Stanford Open Office Hours: d.school, Part 1

Bring your questions and comments for George Kembel, executive director of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford. What type of innovation challenges in the world do you think are worth working on? What type of obstacles to innovation have you experienced in your own life? What type of environment do you think is most conducive to innovation?

[@lavila35]

The way the creation process is conducting and was presenting sounds very promising. Congratulations! I ever see the ideas sprouting in everywhere, but we don't have the criteria to judge and determine the impact of them. I mean, the validity of the impact in our lives during a long time, not only like a fashion or with expiration date. One obstacle is the own disincentive until you see the results of the project.

Thanks George. What type of innovation challenges do I think are worth working on today? One idea: how do we design a society in which people are not polarized in political parties but are inspired to connect with others and leave the world a better place?

[@PhilippUnterreiner]

The question of whats worth working on is so important. I love your video!!

[@commandersprocket]

Obstacles to innovation: institutional inertia (politics and bureaucracy), cultural blinders, lack of initial funding/experimental funding/evidence based management (an example: Starkey Laboratories used Rolfing massage to reduce workers compensation claims by more than 90%, but even though this is known there are no other companies following this innovative tactic).

[@dayanbasto2231]

Hola, desde Colombia me encanto el video, me parece muy interesante la propuesta, me apasiona la innovación en la educación, muchos docentes tenemos excelentes ideas pero los contextos son dificiles en especial en colegios latinos. Me llama la atención el k12 me gustaria saber más al respecto. Gracias

[@commandersprocket]

Innovation challenges: based on the roughly twice weekly innovations in photovoltaics we will need innovative ways to build/install/connect those solar cells. Biofuels are currently not cost effective, but they will be soon and they will need innovation to scale and distribute. Social change from accelerating technology needs innovation to avoid societal neo-ludditism (as personal robots come online in the next decade).

[@milesasolomon1]

'What type of innovation challenges do you think are worth working on in the world today?'
My top 3...
Finance will be radically disrupted by technology on an unprecedented level.
Peer to peer platforms are going to replace many big businesses. More so than they already have. I'm thinking: renting, selling, sharing, teaching/learning, hiring, etc. The internet will make many middle-man businesses obsolete.
How we travel will radically change. Not just the technology we use to get places (planes, trains, cars), but also everything from planning, booking, and exploring new places.
'What type of obstacles have you experienced when trying to innovate?'
Spreading myself too thin
Distracted by all the noise.
Depending on others too much/too early.
Not having the practical skills and knowledge to rapidly prototype.
Moving on when results don't = expectations, e.g. lack of patience
'What type of environment is most useful for innovating?'
It's not all collaborative thinking and shared spaces for me. Maybe I'm old school in this way or maybe I'm just antiquated, but I need a really good balance of alone and team time. Generally speaking though, I'm at my best when I'm not the smartest person in the room. I like to work with extremely intelligent, hardworking, and out of the box go-getters. I almost have to 'go off in the woods' to think and generate epiphanies. When I'm in this meditative mode I HATE to be interrupted by anything.

[@weewilly2007]

Wheels on the furniture raises some alarm bells of course, especially if outer perimeters are not fully secured, with such a large open layout. Cant possibly be expected to know everyone walking in and out of premises can u? what about those who find themselves permanently stationed in one spot? What about sense of ownership, responsibility or attachment to workstations? do living arrangements match the mindset called for here?

[@MyDavidsun]

very informative video

[@andreeaweed]

thanks for the video

[@grunder20]

great video!

[@TheSanovita]

great video

[@sushantap]

awesome!!

[@commandersprocket]

environment most conductive to innovation: the culture element is critically important. I've seen creative, technically outstanding individuals reduced to crank turining automatons in an unforgiving environment.

[@lyngehansen1]

Thank You! Lynge Hansen, Innovation Rebels - join us at Facebook.

[@ArunKumarshuhan]

design thinking is much required in educating a child

[@dcotai2902]

$$$$$…get MBA ..try a audit..

[@engeljakob]

yawn

[@82pixels]

you call this design teams... we learned more about design in our first 3 hours at the "mediengestalter-ausbildung" in germany not this kindergarten stuff like in this video xD