A Model Of Innovation
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a model of innovation
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A disturbance has variety of its own. Unless a community has corresponding variety to cancel it, the variety in a disturbance will overwhelm the community. Variety cancels variety.
A misfit arises when a convention no longer maintains a desired relation between a community and its context.
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Misfit manifests itself as pain. It exacts a cost— physical, mental, social, or financial—on members of the community.
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Context is the environment in which a community lives. To survive, a community must have a stable relationship with its environment. Maintaining that stable relationship is the purpose of conventions.
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The key is to make sure what you produce is valuable, before you worry about making it more efficiently. Increasing effectiveness calls for increasing variety—changing perspective, bringing new people, new experience, and new language into the conversation and expanding the field of action.
Some communities (some ecologies) seem to have the variety and structures needed to raise the probability of innovation (within certain domains). For example, Silicon Valley, Route 128 around Boston, Austin, Research Triangle, and Seattle all currently enjoy this advantage.
Insight begins a process of restoring fit. Insight remains the most mysterious part of the innovation process. It may be irreducible, but it can be aided. Immersion within the context is almost always essential. Experience with other domains helps (by increasing variety). For example, applying patterns from other domains can help solve new problems. This is the promise of Genrich Altshuller’s system known as TRIZ. Insight is a type of hypothesis, a form of abduction. Insight may come from juxtaposition and pattern matching.
György Polya suggests asking: What is the unknown? What are the data? What is the condition? (What are the constraints?) What is the connection between data and unknown? What is a related problem? How could you restate the problem? What could you draw to represent the problem?
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Parrish Hanna: - Tactical or incremental - Strategic or punctuated - Cultural or process-oriented
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Horst Rittel: - Simple problems, where the goal is defined - Complex problems, where the goal remains unclear - Wicked problems, where constituents cannot agree on the goal
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Michael Geoghegan: - Recognizing a new domain of invention - Creating new opportunities for discovery within the domain - Improving the efficiency with which the discoveries are applied
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The scale of change varies. Many people have proposed models, for example:
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Demonstration enables evaluation. Testing discloses errors, increases understanding, and provides a basis for improvement.
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Articulation provides a means of sharing an insight. Demonstration proves (or disproves) the insight’s value. Demonstration provides a basis for adoption; it is a key to creating change.
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Optimism Belief they can improve the world Openness to change Confidence to make it so Tenacity, persistence to see it through Passion, desire, even obsession Variety Experience, skill, and talent Domain expertise Knowledge of other domains Understanding of the process Methods and techniques Management, rhetorical, and political skills Practice (Doing it a few times helps.) They also know what is not known but necessary for progress; they understand how to find it; and they recognize who can provide that knowledge.
No innovation arises fully formed.
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Of course, the convention resulting from a successful innovation differs from the convention that preceded it. Likewise, the community that exists after an innovation is likely to have changed from the community that preceded it. The context, too, is likely to have changed beyond the change which created the misfit leading to an innovation.
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For insight to matter, it must be articulated—given form. It might be a Hypothesis Model or diagram Outline Script or story Sketch Mock-up Prototype Pilot
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Some organizations have processes by which their members build (or buy) new ideas at a small scale. The organizations vet (or select or destroy) ideas, moving a few to the next stage. They “incubate” new ideas in “hothouses” long enough to launch them into the world. Examples include (perhaps most notably) Royal Dutch Shell, some religions (such as Catholicism), venture capital firms, and technology companies such as Google.
Te pro sti po ble ng a ss m p ibil o roto ity r de ty to fin pe try itio m ing n ay oth of g rais er oa e q ap ls. ue pro Re sti ac fram ons he in ab s. g o ou r re t th fin e fr ing am op ing en o s th f a e
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Each innovation is a link between two conventions: the one it replaces and the one it becomes. An innovation is a pivot; it transforms one period into the next.
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But identifying a problem requires definition. Definitions are constructed—agreed to. They have constituencies. Thus, definition is a political act, an exercise of power.
N pe atu me rfo ral d ch rmin es an g tru ism va cti of riati on (i ev on . e olu s) ., d tio is th isc n— e ard an sec ing d d on po es d orl ign y .
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W. Ross Ashby describes variety as a measure of information. Variety describes a system’s potential to respond to disturbances—the options it has available. Applied to communities, variety describes the experiences—the richness of language and range of cultural tools—they can bring to bear on problems.
In an unstable environment, pursuing efficiency may actually be dangerous. You may get better at doing the wrong thing—at doing something that no longer matters.
recognition (definition) Recognition of misfit comes from observation and experience. Research methods—such as ethnography—help.
variety (experiences) In a stable environment, increasing efficiency makes sense. Do what you’ve been doing, but do it better and at a lower cost. That means narrowing language—decreasing variety.
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Every community exists within a context.
A disturbance upsets an existing convention. This is a root cause of innovation.
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Every innovation has a precedent in a previous convention.
Pressure from outside or decay inside changes the relationship between a community and its context. That relationship—formalized as a convention—is no longer comfortable, no longer a fit.
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A convention establishes a relation between a community and its context. It defines a way the community expects its members to behave in a given situation. It prescribes the tools they can use, even what they can think.
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Over time, new members join and existing members depart. These changes can affect the conventions the community keeps.
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Typically, members of a community share a common location or common interests. They may be related by birth or may come together for social or business reasons. Communities rely on individuals to provide the variety necessary for survival— to share perspective, insight, ideas, and inspiration.
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A community is a system of people who interact within an agreed set of rules—conventions.
