CHAPTER 1

THE NEW ART OF IDEAS

Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.

ALBERT SZENT-GYÖRGYI

One semester, I had a student who was academically underprepared and required so much attention that his needs were hampering my ability to teach the other students in the class. To support this student and allow myself the class time to work with everyone equally, I thought: How can I make him more independent during class time? I remembered Dale, my former dance instructor, who had told me he used a checklist before every performance. “Pilots use checklists with step-by-step checks for takeoff, flight, landing, and taxiing,” he said, “so why not dancers?”

What if I devised a design checklist for this student, similar to a pilot’s checklist?

My goal was to help this student be more independent and prepared. This design checklist filled a gap in my instructional methods. The checklist covered all of the major design principles—balance, flow, unity, visual hierarchy, emphasis, rhythm, and so on—along with their definitions. The student could use the checklist to critique his own work, ticking off each box—each principle—to ensure that his composition worked to communicate his idea.

In fact, all of the students—the high achievers, this underprepared fellow, and everyone in between—would gain from using a checklist to critique their own thinking and design solutions. Since then, I have devised and published several checklists for different aspects of design and advertising, and they are used by instructors, professionals, and students worldwide. Not a big idea per se, but one that has served its purpose a thousand-fold.

To get to a worthwhile idea—big or small—use The New Art of Ideas framework’s Three Gs: goal, gap, and gain. Here’s how it works.

A goal is your aim, what you want to achieve. Let’s say your goal is to design a shape-shifting concept car. Direct your efforts at researching and developing that car concept. Your goal compels you to focus your thinking, energy, and resources.

Determine if the goal will fill a gap. Is there a missing piece in research, the arts, business, or product development? Is there an area that has been underexplored or not explored at all? The gap could be any number of things: a type, a size, a location, an analysis, a system, a product, choreography, music, art, arts fusion, marketing, design, song cycle genres, and more.

Finally, is there a benefit in there for someone, for society, or for our planet? What do they gain from your goal and from filling this gap? This gain can apply to a community, a company, an entire industry, and so on. If there’s no benefit, there’s no point in filling a gap—or perhaps there was no gap to begin with.

The gap and the gain aren’t as direct or clearly defined in innovations or creations in the arts as they are when someone invents a medical device or a sustainable farming system. Nonetheless, the arts are critical to people’s well-being and inspire thinking and creativity. All great art is transformative because it allows us to understand ourselves more deeply, as a part of the greater world. All one needs to do is think of an installation by Yayoi Kusama, choreography by Luis Salgado, a poem by Amanda Gorman, songs by Fiona Apple, or a film by Lulu Wang to realize how the arts nourish us, inspire us, transport us, and connect us to each other, to creatures, and to our planet.

During the late summer of 2007, Lin-Manuel Miranda, an award-winning composer, lyricist, and actor, wanted something to read while vacationing in Mexico. He picked up Ron Chernow’s biography Alexander Hamilton, which was a best seller and had been named a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Most people wouldn’t think of a historical biography as a beach read, but Miranda credits his father, political advisor Luis A. Miranda, for his interest in history and politics.

Immediately attracted to the Hamilton biography, Miranda selected the book thinking the story of the Hamilton/Burr duel would inspire a “jokey-rap thing.” As Miranda was reading the biography, he realized, “Hamilton’s whole life was about the power of words and wouldn’t it be great to hear a hip-hop album about how we created this country?” he told Robert Viagas of Playbill.¹

What Miranda’s choice reveals is his wide-ranging intellectual curiosity, his desire to feed his thinking even while on vacation, and his understanding of environmental context—that the factor of rest, which typically comes with a vacation, allows one’s thoughts to percolate.

“It’s no accident that the best idea I’ve ever had in my life—perhaps maybe the best one I’ll ever have in my life—came to me on vacation,” Miranda told Huffington Post editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington in a livestream interview. “When I picked up Ron Chernow’s biography [of Hamilton], I was at a resort in Mexico on my first vacation from In the Heights, which I had been working seven years to bring to Broadway,” he continued. “The moment my brain got a moment’s rest, Hamilton walked into it.”²

Before Chernow’s Hamilton biography and Miranda’s hit musical, many people thought of Hamilton (1755–1804)—George Washington’s aide-de-camp in the Continental Army, coauthor of the Federalist Papers, founder of the Bank of New York, and the first treasury secretary of the United States—as the fellow who died in a legendary duel with Aaron Burr in July 1804. Hamilton, a largely self-taught orphan from the Caribbean, appeared on the American political scene seemingly out of nowhere. He greatly influenced George Washington and profoundly helped shape the young nation. Most people, however, misunderstood Hamilton’s critical role in building the foundations of the United States. In Alexander Hamilton, Chernow writes, “Today, we are indisputably the heirs to Hamilton’s America, and to repudiate his legacy is, in many ways, to repudiate the modern world.”³

You could say the path to Miranda’s megahit starts with the fascinating life of the first treasury secretary of the United States, or at least with Chernow, who set out to give Hamilton, a relentless champion of ideas, his due.

