What Inspired the PRIZM method?

The Structure of Creative Minds

Traditionally innovation or creativity is thought to be innate, something you either have or don't have! The consequence of this belief (and it is only a belief) is that you could be failing to exploit the huge potential of untapped creativity in your organization.

Companies are reluctant to invest in creativity or innovation management because you can't manage what you don't have.

In 2005, PRIZM compared all the inventive processes and methods known in the English-speaking world. The research included psychological literature, well-accepted theories of process in engineering design, knitting fashion, sociological action research, organizational development, theories of colour and perspective in Renaissance art and architecture, the form of Baroque and early Classical music, the classic dramatic structures of literature and modern screenwriting, as well as the practise of Buddhist meditation.

The conclusion was that there appeared to be a fundamental or underlying structure to any creating mind. This structure identified certain steps for 'creating' - and even steps for 'thinking about creating', that are used intuitively by people everywhere - regardless of their age, race, religion, material product, skill, personal style or social culture. 'generic process of creating' - it is the same process immortalized in the PRIZM Innovation Map.

What's more, the processes of creation, innovation, problem-solving and solution-finding are not vague. In fact, they follow a very precise pattern in 2D. We describe the pattern this way:

When we make a map of our thoughts, looking at problem-solving as if it was a journey moving from A to B, we place the problem on the left and the solution on the right (just like reading western writing on a page). Then we imagine we have lots of ideas or discussion around the original problem, and these fill space. They are like butterflies, which emerge from a point of origin and move out to the light. The more thoughts we have the more space is filled - it seems to 'expand' from where we start thinking. Visually, this makes a triangle or cone moving out from our eyes.

At the other end of our map, when ideas are discarded or combined, they progressively take up less and less space. In other words, a map of this space seems to visually contract, like railway tracks at the horizon.

Together, the whole thing looks like a diamond.

Between the stage of expansion and contraction, we can show how 'inspiration' actually happens via pattern matching, whether people know it or not. In other words; if you know the pattern of your 'problem' situation completely, you don't even need to go looking for an answer - the solution which fits perfectly will come to meet you.

The word ‘PRIZM’ was chosen for the thinking tool, partly based on the structure of expanding and contracting thought. When we split problems apart and recombine them into solutions it's just like a crystal prism that splits and recombines white light.

"Made me think and re-evaluate my own "systems" or lack of them more likely, and gave me more perspective on what is necessary to do in order to achieve our goal, it gets the focus and sets the priorities!"
Specialist advertising agency

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