creativity Archives

Living Art: how art can help you create a meaningful life.

(Final chapter and excerpt from my new book Working From Home: An artobiography, out January 2022) I remember it was sunny. It was mid-2001, and I was in the office, as usual. Working on a doomed and contentious pitch for IKEA or something equally unfulfilling. (I love IKEA, but this pitch was a politicised non-starter.)…

mofox

The Opposite of Work Is Not Play, It Is Dysfunction

Play is a biological necessity. We need it as much as we need food, water, sleep, shelter and sex. All animals play. Man is the only animal that sees it as either a luxury or frivolity.

mofox

The Secret to Taming Your Messiest Problems (Part III in a series on Wicked Problems)

This is the final article in a three part series on Wicked Problems. If you missed Part I (the difference between Simple, Complex and Wicked problems), click here and for Part II click here. So you’ve diagnosed your problem and have most likely come to the conclusion that at least a significant chunk of it is…

mofox

Your Biggest Problem is Impossible to Solve — And That’s a Good Thing (PART II IN A SERIES ON WICKED PROBLEMS)

This is Part II of a three part series on Wicked Problems. If you missed Part I (the difference between Simple, Complex and Wicked problems), click here. For Part III, click here. So how do you tell what kind of a problem yours is? Any of these sound familiar? The company restructure looks great on…

mofox

Your Biggest Problem is Impossible to Solve — And That’s a Good Thing (PART I IN A SERIES ON WICKED PROBLEMS)

Think of a problem. In fact, think of two. A professional one and a personal one. Problems that are of the gnarly-never-seem-to-go-quietly variety, regardless of how often you take a run at it. Maybe you can’t get a micro-managing boss to give you enough space to do what you can do, or you need to…

mofox

Want To Think Smarter? Use Atoms not Pixels!

Waddaya made of? Atoms. We are made of atoms and we spend our lives interacting and making with a world of atoms. So instead of sequestering ourselves in our cerebral ivory towers, it makes sense that we should solve problems and create solutions by… using atoms. By using our bodies to think, and by making…

mofox

Design ≠ Design Thinking

I used to sort of dislike the term Human Centred Design for it’s un-human clunkiness. Now I think I may be becoming a firm advocate. I recently had three really interesting design thinking related experiences. The first was with a highly creative corporate type discussing the dangers inherent in formalising a company’s approach to design…

mofox

What is Creativity?

Creativity. How do we unpack it, let it out and work with it? How do we make it safe for our teams to play with it? How do we handle failing (which, let’s face it, few people really enjoy)? I recently discussed the ins and outs of creativity in the workplace via webinar with the…

mofox

Design isn’t a Development: It’s an Inversion

There is a lot of talk these days about company orientation. Is your company a Decision (Divided Hierarchy) or Design (Connected Holarchy) company? (Dave Gray). Does it have a Delivery or a Discovery mindset? (Gregerson / Dyer / Christensen) A sales or marketing focus? Is it business process or customer centric? They all sound distinct,…

mofox

When Design Thinking Doesn’t Stick

Much of what I do involves design thinking, whether I’m teaching it at business school or practicing it inside companies, helping them use it either as part of a project or helping them change their creative DNA and “way of doing things”. And for all the universal appeal of it being a proven process, legitimised…

mofox

Instagram

Archives of creativity

Living Art: how art can help you create a meaningful life.

The Opposite of Work Is Not Play, It Is Dysfunction

The Secret to Taming Your Messiest Problems (Part III in a series on Wicked Problems)

Your Biggest Problem is Impossible to Solve — And That’s a Good Thing (PART II IN A SERIES ON WICKED PROBLEMS)

Your Biggest Problem is Impossible to Solve — And That’s a Good Thing (PART I IN A SERIES ON WICKED PROBLEMS)

Want To Think Smarter? Use Atoms not Pixels!

Design ≠ Design Thinking

What is Creativity?

Design isn’t a Development: It’s an Inversion

When Design Thinking Doesn’t Stick

Subscribe