Innovation by SIT

It makes sense that accidents often lead to good ideas, such as Post-it notes, Viagra and chocolate chip cookies. During ‘normal’ thought processes in search for ideas, we are locked in fixedness, beliefs, habits and criticism. Accidents easily bypass these obstacles. They just happen.

The first challenge, therefore, is intentionally causing accidents; and the second, no less complicated, is identifying them as opportunities for innovation and not as failures. We’ll start with the second challenge.

Let’s take, for example, business cards. Those usually white rectangles, usually 2X3.5 in., with the name of the card’s holder, his/her position and contact information. The font is ordinary, the color scheme – common – and the practice is gray and predictable.

At conferences or meetings with multiple participants, I often receive a bunch of such cards and by the next day (or even an hour later) I cannot remember who gave them to me. All the cards look the same.

Now imagine what would happen if I were to receive a card that had ‘had an accident’ – for example, the name on the card had been deleted during print. It is quite probable that such a card would draw my attention. And I would probably remember the person who gave me the card. I might also talk with him/her more than with anyone else. An interest will be sparked, and remembrance. That is what we actually try to achieve when we give out our business card. We want to be remembered and we want to be approached, picked out of all the other options.

But how will we know who gave us the card if the name does not appear on it?

The card giver could, perhaps, write a personal message on the card, creating an opportunity for some personal communication. The card receiver could also use the empty space to write the name of whoever gave him/her the card and maybe add a few words to remind him/her why he/she should call this person. A small pen could be given together with card. Freebies always help.

But how do we overcome the first obstacle? How do you cause an accident instead of letting fate guide us?

One of SIT’s methods for overcoming this challenge is operating our Thinking Tools – patterns that have been found to be common with ideas of the “how-come-I-never-thought-of-that-before?” type. By operating these tools on existing products – or the business cards – we are, in fact, generating accidents and forcing ourselves to examine the opportunities embodied in them.

One of SIT’s Thinking Tools is Multiplication. When operated, we multiply, in our mind, a component that already exists in the product, but we change each copy in some manner from the original component. We could, for instance, multiply the job title component. They would differ from each other and from our traditional job title. We have initiated an accident, and we now have a business card with five different job titles. Why is this an opportunity? Obviously, my card should say that I am a facilitator and account manager. Why should it also say that I am Yonatan’s mom, a vegetarian, an urbanite and a trend spotter?

First and foremost, there is a greater chance that you will remember me when I give you my card. The unique look and content will do the work. And that is a lot. But it is not all. My card will communicate a very important message: I am a person and there are many more layers to me besides my conventional job title. Moreover, I want to create a relationship that allows you to know these various layers. The card creates conversation, direct contact. Accident and opportunity.

This way of thinking is neither trivial nor simple. Ironically, it takes discipline to consistently come up with mistakes. However, it up guarantees an advantage over your competitors, a supply of unique ideas, interest and, accidentally, a story to go with it all.