creativity and innovation

Don't turn Lego sets into model-airplane equivalents, urges one mom. The product's gift was its ability to engage a child's imagination, not his direction-following skills.READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | Comment

When Bad Things Happen to Good Bricks

BY Allan BedfordWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:40 AM

Lego's catalog is a veritable textbook of its problems, says one fan. It features endless brand extensions but no coherent direction.READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | Comment

Sharper Image

BY Linda TischlerWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:40 AM

The FBI is turning to a small Boston software firm for help in transforming surveillance video into high-resolution images -- and then using the pictures to help track terrorists. Call it the ultimate killer app.READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | Comment

Battle Over Blocks

BY Fast CompanyWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:40 AM

Who would have guessed that the most buzz-generating story of our September issue would be about Lego? We pause from our reflections on September 11 to listen to what some die-hard Lego fans had to say about the company's recent products ... and problems.READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | Comment

P<amp></amp>G Has Something to Smile About

BY Ron LieberWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:40 AM

Paul Sagel and Bob Dirksing are two of the leaders behind an important new product for Procter Gamble -- one that has its customers, as well as its executives, smiling about the company's approach to innovation.READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | Comment

The Age of Disruption

BY Alan M. WebberWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:39 AM

Still not convinced that there's much "new" about the new economy? Then spend some time with Harvard's Juan Enriquez. In his new book, and in an interview, he explains how business and economics are changing -- and what it means for you.READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | 2 comments

Home, Small Home

BY Ron LieberWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:39 AM

Sarah Susanka is the champion of a big idea -- the proposition that Americans should embrace "Not So Big" houses that satisfy their real needs, rather than build starter castles designed to make a statement.READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | Comment

P<amp></amp>G's Not-So-Secret Agent

BY Ron LieberWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:39 AM

Jeff Weedman is a man with an innovative mission -- to open up Procter Gamble's treasure trove of patents (some 27,000 at last count) to the outside world. Why? Because selling off old ideas forces everyone to come up with new ideas faster.READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | Comment

Remember, It's Only a Movie ...

BY Anni LayneWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:39 AM

Will scientists and engineers produce artificially intelligent humanoids like Spielberg's David within the next 100 years? Will robots learn to accept and return human love? How far away is the future? Even the gurus disagree.READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | Comment

(No) Fear of Flying

BY Ron LieberWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:38 AM

At some point, a problem gets so big that it represents an entrepreneurial opportunity. So it is with the headache-filled world of air travel. In a new book, James Fallows chronicles two exciting -- and long-shot -- efforts to build small planes that would challenge the air-traffic status quo. Is Boeing about to meet the iMac of flight?READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | 1 comment

Six Surefire Ways to Kill a Brainstorm

BY Linda TischlerWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:36 AM

Coming up with good ideas -- even in an ideal environment -- is hard work. But these tactics will guarantee failure.READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | Comment

Boeing's Rules Take Flight

BY Regina Fazio MarucaWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:34 AM

Boeing operates in a specialized industry, but the rules that make its business fly apply to every company under the sun. Incorporate these nine guidelines from one of the airplane giant's top managers, and watch your business take off.READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | 2 comments

Robert Stephens

BY Anni LayneWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:28 AM

Geek Squad founder and chief inspectorREAD»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | Comment

The Power of Shape Shifters

BY Tim McKeoughWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:26 AM

Three companies reinvent the paraphernalia of everyday life with an eye on aesthetics, utility--and profits.READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | Comment

When There’s a Clear Target, the Right Details are Easier to Find

Wed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:26 AM

A Hotel for Japan-Loving Hipsters What if you had to create a Japanese cultural experience in a Western hotel? That box led to Chip Conley's Hotel Tomo in San Francisco, with anime art covering the walls, beanbag chairs, and gaming ...READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | 9 comments

To The Moon! (In a Minivan)

BY Charles FishmanWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:25 AM

How NASA and Lockheed Martin are building a successor to the Space Shuttle--using off-the-shelf technology and plain old pragmatism.READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | 10 comments

All Eyes On Apple

BY Adam PenenbergWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:25 AM

Will the gray light of January cool the world's hottest company?READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | 6 comments

The Evolution of Diesel

BY Fast Company StaffWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:25 AM

The Past In response to the 1970s OPEC crisis, GM hastily rolls out diesel engines. Badly engineered diesel technology produces a horrid stench and a lot of noise. Nitrogen-oxide (NOx) emissions cause dense smog in ...READ»

CHANGE AGENTS | 74 comments

Motorhead Messiah

BY Clive ThompsonWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:24 AM

Johnathan Goodwin can get 100 mpg out of a Lincoln Continental, cut emissions by 80%, and double the horsepower. Does the car business have the guts to follow him?READ»

CHANGE AGENTS | 6 comments

At Frog, Being Green Isn’t Easy; It’s Essential

BY Linda TischlerWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:24 AM

Committing to clean design.READ»

BUSINESS TRAVEL | 3 comments

Conferences

BY Alec AppelbaumWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:24 AM

Third Aircraft Interior Innovations 2007 November 6-8 Hamburg, Germany At the Aircraft Interiors gathering, eggheads who know ergonomics and marketers who know mood lighting share prescriptions for making air ...READ»

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION | 7 comments

Spicing Up the Gum Trade

BY Evan WestWed Dec 19, 2007 at 8:24 AM

The Wrigley Global Innovation Center is changing the way the venerable candy maker creates products. How a sleek new chew came to be.READ»

creativity and innovation

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