Get Fresh Minds

Like a fish in the water.

"Hey Fish! You look friendly... I wonder what you could be!"

This past weekend, while trying out snorkeling equipment for my exciting new hobby of underwater hockey (more on that later), I ran across a product that was a fantastic example of a simple solution to an unmet need.

If you've ever been birdwatching, you've probably taken along a little book so you can identify the birds you see and learn about them. That's a big part of the fun.

But, unsurprisingly, that's not so easy to do that when you're snorkeling! Aside from having no pockets to stash your book, there's also a slight risk that your book might get wet.

So, what is a curious fish observer to do? Take pictures of all the fish you see and hope you'll find time to research them later? Go swimming for shore every time you see something new and try to flip through your books without soaking them? Take your iPhone underwater and hope you can (1) get a signal off the coast and (2) operate the phone through a waterproof case? All those sound like a lot of work... and because those are so difficult, most people wouldn't even try. They'd just accept that they'd probably never know what fish they were seeing.

Or - you could just bring along a Fish-Flip - a wearable & weatherproof book filled with beautiful large pictures of fish!

When I saw those little booklets, it immediately clicked in my head that it was a simple solution to an unmet need many snorkelers didn't even know they had. Those are the kind of ideas I absolutely love.

Plus, I love the story of how the idea came from a frustrated snorkler who decided to find a solution to a problem that was vexing her.  Fresh thinking all the way!

A novel way to keep Alzheimers patients from leaving... by making them feel they can.

There's a news article that's been making the rounds about a German Nursing home that has found a unique way to keep their most forgetful residents from trying to leave*.  I want to share it here because too often it seems we gravitate towards punitive or restrictive measures in order to stop unwanted behaviors - especially in people with conditions like Alzheimers - and this is nothing of the sort.

Instead...the nursing home has found a way to use the natural behaviors and reactions of their residents to keep them from "escaping".

 
The Benrath Senior Centre in Düsseldorf, Germany got the local public transportation network to install a bus station directly outside of their building, in plain sight of the residents. 

This seems counterproductive to their goal of keeping their residents from wandering - except for the fact that the bus stop... isn't! It looks exactly like one, but no buses ever come.

So, when a resident decides to leave, they head out the door and wait for a bus.  Then, someone from the Senior Center waits a couple minutes before heading out to apologize to the resident that the bus is running late - and to invite them in for a cup of coffee until the next bus comes.  The resident, who has likely already forgotten why they were there in the first place, happily comes back into the Senior Centre of their own free will.

There are no alarms as a resident passes a doorway, no Senior Center staff chasing after a resident, no calls to the police and frantic searches, and no defient residents struggling on the way in.

It's a beautifully-simple solution.  And better yet, it doesn't leave the residents feeling like they're in a prison - like locked doors and ankle bracelets do.  Instead, when a nice person comes out to the bus stop and invites them in for a cup of coffee, the resident feels taken care of, and happy to come inside.

That's really important, because there are studies that show that while Alzheimer's patients don't always remember much from moment-to-moment, they do continue to feel the same emotions that they were feeling before.

I wish more organizations would take human behavior into account to come up with fresh solutions that make life less stressful for vulnerable adults (and the people who care for them)!

 

*A frequent problem with Alzheimer's patients - who decide they'd much rather be someplace they remember from their youth, instead of the Senior Center.  It's especially dangerous when those places no longer exist, or when the Alzheimer's patient forgets where they are going en route.

South China Mall: Pushing the envelope too far...

A friend sent me to an interesting mini documentary about the world's largest shopping mall - South China Mall in Dongguan, China. It's a fascinating video, because it turns out that the largest mall in the world is not. 

The mall has space for over 2000 tenants, plus a replica of the Arc de Triomphe, a replica of Venice's St Mark's bell tower, a canal with gondolas, and an indoor-outdoor roller coaster.

Unfortunately, the mall is 99% unoccupied.  And unlike most other "dead" malls, South China Mall never was filled with stores.  (Or even close to a quarter filled!)  It was stillborn from the very beginning.

What really struck me from the video was when someone mentioned that the giant mall was the first mall people in that area had ever seen.  Not just the biggest one they'd ever seen - the very first mall they'd ever seen.

And that was probably the problem. The whole idea of a mall was so far beyond the normal everyday needs of the people in that area that they simply didn't get why they should go to one.

That's the risk with pushing the envelope... there's a chance you can go too far.  In order to fully appreciate a great new idea (and make it a success) it has to have points of reference in its customers' current lives.

It's the difference between giving people a radically new way to carry around their favorite music (iPod) versus needing to convince them that they want to bring it with them in the first place. In the first case, people see the value instantly.  In the second case, they might never see it.