C aff onv fu ec enti or rth ts re on su ind er in late s ex rp ire no d ist ris ct va c in Jo ing eff tio on a pro se an ec n. A ven we th ce ph S d c ts a s tio b o on re the ns f cu th e ec ss ch e o o of um se no cy an ltu qu t k cle d m re ld nom ind pe on ic us te en no c a . In e, ce w on y re n tr r inc stru ial des s u ab tin d ova es ctu mu cri nin le in ue uce tio sa re tati be te ad s, s th n in ntl fr o s c nd v e eir o y c om n th re ed an co “ ne re w at ati . ce nd fit,” p ati ith in ve . R - o h lac ng in ce de es r th as e ult ir te a n , inc ssa str s c d-o nin ew es ntl uc an rd g on san y re tion be er e.” tly vo as de luti “th str on e oy ize ing s
community1
value
Dubberly Design Office prepared this concept map as a project of the Institute for the Creative Process at the Alberta College of Art and Design. The Institute exists to focus and organize activities, enterprises, and initiatives of ACAD with regard to the cultivation of dialogue, research, and special projects that directly address the nature of the creative process and design thinking. ACAD is a leading centre for education and research, and a catalyst for creative inquiry and cultural development. Please send comments about this model to [email protected] Acknowledgements Writing and design by Hugh Dubberly, Nathan Felde, and Paul Pangaro Additional design by Sean Durham and Ryan Reposar Research by Satoko Kakihara, ACAD faculty Chris Frey, Wayne Giles, and Darlene Lee Copyright © 2007 Dubberly Design Office 2501 Harrison Street, #7 San Francisco, CA 94110 415 648 9799 Institute for the Creative Process at the Alberta College of Art + Design 1407-14 Ave NW Calgary, AB Canada T2N 4R3 403 284 7670
Sponsorship EPCOR, a founding partner of the Institute for the Creative Process, generously provided funding for this project.
Printed in Canada
A misfit arises when a convention no longer maintains a desired relation between a community and its context.
in
e
cr
Misfit manifests itself as pain. It exacts a cost— physical, mental, social, or financial—on members of the community.
st
as e
he
ti
la
re
in
i is
m
ba
la
n
ce
Context is the environment in which a community lives. To survive, a community must have a stable relationship with its environment. Maintaining that stable relationship is the purpose of conventions.
l
oo
ih
d
of
Some organizations have processes by which their members build (or buy) new ideas at a small scale. The organizations vet (or select or destroy) ideas, moving a few to the next stage. They “incubate” new ideas in “hothouses” long enough to launch them into the world. Examples include (perhaps most notably) Royal Dutch Shell, some religions (such as Catholicism), venture capital firms, and technology companies such as Google. Some communities (some ecologies) seem to have the variety and structures needed to raise the probability of innovation (within certain domains). For example, Silicon Valley, Route 128 around Boston, Austin, Research Triangle, and Seattle all currently enjoy this advantage.
Insight is a type of hypothesis, a form of abduction. Insight may come from juxtaposition and pattern matching.
György Polya suggests asking: What is the unknown? What are the data? What is the condition? (What are the constraints?) What is the connection between data and unknown? What is a related problem? How could you restate the problem? What could you draw to represent the problem?
st
in
g
g
creates new
on
tio
la
re
is
ba
la
nc
e
in
le (re arn fin ing ing p go roce als ss )
Te pro sti po ble ng a ss m p ibil o roto ity r de ty to fin pe try itio m ing n ay oth of g rais er oa e q ap ls. ue pro Re sti ac fram ons he in ab s. g o ou r re t th fin e fr ing am op ing en o s th f a e
may prompt a new
that fails may lead to new
helps improve
si (tr mpl ial e & iter er at ro io r) n
fit (gain)
is reflected as increased
all deliver
reforms relations creating
Parrish Hanna: - Tactical or incremental - Strategic or punctuated - Cultural or process-oriented
artifacts
m
si
Horst Rittel: - Simple problems, where the goal is defined - Complex problems, where the goal remains unclear - Wicked problems, where constituents cannot agree on the goal
actions may lead to
a
re
Michael Geoghegan: - Recognizing a new domain of invention - Creating new opportunities for discovery within the domain - Improving the efficiency with which the discoveries are applied
is
by
leads to new
The scale of change varies. Many people have proposed models, for example:
re
o
adoption (counter-change)
su
qu
may lead to
ea
us
beliefs
n pe
at
Iteration is always necessary.
ro
st
Demonstration enables evaluation. Testing discloses errors, increases understanding, and provides a basis for improvement.
p of
s
am
Articulation provides a means of sharing an insight. Demonstration proves (or disproves) the insight’s value. Demonstration provides a basis for adoption; it is a key to creating change.
r
ve
ns
The existing convention no longer “fits.” Perhaps the context changed. Or the community. Or even the convention. Someone notices the misfit. It causes stress. It creates enough friction, enough pain, to jump into people’s consciousness. Perception of misfit almost simultaneously gives rise to proposals for change, for reframing. These proposals compete for attention. Most fail to inspire, are ignored, and fade away. The changes that survive are by definition those a community finds effective. They spread because they increase fit (gain) and lower pain or cost (delivering value). We rarely recognize innovation while it’s happening. Instead, innovation is often a label applied after the fact, when its value is clear and a new convention has become established. Ethnography and other research techniques may help identify opportunities for innovation. Design methods may increase the speed of generating and testing new ideas. But new ideas are still subject to natural selection (or natural destruction) in the political process or the marketplace. Innovation remains messy. Even dangerous. Luck and chance, being at the right place at the right time, still play a role. But heightened sensitivity and persistent alertness may increase luck. This model is not a recipe. At best it suggests ways to increase the probability of innovation. Our goal is for it to spur discussion. Our hope is that increased understanding will spur innovation and increase the greater good.
individuals
drive
Individuals who are prepared to innovate possess: Optimism Belief they can improve the world Openness to change Confidence to make it so Tenacity, persistence to see it through Passion, desire, even obsession Variety Experience, skill, and talent Domain expertise Knowledge of other domains Understanding of the process Methods and techniques Management, rhetorical, and political skills Practice (Doing it a few times helps.) They also know what is not known but necessary for progress; they understand how to find it; and they recognize who can provide that knowledge.
