Why Generic Ideation Tools Fall Short for Remote Creative Agencies

Many virtual brainstorming tools focus on one main function—creating a shared virtual space for ideas. Platforms like Miro and Google Docs provide simple online frameworks for brainstorming, offering a blank canvas or a shared document where teams can contribute ideas in realtime or over time. While effective for light collaboration, it doesn’t take long to realize these tools were not developed for the advertising business. Google Docs wasn’t even developed for idea generation. Here’s why that matters and what you can do about it.

CommentaryWill BurnsNovember 1, 2024remote work, advertising, brainstorm

Best Practices For Creative Teams Working Remotely 2024

Coming up with ideas remotely is unavoidable these days with hybrid work becoming more and more the norm. But that doesn’t mean the quality of your, and your partners’, ideas must suffer. 2024 can be the year to embrace remote idea generation. Here are three best practices (and worst) we’ve learned first-hand about participating in remote creative sessions that you can start using today.

Creativity, Tips & TricksWill BurnsJanuary 2, 2024remote work, creativity, 2024, virtual, ideas

Killer App: Ideas From Talent Who Are All Over The Place

I feel sorry for ad agencies these days. Fees aren’t increasing, staff is getting harder to find, and the staff they have is stretched. Worse, agencies are still battling with the inertia of remote work, leaving their talent all over the place. While we can’t solve all the problems agencies face today, we can help address the challenges of remote work when it comes to creative ideas.

Use CasesWill BurnsNovember 8, 2023remote work, ideas, creativity

3 Ways Virtual Idea Generation In Teams Of 4 Nourishes The Imagination

In today's interconnected world, virtual collaboration has become the norm for teams across diverse industries. While the benefits of virtual teamwork are widely acknowledged, one aspect that often goes unnoticed is the profound impact it has on nourishing a participant’s imagination. In this blog post, we explore three compelling ways in which virtual idea generation in teams nurtures the creative spirit, allowing ideas to flourish.

CreativityWill BurnsJuly 11, 2023creativity, virtual, remote work

A Technology Platform Whose Algorithm Is Human

We call ourselves a “SaaS,” or a software as a service, because it’s technically true. But what’s lost in that categorization is the role human beings play in our company’s purpose. It’s not an “idea machine,” which would suggest an artificial intelligence pumping out ideas. No, Ideasicle X is a machine whose purpose is to increase the odds of human intelligence happening. And that intelligence is anything but artificial. What follows are the ways our software platform is designed to be in continuous service to the real (and very human) heroes.

News & UpdatesWill BurnsFebruary 22, 2022technology, ceativity, ideas, advertising, freelance, remote work

3 Common Mistakes Agencies Make When Using Ideasicle X For Virtual Idea Generation

Ideasicle X is a new platform and, as such, is still open to interpretation. It’s exciting, really. We hope to see customers using it in ways we never expected. But also because it’s new, our agency customers are still getting used to the platform. And we see three common mistakes made that are easily avoided in order to maximize every idea-generating job.

Tips & TricksWill BurnsJanuary 31, 2022virtual, creativity, remote work

Watch Webinar on "Advertising, Creativity, and Ideas in a Remote-work World"

We hosted a live webinar in March that is timely for the advertising world still in the midst of this pandemic and remote working. How are agencies responding? How are in-house agencies responding? How are professional freelancers responding? We found out with our round table discussion with some advertising heavies:

TBWA/Chiat Day NY CEO, Rob Schwartz
Blackbaud’s (In-house) Agency 545 Director, Veronica Volborth
Ex-Wieden Freelance Creative Director, Monica Taylor

CreativityWill BurnsMarch 5, 2021creativity, ideas, advertising, remote work

Virtual Creativity Is Better Than In-Person. There, I Said It.

It’s funny. When I started the original Ideasicle in 2010 I figured if I could use technology to tap into world-class minds then the sacrifice of doing the idea generation online would surely be overwhelmed by the great minds. But what I quickly learned as we did more and more idea projects was that the virtual nature had virtues far beyond giving me unbridled access to great minds. Here’s what I learned.

CreativityWill BurnsFebruary 5, 2021creativity, ideas, advertising, remote work, home

Home Is Where The Art Is

I believe virtual idea-generation is better than in-person idea-generation. I admit it’s not an intuitive notion (and even debated a skeptical host Justin Brady on his podcast about it), but that’s exactly what I have experienced for the last ten years developing the Ideasicle X platform. Four freelancers working together vs two, each reduced to a typeface so no human bias can get in the way, allowing creativity to happen when it wants, etc. Well, here’s another one. Creativity increases when you are at home and freelancers tend to be, you guessed it, working from home.

CreativityWill BurnsFebruary 1, 2021creativity, ideas, advertising, remote work, home

Welcome to our virtual idea generation blog.

Ideasicle X, LLC