Inovation Engineering Episode 10 pptx

C4 Innovation Method: A Method for Designing Innovations 237 etc.) is an essential means, but is something that can be accessed by other means already present in the majority of companies (Lotus Notes, Microsoft Outlook, etc.). It does not appear necessary to us to weigh down the tool with such functionalities. The objective is, as reflected in the remainder of our work, to encourage the exchanges between the actors. However, these exchanges are not only verbalizations but also reactions that are recorded in IdéoFil. These exchanges can now pass from the synchronous mode (at the same moment and the same place) to the distributed asynchronous mode (at different moments, different places) [DEF 02], favoring the integration of experts in the construction and the evaluation of an innovative concept. The movement of the offers is besides facilitated, as this tool allows a communication (thus a transfer) of ideas in a way more interactive than that of the documents. IdéoFil is under development and must be tested in its current version on intra- and inter-departmental projects. A second version has been envisaged: its objective would then be to become one of the collaborative tools in the commercial field and that of R&D, and could be used as a link to the Trade Branch which is in a better position to develop these client-bound offers. Figure 12.7. The IdéoFil homepage 238 Innovation Engineering: The Power of Intangible Networks 12.5.2. StoryoFil StoryoFil® presents itself as an aid to creativity and a kind of utility that is complementary to Idéofil. It facilitates formalization, in the form of scenarios of concepts resulting from creativity, while being liberated from the more restraining factor related to the realization of storyboards, to have knowledge of drawing/sketching. We must recall that the participants do not come from the creative professions, much less graphic creation. Its objective is thus to facilitate the generation of dynamic situational concepts. For that, we take the help of a professional tool designed for the creation of storyboard largely used in the domain of cinema. There are several softwares of which there is one that particularly meets our expectations: QuickStoryboard®. With the help of a library of images, it makes it possible to easily place a decor (an environment of use), one (many) character(s) (users) and objects; everyone can appropriate the tool. The characters and the objects are easily adjustable (rotations on their own axes) and dimensional. To each photograph corresponds a descriptive text. Therefore, this is a powerful tool of construction of context of usage of the imagined concept. 12.6. Conclusions Commercial innovation must be based on the idea of “use” to be in a better position to respond to the markets. To do this, a process of collaborative interdisciplinary design allows one to take into account the real needs of the users and to generate appropriate solutions, to contextualize these contexts in a virtual manner. The virtual approach makes it possible to give various forms to these proposal solutions likely to facilitate evaluation without going much into the phases of developments, which are always expensive, and in which it is generally difficult to move backwards. Three objectives can be identified while taking recourse to these various forms: – to propose the same concept in various forms; – to propose the same concept from various points of view, according to the actors who will evaluate it; – to propose the same concept with different media in order to reinforce its comprehension. Chapter 13 Creativity World 13.1. Introduction In this chapter we shall develop the approach to the most fundamental phenomena of creativity in relation to its environment and human relations. We shall see how creativity is an internal alchemy originating from fundamental sciences, social sciences, techniques and concepts. We shall accompany you in this alchemy on this simple process of the law of creativity connected to its environments (matter, energies, solutions etc.), and in interaction with the human being. Through his experiments and research, man tries to artificially create the conditions of creativity particularly in the commercial milieu, and this, he does in a more or less skilful manner. He adds up the conditions, laying them one beside the other so that they are as close as possible to creativity but without creating real links between its ingredients – which can only give average results. He tries to modify the external environmental conditions (exogenous conditions), whereas the solution lies in the modification of the internal environment (that which is endogenous), which means searching within himself. In this manner we propose to examine how creative processes are generated. 13.2. Reflections on creativity In common parlance “creativity” implies the capacity to produce artistic works such as painting, sculpture etc. In that case, creativity is the outcome of manual work by which a sculpture or a painting is created as a form, hitherto non-existent, Chapter written by Michel SINTES. 240 Innovation Engineering: The Power of Intangible Networks instantly becoming something unique in the hands of the artist. The concept of creativity underlines the realization of something singular, novel and original which strives towards a certain beauty, indeed, excellence. In the industrial arena, creativity is assimilated in the techniques and methods of functioning that allow one to be as innovative as possible in the creation of new products. This creativity, where does it come from? Does it ensue from our determination? From a pursuit of an objective? As a result of chance? Or from something beyond us? Why are men always searching for this creativity? Why do they always want to innovate, to do better, to bring forth new ideas? Creativity refers more to the functional processes of a human being than to a vague method. In fact, this process determines the manner in which the individual relates to his environment. What is it that actually makes us think that some methods, techniques or know-how will be appropriate and will favor creativity? Each one could experiment that it is important to have specific conditions that facilitate the birth of creativity, that it is not a matter of chance but, on the contrary, a product of the capacity of our brain to spontaneously create new ideas in concordance with our objectives. We perceive that a stress-free environment, an aura of confidence, research work in the form of games and a positive temperament are the conditions that nurture the spark of genius. It is when all our intellectual, emotional and behavioral potentials are exploited to the maximum that we accomplish exceptional things. 