Today’s Tip - Freedom:

As we celebrate the 250th Independence of America, it makes me think of how freedom applies to innovation and design. And it is actually so important if we want to push past current limitations into new territories of innovation. Too often we limit our designs and innovation by editing too early, before we’ve given them the freedom to flow and to explore. If you will allow the thoughts and creativity to take on wild adventures, amazing things are possible.

Design Thinking shortcut for today:

Today’s Design Thinking shortcut: Take time to give your thoughts and creativity the freedom to flow and explore. Take out some paper and just start creating something with words or art, without editing first. If you haven’t done it before or in a long time, the first bits may feel awkward, but if you keep going, the magic can start happening. Keep practicing this technique until it happens more automatically because we often have spent so much time self-editing, that it became entrenched - so give yourself the grace of being a beginner again and just have fun!

Innovation shortcut for today:

Today’s Innovation shortcut: If there is a tough problem you have been trying to solve, give yourself the space and freedom to come up with the most outrageous, ridiculous possible solutions. The ones that make you laugh because they are so far out there. You may find it finally releases you into a real solution that you just weren’t seeing before.