Archive for the ‘Innovation’ Category

Why play a game? Because games are about rules

But can you put rules on creativity?

“Say something funny.” It’s a comedian’s worst nightmare. “Go on — I don’t want to fence you in, say anything.” Why doesn’t this work?

“Say anything” creates a mental block as you try to think of a subject, a theme, an issue. But games are about rules, and when we’re feeling rebellious, we come up with crafty workarounds. Creativity is about breaking, challenging, and reshaping rules and conventions, not ignoring them.

When we have too much room to roam, we end up focusing on things that have worked in the past. And that’s fine — we all stand on the shoulders of giants. But we tend to stay safe, take our time, and end up with strategies that aren’t very exciting. Ideas end up as design by committee, and those rarely result in anything visionary.

No, when we want excitement, we want to see MacGyver build an escape mechanism we never thought possible, using chewing gum and a shoelace — that’s a thrill.

When you’re asked to “be creative”, you end up using your mental energy coming up with a problem to solve, when what you really want is to be laser-focused on coming up with a range of solutions.

What you need are concrete problems. So we give you poker, and poker gives you problems.

Inventorium Poker is unlike any game of actual poker you’ve played or seen, but “Inventorium Blackjack” sounded a little too dangerous, and Inventoriumopoly was a bit on the acquisitive side for us.

How does Inventorium Poker work?

Don’t worry, you can’t lose your shirt, your house, or your wedding ring.

We give each group of participants a deck of cards that fit the context of the event. For example, when we had a Mobile Apps workshops we gave each team a deck of cards.

There was a set for contexts, a set for people, and a set for technologies. You might have chosen the context “mountaintop”, “hospital” or “school”, each of which would bring its own challenge to the people for whom you’d be developing, who could be “older people”, “ramblers”, or “teachers”. And then technology types, which in this case were all mobile technologies, like “GPS”, “MMS”, or “video”.

From these cards, groups are quickly able to spark the problems that lead to truly creative ideas that are targeted at the appropriate users in the right context, and that use the right technology — that gives us something to start evaluating commercially.

We encourage participants to use Inventorium Poker to entertain all the ideas that spring to mind, even the daft ones — sometimes the most ridiculous, impossible idea can be hammered into a practical, useful one.

Groups come up with a series of ideas that seem like they’re worth exploring, and then they present them to the larger group. From there, each individual chooses the project they wish to work on, which means that you’re not stuck with only the idea of your initial team. We want people to go where their skills and interests are. Our open innovation model means that ideas shared with the group are shared. It doesn’t mean you have to give up your best stuff. In fact, the more you work with your idea, the more it is reshaped and reenvisioned into one that might be one step closer to reality, for you, and for your potential customers and users.

Think fast!

When you want to be creative, don’t give your brain time to think about thinking — just do! People don’t solve problems because they have the time and space to do so, they do it because they have no other option.

And we work fast because the more we let our doubts creep in, the more we second-guess the quality of an idea before we explore it, the safer our ideas get. But our job as an innovation intermediary is to take calculated risks — we make a venture less risky by crash-testing ideas and business plans. Once the brainstorm is down on paper, that’s when we can start to determine if an idea is a realistic business proposition.

We use Inventorium Poker — among lots of other strategies — to give you the boundaries and the sense of urgency that force you to rely on your ingenuity, rather than your tested experience. Experience certainly helps when it comes to evaluating concepts, but first you need the ideas.

Make them as exciting as you want! They might just be possible.

Got an idea for a game we can adapt for our events? Let us know!

Following our Green Symposium last October which was held in association with the Green Innovation and Future Technologies (GIFT) Project, we would like to draw your attention the Launch of their new Green Innovation Network. The launch will take place on the 2nd May in Bangor, details are given below as well as links to a survey to help them shape future events.

