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The creativity/business conundrum
Written by: Chanie PritchardArticle Overview: The concept of creativity is an abstract one, at best. The dictionary tells you that when you ask for creativity, you can expect to see “the ability to use the imagination to develop new and original ideas or things, especially in an artistic context.” This is all well and good if you’re in the market for something astonishing to frame and hang on your wall, but in the context of business design it falls somewhat short of adequate.
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The creativity/business conundrum
The concept of creativity is an abstract one, at best. The dictionary tells you that when you ask for creativity, you can expect to see “the ability to use the imagination to develop new and original ideas or things, especially in an artistic context.” This is all well and good if you’re in the market for something astonishing to frame and hang on your wall, but in the context of business design it falls somewhat short of adequate.
The problem arises when people in a decision-making role see words like “imagination”, “new” and “original”… and rush the mark, believing that any idea is viable so long as it’s creative. In business, what’s really needed is a conglomerate of skillsets which includes creativity, but also requires a heaping dose of insight, market knowledge, and business sense.
In short, successful design in business needs both an inquiring mind, and a prepared mind. Creative thinking by itself is of little use to business unless it is guided by relevant facts.
Take the now ubiquitous Swiffer line of products… and in particular the Swiffer WetJet. It certainly took a creative mind to strap a water pistol and what is essentially a diaper to the end of a stick, and market it as the infinitely superior successor to the old mop and bucket. But the product would not have enjoyed the success that it has without an in-depth understanding of operations, capabilities, markets, customers and consumers.
Commercial failures illustrating the consequences of implementing “new” and “different” without insight abound… and you have to wonder, what were they thinking?
Heinz: an ambitious but short-lived go of colouring its ketchup green, purple and blue in their EZ Squirt line.
General Mills Fingos: jumbo pieces of cereal whose boxes depicted a large tongue, introduced and pulled in 1993.
Orbitz: that nasty looking fruit-flavored beverage with little edible balls suspended within.
New Coke: do I really need to elaborate?
Creativity run amok in a vaccuum is obviously not going to help your business. But by the same token, processes, systems and business sense in the absence of insightful creativity are simply monotony personified. So when looking for marketing consultants or designers for your business, it is important to find insightful, creative people who ALSO have a solid understanding of real-world applications.
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Article Tags: artistic context, business design, business sense, commercial failures, conglomerate, creative mind, creative thinking, ez squirt, general mills, inquiring mind, ketchup, market knowledge, mop, new coke, orbitz, relevant facts, successful design, swiffer wetjet, vaccuum, water pistol
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