If you're interested, watch the 13 minute mini-documentary on the South China Mall here.  It's spooky how deserted the place is - especially for what looks like such an amazing mall (for us mall-lovers here in the snow-covered north!)

Furniture with hidden talents.

Years ago, I used to compete in a creative problem solving competition where we had to create sets for performances done in a super-small area. So, we tried to figure out ingenious ways to use each element of our set in multiple ways - from evolving backgrounds to multi-use props.

Unfortunately, we were never that good.  But the people from Resource Furniture who created the furniture in the video below... are amazing.

Check out this video about their space-saving furniture.  They've manufactured all their pieces to serve at least 2 functions - without looking clunky or thrown-together!

This is a promo video for their company, but their stuff is so cool that it definitely deserves a mention here.  These are people who design furniture in a totally innovative way!

Amazing, huh? Now, who wants to buy one of those coffee tables for my apartment?

Zenyatta and the Burden of Perfection.

Last weekend, Zenyatta, one of the greatest racehorses in America, proved that she is one of the all-time greats.  Rocketing from last-to-first in a desperate finish where she won by a tiny margin, Zenyatta became the first racehorse in American history to win 17 top-level races in a row.

Zenyatta has never lost a race and her victory last year at the Breeders' Cup Championship over male horses was absolutely incredible.

But despite her greatness and how much I love watching her run, I want Zenyatta to place 2nd soon.  Here's why:

Zenyatta has owners who shunned risk.  When she began racing, Zenyatta quickly dominated the older female division.  She'd fly away from the field so easily that it was clear the other mares were completely outclassed. But Zenyatta's owners wanted her to retire undefeated.  So instead of launching to greater challenges against the bigger, stronger male horses, Zenyatta competed endlessly against horses she'd already vanquished.

What really annoys me about this is that when Zenyatta finally did race against the top males, she totally blew them away. And that's so disappointing!  It tells me that she belonged in the top-ranked competition all year instead of competing solely against the smaller, weaker females.

By trying to maintain a perfect record in order to get their horse into the Hall of Fame, Zenyatta's owners have chosen to go with the easier races for almost her entire career.  It's a horrible shame, in my opinion.

Greatness in racing, and in innovation, and every other aspect of life, comes from taking on the tough challenges and succeeding more than failing. 

That means champions can't be afraid of having a bad day.  The best racehorses ever in America (Secretariat and Man 'o War) both lost - and then came back twice as strong in their next race.  Of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, only two never lost a race, and they aren't even in the top 10.

So I actually wish that Zenyatta had lost last weekend.  Because then her owners wouldn't have to make every decision while fearing to ruin her perfect record. Then, they could pit her against the best horses in the country again and again - and if she lost, they could say "It's no big deal. She'll get them next time."

That is how you achieve greatness.  And all the people and businesses out there who are afraid to take on the greater challenges should take note.  Because it's not about never failing - it's about getting right back out there and proving yourself all over again.

The Postal Service 'Stamps to the Rescue' of Shelter Animals

I'm very much in favor of adopting animals. My last two cats were rescues, and they were/are wonderful pets.  And in a couple months, I'm hoping to begin fostering shelter cats while they wait to be adopted.

But, there's only so much adopting a single person can do if they don't want to get the dreaded label "cat lady"!  (And the dating challenges that result!)  So it's nice to see other ways that I can help.

Take this creative “Stamps to the Rescue” campaign between the USPS and Ellen DeGeneres' Halo Pet Foods.  The Post Office is launching a commemorative stamp collection that features happily-adopted pets. At the same time, Halo Pet Foods is launching a drive to donate 1 million meals to shelters around the US - with easy activities that fans can do to donate a meal. 

It's a good idea because it's quick and easy for people to do, gets attention for pets needing home, and provides multiple incentives to get involved. Kudos to USPS and Halo for the idea!

How they could have taken it to the next level:

Instead of featuring 10 happily-adopted pets on the stamps... the USPS's stamps could show adoptable pets that are still waiting for their forever home and provide a link on both the USPS and Halo websites to a website to adopt the postage stars.

Then, they could do a follow-up campaign a few months later showing the postage stars in their new homes. Food for thought for next time...!

Live-streaming... not just for broadcasters anymore.

There are two types of innovation. One is the blue ocean innovation that creates something completely new out of nothing.

The other type of innovation happens when someone sees something cool in a field different than their own, and then brings that technology or system innovation back to their area.

For example, the roller ball technology used in pens is also the same for roll-on deodorant. And the assembly line innovated by Ford was based on a "disassembly" line where animals in a slaughterhouse were systematically taken apart piece-by-piece.