Green Innovation Network/Rhwydwaith Arloesi Gwyrdd 

Green Business Breakfast Launch

Enjoy breakfast and be inspired at our first Green Business Breakfast in Bangor on Wed 2^nd May, (07:45 – 10:15).  Key speakers include Andy Middleton, founder of the ‘Do Lectures’ and carbon neutral adventure company, TYF, plus award winning construction company Wates. A FREE ‘Save Money, Reduce Waste’ workshop for businesses follows and we’re even providing lunch. Stay for all or part of the morning and contact Sue Francis at s.francis@bangor.ac.uk to find out more or book your place.

Green Innovation Network Survey

Help us shape our future events and training by completing our short (less than 10 mins, honest!) survey, for which you could win a delicious food hamper from Welsh gift company, Bodlon. Click here -  https://www.survey.bris.ac.uk/bangor/gins – before Friday 13^th April. Go on, you know you want to!

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Lansio Brecwast Busnes Gwyrdd

Mwynhewch frecwast a chael eich ysbrydoli yn y cyntaf o’n Brecwastau Busnes Gwyrdd ym Mangor ddydd Mercher 2 Mai (07:45 – 10:15).  Bydd y prif siaradwyr yn cynnwys Andy Middleton, sefydlydd y ‘Do Lectures’ a’r cwmni antur carbon niwtral, TYF, yn ogystal â’r cwmni adeiladu Wates.   I ddilyn ceir gweithdy AM DDIM i fusnesau ar ‘Arbed Arian, Lleihau Gwastraff’, ac rydym hyd yn oed yn darparu cinio.  Arhoswch am y bore i gyd, neu ran ohono, a chysylltwch â Sue Francis yn s.francis@bangor.ac.uk i gael gwybod mwy neu i archebu eich lle.

Arolwg Rhwydwaith Arloesi Gwyrdd

Helpwch ni i gynllunio at ddigwyddiadau a hyfforddiant yn y dyfodol drwy lenwi ein holiadur byr (fel gymer lai na 10 munud, wir yr!), ac fe allech ennill basged fwyd hyfryd gan y cwmni Cymreig, Bodlon.   Cliciwch yma – https://www.survey.bris.ac.uk/bangor/arag – cyn dydd Gwener 13 Ebrill. Bwriwch iddi, rydych yn gwybod eich bod eisiau gwneud hynny!

In the build up to next weeks workshop in Coleg Harlech it was interesting to read about some novative approaches being taken with the youth of America; Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel is conducting a high-profile experiment: Put $100,000 apiece in the hands of 24 entrepreneurial teenagers and give them free rein to pursue innovative ideas.

The condition? They have to leave their studies and classmates, and vow to stay out of college during the two-year fellowship.

Thiel’s endorsement has been followed by some quick successes; Eden Full, 19, won a $260,000 social entrepreneurship award for her efforts to improve solar energy in developing countries. Dale Stephens, 20, landed a Penguin deal for his book Hacking Your Education.

With startup success stories tempting undergraduates to quit, universities have raced to add entrepreneurship to their curricula. Stanford has StartX, an accelerator for student-run startups. Similarly, last year UC Berkeley created FounderSchool, which prepares students to raise venture money. James G. Boyle, managing director of the Entrepreneurial Institute at Yale University (which lost four undergraduate students to Thiel fellowships) agrees that more colleges should help kids start companies, but he says that most students benefit from an environment where they can test ideas without betting their future.

Read the full article here

In contrast there are examples that the potential to innovate improves with age, Vivek Wadhwa of the Technology Review writes; the young understand the limits of the Web world, but they don’t know their own limits. It’s proving to be a powerful combination. Since they don’t know what isn’t possible, the Zuckerbergs can come up with new solutions to old problems. That is why they lead the charge in starting innovative mobile and Web companies.

But great ideas by themselves don’t lead to breakthrough technologies or successful companies. Ideas are dime a dozen. The value comes from translating ideas into inventions and inventions into successful ventures. To do this, you have to collaborate with others, obtain financing, understand markets, price products, develop distribution channels, and deal with rejection and failure. In other words, you need business and management skills and maturity. These come with education, experience, and age.