13.3. A human concept The notion of “concept” is related to the human model where man is in possession of various cycles of functioning that are identical to the process of creativity. For example, let us consider the functioning of our brain that comprises four determining sectors: the left-brain, the right brain, the limbic brain, and the reptilian brain. Each of these is responsible for the accomplishment of one part of the process of creativity which begins with the occurrence of an idea or an intention followed by the conceptualization of the same idea, and motivation or the emotional feeling, and finally the process of putting it into action to enable the concrete realization of the idea. If we work out each of these steps in an intelligent manner, we can succeed in getting exceptional results. For instance, we have been responsible for having used this approach within the framework of a company project. Technical problems persisted in the working of a Creativity World 241 particular product. We formed a team of about 10 engineers and worked out an action plan that would spread over several days, which we executed following the logic of the process of creativity with exercises of animation conducted in a positive environment. As a result, after a few days, innovative ideas enabled us to overcome the problems. This approach can also be used, for example, in team coaching, individual coaching, and health management. We present in Figure 13.1 the five steps of creativity, which are: Idea, Thought, Emotion, Behavior and Result. In the following paragraphs we shall develop each of these steps. Figure 13.1. Cycle of creativity 13.3.1. Idea/intention This logic of the human model is the representation of the functioning of our brain. The right hemisphere which is the seat of intuition and our feminine traits is the generator of ideas, intentions and also of our creative capacity. It is from this part that our new ideas and intentions emanate in relation to our life. They are transformed into the need or desire to realize. It is our capacity to play, to give free expression to whatever comes, that favors the birth of new ideas. Knowing the need to take time off when in a regressive state vis-à-vis an objective, knowing how to clear our head and approach situations in a relaxed state puts us in a better position to open up and listen. Idea/intention Thought/objective Emotion Behavior Result 242 Innovation Engineering: The Power of Intangible Networks 13.3.2. Thought/objective Our left brain, responsible for our masculine aspect, then takes over the baton in the relay and starts working on the creation of the objective, a stage of conceptualization that makes it possible to go into the details of defining things more precisely. Our entire intellectual potential gets activated, taking into account our competence, our history and our memory that accumulates our good and bad experiences. It is the sum of all these factors that enables our left-brain to steer us in a particular direction rather than the other. Our real-life experiences and the knowledge acquired are those that determine our capacity to conceptualize. This reflection enables us to identify the objectives and the choices in our thoughts. The clarity of our choices allows a projected action, an objective or a need, to be the launch pad of the ensuing step and brings us to the execution stage. The process is certainly not so sequential. The two parts of our brain function simultaneously and the total potential is used at the same time. 13.3.3. The emotional aspect The emotional phase is the most neglected aspect in the technique of creativity and in our daily life, and yet is of great importance. Nothing is possible without it. This phase governs our feelings and releases emotional reactions to our own ideas. Has it ever happened to you that you suddenly have a brilliant idea? At that moment, how would you feel? Excited, joyous or euphoric! This is normally a very pleasant moment where everything appears possible as this really opens doors; we are presented with a whole lot of possibilities. We become aware of positive energy which leads to the realization of our project, as if the emotional aspect made the engine start and helped us put the body in motion [UES 00] and move in the direction of concretization. Our emotional aspect also reacts to our thoughts. The way in which we visualize life or our everyday reality, positive or negative, generates various emotional states. To be aware of this established fact determines the taking over of the responsibility of managing our everyday life. Indeed it is our capacity to manage our different states of being that determines the quality of our results. We have the potential to do it and it is our sole responsibility. Our behaviors and our results are equally influential. We can be happy or proud of an action or on the contrary be depressed by a failure or at any given time of our life, feel ashamed of our past behavior in particular circumstances, something that is sincerely regretted. Each thought or personal act is colored by an emotional reaction that enables us to gauge the feeling of the situation where we are pitted against our Creativity World 243 own selves at a given moment. It is a fabulous capacity that we have, which allows us to modify a situation created by ourselves, by placing us at the core of our values and our inner truth. The emotional element reacts especially to our environment, among others, to the relations which we maintain in our professional life, our emotional life or our leisure. The happenings in the social scene and the unforeseen situations of everyday life have a significant impact on our reality