Inside the Box: The creative method that works for everyone Main Edition

Current business wisdom holds that to forge a powerfully original solution to problems, we must think outside the box, ‘brainstorming’ random connections. But, as Jacob Goldenberg and Drew Boyd reveal, based on expertise and experience in both corporate and academic worlds, this is utterly wrong. It may seem counterintuitive – but faster, better and more original innovation and creativity comes from working inside your familiar world.

The newest and most inventive ideas are much closer than you think, and can be found by using five simple techniques – subtraction, unification, multiplication, division and dependency. This strategy helped Philips use subtraction to create the slim-line DVD players we use today, while dependency leads to iPhone apps such as FourSquare which provides services that change according to the user’s location.

This strategy can be useful to anyone, from CEOs of multinational companies to the Chilean miners’ rescue team, and even leading jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, who actually restricts the range of his instrument to induce increased creativity.