No innovation arises fully formed.
fo
er
maintains relationship to
context 2
reduces risk, encouraging
es
convention 2
The process begins when external pressure or internal decay disturbs the relation between a community and its context, a relation maintained by a convention.
demonstration (testing)
y sit
evaluates
pr
agrees on & is shaped by
Of course, the convention resulting from a successful innovation differs from the convention that preceded it. Likewise, the community that exists after an innovation is likely to have changed from the community that preceded it. The context, too, is likely to have changed beyond the change which created the misfit leading to an innovation.
For insight to matter, it must be articulated—given form.
C of reati ev ng olu v tio aria n— tio an n is d d th es e fi ign rst me . ch an ism
must be proved through
as it diffuses becomes
community2
The model is built on the idea that innovation is about changing paradigms. The model situates innovation between two conventions. Innovation transforms old into new. It is a process— a process in which insight inspires change and creates value.
comes from
articulation (prototyping) It might be a Hypothesis Model or diagram Outline Script or story Sketch Mock-up Prototype Pilot
This poster proposes a model for innovation. It takes the form of a concept map, a series of terms and links forming propositions.
The key is to make sure what you produce is valuable, before you worry about making it more efficiently. Increasing effectiveness calls for increasing variety—changing perspective, bringing new people, new experience, and new language into the conversation and expanding the field of action.
insight (seeing opportunity) Insight begins a process of restoring fit. Insight remains the most mysterious part of the innovation process. It may be irreducible, but it can be aided. Immersion within the context is almost always essential. Experience with other domains helps (by increasing variety). For example, applying patterns from other domains can help solve new problems. This is the promise of Genrich Altshuller’s system known as TRIZ.
Business Week design editor Bruce Nussbaum has suggested you can’t measure your way to innovation—measurement being the hallmark of quality processes. And though some six-sigma advocates disagree, Nussbaum is pointing out a fundamental difference between managing quality and managing innovation. Innovation is creating a new paradigm. It’s not getting better at playing the same game; it’s changing the rules and changing the game. Innovation is not working harder; it’s working smarter.
W. Ross Ashby describes variety as a measure of information. Variety describes a system’s potential to respond to disturbances—the options it has available. Applied to communities, variety describes the experiences—the richness of language and range of cultural tools—they can bring to bear on problems.
d (a esig rti n fic pr ial oc ev es olu s tio n)
aids
must be shared through
Each innovation is a link between two conventions: the one it replaces and the one it becomes. An innovation is a pivot; it transforms one period into the next.
(a bit of luck) preparation (immersion)
Quality is largely about improving efficiency, whereas innovation is largely about improving effectiveness. Improving quality is decreasing defects. It’s about measuring. It’s making processes more efficient. It works within an existing paradigm.
variety (experiences)
N pe atu me rfo ral d ch rmin es an g tru ism va cti of riati on (i ev on . e olu s) ., d tio is th isc n— e ard an sec ing d d on po es d orl ign y .
requires
frames possibilities for
innovation
But identifying a problem requires definition. Definitions are constructed—agreed to. They have constituencies. Thus, definition is a political act, an exercise of power.
Organizations have become much better at managing quality. Quality has become a commodity, or at least “table stakes,” necessary but not sufficient. Now, innovation matters more— because you can’t compete on quality alone, whether as a business, a community, or a society. The next arena of global competition is innovation, but the practice of innovation remains stuck some 40 years behind the practice of quality.
In an unstable environment, pursuing efficiency may actually be dangerous. You may get better at doing the wrong thing—at doing something that no longer matters.
recognition (definition) Recognition of misfit comes from observation and experience. Research methods—such as ethnography—help.
We used to ask the same questions about quality. Then Walter Shewhart and Edward Deming answered. Today, statistical process control, total quality management (TQM), kaizen, and six-sigma management are fundamental tools in business.
In a stable environment, increasing efficiency makes sense. Do what you’ve been doing, but do it better and at a lower cost. That means narrowing language—decreasing variety.
ike l
that is large enough gains
Every community exists within a context.
A disturbance has variety of its own. Unless a community has corresponding variety to cancel it, the variety in a disturbance will overwhelm the community. Variety cancels variety.
misfit (pain)
can be superseded by
context 1 (environment)
A disturbance upsets an existing convention. This is a root cause of innovation.
But what is it? And how do we get it?
possess
g
on
am
s on
Every innovation has a precedent in a previous convention.
disturbs relations creating
maintains relationship to
A convention establishes a relation between a community and its context. It defines a way the community expects its members to behave in a given situation. It prescribes the tools they can use, even what they can think.
Pressure from outside or decay inside changes the relationship between a community and its context. That relationship—formalized as a convention—is no longer comfortable, no longer a fit.
Innovation is a holy grail of contemporary society, and especially business. A flood of books and magazines promote it. Design firms promise it. Customers demand it. Survival, we’re told, depends on it.
motivates
y
Every convention exists within a community.
change (disturbance)
may create ate a multip multiplier effectt leading to more
an
each faces
a model of innovation
if strong, raise calls for efficiency, dangerously reducing
inevitably lead to
lo
t
hr ea
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convention 1
Entropy always increases. Resisting entropy requires energy and variety. Inevitably, both are limited.
c (u reat np iv lan e d ne est d c ru on ctio se n qu en ce s)
p
os e
ng
-te rm
Over time, new members join and existing members depart. These changes can affect the conventions the community keeps.
ts t
agrees on & is shaped by
Typically, members of a community share a common location or common interests. They may be related by birth or may come together for social or business reasons. Communities rely on individuals to provide the variety necessary for survival— to share perspective, insight, ideas, and inspiration.