Read the full article here

Having worked with both the youth and the more senior amongst us – surely the way forward is to combine the experience of one with the unlimited potential of the other. In Wales we have mentoring schemes but maybe we need to look at taking this a step further?

What happens to your eureka moments? Do you write them across your hand? Do you scribble them on the back of an envelope? There’s an app for that and now there’s a forum, too. Inventorium’s Open Mic Idea Jam series was part of Innovation Dublin 2011, and offered an audience and a microphone to anyone with an idea and three minutes to spare. Below is a review of the events and details of the Open Mic Idea Jams planned in Wales and Ireland in 2012. 

The Idea Jam was intended as a place to share ideas at all points of development, network with like-minded and compatibly different people, and contribute to a climate of idea-sharing, mutual encouragement, and constructive critique. There were potential investors and mentors present, too, but for most it seemed a chance to open up new conversations about ideas. Eighteen people spoke at the first event in the Stag’s Head, beginning with Conor Lynch of Connector.ie, and his idea for a website for skill sharing. The pitches ran the gamut from an idea for an eco-friendly and cost effective way to dry clothes without a tumble drier, to a travel website targeting walkers in Wicklow aged 50+, to a cloud hosting service called Astroboa, described as “like a WordPress service for data”.

There was a similar mix of digital, service and physical product pitches at the second Open Mic event at Odessa, including a novel idea for car sharing that sounded like a cross between Airbnb.com and Gocar.ie. Along with this were some very early-stage, more amorphous ideas like Lisa Feay’s idea for a jazz radio station, and some other arts focused concepts, like Castle Variations, an annual week-long musical mashup in a castle.

The Idea Jams bring together a wide range of people and ideas that wouldn’t otherwise end up in the same room on purpose. They’re as useful for the audience as they are for the people pitching, a few of whom seem to have gone home with business cards for potential collaborators, partners, investors or customers. However, what was striking but perhaps not surprising was the fairly low representation of women, not just pitching, but actually attending the event. Is it because there are fewer female entrepreneurs? Or is a woman less likely to air publicly an idea that isn’t quite ready yet?

The most striking thing was this: digital companies, organisations, would-be entrepreneurs and innovators can learn some important lessons from people who make physical products, or sell services. We know already that starting something successful, whether it’s for profit, for fun, or for the greater good, means understanding who your customer is, what that customer needs, and being really clear what problem you’re solving. Your sweat equity, your money, and your passion is tied up in this great new idea. It’s easy to think that you’ve thought all of the important things through everything else can be clarified later.

For a video of previous Open Mic nights click here.

More Open Mic Idea Jams are planned for 2012:

Wales: 17th April, Fat Cat, Bangor

For more details and to register visit the events section of our website.

An article on WalesOnline.co.uk gave some interesting perspectives from business leaders on what 2012 holds for businesses in Wales some extracts are included below;

Phil Cooper: Managing Director, Venture Wales

“The natural reaction for some will be to downsize and simply cut costs. However, I hope others will respond by exploring new markets and diversifying products and services.”

“Yes, we are in a tight corner and 2012 is going to be very tough for many businesses. But only through individual enterprises taking initiatives and pursuing new opportunities together with strong political leadership will we start to turn the tide.”

Iestyn Davies: Head of External Affairs, Federation of Small Businesses in Wales
“Based on early indications, small businesses will be looking to employ more staff and will be keen to innovate and bring new products and services to market. In tough times they realise that innovation gives them a competitive edge over their competitors.”

To read the article in full click here.

Throughout 2012 Inventorium will be continuing to encourage open innovation inWales andIreland, helping teams to work towards the generation of new businesses, products and services. Our programme of workshops and Symposia will support the development of new ideas and ways of working for the public sector, SME’s and not-for-profit enterprises.

