For anyone watching the technology space, it would be hard to dispute that Apple has been a shining example of a company that understands innovation, its importance and the success that it brings. Whether it is the iPod, the iPhone or the recent super thin, super cool laptop, Apple understands the direction of the crowd and seems to remains one step ahead.
For technology companies around the world, the ability to innovate is crucial to their success, yet so often the processes and techniques that are required to achieve true innovation are ad hoc and left to hope and chance. This article discusses the challenge of 'creative thinking' and explores how technology companies can improve their ability to innovate, not just in terms of product design, but also in terms of their business model and branding.
These are the words of Simon Middleton, who is fast becoming one of the most respected experts on brand development and creative thinking in the UK and Europe. His recent clients include: Norwich Union, Deloitte Touche, Lovells, Arval, Xansa, Legal & General, Akzo Nobel and Comic Relief.
"I now travel all over the UK and Europe helping businesses of all kinds to become more innovative. I'm mainly working with these clients in the area of brand meaning and creative-thinking. What I'm learning is that creativity becomes increasingly important as each month passes, particularly as we enter a tough economic period. It's not the strongest who will survive but the most creative," says Middleton.
One method of problem solving that Middleton introduces to his clients is Morphological Analysis. Morphological Analysis was originally created in the nineteen-forties by Swiss-born astrophysicist Fritz Zwicky, the scientist responsible for identifying supernovae stars as well as ‘dark matter’ in the universe. Working with the early American space programme, Zwicky developed the technique to help solve intensely complex problems such as how to formulate rocket fuel.
The technique’s great strength is that it can analyse the most complex and unquantifiable of problems, problems for which there is no single ‘correct’ answer, and which are characterised by their tendency to change with every intervention. Such problems have become known in science as ‘messy’ or ‘wicked’ problems and they are found not just in science, but also in business, public sector organisations, government, politics and throughout society.
"The great thing about Morphological Analysis is that it is a robust scientific approach that can truly liberate thinking," says Middleton. "The alternative is brainstorming, which is undisciplined and unstructured. Worse than this, people will know that in brainstorming sessions people can have their own agenda, loud people tend to dominate the discussions and quiet people tend to get quieter. In my experience, brainstorming can bring out the worst in people and the results are rarely constructive."
His experience is that using morphological analysis, for even simple problems, can 'liberate thinking'. Ideas fly around the room, growing and developing. Techniques such as this thrive on the collective talents and experiences of those involved and the final results often amaze and inspire all those that have contributed. One aspect that makes such an approach so powerful is that it uses 'brains', rather than 'emotions'.
Middleton describes Morphology as 'left brain' thinking. It has a sequence, is analytical and is really a process of looking at all you know, from a different angle. In many ways, it is an ideal method for engineers to explore new avenues. However, he also encourages his client to indulge in some 'right brain' thinking also, whereby the client explores the problem using intuition and looks at the problem with a more holistic approach - but again, in a structured way.
One method he calls a 'smack on the ear'. This method asks the client to abandon certain obvious facts about their business or product e.g. maybe they could be a restaurant that doesn't actually sell food. This might seem a very stupid suggestion but if we look at ARM, they are indeed a microprocessor company that doesn't actually sell chips.
"Sometimes we can't think creatively until we've abandoned the perceptions that tie us to existing ideas," says Middleton. "The fact is, in order to have a great idea, we must have lots of ideas. Otherwise we find ourselves digging at the same idea over and over again. The 'smack on the ear' technique can open people's thinking to a host of new possibilities. It can be very exciting."
'Oblique Strategies'
A further technique that Middleton introduces to his clients is called 'Oblique Strategies' and it has a curious origin. For those who follow rock music, the name Brian Eno will be significant.
Originally as a key member of Roxy music and later in his own right as a producer, Brian Eno is well respected in creative circles. Brian was friends with a British painter called Peter Schmidt and both kept a set of basic working principles which guided them through moments of pressure when working through a painting session or whilst running up a big studio bill.
Both Schmidt and Eno realized that the pressures of time tended to steer them away from the ways of thinking they found most productive when the pressure was off. From these working principles they develop a pack of cards called 'Oblique Strategies'. Each card contains a strategy and the first ever oblique strategy is said to be "Honour thy error as a hidden intention".
"When we are under pressure, we tend to take a head on approach to problems and do not explore the many other possibilities that may exist," says Middleton. "With the Oblique Strategy technique, you pick a card and go with whatever it suggests. The cards really do help people view a problem or situation with a new attitude and enable them to take a more creative, more innovative approach to such issues as product development, business management and brand strategy.”
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