pressure (external) decay (internal)
C aff onv fu ec enti or rth ts re on su ind er in late s ex rp ire no d ist ris ct va c in Jo ing eff tio on a pro se an ec n. A ven we th ce ph S d c ts a s tio b o on re the ns f cu th e ec ss ch e o o of um se no cy an ltu qu t k cle d m re ld nom ind pe on ic us te en no c a . In e, ce w on y re n tr r inc stru ial des s u ab tin d ova es ctu mu cri nin le in ue uce tio sa re tati be te ad s, s th n in ntl fr o s c nd v e eir o y c om n th re ed an co “ ne re w at ati . ce nd fit,” p ati ith in ve . R - o h lac ng in ce de es r th as e ult ir te a n , inc ssa str s c d-o nin ew es ntl uc an rd g on san y re tion be er e.” tly vo as de luti “th str on e oy ize ing s
may fail to recognize
A community is a system of people who interact within an agreed set of rules—conventions.
benefit from (increase efficiency by) sharing skills within a
value change insight convention convention community1
value
Dubberly Design Office prepared this concept map as a project of the Institute for the Creative Process at the Alberta College of Art and Design. The Institute exists to focus and organize activities, enterprises, and initiatives of ACAD with regard to the cultivation of dialogue, research, and special projects that directly address the nature of the creative process and design thinking. ACAD is a leading centre for education and research, and a catalyst for creative inquiry and cultural development. Please send comments about this model to [email protected] Acknowledgements Writing and design by Hugh Dubberly, Nathan Felde, and Paul Pangaro Additional design by Sean Durham and Ryan Reposar Research by Satoko Kakihara, ACAD faculty Chris Frey, Wayne Giles, and Darlene Lee Copyright © 2007 Dubberly Design Office 2501 Harrison Street, #7 San Francisco, CA 94110 415 648 9799 Institute for the Creative Process at the Alberta College of Art + Design 1407-14 Ave NW Calgary, AB Canada T2N 4R3 403 284 7670
Sponsorship EPCOR, a founding partner of the Institute for the Creative Process, generously provided funding for this project.
Printed in Canada
convention convention
convention convention
convention convention
insight convention convention
change
insight convention convention
value change
insight convention convention
value change
innovation
insight convention convention
ght on co innovation
ght on co innovation
requires
preparation
ght on co innovation
requires
(a bit of luck) preparation
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requires
(a bit of luck) preparation (immersion)
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insight (seeing opportunity)
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comes from
individuals
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agrees on & is shaped by
ins conven community1
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agrees agreesonon&&isisshaped shapedby by
maintainsrelationship relationshiptoto maintains
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maintains relationship to
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agrees on & is shaped by
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pressure (external) decay (internal)
ins conven community1
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maintains relationship to
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agrees on & is shaped by
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frames possibilities for
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frames possibilities for
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insight (seeing opportunity)
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requires
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insight (seeing opportunity)
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demonstration (testing)
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demonstration (testing)
adoption (counter-change)
reduces risk, encouraging
nge
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adoption (counter-change) reforms relations creating
fit (gain)
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demonstration (testing)
reduces risk, encouraging
reforms relations creating
value nge
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demonstration (testing)
adoption (counter-change)
fit (gain)
value nge
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demonstration (testing) reduces risk, encouraging
adoption (counter-change) reforms relations creating
fit (gain)
leads to new
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value nge
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demonstration (testing) reduces risk, encouraging
adoption (counter-change) reforms relations creating
fit (gain)
beliefs
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value nge
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demonstration (testing) reduces risk, encouraging
adoption (counter-change) reforms relations creating
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artifacts
value nge
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demonstration (testing) reduces risk, encouraging
adoption (counter-change) reforms relations creating
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is reflected as increased
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insight (seeing opportunity)
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(a bit of luck) preparation (immersion)
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misfit (pain)
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variety (experiences)
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insight (seeing opportunity)
possess
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articulation (prototyping) must be proved through
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comes from motivates
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frames possibilities for
innovation
(a bit of luck) preparation (immersion)
le (re arn fin ing ing p go roce als ss )
recognition (definition)
benefit fro otivates
possess
e
th of
le (re arn fin ing ing p go roce als ss )
ea
cr
in se s ih
el
lik oo d
np r l e oce vo ss lut ion )
disturbs relations creating
variety (experiences) misfit (pain)
individua comes from
insight (seeing opportunity)
if strong, raise calls for efficiency, dangerously reducing
inevitably lead to
change (disturbance)
recognition (definition)
is
b
im
e
nc
a al
in
l re
ns
io at
g
on
maintains relationship to
am
po se
lo ng te rm
y
an
agrees on & is shaped by
each faces
convention 1
that is large enough gains
frames possibilities for
aids
requires
can be superseded by
context 1 (environment)
must be s
(a bit of luck) preparation (immersion)
innovation
th re a ts to
c insight convention c
pressure (external) decay (internal)
may fail to recognize
community1
valu change ght ion conventio insight (seeing opportunity)
s
st
at
us
qu
o
by
re
si
st
in
g
creates new
am
reforms
g
may prompt a new
that fails may lead to new
helps improve
adoption (counter-change)
leads to new
yf
ve
may lead to
sit
er
beliefs
or
es
mainta
on
demonstration (testing)
reduces risk, encouraging
pr
agrees on & is shaped by
convention 2
si (tr mpl ial e & iter er at ro io r) n
must be proved through
evaluates
actions may lead to
artifacts
possess motivates
must be shared through
articulation (prototyping)
community2
individua
comes from
