Here you’ll find relevant use cases for Ideasicle X. Articles on the art of generating ideas while working remotely. Insights and studies into creativity itself. All from the desk of our founder and CEO, Will Burns.
A new study suggests that, counter to conventional wisdom, the best ideas in a brainstorm are not the first ones that come easily, but are the ones that take a little time. Add to that the reality that creativity has a mind of its own and can’t be forced into a particular time frame. What we’re left with is the realization that time matters and we have to be careful with it when it comes to ideas.
Read MoreThis morning I was listening to Ben Folds’ podcast “Lightning Bugs” and he was interviewing a poet, Alice Major. She used the word “resonate” in a very interesting way that got me thinking. She was speaking about the role of poetry in our everyday lives and she said, “That resonated me.” I’d never heard the word used as a verb in that way. And off my mind went with just how fantastic a description it was for the power of ideas.
Read MoreA wise man once told me, “Half of marketing is knowing when to say no.” Without a confident ability to say no, a marketer is left with random acts of marketing. A promotional idea over here that has zero connection to a social media idea over there. A TV spot that doesn’t continue the conversation on the website. An “About” page on the website that says stuff, but really says nothing. But the question is, how does a modern marketer know when to say no and when to say yes? When you have a clear, powerful, well articulated brand idea, that’s how.
Read MoreThat’s what one of our Ideasicle X freelancers once said she appreciated about the virtual platform. Her ideas where happening while she was busy with other things. And it’s an incredibly important point about the virtual creative work we do, but also about any creative work anyone does for anything. Let me explain.
Read MoreI was listening to Mitch Joel’s podcast, “Six Pixels Of Separation,” this morning (it’s great, check it out). He was interviewing George Dyson, the writer of the book Analogia – The Entangled Destinies of Nature, Human Beings and Machines. During the interview Dyson and Joel talk about the differences between “digital” and “analog” and somewhere in the middle of that it hit me. Ideasicle X is a digital platform, no doubt about that. But the value in it comes from purely analog processes. Let me explain.
Read MoreWe 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
Live panel discussion hosted by Ideasicle X CEO, Will Burns, to discuss how advertising agencies, in-house agencies, and freelancers had to pivot with their creative methods in response to the Covid pandemic. March 5, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. EST. Panelists include: TBWA/Chiat Day NY CEO, Rob Schwartz, Blackbaud’s (In-house) Agency 545 Director, Veronica Volborth, & Ex-Wieden Freelance Creative Director, Monica Taylor
Read MoreEveryone in advertising knows that the creative brief must be inspiring. It’s understood. But it occurred to me recently that no one talks about why inspiration is necessary. Ironically inspired, I wrote this piece as my answer. Inspiration is the invisible bridge to new ideas.
Read MoreIt’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.
Read MoreI 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.
Read MoreWhile services like Zoom and Teams have saved much of the business world during the pandemic, providing a virtual way for people to continue to engage and remain productive, a major complaint from remote workers these days is Zoom-fatigue. I get it, and have experienced it. Too many Zoom meetings can be soul sucking and difficult to maintain on any given Tuesday. While Ideasicleˣ is a technology platform most of the ideas happen offline. Let me explain.
Read MoreA coincidence is when two seemingly unrelated events happen at the same time providing the observer with a larger, more meaningful interpretation of those two events. Ideas are the result of two seemingly unrelated thoughts that happen at the same time providing the observer with a larger, more meaningful interpretation of both. Or, in short, a new idea. The Ideasicleˣ platform forces “idea coincidences” like these to happen in three important ways.
Read MoreFor decades I’ve been studying creativity. I find it fascinating and important work. Because what is human progress if not the cumulative creative acts across all humanity at any given moment? As such I am always looking for new research into the human mind and into creativity itself with the goal of improving our ideas and accelerating progress. Below are my favorite 12 studies so far. Click the “Source” button within each section to read more about that study.
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