and trigger emotional reactions that reveal fear, anger or joy. These reactions are the interpretation of our personal position with respect to our past, our past experiences that have been more or less successful and our projections of our future aspirations in terms of the needs or the projects to be accomplished. Actually, our emotional aspect is a magnificent indicator, which positions us vis-à-vis an event. It is a sort of a compass that indicates what is beneficial or harmful for us, and enables us to be conscious and to avoid aberrations in life. The emotional aspect enables us to make choices, in choosing that which is favorable for us and is in our interest and also respects others’ interest; it helps us take the right decisions while making professional choices or in the execution of a project which one initiates or in which one participates. Without this potential we would be lost in life, without any means to get our bearings. Without it, our important decisions would be the fruit of a single mental reflection, cold, which could leave us in conflicting situations or entail bitter failures. 13.3.4. Behavior Our motivations in all areas of life, professional as much as emotional, in our leisure or our daily interactions, are conditioned by our emotional state. This state of mind controls our motivation every single moment. It releases energy which we are able to engage in a given action. This state has a direct consequence on our behavior and our attitudes, and influences the way in which we carry out our actions. The gestures that we use to carry out an action also depend on our practical experiments, our competences and all the experimental knowledge accumulated during our lifetime. The quality of our intervention will determine the quality of the result. This stage is crucial, because it is the hinge connecting the emotional aspect and the result; it is a stage of realization, of concrete application of an idea or a product. Man shapes matter in order to get a result; this is a transformational stage. 244 Innovation Engineering: The Power of Intangible Networks 13.3.5. Result What is a result? Product or object, it is the finality of an objective. Generally, it is concrete and measurable. It is the result of a whole process that starts with the birth of a need and ends with the satisfaction of the same. This product is the result of the total sum of the stages from the appearance of the idea up to its concretization. All the stages of this process constitute the cycle of global creativity of the human being. Why global? Because each one of these stages also contains a cycle of creativity, single and specific to each level, called a mini-cycle and described below. By way of respecting the unfolding of this process, in the awareness of each one of its stages and its own logic in terms of the result obtained, one can attain success or failure. The totality of this unfolding is measured in terms of quality by the indices of success that make it possible to approach creativity with the concept of excellence. If one compares this process to a logical and uninterrupted chain, complete in itself, the solidity of this chain will correspond to the value of the weakest link. Clearly, it is the value of the weak link which gives the value of the result and thus of the whole. Therefore, it is important to consider all the links with the same interest. Independent of this logic, it is significant to notice that each one of these stages is influenced by the others. Let us consider the example of the result. It is obvious that the value of the idea, manner of conceptualizing, the emotional state which controls our motivation, or our behaviors and actions, directly influence the chances of success of our result. But this operates in all directions. A bad result will influence our thoughts and the vision which we have of ourselves, or will put us in a negative emotional state, which will in turn have a negative effect on our next result. The unit is systemic where each element is fundamental to the other, and all the stages are of equal importance. Be it our intellectual thought or our emotional reactions, our capacity to let go the hold or the judiciousness of our behavior all complement in full solidarity to the richness of our success, as if a cobweb were connecting all the points of this schematic diagram, and that the perfection of the weave were guiding us towards the performance. Creativity World 245 Figure 13.2. The web of performance 13.3.6. Mini-cycle of creativity Each one of these mini-cycles represents a process of creativity in itself. That is why it is significant to understand the different stages, in order to get a grasp of the points to be improved upon and evolved through a process of transformation or change. The cycle of creativity is a process of transformation between a conscious part comprising an intention and another part, an unconscious one, which is the primary material before having to undergo the transformation. A sculptor has the intention or the idea of producing a masterpiece. The matter, the stone for example, which is the unconscious part will be cut with the intention of changing its state from being a simple piece of stone to that of a valuable article. The act of transforming, considered as work, will bring great additional value to the original object. The greater the additional value, indeed, the more exceptional the Idea/intention Thought/objective Emotion Behavior Result - + - + - + - + - + 246 Innovation Engineering: The Power of Intangible Networks value, the more one will speak of a great creativity. This realization appears to be a unique and new object, not having an antecedent, being born as a result of a particular intention carried out by the work of a conscious being on an unconscious matter. The creativity is always characterized by its unique side, which is precisely what characterizes its performance. Otherwise one would be left in a situation where there is none other than a reconsideration of form or, a more or less good copy of the reference object. Let us consider the emotional cycle: imagine that, in relation to an unforeseen event, you feel sad. This sadness is an energy that will belittle you, perhaps make you