Innovations off the assembly line
Creativity: The Biel-based innovation agency Brainstore is unveiling its revolutionary concept to the public.
Creativity: The Biel-based innovation agency Brainstore is unveiling its revolutionary concept to the public.
»Serendipity« is one of those lovely English terms that are almost impossible to translate. In this case, the closest equivalent would be »the joy of discovery« or a paraphrase like »finding what you weren’t looking for.« Nadja Schnetzler understands the appeal and benefits of Anglicisms; it’s no coincidence that the Biel-based innovation agency she co-founded in the pivotal year of 1989 is called Brainstore. Another more recent example: Two-thirds of the chapter titles in her new book are written in trendy modern German—from »Creating Community« to »Net Scouting” to “Idea Design.” Yet the trained journalist doesn’t quite know what to make of “serendipity.” According to her conviction and experience, only those who have a rough idea of what they’re looking for can actually invent or discover something new. At least, that’s the basic thesis of the chapter “Briefing & Kick Off,” in which Schnetzler outlines the prerequisites for structured, standardized innovation processes.
Kisses from the Muses on Demand
The briefing phase, during which the criteria, processes, and goals of the ideation process are defined, falls under the category of «idea management,» just as does its final implementation —which, due to its role as an interface, serves as something like the artificial heart of the idea machine from the «Gehirnladen,» which, logically, should really be called Brainfactory. Between this starting point and this end point, the systematic search for innovation is divided into three basic steps—which can be further subdivided depending on the problem at hand: procurement, consolidation/refinement, and selection. The fundamental prerequisite for optimal efficiency and effectiveness of all these components, however, is «the right mix of experts and laypeople, of internal and external perspectives.».
According to Schnetzler, such «mixed teams»—in which representatives of the target groups are involved in the decision-making process and contribute to discussions from the very beginning—not only prevent organizational blindness but also often eliminate the need for time-consuming market research.
By definition, idea generation is the first link in any value chain—regardless of industry or era. As such, even in rationalist, thoroughly rationalized environments, the act of intellectual creation has always been shrouded in the myth of genius and inspiration. Who would know this better than copywriters and art directors? It’s no wonder, then, that the radical democratization of «human creative resources»—as Nadja Schnetzler now advocates and simultaneously demonstrates—is by no means uncontroversial, especially in the communications industry.
If we set aside wounded pride for a moment, professional creatives and their studios are left with only one compelling argument against ideas that are, in effect, mass-produced: namely, that these are mass-produced goods that ultimately offer clients not surprising «uniqueness» but rather a homogenizing «more of the same.» A predictable reservation that Schnetzler’s engagingly written and wittily illustrated guidebook is not quite able to dispel. Instead, she frames her key argument as a rhetorical question that also serves as a sales pitch: «Which company today still has the time and capacity to search for new ideas internally using the centuries-old principle of »trial and error’?” Answer: probably none, except perhaps communications agencies.
Invention as an Industrial Process: Illustration from Nadja Schnetzler’s work *Die Ideenmaschine*.
»Serendipity« is one of those lovely English terms that are almost impossible to translate. In this case, the closest equivalent would be »the joy of discovery« or a paraphrase like »finding what you weren’t looking for.« Nadja Schnetzler understands the appeal and benefits of Anglicisms; it’s no coincidence that the Biel-based innovation agency she co-founded in the pivotal year of 1989 is called Brainstore. Another more recent example: Two-thirds of the chapter titles in her new book are written in trendy modern German—from »Creating Community« to »Net Scouting” to “Idea Design.” Yet the trained journalist doesn’t quite know what to make of “serendipity.” According to her conviction and experience, only those who have a rough idea of what they’re looking for can actually invent or discover something new. At least, that’s the basic thesis of the chapter “Briefing & Kick Off,” in which Schnetzler outlines the prerequisites for structured, standardized innovation processes.
Kisses from the Muses on Demand
The briefing phase, during which the criteria, processes, and goals of the ideation process are defined, falls under the category of «idea management,» just as does its final implementation —which, due to its role as an interface, serves as something like the artificial heart of the idea machine from the «Gehirnladen,» which, logically, should really be called Brainfactory. Between this starting point and this end point, the systematic search for innovation is divided into three basic steps—which can be further subdivided depending on the problem at hand: procurement, consolidation/refinement, and selection. The fundamental prerequisite for optimal efficiency and effectiveness of all these components, however, is «the right mix of experts and laypeople, of internal and external perspectives.».
According to Schnetzler, such «mixed teams»—in which representatives of the target groups are involved in the decision-making process and contribute to discussions from the very beginning—not only prevent organizational blindness but also often eliminate the need for time-consuming market research.
By definition, idea generation is the first link in any value chain—regardless of industry or era. As such, even in rationalist, thoroughly rationalized environments, the act of intellectual creation has always been shrouded in the myth of genius and inspiration. Who would know this better than copywriters and art directors? It’s no wonder, then, that the radical democratization of «human creative resources»—as Nadja Schnetzler now advocates and simultaneously demonstrates—is by no means uncontroversial, especially in the communications industry.
If we set aside wounded pride for a moment, professional creatives and their studios are left with only one compelling argument against ideas that are, in effect, mass-produced: namely, that these are mass-produced goods that ultimately offer clients not surprising «uniqueness» but rather a homogenizing «more of the same.» A predictable reservation that Schnetzler’s engagingly written and wittily illustrated guidebook is not quite able to dispel. Instead, she frames her key argument as a rhetorical question that also serves as a sales pitch: «Which company today still has the time and capacity to search for new ideas internally using the centuries-old principle of »trial and error’?” Answer: probably none, except perhaps communications agencies.
Invention as an Industrial Process: Illustration from Nadja Schnetzler’s work *Die Ideenmaschine*.
> The Idea Machine. Method Over Inspiration: How Ideas
*Industrially Produced* by Nadja Schnetzler. Wiley Verlag, Weinheim 2004. 229 pages, 45 francs.
Oliver Classen