may create ate a multip multiplier effectt leading to more
aids
benefit from (increase efficiency by) sharing skills within a
(a bit of luck) preparation (immersion)
d (a esig rti n fic pr ial oc ev es olu s tio n)
requires
frames possibilities for
innovation
le (re arn fin ing ing p go roce als ss )
recognition (definition)
valu change ght ion conventio insight (seeing opportunity)
s
st
at
us
qu
o
by
re
si
st
in
g
creates new
am
reforms
g
may prompt a new
that fails may lead to new
helps improve
adoption (counter-change)
leads to new
yf
ve
may lead to
sit
er
beliefs
or
es
maintai
on
demonstration (testing)
reduces risk, encouraging
pr
agrees on & is shaped by
convention 2
si (tr mpl ial e & iter er at ro io r) n
must be proved through
as it diffuses becomes
evaluates
actions may lead to
artifacts
possess motivates
must be shared through
articulation (prototyping)
community2
individua
comes from
may create ate a multip multiplier effectt leading to more
aids
benefit from (increase efficiency by) sharing skills within a
(a bit of luck) preparation (immersion)
d (a esig rti n fic pr ial oc ev es olu s tio n)
requires
frames possibilities for
innovation
le (re arn fin ing ing p go roce als ss )
recognition (definition)
possess
l
drive
individuals comes from
benefit from (increase efficiency by) sharing skills within a motivates
he
of
may create ate a multip multiplier effectt leading to more
e
cr
st
as e
d
oo
ih
ike l
le (re arn fin ing ing p go roce als ss )
if strong, raise calls for efficiency, dangerously reducing
variety (experiences)
recognition (definition)
is
a
m
re
su
all deliver
reforms relations creating
ea
g
n pe
in
ro
st
p of
si
r
re
fo
by
y sit
o
e
qu
nc
us
la
at
ba
may lead to
reduces risk, encouraging
st
is
may prompt a new
that fails may lead to new
helps improve
si (tr mpl ial e & iter er at ro io r) n
must be proved through
s
tio
d (a esig rti n fic pr ial oc ev es olu s tio n)
must be shared through
ve
la
frames possibilities for
er
re
in
that is large enough gains
es
in
c (u reat np iv lan e d ne est d c ru on ctio se n qu en ce s)
n
la
ba
m
i is
ce
in
re
la
ti
s on
am
on
g
disturbs relations creating
pr
g
y
as it diffuses becomes
may lead to
creates new
maintains relationship to
on
an
can be superseded by
beliefs
agrees on & is shaped by
am
lo
o
maintains relationship to
artifacts
ns
p
os e
ng
-te rm
t
hr ea
ts t
agrees on & is shaped by
value
is reflected as increased
fit (gain)
context 2
actions
leads to new
adoption (counter-change)
convention 2
demonstration (testing)
evaluates
community2
insight (seeing opportunity)
aids
(a bit of luck) preparation (immersion)
requires
innovation
misfit (pain)
context 1 (environment)
change (disturbance)
each faces
convention 1
inevitably lead to
value change insight convention convention
a model of innovation pressure (external) decay (internal)
may fail to recognize
community1
articulation (prototyping)
value change insight convention convention g
on
am
ti
s on
la
re
in
i is
m
ba
la
n
ce
A disturbance has variety of its own. Unless a community has corresponding variety to cancel it, the variety in a disturbance will overwhelm the community. Variety cancels variety.
A misfit arises when a convention no longer maintains a desired relation between a community and its context.
in
e
cr
Misfit manifests itself as pain. It exacts a cost— physical, mental, social, or financial—on members of the community.
st
as e
he
Context is the environment in which a community lives. To survive, a community must have a stable relationship with its environment. Maintaining that stable relationship is the purpose of conventions.
l
oo
ih
d
of
The key is to make sure what you produce is valuable, before you worry about making it more efficiently. Increasing effectiveness calls for increasing variety—changing perspective, bringing new people, new experience, and new language into the conversation and expanding the field of action.
Some communities (some ecologies) seem to have the variety and structures needed to raise the probability of innovation (within certain domains). For example, Silicon Valley, Route 128 around Boston, Austin, Research Triangle, and Seattle all currently enjoy this advantage.
Insight begins a process of restoring fit. Insight remains the most mysterious part of the innovation process. It may be irreducible, but it can be aided. Immersion within the context is almost always essential. Experience with other domains helps (by increasing variety). For example, applying patterns from other domains can help solve new problems. This is the promise of Genrich Altshuller’s system known as TRIZ. Insight is a type of hypothesis, a form of abduction. Insight may come from juxtaposition and pattern matching.
György Polya suggests asking: What is the unknown? What are the data? What is the condition? (What are the constraints?) What is the connection between data and unknown? What is a related problem? How could you restate the problem? What could you draw to represent the problem?
le (re arn fin ing ing p go roce als ss )
articulation (prototyping)
st
in
g
g
creates new
on
tio
la
re
is
ba
la
nc
e
in
may prompt a new
that fails may lead to new
helps improve
si (tr mpl ial e & iter er at ro io r) n
fit (gain)
is reflected as increased
all deliver
reforms relations creating
Parrish Hanna: - Tactical or incremental - Strategic or punctuated - Cultural or process-oriented
artifacts
m
si
Horst Rittel: - Simple problems, where the goal is defined - Complex problems, where the goal remains unclear - Wicked problems, where constituents cannot agree on the goal
actions may lead to
a
re
Michael Geoghegan: - Recognizing a new domain of invention - Creating new opportunities for discovery within the domain - Improving the efficiency with which the discoveries are applied
is
by
leads to new
The scale of change varies. Many people have proposed models, for example:
re
o
adoption (counter-change)
su
qu
may lead to
ea
us
beliefs
n pe
at
Iteration is always necessary.
ro
st
Demonstration enables evaluation. Testing discloses errors, increases understanding, and provides a basis for improvement.
p of
s
am
Articulation provides a means of sharing an insight. Demonstration proves (or disproves) the insight’s value. Demonstration provides a basis for adoption; it is a key to creating change.
r
ve
ns
Optimism Belief they can improve the world Openness to change Confidence to make it so Tenacity, persistence to see it through Passion, desire, even obsession Variety Experience, skill, and talent Domain expertise Knowledge of other domains Understanding of the process Methods and techniques Management, rhetorical, and political skills Practice (Doing it a few times helps.) They also know what is not known but necessary for progress; they understand how to find it; and they recognize who can provide that knowledge.
No innovation arises fully formed.
fo
er
maintains relationship to
context 2
reduces risk, encouraging
es
convention 2
drive
Individuals who are prepared to innovate possess:
demonstration (testing)
y sit
evaluates
pr
agrees on & is shaped by
Of course, the convention resulting from a successful innovation differs from the convention that preceded it. Likewise, the community that exists after an innovation is likely to have changed from the community that preceded it. The context, too, is likely to have changed beyond the change which created the misfit leading to an innovation.
