innovation + creativity

Weird Twist on Internet Dating

BY Tamara SchweitzerThu May 17, 2007 at 5:13 PM

What has happened to good old-fashioned Internet dating? As meeting significant others online has become more mainstream and accepted, I have noticed that the kind of dating websites out there are becoming more and more specialized. ...READ»

INNOVATION | 2 comments

Designed By You

Thu May 10, 2007 at 11:35 AM

A bottle opener might not seem like the world's greatest invention to anyone but thirsty frat boys, but could the one designed by Mophie--or, should I say, by its customers--be the start of a new trend in product invention? Back in ...READ»

INNOVATION | 7 comments

Innovation Should be Change for the Greater Good

BY Lynne d JohnsonFri May 4, 2007 at 7:43 PM

Christopher Hire, Innovator-In-Chief of 2thinknow, a global innovation agency, recently posted a blurb to Technorati's WTF urging creatives to define innovation, instead of leaving it up to technology companies and government ...READ»

INNOVATION | 2 comments

University Blogging

Tue Apr 24, 2007 at 6:21 PM

On April 16 the Boston Globe reported that college admissions offices have begun to use student-written blogs as a medium to entice potential applicants. These blogs are not what you might think. They do not necessarily come off ...READ»

INNOVATION | Comment

Garage Shop Innovation

BY Lynne d JohnsonWed Apr 18, 2007 at 8:17 PM

Too much experience, too much familiarity, or too much money can kill innovation fast, observes Richard Watson in his latest Innovation Resource Center Column. That's why game-changing ideas tend to come from a lone inventor or two ...READ»

INNOVATION | 9 comments

Not So Good With Names

Fri Feb 16, 2007 at 4:34 PM

Apple Inc, much like its Mac avatar in commercials, is the "hip, with-it" company of the tech world. This behemoth epitomizes innovation and style with CEO Steve Jobs reigning as the god of the must-have gadget universe. Yet, while ...READ»

INNOVATION | 11 comments

"Change or Die," the Book, and Resolutions

Tue Jan 2, 2007 at 9:07 AM

I'm excited to let you know that I've expanded my May 2005 Fast Company cover story into a full-length book, "Change or Die," which goes on sale today in U.S. bookstores. I'll be blogging about "Change or Die" throughout the week. ...READ»

INNOVATION | 10 comments

Double-Decker Airplane Takes Flight

Tue Dec 12, 2006 at 4:10 PM

After six years of development and two years of delays, debate and red tape, The Airbus A380 Superjumbo (A modern-day Spruce Goose) is ready to fly commercial. Yesterday's meeting of the European Aviation Safety Agency and the ...READ»

INNOVATION | 1 comment

The Future of Work

BY Lynne d JohnsonMon Dec 4, 2006 at 11:19 AM

The future of work could become child's play, says Innovation RC Columnist Richard Watson in his latest column, "The Future of Work." He continues: "People divide their lives into work and play. But a clever few realize that if you ...READ»

INNOVATION | 2 comments

Next Time, Skip the Valet

Fri Oct 20, 2006 at 2:33 PM

Early adopters and Knight-Rider fans rejoice. Lexus is releasing its 2007 line of luxury sedans this month, and you can get one that parks itself. Toyota's Lexus LS comes with an optional Advanced Parking Guidance System that is ...READ»

INNOVATION | 6 comments

Take The Maverick Challenge

Fri Oct 6, 2006 at 9:16 AM

It's been great fun to serve as a guest-blogger on the Fast Company Web site, and to have a "virtual soapbox" for the ideas in our new book, Mavericks at Work. In the book, and over the course of this week, I've made the case as ...READ»

INNOVATION | 6 comments

The Biggest Mind-Flip in Business Today

Thu Oct 5, 2006 at 1:00 PM

There is nothing more powerful in business than a truly original idea -- a distinctive point of view that redefines an industry, a breakthrough design that transforms a product category. In an era of hyper-competition and non-stop ...READ»

INNOVATION | 4 comments

The Toughest Question in Business*

Wed Oct 4, 2006 at 11:25 AM

*If You Answer Honestly Yesterday, I wrote about the power of originality in business -- and just how rare is it to discover companies, executives, and entrepreneurs with a truly distinctive take on their industry. Of course, few ...READ»

INNOVATION | 3 comments

Welcome to "Maverick Monday"

Mon Oct 2, 2006 at 12:15 PM

Dorothy was right: There really is no place like home. It feels great to kick off the release of our new book, Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win, with a week of guest-blogging on the Fast Company site. ...READ»

INNOVATION | 2 comments

Are Newspapers Becoming Ancient Relics?