recoil into yourself, and shut you down. It is the impact of the environment on your body [LAR 90]; it refers to an exchange, a communication between you and the event. To regain your equanimity you will have to express what you feel and thus spell out the sadness. The act of verbal expression will have the effect of making you regain your energy. It is as if the energy of sadness were thrown out of your body. Up to that point, it is about a communication between you and the event. The following stage is that you need to understand why you felt sad. Perhaps you found yourself ridiculous in this situation, perhaps you were lacking the confidence to react in the right manner. If that is the case you can conclude that working on your self confidence would prevent the problem from recurring. In fact, from the next similar situation onwards, you will be the master of your reactions and will be happy for this success. Well, this feeling of joy will end the transformation of this event and, at that point, we can say that the process of creativity has come one full circle. It is very important to understand this process, because to feel joy is to give energy to our life, it is the engine of creativity and at the same time its success too. 13.3.7. The scale of values If we consider the stages of the process of creativity, which correspond to the progression in our brain and also to our process of realization right up to its concrete implementation, we would realize that for each of them can be applied a value scale in terms of quality or the level of performance. What makes an idea be declared brilliant? It is its singular character, the fact that it is novel and that it brings to the fore an innovative solution. This can be measured by evaluating the consequences of its application in the company: it would have obvious and positive repercussions on our evolution; it would besides be a matter of reflection or better existence for man. Perhaps this would have an exceptional [...]... going to show how the different scales of values work at each stage in the cycle of creativity A thought or the conceptualization of a thought can be evaluated by the complexity or the richness of the engineering that it comprises, by the quality of the knowledge applied that leads us to this concept or is itself the finality of a philosophical or scientific research It can be extraordinary by its simplicity,... which constitute our potential for action, for the right competence, and those that ensure that the actions carried out bear maximum fruit according to the priorities one gave oneself 248 Innovation Engineering: The Power of Intangible Networks Our attitudes in the action are also of consequence, particularly in the exchange and communication with the partners of the action They influence the manner... this process These companies are sending their engineers to creative orientation programs where games occupy a significant place But a lot of parameters are still forgotten, which makes 250 Innovation Engineering: The Power of Intangible Networks me say that one is far from having finished creating or inventing new things; it is really one of our capacities that knows no bounds 13.5 The age of networks... that arise in the creation and the promotion of strong technological and scientific products One must have the courage to face the limitations of one’s Chapter written by Laurent DUKAN 254 Innovation Engineering: The Power of Intangible Networks beliefs and personal and cultural prejudices As these obstacles are largely unconscious, it is a question of becoming aware of the same and of patiently learning... research, implies for certain companies a true change of mentality This evolution must apply to all the involved actors: directors, managers or executives, employees, customers, suppliers 256 Innovation Engineering: The Power of Intangible Networks The changes in mentality that are indispensable to innovation and scientific research cannot be achieved overnight Observation shows that this process generally... intrinsic to any innovation Insecurity is a direct consequence of innovation In France, we find it very difficult to deal with uncertainty The unknown frightens us, often greatly This need for 258 Innovation Engineering: The Power of Intangible Networks security, at all costs, imposes upon us a lot of prudence and control But the problem is often an excess of prudence, of control in our search for security... populations take refuge in the search for the simple, simplism, facility and appearances, but the complexity in which we find ourselves immersed, continues to grow Viruses continue to evolve 260 Innovation Engineering: The Power of Intangible Networks and become more and more difficult to eradicate And there will always be new viruses and new diseases The planet is also sick and its malfunctions are complex... systems of recognition of speech through a network of artificial neurons, or in social sciences, the systemic approach of Palo-Alto associating psychology, cybernetics and mathematic logic 262 Innovation Engineering: The Power of Intangible Networks Feedback is at the heart of the phenomenon of regulation and adaptation for numerous systems Inventions and the discoveries cannot be carried out without taking... this The predominance of mechanistic thought that divides and excludes reinforces it Now in order to innovate, we must give up some of our power, or more precisely, our illusions of power 264 Innovation Engineering: The Power of Intangible Networks 14.4.7 Failure and success It is normal and natural to be afraid when it is a question of innovating Everyone knows that innovation involves a great deal of . position to develop these client-bound offers. Figure 12.7. The IdéoFil homepage 238 Innovation Engineering: The Power of Intangible Networks 12.5.2. StoryoFil StoryoFil® presents itself as. created as a form, hitherto non-existent, Chapter written by Michel SINTES. 240 Innovation Engineering: The Power of Intangible Networks instantly becoming something unique in the hands. persisted in the working of a Creativity World 241 particular product. We formed a team of about 10 engineers and worked out an action plan that would spread over several days, which we executed