C of reati ev ng olu v tio aria n— tio an n is d d th es e fi ign rst me . ch an ism
must be proved through
as it diffuses becomes
community2
For insight to matter, it must be articulated—given form. It might be a Hypothesis Model or diagram Outline Script or story Sketch Mock-up Prototype Pilot
individuals
comes from
benefit from (increase efficiency by) sharing skills within a
Some organizations have processes by which their members build (or buy) new ideas at a small scale. The organizations vet (or select or destroy) ideas, moving a few to the next stage. They “incubate” new ideas in “hothouses” long enough to launch them into the world. Examples include (perhaps most notably) Royal Dutch Shell, some religions (such as Catholicism), venture capital firms, and technology companies such as Google.
Te pro sti po ble ng a ss m p ibil o roto ity r de ty to fin pe try itio m ing n ay oth of g rais er oa e q ap ls. ue pro Re sti ac fram ons he in ab s. g o ou r re t th fin e fr ing am op ing en o s th f a e
insight (seeing opportunity)
d (a esig rti n fic pr ial oc ev es olu s tio n)
aids
must be shared through
Each innovation is a link between two conventions: the one it replaces and the one it becomes. An innovation is a pivot; it transforms one period into the next.
(a bit of luck) preparation (immersion)
But identifying a problem requires definition. Definitions are constructed—agreed to. They have constituencies. Thus, definition is a political act, an exercise of power.
N pe atu me rfo ral d ch rmin es an g tru ism va cti of riati on (i ev on . e olu s) ., d tio is th isc n— e ard an sec ing d d on po es d orl ign y .
requires
frames possibilities for
innovation
W. Ross Ashby describes variety as a measure of information. Variety describes a system’s potential to respond to disturbances—the options it has available. Applied to communities, variety describes the experiences—the richness of language and range of cultural tools—they can bring to bear on problems.
In an unstable environment, pursuing efficiency may actually be dangerous. You may get better at doing the wrong thing—at doing something that no longer matters.
recognition (definition) Recognition of misfit comes from observation and experience. Research methods—such as ethnography—help.
variety (experiences) In a stable environment, increasing efficiency makes sense. Do what you’ve been doing, but do it better and at a lower cost. That means narrowing language—decreasing variety.
ike l
that is large enough gains
Every community exists within a context.
A disturbance upsets an existing convention. This is a root cause of innovation.
misfit (pain)
can be superseded by
context 1 (environment)
disturbs relations creating
Every innovation has a precedent in a previous convention.
Pressure from outside or decay inside changes the relationship between a community and its context. That relationship—formalized as a convention—is no longer comfortable, no longer a fit.
possess
y
maintains relationship to
A convention establishes a relation between a community and its context. It defines a way the community expects its members to behave in a given situation. It prescribes the tools they can use, even what they can think.
change (disturbance)
motivates
an
each faces
Every convention exists within a community.
if strong, raise calls for efficiency, dangerously reducing
inevitably lead to
lo
t
hr ea
o
convention 1
Entropy always increases. Resisting entropy requires energy and variety. Inevitably, both are limited.
may create ate a multip multiplier effectt leading to more
p
os e
ng
-te rm
Over time, new members join and existing members depart. These changes can affect the conventions the community keeps.
ts t
agrees on & is shaped by
Typically, members of a community share a common location or common interests. They may be related by birth or may come together for social or business reasons. Communities rely on individuals to provide the variety necessary for survival— to share perspective, insight, ideas, and inspiration.
pressure (external) decay (internal)
c (u reat np iv lan e d ne est d c ru on ctio se n qu en ce s)
may fail to recognize
A community is a system of people who interact within an agreed set of rules—conventions.
C aff onv fu ec enti or rth ts re on su ind er in late s ex rp ire no d ist ris ct va c in Jo ing eff tio on a pro se an ec n. A ven we th ce ph S d c ts a s tio b o on re the ns f cu th e ec ss ch e o o of um se no cy an ltu qu t k cle d m re ld nom ind pe on ic us te en no c a . In e, ce w on y re n tr r inc stru ial des s u ab tin d ova es ctu mu cri nin le in ue uce tio sa re tati be te ad s, s th n in ntl fr o s c nd v e eir o y c om n th re ed an co “ ne re w at ati . ce nd fit,” p ati ith in ve . R - o h lac ng in ce de es r th as e ult ir te a n , inc ssa str s c d-o nin ew es ntl uc an rd g on san y re tion be er e.” tly vo as de luti “th str on e oy ize ing s
community1
value
Dubberly Design Office prepared this concept map as a project of the Institute for the Creative Process at the Alberta College of Art and Design. The Institute exists to focus and organize activities, enterprises, and initiatives of ACAD with regard to the cultivation of dialogue, research, and special projects that directly address the nature of the creative process and design thinking. ACAD is a leading centre for education and research, and a catalyst for creative inquiry and cultural development. Please send comments about this model to [email protected] Acknowledgements Writing and design by Hugh Dubberly, Nathan Felde, and Paul Pangaro Additional design by Sean Durham and Ryan Reposar Research by Satoko Kakihara, ACAD faculty Chris Frey, Wayne Giles, and Darlene Lee Copyright © 2007 Dubberly Design Office 2501 Harrison Street, #7 San Francisco, CA 94110 415 648 9799 Institute for the Creative Process at the Alberta College of Art + Design 1407-14 Ave NW Calgary, AB Canada T2N 4R3 403 284 7670
Sponsorship EPCOR, a founding partner of the Institute for the Creative Process, generously provided funding for this project.