Events planned for 2012 will look at how digital technologies can be used to better support aspects of culture and industry in Wales Including workshops focussed on: Digital Culture inWales

Heritage Tourism

The Rural Economy

Education

Welsh Language and Media

Tourism

Agriculture

At each of these events Inventorium will aim to have sector professionals clearly defining some of the problems they are currently facing – the main focus of the rest of the day will then be on diverse teams of people – made up of industry professionals, technologists, designers, developers, academics and entrepreneurs – working together to develop solutions to those problems.

Details of these events will appear on www.inventorium.org/events

Digital Innovation Camp

A partnership event hosted by Inventorium & Ramblers Cymru

When: 10^th March 2011, 10am until 4pm

Where: CARAD, East Street, Rhayader, Powys

Directions: http://www.carad.org.uk/about-carad/location-and-directions

The aim of this Digital Innovation Camp is to bring together ideas, people and digital tools to build solutions, and create exciting new ways to engage with the public in Wales who use the outdoor environment.

Those who may wish to attend include:

• Any organisation which wants to engage with the public
• Any environmental organisation
• Any organisation which has data

We are living in an age where the public consume information in new ways.  The traditional methods of communication are in decline and these are being replaced by a rapid uptake in the use of social media, mobile communications, location based technologies (LBS), maps and geographical information systems (GIS).

Inventorium sets a platform to promote innovation in new digital technologies and is partnering with Ramblers Cymru to engage with people who wish to explore these opportunities and reach new audiences.

These changes are presenting many challenges and opportunities.  You are welcome to attend this workshop if you wish to discuss the latest ideas, trends and developments and work with a wide range of partners at the cutting edge of the adoption and use of these new communication streams.

With technology changing at a quick pace this is now a good time to share and collaborate with a wider audience. We also have much smaller budgets and wish to collaborate and work smartly together. Together we can explore the new opportunities for value-added tourism destination management in the 21^st century.

Inventorium has developed a series of tools to help guide participants through an open innovation concept development process.  The objective of this workshop is to take forward a number of supported ideas, collaborate and look at funding routes so the ideas become a reality. Inventorium and Ramblers Cymru are already partnering with Swansea University (Fit Lab), Swansea Metropolitan University, Bangor University, Peoples Collection Wales and WAG, Visit Wales.

Places are limited to 40 people so please book your place by return of e-mail at your earliest convenience.

Spotlight will be holding their Mid Wales conference in Theatr Hafren, Newtown to discuss the current economic landscape, learn new ways of working and gain inspiration to face the challenges of change. Keynote is Tim Smit, co founder of Eden project.

Register at Spotlightmidwales.com

On a sunny day in Aberystwyth Inventorium ran the second Mobile Apps Workshop in Wales, 14 participants joined us at Technium Aberystwyth to generate new ideas for mobile apps. To start the day the participants, who came from academia, tourism, craft making, web design/development and government, were given a series of presentations from industry professionals to set the scene.  Jonathan Jones-Morris of Surgery Digital Art Research described smart phones as the “Swiss Army Knife of the future”; he talked about the different smart phone platforms in use and discussed some of the most successful apps currently available. The second presentation was from Darren Morris of App Bits who talked about the best way to go about designing a mobile app and developing an appropriate user interface, Darren also advised on some of the ways to “set your app apart”. Martin Owen, Inventorium, closed the presentation session with by describing the current apps market and how mobile apps can help businesses.

The next stage of the workshop focussed on idea generation – participants were divided into teams and played a modified version of Inventorium Poker, the aim being to generate as many ideas as possible. The teams then selected two or three ideas to turn into posters to be presented to the room. These ideas included:

Letter App – a handwriting/new languages app

Appt App – a real-time appointment app

Are We Nearly There Yet? – a children’s travel entertainment app

Wildlife – a wildlife location monitoring app

I-Friend – an augmented reality game

Pocket Money Monitor – a tool to distribute and monitor children’s pocket money

Eat The View – a local produce app

On Set – a historic places role play app

I-PLOD – a health activity app

Following a 2 minute presentation on each, the ideas were voted on by the group, new teams were then formed to add details to the idea and consider strengths and weaknesses and possible stakeholders. The final activity was to create and film a 30 second advert which sold the app; this was a fun and challenging activity and a great way to end the session.