Miranda’s first musical, In the Heights, opened on Broadway and went on to win the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical. During its theatrical Broadway run, Miranda conceived his Hamilton project as a hip-hop concept mixtape. In an interview with Playbill, Miranda said he viewed Hamilton as brilliant yet self-destructive for getting into fights with Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Aaron Burr, the last one resulting in his death. Miranda said, while reading the biography,

I’m thinking “This is Biggie, this is Tupac . . . this is hip-hop!” As I’m writing, I’m imagining these dream rappers playing specific roles. There’s a point in one song where I’m just doing a bad Busta Rhymes impression on the demo because I just can’t picture anyone but Busta Rhymes doing it. In my ideal vision for this project, we get really amazing rappers to play these different parts.⁴

Miranda was already conceiving the Founding Fathers as hip-hop artists!

As part of the 2009 White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word, President Barack Obama invited Miranda to perform. The Obamas and the other fortunate members of the White House audience heard the public debut of the opening song from Miranda’s project, then titled “The Hamilton Mixtape.” Heartened by the White House audience’s enthusiastic reaction to his work, Miranda went on to write another song for “The Hamilton Mixtape,” “My Shot.” A year later, Miranda called his project a “hip-hop song cycle.” In 2012, on what would have been Hamilton’s 255th birthday, he presented it as part of the 14th season of Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series. By the summer of 2013, Miranda’s hip-hop song cycle, “The Hamilton Mixtape,” was taking shape as a stage musical.

Miranda changed the language of Broadway musicals. He is a MacArthur Fellow, and his greatest work to date, Hamilton, won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for drama.

Let’s look at Miranda’s thinking through the lens of the Three Gs. Miranda set a goal—to write a hip-hop song cycle, “The Hamilton Mixtape,” about Alexander Hamilton and then expanded his goal. He recognized the creative potential of his idea. The gap in musical theater? No other musical had ever employed hip-hop as the dominant musical genre (the music of Miranda’s In the Heights embraces several musical genres, including hip-hop) and cross-casting to tell the story of America’s Founding Fathers. The gain? Miranda expanded the musical theater genre and informed, inspired, and entertained millions.

By anyone’s standards, Miranda is creative. I know what you’re thinking: he won a MacArthur genius grant; he’s in an elite category of thinkers. You’re correct. However, by analyzing his work through the Three Gs, you and I can start to see how he might have formed his idea. Analyzing the works of others provides insights that will help you unlock your own creative potential.

If you’ve ever cleaned out your closet only to load up a huge bag or two of clothing to throw out or donate, imagine all the fast fashion that ends up that way. Did you know that 85% of clothing ends up in a landfill or incinerator?⁵ Even much donated clothing is dumped. This unwanted fashion often ends its journey by causing an environmental catastrophe: it might take hundreds or thousands of years for all that trashed clothing to biodegrade. According to the New York Times, “More than 60 percent of fabric fibers are now synthetics, derived from fossil fuels, so if and when our clothing ends up in a landfill . . . it will not decay. . . . Nor will the synthetic microfibers that end up in the sea, freshwater and elsewhere, including the deepest parts of the oceans and the highest glacier peaks.”⁶

Retailer H&M and ad agency AKQA had a mutual goal: to change the way we see our old or unwanted clothing—not as waste, but as a resource. They recognized a gap in the fashion industry. What if they could recycle people’s garments to reduce the burden on landfills? The gain: offer H&M customers the opportunity to turn their worn-out clothing into new garments.

Their worthwhile idea is Looop, H&M’s garment-to-garment recycling system. At the Looop machine, now housed in a glass box designed by Universal, at H&M in central Stockholm, you can select one of eight new, ready-to-wear designs, configured through an app, then watch Looop recycle your old garment into a new one.

“We are constantly exploring new technology and innovations to help transform the fashion industry. . . . Getting customers on board is key to achieve real change, and we are so excited to see what Looop will inspire,” said Pascal Brun, head of sustainability at H&M.⁷

Looop was created by the nonprofit H&M Foundation, together with the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) and the Hong Kong–based yarn spinner Novetex Textiles. To remake old garments, Looop shreds fabric back into fibers, spins it into yarn, and then knits it into something new, without water or chemicals. “From shirts to skirts and odd socks, old was remade into new, to start a revolution and to help change the way we see fashion, for the better,” explains agency AKQA.⁸

The launch of Looop was a huge success. Fast Company reported, “H&M will turn your ratty old T-shirt into a brand new sweater.”⁹ H&M plans to offer Looop at its other stores, and HKRITA, the institute behind the Looop technology, has made the technology available for license to encourage other companies to join the recycling effort.

H&M and AKQA had a goal in mind. There was a gap in the fashion and recycling industries. The gain? Their worthwhile idea is environmentally sustainable.

Why the Three Gs?

So what do Miranda, H&M, and AKQA’s idea generation processes have in common? They all can answer probing questions such as, What’s my goal? Would the outcome of this goal fill a gap? Who will gain from the outcome?

