A lot of people talk about innovation, and a lot of people describe themselves as innovative. You probably know some too: “innovative problem solvers”, “innovators”, “innovation machines”, “creative problem solvers”, “Creative innovators”… but few people actually do innovate. What was your last innovative act? Was it an idea? If it was that’s good, but realising that idea is just as important, and sometimes where your greatest chance at innovation lies. If all you have is a big list of ideas that never became reality…you’re dreaming. Imagination is a really important …

This is a beautiful piece of work from the TOUCH project:
“Touch is a research project that investigates Near Field Communication (NFC), a technology that enables connections between mobile phones and physical things. We are developing applications and services that enable people to interact with everyday objects and situations through their mobile devices.”
The WIFI light painting project:
“This project explores the invisible terrain of WiFi networks in urban spaces by light painting signal strength in long-exposure photographs. A four-metre tall measuring rod with 80 points of light reveals cross-sections through WiFi networks …

photo credit: desbiens_jean
“The essence of serious play is the challenge and thrill of confronting uncertainties…The challenge of converting uncertainty into manageable risks or opportunities explains why serious play is often the most rational behaviour for innovators”. (Michael Schrage)
As a society, we are finally beginning to give play time the attention it deserves. It is being recognised as serious business, and so it should be. Play is how children learn social skills, make sense of the world they live in, discover new things about it, and invent, create and dream. …

I watched the following videos this morning, and thought they were really uplifting, for different reasons. I thought I’d share these with you, and leave you to imagine how you could combine them all into something quite horrible or into something bloody marvellous! Enjoy.
The wooden ball travels along a giant xylophone, and plays Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring, by J.S. Bach. The incline of the xylophone ensures that tempo is respected. It’s all in the name of advertising (to sell a mobile phone), but surely this is advertising at its …