Presentation given by Daniel van der Merwe at the University of Johannesburg on creativity and innovation. The talk was done in support of the PPC Imaginarium Awards, an aspiring awards programme aimed at promoting and supporting emerging creative talent in South Africa.

5. AN INVITATION TO DESIGN THINKING

6. POLLINATE
&
nourish the seeds of your
creative innovation

7. • Creativity is
thinking of
something new…
• Innovation is
implementing
(making)
something new…

8. DESIGN IS THINKING
MADE VISUAL

10. ?

11. BENJAMIN ZANDER: THE ART OF POSSIBILITY

12. CHOOSE POSSIBILITY…..
The ‘A’ is not an expectation to
live up to, but a possibility to
live into

14. insights into DESIGN
THINKING

15. STAGE 1

16. STAGE 2

17. STAGE 3

18. STAGE 4

19. STAGE 5

20. STAGE 6

21. STAGE 7

37. still suffering a block? FREE YOUR CREATIVITY!
• LET YOURSELVES
BE CREATIVE: we
are all born as
creative beings

38. Question the norm. Why not?

39. Creativity = type of mind set
• SPEND TIME WONDERING
EVERY DAY= creative fitness:
for example: gazing at a wall
for 15-20 minutes, wondering
what other things it could be
made of, after coming up with
a list of say 50 different things,
something is bound to make
you say- ” whow-that’s
interesting”!
• It’s how we take ourselves by
surprise.

40. Question what why and how

41. ATTITUDE:
• DEVILS ADVOCATE
versus ANGEL’S
ADVOCATE (looking for
what is good about an
idea, rather then
dismissing / criticing it).
• Think Yes- instead of No
about all possibilities

42. CURIOSITY:
• Challenge your own
assumptions, think of
different- even ‘bad’
ideas’
• develop the ability to
wonder if and why some
crazy idea might just work
• develop your desire for
discovery and to look at
things the way you have
not before.

43. SPES BONA- seize the moment
“Know the true value of
time: snatch, seize, and
enjoy every moment of it.
No idleness, no laziness,
no procrastination; never
put of till tomorrow what
you can do today.”
Lord Chesterfield

44. CREATIVITY TOOLS
• Draw on different types of
exploration to draw from
your creative potential.
• Work both individually
and with another/other
people to bounce ideas-
positively!
• Change your context
• Change your attitude

45. PLAY and DISCOVER
“ The process of playful
searching is the vehicle
by which we discover”
Garreth Smythe

46. SKETCHING=DISCOVERING
• Sketching makes the ‘unconscious stream’
flow between the mind, the hand, pen and
paper.
• The rough sketch becomes suggestive- it
gives promise to other ideas or solutions

47. THE SKETCH
• DRAWING FREEHAND ALLOWS US TO
UNBLOCK AND TAP INTO OUR
SUBCONSCIOUS .
• Sketching is- to communicate with yourself, and
your ideas.
• To play and have pleasure which stimulates
discovery.
• Sketches become an archive of potential ideas-
even for later. Keep a visual journal

49. BUILDING MODELS
• Conceptual models- quick rough cardboard, using floor,
wall and roof planes
• Allows you to continue the discovery process by
developing the initial sketch
• Don’t be precious- use it as a base to change and
explore other ideas- its process not appearance that
counts!
• Try different media- cardboard, clay, wire- or a
combination- each have different expressive qualities

50. THE POWER OF THE WORD
• Words stimulate visual
images and other
concepts
• Combine sketches with
annotations
• Write concepts down-
and then sketch them
• The power of the ‘silent’
word
• Talk- and then write

51. SOUNDS
• The right music for
the right situation
• Certain sounds
stimulate certain brain
waves
• Music can calm
you/excite
you/stimulate you

52. CONTEXT
• When stuck- change your context:
• TABLE VERSUS FLOOR
• SITTING VERSUS LAYING
• INDOORS VERSUS OUTDOORS
• ALONE VERSUS BETWEEN PEOPLE
• SILENCE VERSUS ‘NOICE’

53. LEARNING FROM OTHER
• Research as a way of
looking at other ideas:
The wheel has been
discovered
• The precedent- how
did other people deal
with a similar
problem- what can I
learn from it?

54. AMAZE AND OBSERVE

62. refreshments
?