What I like about that style of innovating is that anyone can do it just by keeping their eyes open.  And it doesn't have to be a huge innovation or change to have a BIG impact.

Here's a cool example I just encountered:

Not long ago, online broadcasting platforms such as Ustream made it possible to do live web shows.  Almost instantly, a whole group of broadcasters signed-up, and started performing live, broadcasting sporting events and showing live videos of adorable puppies.

And this spring, the Raptor Resource Project in Decorah, Iowa, is using that same broadcasting technology to show a pair of bald eagles hatch three eggs.

 

It's a great marketing tactic for a small nonprofit that builds and protects nests for rare raptors. Instead of just telling people what they do, the Raptor Resource Project can actually show the results of their work - live!

<Disclosure: the bald eagle cam is hosted on Luther College's website, my alma mater.>

The live broadcast started earlier this spring and has shown the bald eagles building their nest, courting, laying eggs and now hatching their young.

* Click here to view the live camera. *

In 2009, the eagle cam was viewed over 3 million times by people from 102 countries.  This year, the broadcast is hosted on the website of nearby Luther College (which has higher bandwidth) so even more people will be able to see.  This past Sunday, the eagle cam had over 70,000 page views!

In my opinion, this counts as great innovative thinking not because it created something new out of thing air, but because the Raptor Resource Project saw an opportunity to use existing technology in a new way to greatly expand its reach, get lots of attention, and educate thousands about their mission.

Bringing an innovation to the masses.

Time Magazine recently unveiled its Top 50 Inventions of 2009.  While many of those inventions are really useful, or very cool, or are destined to save the world, my favorite is one that many of you might overlook.

That is the Dow Powerhouse Solar Shingle, which is basically a solar panel that has been turned into a regular roofing shingle.

Solar panel technology has been around for years, but it's still very rare to see (especially in the Midwest).  That's because solar panel installation is prohibitively expensive (frequently over $30,000), requires special installation and takes decades to pay off the original investment.

Plus, normal solar panels are ugly, and (if the owner wants to maintain the curb value of their house) are limited in where they can be installed.

The new solar shingles could solve many of these problems.  They'll cost up to 15% less than traditional solar panels and can be installed much more easily.  They're small, so homeowners can start with just a few solar shingles and install new ones gradually (instead of taking the costly plunge all at once.) Plus, as you can see from the photo above, they blend right into the roof of the house.

The reason I love this idea so much though is because it means that the solar panel is finally becoming approachable - and that means this innovation is finally about to take off and become really useful.

A new invention can be very cool, such as the new technique for cloning puppies or the Human-Powered vending machine (two other inventions on the list), but until that invention becomes a reality for real people in their everyday life - it's still just a cool science project.

Don’t automatically throw away failures.

Photo: diegofuego via Flickr 

In invention, there will always be failures.  Substances won’t mix as planned, or a resulting substance will come out with very different properties than expected.

For people who are trying to invent a substance that achieves a very specific goal, it’s very tempting to throw those “failures” out and start again from scratch.  Which makes sense from a business perspective.

But from an innovation standpoint, that might be a big mistake.  Failures can become wildly successful – if they are just put in the right area!

In 1968, a chemist at 3M failed miserably when he tried to develop a stronger adhesive. The glue was strong enough to hold papers together, but it was easy to peel them apart - not at all what the inventor had been trying to achieve!

If you feel that you've heard this story before, you're probably right.  That failed adhesive is the glue used in Post-Its and is probably one of the most famous failure-to-success stories out there.

On the other hand, you've probably never heard the story of the failed refrigerant (the gas used in refrigerators) that spread 'round the world.

In 1938, a chemist at DuPont was trying out a new Freon gas combination when he ran into a problem: the chemicals he'd combined not only had zero cooling properties, they didn't even make a gas! (Whoops!)  Instead, he had a very slippery, non-corrosive, totally-inert plastic powder.

But instead of throwing out his mistake, he tested its properties. DuPont also promoted the powder and experimented with it themselves.  And the powder took off.  It was an important component used in building the first nuclear bombs, it's been blasted into space, put into the human body, worn on Mount Everest, used in building bridges and even cooked on.

What was that horrible failure of a refrigerant?  Dupont named it Teflon.

Both of those inventions were miserable failures in the context in which they were invented.  But they've both become amazing successes.  What made the difference was that the inventors didn't write off a result of their experimentation.  Instead of throwing it out and forgetting, they took note of the unique properties of their invention, and found a context where that invention excelled.

Something to think about, isn't it?

Climate change legislation should be welcomed by innovators.

