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Innovation Boot Camp

Published February 8, 2010 ideas , innovation , learning Leave a Comment
Tags: boot camp, IBC, innovation

Robin Bergart and I recently started a little social experiment called Innovation Boot Camp. Our library is currently undergoing a shift in its service model (from liaison librarians to functional teams). As part of this process, the library has revisited some of its core values, which has sparked many interesting conversations among the staff on the nature of libraries and educational professionals. We’ve been looking at what we’ve done in the past, what we do now, and what we expect to do in the future.

Robin and I were particularly interested in our library’s commitment to innovation. We claim it as a core value, but can we really say were “innovative”? What does innovation look like in an academic service environment? Are people inherently innovative or creative? Can people learn to be more innovative if they’re given the right environment or processes? We decided to test some of these ideas and see what we might learn about innovation in the process.

We created a 12-week program based loosely on Tom Kelley’s Ten Faces of Innovation. We managed to draft six other recruits to join us as we study one of the faces each week. At this point we’re only about three weeks in, but so far things are running extremely well. The recruits are active, engaged and curious about the process of innovation as much as we are.

We’ve established a blog to share (some of) our experiences with our library and the broader library community. If you’re interested in the program, follow along at:

http://innovationbootcamp.wordpress.com/

I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

Intersections

Published January 31, 2010 book reviews , ideas , learning , libraries Leave a Comment
Tags: creativity, cross-pollination, innovation, intersectional ideas

A few weeks ago I read Frans Johansson’s The Medici Effect: What Elephants & Epidemics Can Teach Us About Innovation. I stumbled upon this book in the public library when I was actually looking for something else (thank you Dewey Decimals!). At the time, I was intrigued by the subtitle, but now I can’t remember much about elephants or epidemics from the book. What I do remember is his concept of intersections.

For Johansson, intersections describe the places where different fields meet. For him:

“Fields consist of concepts such as knowledge and practices. Changing a tire can be called a concept. So can the item tire, in and of itself. These two concepts are both included in a field called mechanics. In order to understand a field, one has to understand at least some of its concepts. The more concepts one understands within a field, the more expertise one has built within the field.” (p.16)

When you work in a field, you’re likely to generate ideas and processes that stay within the field (he calls these directional ideas). But if you strive to find the intersections you’ll generate ideas and processes that go in entirely new directions (intersectional ideas–obviously!).

Johannson goes on to say that the opportunities for intersectional ideas are increasing because of three forces:

The movement of people (travel, refugees, etc.)
The convergence of science (interdisciplinary knowledge creation)
The leap of computation (increasing capabilities of technology)

While these three forces are intriguing (and I’ll buy his arguments), I think there are everyday opportunities to step into the intersection (safely of course!). For example, I work in a library that employs a number of learning and educational professionals – and it’s no secret that we approach our work differently. Instead of letting these differences cause friction, we should figure out a way to operate in the intersection.

The more intersections we have the more vibrant and creative our spaces will be. We may not have the patronage of a wealthy Medici family, but there is no reason we can’t encourage (and support) an explosion of ideas on our campuses.

Design Thinking Tripod

Published January 18, 2010 ideas , innovation Leave a Comment

I’ve been increasingly interested in the idea that constraints are actually essential to good innovative design. Maybe initially that seems counter-intuitive, but the more I read about innovation and creative thinking, the more I realize that better ideas come when your options are actually limited. I guess, we have to force ourselves to think even more creatively when we’re boxed into a corner with limited resources.

Tim Brown, author of Change by Design, suggests that constraints stem from three overlapping design ideas. I’ll call them a “tripod” because a “trinity” seems too religious. He says that ideas have to be evaluated according to their

feasibility (what is functionally possible within the forseeable future); viability (what is likely to become part of a sustainable business model); and desirability (what makes sense to people and for people). (p. 18)

The goal is to resolve each of these constraints and bring them into perfect balance in the redesigned product, service or experience. What would education look like if we were able to hit the sweet spot more often?

HMW: How might we…

Published January 18, 2010 ideas , learning 2 Comments
Tags: brainstorming, design challenge, design thinking, education, learning

I’ve read a number of books over the past few months (and haven’t written about any of them – yet!), but the one I finished most recently is called Change By Design by Tim Brown (with Barry Katz). I was interested in the book because of its focus on “design thinking.” Design thinking is more encompassing than just good design practice, it’s a larger philosophy. Brown presents a lot of great anecdotes (from his work at IDEO), but I appreciated one of his more simple pieces of advice about brainstorming. If you’re not careful, you’ll miss it. For our purposes, I’ll call it “the HMW approach.”

HMW stands for “how might we” and it’s a better way to phrase a design challenge or brainstorming question. Think about it, we typically phrase brainstorming challenges like this:

“What is the future of the library reference desk?”
“What library/learning services do undergraduate students need most?”
“What strategies can we use to improve assessment (exams, assignments, etc.) methods?”

BUT, if we apply the HMW we end up with questions like:

“How might we enable students to get the information they need quickly and efficiently?”
“How might we improve the library/learning experience of the average undergraduate student?”
“How might we alter our assessment methods to make them more meaningful to students and teachers?”

I love three things about the HMW approach. First, the word “might” suggests that we are open to all kinds of possibilities. Second, the inclusion of “we” means that we have an active role (and responsibility for) affecting change on the organization. Third, you almost have to follow up “how might we” with a verb that focuses on improvement – it reminds us why we’re all doing the brainstorm/design challenge in the first place.

It seems like such a simple turn of phrase, but sometimes such a turn leads to new possibilities. Thanks Tim!