Summary:
- Creativity can be approached from different directions, with various methods and diverse processes.
- More complex starting situations usually also require more complex creative processes.
- Design Thinking and Google Sprint Design are currently quite popular in many companies and deservedly so.
Methods for Being Creative
Because these characteristics are difficult to describe, they cannot be easily integrated into business processes. How does a company or a team come up with innovative and creative approaches and solutions?
Creative methods are a popular option, and there are plenty of them: from simple brainstorming and mind mapping to the Disney method and the Hemmingway notebook. Most of these often quite simple methods are based on association, interaction, and spontaneity, and are a way to develop ideas and solutions to problems more or less quickly.
Creativity through Structured Processes?
However, in most cases, an idea alone is not enough. Business processes are complex, and it is not easy to implement an idea just like that. Therefore, approaches have been developed that aim to make spontaneous solution finding into an overall process. In this process, different methods such as visualisation, prototyping, and simulations are combined, depending on the application and task.
In one process, for example, a customer journey map is created, in which interaction processes with the customer are displayed and researched at various touch points. Customer journey mapping comes from the Design Thinking approach and is often used in marketing because it takes into account the needs and motivations of people.
Design Thinking and Google Design Sprint
As an agency for which creative customer solutions are the key element, we frequently deal with various creative approaches and methods. I particularly like two approaches, and I’ve decided to devote myself to them this year. They are the Design Thinking method and Google Design Sprint.
Both are process-oriented approaches. Design Thinking describes a systematic approach to complex problems. The approach goes far beyond the classic design disciplines such as shaping and design. The process focuses on user needs and user-oriented innovations.
Google Design Sprint is in many ways derived from Design Thinking. Google itself claims to have tried various methods within 300 projects and summarised them in the Design Sprint framework. According to Google, Design Thinking processes have formed an important template for this.
Back to the Roots
What is exciting is the fact that we are not only expanding the spectrum of possibilities for our clients and our agency, but are also focusing more strongly on our past. Neuherz originally comes from consulting and training. Since we have always had a feel for the needs of our clients, the agency and its current focal points have developed from this.
The Result Counts – Not Just the Way There
Good creative processes are characterised by sustainable results that can be put into practice. A creative process must not become an end in itself. The two methods mentioned above are to be regarded as a set of cutlery that has proven itself many thousands of times in practice. More about this in the next weeks here on our blog.
