Creative thinking can definitely throw out some surprises. For example, the people who just started thinking about a subject are frequently the ones who come up with tons of new ideas.
Andrea Learned at Learned on Women recently wrote about this very subject, even if she didn't know she was talking about creativity.
Andrea pointed out an article in the NY Times about how a lot of men have suddenly become major inventors in a new arena. She writes "men are actively changing the mommy space into the parent space - by inventing products that make it easier for them to manage previously considered 'mom-specific' tasks."
It's true! Men are coming up with everything from a baby-bottle nipple attachment that can screwed onto ordinary water bottles to a luggage attachment that makes it easy to get car seats (and babies) through the airport in one piece to a timer that tracks feeding/changing/napping schedules so sleep-deprived parents have less to remember.
There's even a vest that gives dads a rugged outdoors style so they can "can change, feed, and entertain your
child with ease and no one will be able to tell you are wearing your
diaper bag." (<-- In many manly colors.)
So why is this happening now? Why all the new ideas for products to improve the baby-parenting experience?
Simple: It's because men are diving into parenting!
This is not a gender issue. I'm in no way suggesting that either sex is better at coming up with new ideas.
What is happening is exactly what occurs in many established industries when there's a shake-up to the old order.
This is a group of people who are new (as a whole) to being caretakers of children. There aren't yet any "social norms" for those fathers--they're basically just figuring everything out as they go along. 
They're taking a leap into the unknown!
The men who have chosen to be full-time parents are actually very well-suited for lateral thinking.
They're choosing to take a less-common path in parenting and aren't afraid that people will judge them.
This means that they're not only less likely to accept it when someone tells them a problem is "just the way things are", they're also more willing to risk that people won't like their idea.
And their very presence is forcing companies to become more open for innovation.
Baby-product companies can't just tailor their offerings to mothers anymore, they have to figure out how to appeal to parents in general.
Refocusing, especially after having the same target market for decades, isn't easy. Those companies are desperate to get their hands on products that appeal to men.
DadGear.com, one of the new companies springing up, has a fantastic statement on their website.
Our goal for our products is not just neutral or unfeminine, but style that reflects who we are - guys. Guys who take pride in caring for their kids.
It's incredibly refreshing because those men are opening the gates for new ideas that will benefit all parents.
Both fathers and mothers are going to see those products, and start seeing ways to improve products to meet their needs better. When even the diaper bag can be turned into a stylish, functional piece with personality, there's hope for everything!
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