There is no monopoly on good ideas (unless you patent quickly enough), so it's in your best interest to get the idea makers in your organization together on the same page. “I've always felt that the fundamental idea of co-creation—that it takes more than one brilliant mind to make an innovation happen—is an essential element in business,” writes author and consultant John Winsor in Spark.
Spark explores that idea through interviews with innovative people across a variety of industries who are charged with developing creative organizations. Among the interviewed: Lego Group's Jake McKee, Levi Strauss' Michael Perman, Organic Vintners' Barney Feinblum, PM Gear's Pat Keane, and Big Boing Toys' Adam DeVito.
The book has four sections: “The Team,” “The Company,” “The Customer,” and “The Culture.” Each chapter begins with a mini-interview with one of sixteen innovators who discusses an aspect of the creative process. Nike's Mark Parker, for example, remarks on the importance of identifying and supporting creative people, while Herman Miller's Marsha Skidmore talks about making innovation more iterative by creating the right conditions for it to bloom. From there, the remainder of each chapter is devoted to tools and advice for practically implementing those ideas.
Following on the create-with-colleagues theme, Henry Beer, cofounder of the design firm Communication Arts, says office architecture shouldn't be left to chance: Much thought should be given to details such as how work spaces intersect, “visual triggers,” and personalization of space. In the drill-down section following Beer's comments, Winsor suggests flexible rather than hardened spaces (“innovation is not a linear process”) and project “war rooms” where all the visual material of the project is plainly visible. And don't underestimate the value of a coffee maker for bringing people together.
Far from an academic discussion, Spark is a breezy, quick read with ideas served up à la carte for you to choose or ignore. If you are new to this co-creation field, this is a good starting point to learn the major concepts and hear from some of the leaders on the front lines.
- Sean Silverthorne