as the Creator sleeps, his thoughts rest, thus creativity sleeps. It's when, and only when the Creator awakes and activates THE creativity by engaging his/her thoughts, that truly brilliant creativity emerges..." 

Now the above is debatable of course, however; it's how "I" see creativity. Being creative (or at least I think I am...) I know the place of creativity very well. I am there most often. AND the above statement is how creativity is spawned in my life... 

Case Study: Online Fund Raising Initiative 

Recently I had the opportunity to engage in a planning session of an online fund raising initiative. I was asked to join the discussion for the purpose of design direction and even more so, my design thinking. The session was grueling, as I was teamed with some of the brightest thinkers, and change makers in the country, and for the most part, the team was slanted 95% "do'ers" and 5% design "thinkers". Though we all played a part in thinking the strategy and approach through, much of the "creative" stuff was the responsibility of the design thinkers, and rightfully so. 

At the onset of the session (which was slated for 48 hours) my creative level was OFF THE CHARTS, I was able to communicate the brand, and think through how the brands story would be translated online, and how the flow of information would work with the overall goal to achieve the best results. After about 5 hours in (by this time it was 1:00 am) "creativity" had left the building... I was no longer able to generate rich ideas, and "I" was ZONKED. THIS is where it get's interesting... The "Do'ers" were still at it!! Full steam ahead, orchestrating the ideas presented and making it all come together. 

I went to bed, small thoughts still racing... Creative in nature? Yes! Truly creative? No... There was no shape or form to the thoughts, they were random at best, and needed the engagement of the "Creator", "ME" to bring them into something solid, THIS is why you are "awakened" with ideas, they can never manifest in your sleep. Until you engage the thinking part of creativity, it's illusive and fleeting. 

The definition of creativity is this... The "USE" of the imagination or original ideas, esp. in the production of an artistic work. The key word here is "use", and "use" is something that is done while the Creator is AWAKE. 

WHY am I so amped about this? 

When I am consulting with creative teams, one of the BIGGEST "gripes" they have is being "burnt out". This "burn out" feeling is largely derived from the idea that "creativity never sleeps", so it's a problem. It's not until the Creative Team Builders begin to realize that the Creator is tied to the Creativity, AND I am talking about the "real deal" stuff that moves you, the stuff you LOVE, that the true creative capacity (which I feel is HUGE) can ever be reached within the organization. Creativity needs to be rested.

3 Tips x 2: 

Creative Team Builders

1. Let your design thinkers rest. You would be AMAZED at how creative a design thinker is after a day at the beach OR just after a good night of rest. 
2. STOP SAYING CREATIVITY NEVER SLEEPS!!! Creativity that is never rested, is not that creative at all ... 
3. Creativity is one of your chief resources, use it wisely and DO NOT abuse it. 

Design Thinkers 

1. Rest
2. Rest
3. Rest