BY Lynne d JohnsonTue Sep 19, 2006 at 8:27 PM

Fast Company Innovation Resource Columnist Richard Watson writes: "If newspapers were invented tomorrow they would be hailed as a miracle innovation. They are cheap, paper thin, easy to annotate and don't use batteries. You can read ...READ»

INNOVATION | 11 comments

Excuse Me, But I Think Your Jacket Is On Fire

Tue Sep 12, 2006 at 8:22 PM

Philips Research wowed audiences in Berlin at last week's IFA with a new line of promotional clothing and furniture. Visitors to the worldwide technology tradeshow saw Philips' Lumalive photonic textiles -- jackets, shirts, even ...READ»

INNOVATION | Comment

An Amusement Park... for the Mind?

BY Heath RowFri Aug 18, 2006 at 12:00 PM

While I haven't been to either of the two WonderWorks, particularly the one recently opened in Pigeon Forge, I'm intrigued by the attraction's combination of theme park-like entertainment and science and technology ...READ»

INNOVATION | Comment

Hanging Around the Fringe

BY Jeffrey CufaudeMon Aug 14, 2006 at 2:31 PM

In many cities across the United States, August and September brings life into darkened theatres before their main fall season begins as they play host to Fringe Festivals. New York’s is already underway and here in Indianapolis, ...READ»

INNOVATION | Comment

Leapfrogging

Mon Aug 14, 2006 at 1:10 AM

Once in while I hear someone talk about innovation as leapfrogging the competition. I love this phrase because it's so bold. It not only says we are going to innovate on the level of products or processes or management, but also ...READ»

INNOVATION | Comment

The Heady Aroma of Coffee

BY Heath RowThu Jun 22, 2006 at 3:49 PM

Today's New York Times has an excellent article about Chicago-based Intelligentsia Coffee, a high-end coffee roaster with a new approach to bean counting. Not only does Intelligentsia's buyers seek out the best coffee beans from ...READ»

INNOVATION | Comment

Tool and Die, Live or Die

BY Heath RowWed Jun 7, 2006 at 2:47 PM

While in Chicago over the weekend, I picked a copy of the Chicago Tribune, one of the better daily newspapers in the country. The Sunday business section featured an interesting article about 17 tool-and-die makers in Michigan who've ...READ»

INNOVATION | 2 comments

The (Ice) Cream Rises...

BY Heath RowWed May 31, 2006 at 10:35 AM

It's summer time, and the living is easy. So our minds turn to all things summer: kite flying, picnics in the park, baseball, and ice cream. Today's New York Times offers two glimpses behind the business of ice cream -- which make ...READ»

INNOVATION | 6 comments

10 Ways to Rethink Your Work

BY Heath RowFri May 19, 2006 at 12:22 PM

Getty Images has an interesting project in which they worked with five collaborators to consider 10 Ways -- how 10 different approaches to photography can change how you look at images. As I explored the different elements, which ...READ»

INNOVATION | 1 comment

Thought for Food

BY Heath RowMon Apr 24, 2006 at 9:53 PM

I received my May issue of the magazine in the mail today -- yes, I subscribe -- and I was struck by the thought that this very well could be Fast Company's first food issue. I was also struck, while reading a report from the ...READ»

INNOVATION | 3 comments

Questions, Questions

BY Heath RowTue Apr 4, 2006 at 11:07 PM

Kevin Donlin's article on the questions you should ask about a job search has wider application, I think. Where you work, what's working? What isn't working? How might you improve both? The work of David Cooperrider has helped ...READ»