The day closed with a presentation from Caroline Thompson, Business Liaison Manager, Inventorium, who described the next steps for moving the ideas forward and how to further engage with Inventorium.

More information about the ideas can be found in the ideas section of the website and people who would like to join ideas can do so there.

Virgin Media Business have reported that Welsh organizations measure technology and how it can improve their business. Many are investing in technology to help them become a trailblazer in industry and be more tech savvy.  500 businesses were surveyed and 23% said it allowed them to operate more efficiently and provided new markets. Paul Lawrence, Head of Business markets said “it is so easy for businesses to look at cutting costs in austere times but the technology available meant nearly 1 in 4 were innovative”

“Vantage point is the most important thing when starting along an innovation process,” announced leading innovator and government advisor, Charles Leadbeater, told delegates at Beyond2010 in Birmingham this week.
In a session discussing radical thinking and the stimulation of innovation within public services, Leadbeater said, “Many of the challenges we face are things we need to create solutions to, rather than deliver services to solve. A service can only solve a little bit of most of the problems we face. You cannot solve complex problems like a family in crisis or an old person with a chronic condition and is socially isolated by delivering a pizza-like service that goes in an out. You need a service that can work with that complexity.”

He pointed out while fewer financial resources in the public sector was well known, “it doesn’t mean fewer resources in society.” Fewer financial resources formed one of four points raised by Leadbeater, alongside rising expectations, intractable ingrained problems, and emerging challenges, who went on to describe the different types of innovation (sustained and disruptive) and the two settings where innovation happens (inside and outside institutions), and added, “Many of the ingredients [to innovation and problem solving] are already there but are very poorly combined”.

“Most of the innovation in the UK public sector is a combination of sustained innovation within inside institution, offering ‘better versions of what we’ve got’,” he argues. “It’s vital, but not enough.”

According to Leadbeater, the next step for organisations looking to embrace innovation is to have disruptive innovation within institutional frameworks, for instance prisons and schools that “aren’t as different as they look”. He warned of one danger this type of innovation sometimes fosters: “Professionals by and large love it because they have new buildings and kit to play with, but it doesn’t change the culture outside of those institutions”.

The game-changing innovation, so-called ‘Transformational Innovation’, said Leadbeater, comes about via outside institutions and disruptive thinking. For the government advisor, public sector organisations need a mix of innovations to work together: “There is a complete imbalance in our capacity to innovate.”

Public sector preservation
As his first major outspoken argument, Leadbeater bluntly said the public sector “likes to preserve the problem to which they see themselves as the solution,” and stated, “the health service is by and large run for doctors, by doctors”.

Throughout the rest of his talk, in which he identified high engagement and low volume communication like social media (such as the cited Mumsnet) and described it as “the new space that’s difficult to into,” Leadbeater was further outspoken on the innovation that makes a big or small impact from big or small investments. “Most social innovations are not about changing life that much,” he argued, before explicitly identifying government ICT programmes – most notably the National Programme for IT (and former director general for the NPfIT, Richard Granger) as “high investment and small impact”.

Leadbeater continued in that vein, calling to question previous conference speaker, and COO of the Efficiency and Reform Group Ian Watmore: “I can’t understand where Ian Watmore has been when he thinks most of the problems in the private sector’s relationship with the public sector come from small companies cocking things up,” Leadbeater said to a smattering of applause. “In my experience it’s the big companies ocking things up, and bein rewarded for it.”

He also took a pot-shot at the top 19 suppliers to government and their signing of Memorandums of Understanding in recent weeks. While all signatories agree to cut some of the costs to the public sector, Leadbeater said the move almost made the group a “cartel-like club”.

Following such remarks, Leadbeater took a more calmed approach in a concise summary at the end of the thought provoking speech, and advised delegates they should, “look for high engagement, low volume innovations”, and to seek big impacts from small investments. Finally, as an ideal, he said, organisations should be looking for a “mixture of the very old and new”.