Creativity leads to innovation

By   July 8, 2015
0

The title of this blog post contains two words that each have a large and diverse meaning. Ask any two people about their definition of ‘creativity’ and ‘innovation’ and you are bound to get two different answers. Nevertheless, it is important to consider how creativity and user-centered innovation can be related. Have no worries: I shall refrain from adding detailed definitions. I have a pragmatic use for these two words:

  • Creativity is about creating something new. It is of value to the creator (at least). And it need not necessarily be creative in the perception of other people. The effect of creativity may not be measurable.
  • Innovation is about a new solution, where a solution is about added value to one or more participants. Innovation is about something new in a process, product, service, organisation, or combination thereof. An innovation need not necessarily be innovative in the perception of other people. An innovation has a measurable effect.

The two words are related, of course. Without creativity, innovation would become difficult. However, not everything creative becomes an innovation. Within the scope of this blog, where we focus on solutions to multi-stakeholder problems, a creative solution is not necessarily an innovative solution.

From the perspective of user-centered innovation, a creative solution to a multi-stakeholder problem becomes an innovative solution when it fulfils two requirements: (1) providing added value to all of the stakeholders, and (2) being easy to realise. The diagram below show shows this relationship.

Diagram showing two axes: number of stakeholders with added value, and ease of realisation. Upper-right corner is about creative solution that addresses both all stakeholders and easy realisation.

A creative solution that provides added-value to all stakeholders and is easy to realise, should immediately lead to action: it is ideally positioned for user-centered innovation.

The diagram provides a simple means to categorize a creative solution to a multi-stakeholder problem: assess the added-value to the number of participants and assess the ease of realization. The best case is shown in the green triangle in the upper-right corner with label “Act”: this creative solution is ideally positioned for user-centered innovation. Don’t hesitate, but act on it! Other creative solutions that belong in the “Nearly there…” category, require, as the label suggests, more thought. Can the creative solution be changed to become a user-centered innovation? Those creative solutions that are in the “On the backburner” category are currently ‘not good enough’. More creative work is required!

Many processes, methods and techniques are available to generate ideas. During such creative processes the role of this diagram should not be over-emphasised and used too early. Judgements are a certain way to kill off ideas. The diagram can be used as a means to filter or prioritise a great number of creative solutions and set challenges for another round of idea generation.

A non-exhaustive list of information about creativity and innovation: