Idea watch: creative thinking in tough times

The seas are rough, to be sure.  However this is not a commentary on the fear and uncertainty that our world is experiencing, and it’s not an another advisory on how to navigate remote work.  This is a call out to the innovation that we are witnessing amidst volatility and adversity.  Let’s for a moment double click on the creative thinking that is shining bright, and helping us in society, at work and at home.  The new value-generating ideas that have emerged, and have quickly spread. What ideas are catching on? What movements are prevailing, and raising spirits?

Singing and signing from windows to keep community spirit alive

Being locked away in their apartments and homes is unheard of for the very social population of Italy. But being locked down did not stop them. From singing the national anthem, to banging pots and pans and posting signs of rainbows, the Italian community has come out in force to show human solidarity, to boost spirits.

Rainbow signs? Children across the globe are making rainbow art and placing it in their windows, to cheer others as they look across the road.  It’s not just for kids, adults are also getting in on the act. This idea has spread quickly thanks to social media. Hunting for, photographing and sharing rainbows has exploded with community based groups such as #frommywindow and #518RainbowHunt and #RainbowHunt . A Facebook group was established for people to upload their rainbow pictures, and has grown to more than 65,000 members in a week.

Diverting manufacturing to the new precious commodities

With shortages in masks, hand sanitizer and protective kits some big names as well as smaller brewing and manufacturing companies have adapted their production facilities to produce more of what is needed. For this to happen, authorities have had to shift their thinking quickly, with governments asking liquor companies to help out in some parts of the world. The latest company to announce that they are joining the hand sanitiser manufacturing movement is Estee Lauder.

Masks were one of the first consumables in short supply.  Whilst commercial production has increased, many communities have rallied in making masks. Initiatives like the 100 million mask challenge, from a hospital in Washington, USA, and Masks4Medicine are engaging people with the ability to sew to help make masks, including providing materials and instructions.

Using tech to help with contact tracing & PREVENTION

Singapore Government’s Ministry of Health and GovTech launched a new app, TraceTogether making it easier to trace points of contact.  Within 24 hours of the launch of the app, there had been 500,000 downloads. The number of participants continues to grow, with the benefits seeming to outway the concerns about privacy. Whilst not the only tech-based initiative developed for contact tracing, Singapore has quickly moved to make the solution open-sourced so that it may be used by developers worldwide as has Israel, with their application Hamagen (The Shield).

OPENSOURCING MEDICAL SOLUTIONS

While drug development and testing is at full flight, with pharma companies donating drugs and labs, ventilators are also proving to be critical. Efforts to create open-source alternatives are emerging, like the Open Source Ventilator (OSV) initiative in Ireland. OSV is working fast to develop a “simple, reliable, safe, and easy to use” device.  Started only a week ago, the project already has 600 members.  This is one of the many open source initiatives with developers rushing to provide 3D printer plans for medical institutions who are in desperate need.

The new language of staying safe

Social distancing, curfews, quarantine, and stay at home orders.  The new language of our everyday lives has quickly taken hold.  We’ve probably all seen novel ways of communicating and getting the message across to
follow the rules.  One idea though, has quickly taken off. As the burden on health care systems became apparent, healthcare workers simple message “I stay at work for you. You stay home for us” has echoed across the globe. Pictures of real healthcare workers displaying this message have cut through, a human to human connection triggering empathy and activating social norms.

Open IDEO has launched a challenge with the statement “How might we rapidly inform and empower communities around the world to stay safe and healthy during the COVID-19 outbreak?”  Already 680 contributions have been logged, with  people from across the globe sharing what is working in their local area and experience.  The first stage of the challenge wraps up on 31st March… log your thoughts here https://www.openideo.com/challenge-briefs/covid19-communication-challenge

RALLYING IN THE GIG ECONOMY

With unprecedented cancellation of conferences, expos, concerts and other live events across the board, and companies revisiting their budgets and workforce, GIG workers are being hit hard. Impacted by the cancellation of SWSX, a community in Austin Texas started to tally the losses #ilostmygig. The idea has caught on with other “I lost my gig” sites popping up, providing an avenue for freelancers to connect, and for new ideas to sprout on helping those whose income relies on gig, after gig. In Singapore ilostmygig.sg has a current tally of SGD$24 million in lost income, with close to 2000 people having registered.

CO-CREATION WITHOUT BORDERS

There are countless other examples of innovation happening right now, more than we can keep up with. If there is a common thread in these stories, it’s that people are teaming up in new ways to discover, to make meaning, to shift thinking and make progress for humanity. After all, we are all in this together.