This is a poster I created when reflecting on readings related to innovation. I found it ironic that our class discussion about innovation resulted in me writing a quote from my professor in my notes in which he was quoting Steve Jobs who was quoting Henry Ford. This seemed to be in itself the antithesis of innovation, as we collectively repeat the same phrases to discuss innovation itself. This nesting of quotes caused me to think about how just like someone's language used to talk about something can reflect their disposition towards the thing itself, a designer's process in creating a solution can reflect their relationship with innovation. Can you truly be innovative if every designer is using the same strategies to be innovative? If everyone uses the same "ten faces" to design, will that truly continue to progress the field and result in innovative thinking? Can designers use non innovative techniques to reach an innovative solution? These are questions I have continued to ponder.
Although I think The Ten Faces of Innovation discusses some important concepts that designers should keep in mind, such as the benefit of "cross pollination" and looking outside of your own context and culture, I also have a slightly critical perspective in that I'm unsure if innovation can be simply bottled and sold. Many great thinkers, designers, and artists didn't use the same strategies to reach innovation. Because of this, although I agree with many of the sentiments in the Ten Faces of Innovation, I still have the mindset that it is simply a useful tool to think about design and how different strategies for designing can be used, rather than viewing it as a prescription of what great designers must do any time they make something. Additionally, this book is mostly intended and describes design in a way that is within the context of a capitalist system, and there are many factors such as budget in time and resources that may not be as much of a consideration in design projects that are not within this same structure in which success of a design is dictated by its success in the market.