The last couple weeks have been all about climate change.  There were the hacked emails from scientists and the controversy that ensued. Then there is the climate conference in Copenhagen, which gives me hope that the US would finally stop waffling and do something.

And the there were the big snowstorms and freezing temperatures in the American Midwest that made us Minnesotans wish that warmer temperatures were the only consequence of global warming.  ('Cause seriously, when the weather is -8°F/-13°C, going outside is pretty darn awful!)

So since climate change is what we're all talking about, I feel that it's time I chime in with what I believe with all my heart:

I have absolutely no interest in getting into the argument about whether climate change is occurring or not.  Why? Because it goes nowhere.  In America, people stick to their beliefs like they're two opposing armies on a battlefield who have build their fortifications and won't stop until the other side is completely vanquished.  All arguing does is cause the other side to reinforce their beliefs.

I do have a very strong opinion on this issue though.  I think climate change legislation is a great idea.  But probably not for the reasons you expect.

First of all, I think that it is awful that companies are blithely spewing noxious chemicals into the air and into the earth.  And they are - you won't find anyone who doesn't believe that.

More importantly though. I think climate change legislation is an absolute must if we Americans want to continue being known for our innovative spirit! 

Whether or not you agree that climate change is occurring, it's a fact that a large majority of the world does - and is enacting legislation to combat it. This is something we cannot ignore as innovators!

If we ignore climate change in the US, we risk becoming obsolete as exporters as the rest of the world restricts technology that emits large amounts of CO2.  And we risk becoming obsolete within our own country as well, as foreign companies make breakthroughs.

The fact is, companies don't make drastic innovation breakthroughs without a good reason. If they can continue spewing chemical into the air without punishment, they will. Why do you think that our cars get barely more miles per gallon (MPG) now than they did in the 1970s?

Detroit has stubbornly refused (not "failed".. "refused") to innovate significantly in the past 20-30 years.

From Detroit's side, SUV's and trucks are a cash cow. They cost nominally more to make than cars, and bring in oodles of money. So, as long as Detroit could convince Americans that they need that giant truck, their business model was golden and they had no incentive to look ahead. And then they over-committed themselves to inflexible factories and when the market shifted, they went down in flames. (As they should have.)

As for the argument about letting the markets choose, that's a horribly bad idea if we want America to be an innovative leader in the future.

There's an interesting correspondence between cost of new green technology and energy prices. When gas is expensive, that pricey Prius looks pretty good (and thus the price drops for future high mph vehicles as supply rises and the supply chain is optimized for higher volume). And in that case, the free market is a beautiful thing.

But when gas is artificially cheap, people are very susceptible to the intense marketing campaigns that Detroit runs to convince Americans that a big truck is one of their fundamental rights. I'd like to think the masses were more forward-thinking and less susceptible to emotional manipulation than that, but they usually aren't.

(For proof, I offer up the slimy DeBeers diamond engagement ring campaign that began in 1938 and convinced Americans that only a diamond can prove someone loves you. Masterful marketing campaign... but very manipulative. And trust me, if a guy ever tries to tell his future fiance about how she's been manipulated to want a diamond... he'll be in the doghouse for months. The marketing was THAT good.)

So whenever companies can convince consumers that they should remain stuck in the past and resist innovation - they usually do. Many will throw everything they have into resisting the need to innovate.  (Yes music industry, I'm talking about you.)

For many companies, their most important goal is to make their quarterly books look as good as possible for the shareholders.  As a result, they have no incentive to look ahead and prepare for the future. Their incentive is to sell what's profitable now.  Chances are, the CEO who is raking in oodles of money won't even be around when the market turns. So, too many companies operate in the here and now.

But when companies finally know they need to change (or risk huge fines or market losses), they do so incredibly well.  American companies especially. We have such innovative capacity here in the US that we could lead the world in environmental innovation. 

Instead though, we bicker constantly about whether climate change is actually occurring.  We stall, and waffle, and do everything we can to avoid making a short-term painful decision that will pay off for us in the long run.

Right now, in the climate change debate, we're just being dragged along by the rest of the world like a reluctant child who doesn't want to do its homework. 

That's not the America I believe in. I see America as a country that seizes opportunities to be a world leader. This climate bickering is not conducive to that - and it's not an issue that is going to go away. So we need to get off our butts and start moving forward now.

Innovators don't sit back and resist change.  They seize it and use all their brilliance to find out how to take advantage of every situation.  We need to do that.

It's time for us to stop being the obstructionists who are missing opportunities to really benefit from this situation.  It's time for America to sign the climate change agreement in Copenhagen, stop bitching about it at home, and get our butts into our garages and labs to make some magic.

And I can't wait for the American government to step up, take a stance and pass legislation that actually makes us do it.