Creative Reaction

“When forced to work within a strict framework the imagination is taxed to its utmost - and will produce its richest ideas. Given total freedom the work is likely to sprawl.”
- T.S. Eliot

As tired as I am about “boxes” and “thinking” both in and outside of them, Think Inside a Self-Constructed Box an article on effective brainstorming by the folks at Behance is based on research and deserves mention. They offer the following “tips”, though I think they’re being modest; these are success ingredients:

1. Keep the brainstorming groups small (ideally four people or less).
2. Gather people from different backgrounds, experiences, and interests.
3. Ask questions to build context, a brief, and core values, all to ”frame” the discussion.
4. Have a singular goal. For multiple decisions, hold multiple specific sessions.
5. Leave the meeting with “Next Action” steps.

With the time pressures faced by creative businesses on a daily basis, we would all benefit from more effective brainstorming.

A few days after I posted about creative spaces and This Ain’t No Disco, I came across this Behance Magazine article, where Ian McCallam, the creator of This Ain’t No Disco is interviewed. Ian shares a number of excellent ways to be both productive and creative in a business setting. They include:

• Meetings where members have only 40 seconds to make their point.
• Chair-back signs to indicate frame of mind; “don’t disturb” or “inspire me”.
• Completely clearing desks each month to minimize clutter.

He also talks about actively giving and receiving feedback on ideas, “The more inspiration and ideas you put out there, the more you get back.”

A worthwhile read, though you have to dig a bit to get to the good stuff.

Wow. An excellent post by Seth Godin. He posits, almost rants, that in light of more expensive and difficult commutes and travel, expectations are higher, and you had better make an impact when communicating in person! Worth reading.

Hilarious post on Seth Godin’s blog.

Priority Magazine (a Pitney Bowes publication) published an excellent article on various forms of office communication, the advantages and disadvantages of each, and how to make the most of each - though they never posted it online. And as we know, if something is not online, it may as well not exist. I finally tracked it down online here at this other site. It covers e-mail, meetings, phone calls, and Instant Messaging. It is, quite simply, the BEST article I’ve seen on the topic and I strongly recommend printing it, reading it, and implementing its advice.