Chris Thelwell
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Is innovation cool?

One thing I hear a lot when talking to clients both old and new is the word ‘cool’. They always want something cool, something really innovative.

Written on Thursday, 7th March 2013 by Chris Thelwell

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Sometimes they have a really clear idea of the end solution they want, or a list of requirements they need. The words cool and innovation always seem to be used together. So I propose the question, is innovation cool?

Solving problems

Innovation is about solving real problems. In order to be innovative you need to really understand the problem, be free of any constraints or proposed solutions (requirements are an output of innovation not part of the brief), and have permission to think big. This is where true innovation happens.

Big ideas

Once you are clear on the problem, it’s then time to look for the big idea. ‘Big’ ideas can be big orsmall and sometimes they can be quite cool, but almost always they are incredibly simple. Big ideas solve a real problem in a really simple way.

Execution

Once you have a fantastically simple, big idea to solve the problem you then need to execute it. The execution of the idea is usually where the cool stuff happens (what it looks like, how it feels, how it works, even the way you deliver it). But at the heart of the end product is a really simple innovative solution. I believe this is where the confusion often happens. People mix up the cool stuff and the execution with the real innovative big idea; they simply miss the point of innovation.

Innovation is often cool, but cool is not always innovative

For me innovation – solving real problems in really simple ways – is cool. To others it is the execution of innovation that is cool. It really doesn’t matter what your view is. The key is to always start with the problem not a cool solution, otherwise the coolness is only skin deep.


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