Think Ink Studios

Killer Questions that Lead to Innovation

Phil McKinney explores Killer Innovation methods on his podcast and website Killer Innovation

Listen to this episode on ideation.

The slide show below is an overview of Killer Innovation and shows that successful Innovation is critically dependent upon asking the right questions.

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TED 2008 Multi-touch Screen & Visual Thinking

You've seen it on episodes of CSI - now you can get it!
See the video below on the multi-touchscreen technology from Jeff Han's Perceptive Pixel.
If you are interested in more examples here is another video demonstrating collaboration between Autodesk and Perceptive Pixel.

TED 2008 BIGVIZ Sketchbook

The BIGVIZ is an exploration in visualizing the Big Ideas presented on the TED mainstage. Two visual cartographers, David Sibbet (Grove Consultants) and Kevin Richards (Autodesk), created over 700 spontaneous sketches of the presenters' ideas using Autodesk Sketchbook Pro software running on Wacom Cintiq tablets and rendered on a Perceptive Pixel multi-touch display. These tools illustrate the power of interactive visualization to present the big picture to foster insight and communicate ideas visually, central principles of design innovation.

You can download the TED2008-BIGVIZ Book and see an amazing Movie of the 700 plus illustrations.

Napkin Sketches on Creativity

These are two great napkin sketches on creativity!

Hans Rosling: Debunking third-world myths with the best stats you've ever seen

In an interview with Tom Crawford on Vizthink, Dan Roam, author of Back of the Napkin, mentions Hans Rosling as a great example of presenting multi-variable data. This video from TED 2006 shows statistics presented in an interesting way.

"You've never seen data presented like this. With the drama and urgency of a sportscaster, Hans Rosling debunks myths about the so-called "developing world" using extraordinary animation software developed by his Gapminder Foundation. The Trendalyzer software (recently acquired by Google) turns complex global trends into lively animations, making decades of data pop. Asian countries, as colorful bubbles, float across the grid -- toward better national health and wealth. Animated bell curves representing national income distribution squish and flatten. In Rosling's hands, global trends -- life expectancy, child mortality, poverty rates -- become clear, intuitive and even playful."

What is Graphic Recording or Graphic Facilitation?

A graphic facilitator typically works live assisting the participants to draw out their best thinking by capturing the moment and confirming that they have been heard. This way of working dramatically increases the efficiency and productivity of the group's time. Clarity and focus increase along with participation as this process draws upon the collective wisdom of the group.

A recorder or facilitator typically works on several 4ft by 8ft wall charts illustrating key issues & elements, emerging consensus, metaphors & stories, decisions, action plans, & questions & answers that the group brings forward. This method reveals and puts to memory the story, vision, concept, and history of collaborative endeavors through words and images.

Below is a time lapse video of graphic recorder Stephanie Crowley creating an amazing journey map or large wall mural!

The Back of the Napkin

Dan Roam's new book The Back of The Napkin is a hit. All in a style that is quick and enjoyable to read, Roam offers great practical advice that you can put to use immediately to solve problems and sell ideas with pictures ! He introduces a powerful system that eases the removal of the barriers and fears associated with visual thinking. I've really enjoyed this book.

Additional resources you may find useful:

A 53 minute podcast from the Principled Innovation Blog

Back of the Napkin Book Overview on Vizthink

A 59 minute podcast from Vizthink Podcast is broken into 3 segments.

Peter Durand's interview from the Center for Graphic Facilitation is also very good

The Back of the Napkin site and blog

More Napkin Sketch Examples on BusinessWeek

A Whole New Mind At Work - Interview on Jariscope

In an earlier post I wrote about Dan Pink's new book, A Whole New Mind, and included big picture mural to summarize the main points in the book. Jari Chevalier posted a comment that she was going to interview Pink in an upcoming podcast at Jariscope. Here is the Living Hero Podcast in which they discuss:
• The increasing value of right brain skills and capacities
• The global forces giving rise to A Whole New Mind
• The one cognitive skill common among corporate star performers
• Reckoning with unfulfillment
• Dan’s own creative process and methods
• The Adventures of Johnny Bunko

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How To Sketchcast

Rich from Basement.org did a great how to video on sketchcasting.

Here is a link to the resources he mentions.