4. THE THIRD PLACE TRIANGLE

* Location and environment are crucial if you want to generate a decent idea. Being relaxed, sometimes even distracted, helps. The harder you force yourself to ‘have an idea’, the harder it can get.

* Barely anybody has generated a decent idea at work. And if they do at home it may mean they are working too hard.

* Analysis of great innovations shows that most were dreamt up in a ‘third place’, usually away from familiar surroundings. According to sociologist Ray Oldenburg, these are interactive environments where diverse talents gather, such as bars and coffee shops.

* So displacement from your normal environment is best when trying to come up with fresh ideas. Try to create these conditions.

* People think more freely in blue rooms, because it reminds them of unfettered landscape such as sky and sea. The higher the ceiling, the bigger the ideas.

* Natural light and fresh air are crucial – avoid dingy basements and sterile air-conditioned rooms at all costs.

* Or try wandering around outside – people think better when they are on the move (see 24. Four Corner Walkabout).

* If the subject demands it, make sure the right props relevant to the subject are available for use as stimulus (see 8. The Right Stimulus).