Printed in Canada
A misfit arises when a convention no longer maintains a desired relation between a community and its context.
in
e
cr
Misfit manifests itself as pain. It exacts a cost— physical, mental, social, or financial—on members of the community.
st
as e
he
ti
la
re
in
i is
m
ba
la
n
ce
Context is the environment in which a community lives. To survive, a community must have a stable relationship with its environment. Maintaining that stable relationship is the purpose of conventions.
l
oo
ih
d
of
Some organizations have processes by which their members build (or buy) new ideas at a small scale. The organizations vet (or select or destroy) ideas, moving a few to the next stage. They “incubate” new ideas in “hothouses” long enough to launch them into the world. Examples include (perhaps most notably) Royal Dutch Shell, some religions (such as Catholicism), venture capital firms, and technology companies such as Google. Some communities (some ecologies) seem to have the variety and structures needed to raise the probability of innovation (within certain domains). For example, Silicon Valley, Route 128 around Boston, Austin, Research Triangle, and Seattle all currently enjoy this advantage.
Insight is a type of hypothesis, a form of abduction. Insight may come from juxtaposition and pattern matching.
György Polya suggests asking: What is the unknown? What are the data? What is the condition? (What are the constraints?) What is the connection between data and unknown? What is a related problem? How could you restate the problem? What could you draw to represent the problem?
st
in
g
g
creates new
on
tio
la
re
is
ba
la
nc
e
in
le (re arn fin ing ing p go roce als ss )
Te pro sti po ble ng a ss m p ibil o roto ity r de ty to fin pe try itio m ing n ay oth of g rais er oa e q ap ls. ue pro Re sti ac fram ons he in ab s. g o ou r re t th fin e fr ing am op ing en o s th f a e
may prompt a new
that fails may lead to new
helps improve
si (tr mpl ial e & iter er at ro io r) n
fit (gain)
is reflected as increased
all deliver
reforms relations creating
Parrish Hanna: - Tactical or incremental - Strategic or punctuated - Cultural or process-oriented
artifacts
m
si
Horst Rittel: - Simple problems, where the goal is defined - Complex problems, where the goal remains unclear - Wicked problems, where constituents cannot agree on the goal
actions may lead to
a
re
Michael Geoghegan: - Recognizing a new domain of invention - Creating new opportunities for discovery within the domain - Improving the efficiency with which the discoveries are applied
is
by
leads to new
The scale of change varies. Many people have proposed models, for example:
re
o
adoption (counter-change)
su
qu
may lead to
ea
us
beliefs
n pe
at
Iteration is always necessary.
ro
st
Demonstration enables evaluation. Testing discloses errors, increases understanding, and provides a basis for improvement.
p of
s
am
Articulation provides a means of sharing an insight. Demonstration proves (or disproves) the insight’s value. Demonstration provides a basis for adoption; it is a key to creating change.
r
ve
ns
The existing convention no longer “fits.” Perhaps the context changed. Or the community. Or even the convention. Someone notices the misfit. It causes stress. It creates enough friction, enough pain, to jump into people’s consciousness. Perception of misfit almost simultaneously gives rise to proposals for change, for reframing. These proposals compete for attention. Most fail to inspire, are ignored, and fade away. The changes that survive are by definition those a community finds effective. They spread because they increase fit (gain) and lower pain or cost (delivering value). We rarely recognize innovation while it’s happening. Instead, innovation is often a label applied after the fact, when its value is clear and a new convention has become established. Ethnography and other research techniques may help identify opportunities for innovation. Design methods may increase the speed of generating and testing new ideas. But new ideas are still subject to natural selection (or natural destruction) in the political process or the marketplace. Innovation remains messy. Even dangerous. Luck and chance, being at the right place at the right time, still play a role. But heightened sensitivity and persistent alertness may increase luck. This model is not a recipe. At best it suggests ways to increase the probability of innovation. Our goal is for it to spur discussion. Our hope is that increased understanding will spur innovation and increase the greater good.
individuals
drive
Individuals who are prepared to innovate possess: Optimism Belief they can improve the world Openness to change Confidence to make it so Tenacity, persistence to see it through Passion, desire, even obsession Variety Experience, skill, and talent Domain expertise Knowledge of other domains Understanding of the process Methods and techniques Management, rhetorical, and political skills Practice (Doing it a few times helps.) They also know what is not known but necessary for progress; they understand how to find it; and they recognize who can provide that knowledge.
No innovation arises fully formed.
fo
er
maintains relationship to
context 2
reduces risk, encouraging
es
convention 2
The process begins when external pressure or internal decay disturbs the relation between a community and its context, a relation maintained by a convention.
demonstration (testing)
y sit
evaluates
pr
agrees on & is shaped by
Of course, the convention resulting from a successful innovation differs from the convention that preceded it. Likewise, the community that exists after an innovation is likely to have changed from the community that preceded it. The context, too, is likely to have changed beyond the change which created the misfit leading to an innovation.
For insight to matter, it must be articulated—given form.
C of reati ev ng olu v tio aria n— tio an n is d d th es e fi ign rst me . ch an ism
must be proved through
as it diffuses becomes
community2
The model is built on the idea that innovation is about changing paradigms. The model situates innovation between two conventions. Innovation transforms old into new. It is a process— a process in which insight inspires change and creates value.
comes from
articulation (prototyping) It might be a Hypothesis Model or diagram Outline Script or story Sketch Mock-up Prototype Pilot
This poster proposes a model for innovation. It takes the form of a concept map, a series of terms and links forming propositions.
The key is to make sure what you produce is valuable, before you worry about making it more efficiently. Increasing effectiveness calls for increasing variety—changing perspective, bringing new people, new experience, and new language into the conversation and expanding the field of action.
insight (seeing opportunity) Insight begins a process of restoring fit. Insight remains the most mysterious part of the innovation process. It may be irreducible, but it can be aided. Immersion within the context is almost always essential. Experience with other domains helps (by increasing variety). For example, applying patterns from other domains can help solve new problems. This is the promise of Genrich Altshuller’s system known as TRIZ.
