Creative thinking doesn’t have to be the sole domain of the so-called “creatives,” and professional designers. In fact, the design studio is often the last step in the creative process.
Creativity is helpful – even necessary – across the enterprise. Haven’t we learnt as much from Apple?
By enhancing your creative thinking you can benefit many different areas of your business and even your life. These range from marketing strategy to business development, improving your problem-solving skills and exploring new markets.
How do you run the creative process?
As a business owner, you need to claim ownership of this process and set the ball rolling. You could start with a briefing to examine the goals and options, and then provide some creative guidance and guidelines to your design team.
Here are a few steps that might work for most of you:
• Brainstorming. Try to get as many different ideas down on paper as you can in 15 minutes. Some of them may be crazy but they might just spark a brilliant idea, something you hadn’t previously considered.
• Think different. Being creative is all about breaking out of your habitual mindset. Try changing your routine. Do something you wouldn’t normally do. It might change your perspective in more ways than one.
• Research. Take a look at other material out there. Consider how some elements might appeal to you and why. Maybe you could combine the elements you like in a unique way.
Jo Macdermott is the chief marketing consultant from Next Marketing in Melbourne. Next Marketing is a full-service marketing agency working with small- and medium-sized businesses. Write to her here.
