Cross-Pollinating: Increasing Innovation by Blending Arts and Sciences Disciplines with Engineering and Entrepreneurship

Charlie Wood, University of Tulsa

Goal #1

Every student an innovator

Goal #2

Develop innovation

in, across, and between

all fields of study

Contributors to Innovation

Engineering STEMEntrepr Entrepr

Innovations

Arts & Sciences

Arts & Sciences

Consumer products

Design is an important element to commercial successTextiles: Fashion

Computers, MP3s: iPad, iPod

Cars, Airplanes

Shoes, Eyeglasses

etc

NCIIA projects too

Arts & Sciences

Social sciencesAnthropology, Psychology, Sociology, Economics, …

Humanities and the artsEnglish, History, Design, Performing arts, …

Natural sciences Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Genetics, …

Combining fields can improve the innovation processVacuum cleaners, Bug spray, 3M, IDEO, …

Innovation as Combination

Combining ideas is a key source for innovationNetflix = Book of the month club + DVD rentalsKiva.org = Venture Capital + 3rd World ReliefGoogle AdWords = Ad placement + AuctionsHunger Games = Reality show + Iraq warBiomimicry = Nature + Technology

Consider…

Sociology + Finance

Geology + Art

Engineering + Music

Chemistry + Museum science

Genetics + MIS

Others?

Innovations include services and processes as well

HAPIforkhttp://www.tuaw.com/2013/01/07/ces-unveiled-the-hapifork-aims-to-help-you-track-your-eating-ha/

Water wheel

(20 gallons)

Exercises

“Not Bad!”

Two Buckets

iWish

R&D

Innovation Challenges

Empathy

Two Buckets

Each team: randomly choose a card from each of 2 buckets

One has major brand names. One has product categories.

Combine them to make a new product.

Task:Describe your new product’s features and benefits

Who would buy it?

Can you name your new product?

Any ad ideas?

(also, pick 2 numbers)

1. NIKE

2. LEGO

3. HARLEY DAVIDSON

4. COVER GIRL

5. PORSCHE

6. COLGATE

7. APPLE

8. CENTURY 21

9. BUDWEISER

10.COCA-COLA

11.CATERPILLAR

12.U.S. GOVERNMENT

1. CRAYONS

2. CAR SEATS

3. CONCRETE

4. PHONES

5. FURNITURE

6. JEWELRY

7. BICYCLES

8. TOOTHBRUSHES

9. BACKPASKS

10.FAST FOOD

11.TOYS

12.THEME PARK

iWish

First, think of a problem or hassle people face oftenAwkward social situations, parking tickets, bad breath, late,…

Can direct – e.g., visually impaired

Form teams, share ideas, and choose a problem that can be addressed by a new app.

“I wish a cell phone could _______.”

Grab an Expo marker, draw its screen on the iPhone whiteboard, and be ready to present

Generativity Theory

“Multiple, competing repertoires are the seeds of new ideas.”

from Epstein’s book: Creativity Games for Trainers

“Combinatory play” – Einstein

“Forced association”

R&D / Prototyping

Try working the standard innovation process backwards:

Instead of starting with problems and developing many possible innovations, start with innovations and consider their application to many problems

R&Dmag.com: Spider silk, …

Inventables.com: Rapid prototyping, MakerBots

www.rdmag.com

Spider silk: 5x stronger than steel

Ask: “What could we do with this?”

Antenna Clothing

Researchers are incorporating radio antennas directly into clothing, using metallic thread.

Ask: “What could we do with this?”

Potential for soldiers, police officers, fire fighters, astronauts—anybody who needs to keep their hands free for important work.

Also, elderly or disabled could wear clothing that would let them communicate in case of emergency,…

Chemical NanobatteriesWhat could we do with invisible, mobile power sources?

Permanently germ-free textilesWhat could we do with this?

Consider hospital lab coats, scrub suits, gloves, and linens. Also,food packaging, toys, medical and dental instruments, bandages,…

Wearable electronic devicesTransistors made from natural cotton fiberscan sense body temperature, automatically heat up or cool down, track heart rate /blood pressure. Uses?

Self-cleaning glass

Smelly socksTraps scented with the odor of human feet attracted four times as many mosquitoes as a human volunteer

Get your hands on prototyping

FabLabs in major cities

Materials at (e.g.) Inventables.com

3D Printing

Innovation Challenges [project]

A simple challenge: “ADD VALUE”Create something new and useful – art, new product, … using:

Post-its (Stanford’s ImagineIt! program)Pizza boxesOld computer diskettes, CDs, parts

Social innovation challenges too

Reach outInvite the campus, other schools, get community judges

Teenage Scientists Working on Turning Mosquitos Into 'Flying Syringes' to Deliver Vaccines

Empathy

Empathize first

Then discuss solutions to this group’s problems

The “Very Senior Games”

Empathy for elderly

Client Projects [advanced]

Find worthy causes in your communityThey all need help!

Another way to develop empathy in students

Try the “Human-Centered Design” process used by IDEO:Hear

Go into the environment, observe, interview => Inspiration

CreateProcess the data, brainstorm solutions => Ideation

DevelopSelect, prototype, rinse and repeat => Implementation

Students visited a local prison and produced TV PSAs calling for action on the issue of Oklahoma’s high rate of female incarceration

Girl Scout meeting with inmates / daughters at Eddie Warrior Correctional Facility

Bergan pet products

Student project

Student Ideas

Places and programs

Another shout out to administrators!

A “place”Considered IDEO, Google, … => We proposed “Studio Blue”

A programNova Fellowship

Students from all majors collaborating to innovate and implement for their favorite community causes

"Most of the really great breakthroughs in science are unifications.”

- Owen J. Gingerich, science historian at Harvard

http://www.novafellowship.org/ (1-minute video)

Launched Fall 2012

The Nova Fellowship

Geology + Business

Q&A

Questions?

Handout of resources and credits is available

Contact info: charles-wood@utulsa.edu