Business Week design editor Bruce Nussbaum has suggested you can’t measure your way to innovation—measurement being the hallmark of quality processes. And though some six-sigma advocates disagree, Nussbaum is pointing out a fundamental difference between managing quality and managing innovation. Innovation is creating a new paradigm. It’s not getting better at playing the same game; it’s changing the rules and changing the game. Innovation is not working harder; it’s working smarter.
W. Ross Ashby describes variety as a measure of information. Variety describes a system’s potential to respond to disturbances—the options it has available. Applied to communities, variety describes the experiences—the richness of language and range of cultural tools—they can bring to bear on problems.
d (a esig rti n fic pr ial oc ev es olu s tio n)
aids
must be shared through
Each innovation is a link between two conventions: the one it replaces and the one it becomes. An innovation is a pivot; it transforms one period into the next.
(a bit of luck) preparation (immersion)
Quality is largely about improving efficiency, whereas innovation is largely about improving effectiveness. Improving quality is decreasing defects. It’s about measuring. It’s making processes more efficient. It works within an existing paradigm.
variety (experiences)
N pe atu me rfo ral d ch rmin es an g tru ism va cti of riati on (i ev on . e olu s) ., d tio is th isc n— e ard an sec ing d d on po es d orl ign y .
requires
frames possibilities for
innovation
But identifying a problem requires definition. Definitions are constructed—agreed to. They have constituencies. Thus, definition is a political act, an exercise of power.
Organizations have become much better at managing quality. Quality has become a commodity, or at least “table stakes,” necessary but not sufficient. Now, innovation matters more— because you can’t compete on quality alone, whether as a business, a community, or a society. The next arena of global competition is innovation, but the practice of innovation remains stuck some 40 years behind the practice of quality.
In an unstable environment, pursuing efficiency may actually be dangerous. You may get better at doing the wrong thing—at doing something that no longer matters.
recognition (definition) Recognition of misfit comes from observation and experience. Research methods—such as ethnography—help.
We used to ask the same questions about quality. Then Walter Shewhart and Edward Deming answered. Today, statistical process control, total quality management (TQM), kaizen, and six-sigma management are fundamental tools in business.
In a stable environment, increasing efficiency makes sense. Do what you’ve been doing, but do it better and at a lower cost. That means narrowing language—decreasing variety.
ike l
that is large enough gains
Every community exists within a context.
A disturbance has variety of its own. Unless a community has corresponding variety to cancel it, the variety in a disturbance will overwhelm the community. Variety cancels variety.
misfit (pain)
can be superseded by
context 1 (environment)
A disturbance upsets an existing convention. This is a root cause of innovation.
But what is it? And how do we get it?
possess
g
on
am
s on
Every innovation has a precedent in a previous convention.
disturbs relations creating
maintains relationship to
A convention establishes a relation between a community and its context. It defines a way the community expects its members to behave in a given situation. It prescribes the tools they can use, even what they can think.
Pressure from outside or decay inside changes the relationship between a community and its context. That relationship—formalized as a convention—is no longer comfortable, no longer a fit.
Innovation is a holy grail of contemporary society, and especially business. A flood of books and magazines promote it. Design firms promise it. Customers demand it. Survival, we’re told, depends on it.
motivates
y
Every convention exists within a community.
change (disturbance)
may create ate a multip multiplier effectt leading to more
an
each faces
a model of innovation
if strong, raise calls for efficiency, dangerously reducing
inevitably lead to
lo
t
hr ea
o
convention 1
Entropy always increases. Resisting entropy requires energy and variety. Inevitably, both are limited.
c (u reat np iv lan e d ne est d c ru on ctio se n qu en ce s)
p
os e
ng
-te rm
Over time, new members join and existing members depart. These changes can affect the conventions the community keeps.
ts t
agrees on & is shaped by
Typically, members of a community share a common location or common interests. They may be related by birth or may come together for social or business reasons. Communities rely on individuals to provide the variety necessary for survival— to share perspective, insight, ideas, and inspiration.
pressure (external) decay (internal)
C aff onv fu ec enti or rth ts re on su ind er in late s ex rp ire no d ist ris ct va c in Jo ing eff tio on a pro se an ec n. A ven we th ce ph S d c ts a s tio b o on re the ns f cu th e ec ss ch e o o of um se no cy an ltu qu t k cle d m re ld nom ind pe on ic us te en no c a . In e, ce w on y re n tr r inc stru ial des s u ab tin d ova es ctu mu cri nin le in ue uce tio sa re tati be te ad s, s th n in ntl fr o s c nd v e eir o y c om n th re ed an co “ ne re w at ati . ce nd fit,” p ati ith in ve . R - o h lac ng in ce de es r th as e ult ir te a n , inc ssa str s c d-o nin ew es ntl uc an rd g on san y re tion be er e.” tly vo as de luti “th str on e oy ize ing s
may fail to recognize
A community is a system of people who interact within an agreed set of rules—conventions.
benefit from (increase efficiency by) sharing skills within a
value change insight convention convention community1
value
Dubberly Design Office prepared this concept map as a project of the Institute for the Creative Process at the Alberta College of Art and Design. The Institute exists to focus and organize activities, enterprises, and initiatives of ACAD with regard to the cultivation of dialogue, research, and special projects that directly address the nature of the creative process and design thinking. ACAD is a leading centre for education and research, and a catalyst for creative inquiry and cultural development. Please send comments about this model to [email protected] Acknowledgements Writing and design by Hugh Dubberly, Nathan Felde, and Paul Pangaro Additional design by Sean Durham and Ryan Reposar Research by Satoko Kakihara, ACAD faculty Chris Frey, Wayne Giles, and Darlene Lee Copyright © 2007 Dubberly Design Office 2501 Harrison Street, #7 San Francisco, CA 94110 415 648 9799 Institute for the Creative Process at the Alberta College of Art + Design 1407-14 Ave NW Calgary, AB Canada T2N 4R3 403 284 7670
Sponsorship EPCOR, a founding partner of the Institute for the Creative Process, generously provided funding for this project.
Printed in Canada
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