Unexpected Media

Fostering Innovation

At the first of the BBC Innovation Lab Launch Days in Brighton yesterday, we used a version of ‘appreciative inquiry‘ to explore factors which contribute to innovation. I did the same thing in collaboration with the philosopher Humberto Schwab at the workshop for the opening of the Media Guild last month.

The output from the two sessions (in no particular order) was:

Brighton:

• Team Size: small teams are more creative;
• “360 degree engagement”: involvement in the whole process of development;
• A team should operate on a ‘level-playing field’ and in an open environment;
• Clarity around phases of development
• Re-iteration
• Speed
• Emotional engagement arising from a sense of ownership
• No punishment of failure: an environment in which it’s OK to take risks;
• Diversity in a development team: of skills and cultures
• Communication: sharing a common language
• Humility
• Rewards

Amsterdam:

• Combining art/design/science
• Interdisciplinarity
• Open Communication of Diverse People
• Fun and Play – divergent thinking
• Appropriate Methodology
• Freedom to dream and think without being afraid
• Scale/Size
• Good peer group
• Infrastructure
• Maintaining Enthusiasm
• Keeping the end-user in mind
• Constraints
• Different disciplines working with a common goal
• Appropriate content and form
• Combination of planning and adaptability
• Risk assessment