The Three Gs help you generate, crystallize, or unlock ideas that are worthwhile. Societal value takes many forms. By “worthwhile,” I mean ideas of value that make us think critically and creatively, inspire us, or move us the way the arts do; make our lives better; are for the betterment of the world; and consider the triple bottom line—people, the planet, and profit—rather than simply profit or novelty.

Often people convince themselves that good or great ideas require a golden nugget of brilliance (or even genius) possessed by only a fortunate few. Certainly, intelligence refined by education is a key factor. Whether it is to generate a system (think the World Wide Web), invent a product (think Apple iPhone), extend a brand (think Diet Coke), or create a new digital platform (think TikTok), we tend to think an idea must leap fully formed from our heads like Athena did from Zeus. But a golden nugget of genius is not required.

Just about anyone can generate an idea—a hare-brained idea, a poor idea, a meh idea, or a dangerous idea. Many people generate ideas that are corollaries of old ideas. That’s not to say that brilliant people don’t generate poor ideas; however, they generate many ideas—some that prove worthy of pursuing.

The Three Gs remind us that there is more than one way to generate an idea and direct our energy along the way. Some people start with a goal that helps generate ideas. People come to their goals in a variety of ways—because they have a long-standing passion, because their job requires them to respond to a goal, or because they’ve asked probing questions.

Others might notice a gap—a need; a void in a sector, discipline, or subject; an audience who has been underserved or not served at all. When you research a particular field or discipline, you might notice that some areas have not been tapped or have been little explored. It’s best to invest your time and resources in an idea that fills a void and moves research or your discipline forward. There’s no point in repeating what others have done, unless your only incentive is profit—and even then, imitation can be risky.

Starting on the Path to Worthwhile Ideas

Certain words or phrases can help shed light on pinpointing a gap: “the central question remains”; “this has not been brought to light”; “this has not been clarified”; and “it’s important to address this lack of knowledge.” Ask:

•What issues have people not yet addressed in this field?

•Would I be able to offer a different perspective, one that provides insight?

•Are the methods or procedures in use outdated or no longer considered valid? Is there an alternative method people are reluctant to explore or haven’t explored? Is there a way to fill the gap using a cutting-edge approach?

•Is there a zeitgeist to which no one is responding?

•Would collaborating with a person or people from a different discipline, industry, organization, or country offer a fresh perspective and fill a void?

•Would collaborating with a diverse group of people, an inclusive group, offer greater possibilities? Open up the conversation?

•Is there an enduring question that intrigues you? For example, What is good government? What is friendship?

In medical technology, for example, there might be a gap in how insulin is administered or in remotely monitoring a pacemaker device. When researcher Sumita Mitra noticed a gap in the materials used in restorative dentistry, she found that nanomaterials could be used to achieve dental restorations that are durable and aesthetically pleasing, overcoming the limitations of previous dental composites.

In fashion design, there was until recently a gap in gender-inclusive apparel for all bodies. Rob Smith founded the Phluid Project in New York City and online. Smith’s goal was to make gender-free apparel and accessories available worldwide. One objective of the Phluid Project is to challenge the “ethos of dated traditions that inhibit freedom and self-expression, embarking on a mission to improve humanity through not only fashion, but also community outreach, activism, and education.”¹⁰ Through his fashion business, Smith has created a more inclusive model, rejecting binary gender norms and allowing people to truly express themselves through fashion, which is a gain.

A goal and a gap that lead to an idea worth pursuing offer a gain. Those kinds of ideas are worthwhile, useful, or meaningful for individuals, communities, society, business, creatures big or small, or the planet. They inform, educate, support, empower, elevate, inspire, enrich our creative thinking, move the needle, entertain, advance, provide a utility, or do something for the greater good.

Why can’t most people generate worthwhile ideas, even when research and facts are available to them? Generating good new ideas often requires the Three Gs. People generate good ideas when they realize a worthwhile goal, notice the possibilities in a gap or a gain, and ensure all three are working together.

It doesn’t matter how creative or daring you are right now. What matters is whether you’re open to revising your thinking to seek goals, gaps, and gains to generate great ideas. If you pursue the Three Gs—this system will accelerate your thinking—you will be on the path to truly worthwhile ideas.

This is the framework behind the New Art of Ideas:

Goal + Gap + Gain → Worthwhile Idea

•What’s your goal?

•Does your goal fill a gap?

•Who will gain?

Some people might say your goal is your idea. In fact, it’s just the start. Here’s why. Without knowing whether your goal fills a gap and produces an actual gain for individuals, society, or our planet, there’s no point in pursuing it. That’s why you need the Three Gs.

And here’s the true beauty of the Three Gs: you can use this framework in any order. A goal isn’t always the only entry point for an idea. A gap might be staring you in the face, and you move forward from there. Or you can’t help but notice how something is benefiting people—a gain that’s so apparent you move ahead from that point. This process is nonlinear. The goal, gap, and gain influence each other—they are synergistic and are not or should not be siloed. The Three Gs also allow you to backtrack and reassess. The Three Gs are fluid.

In the following chapters, I will discuss more about how the Three Gs can play out. But here’s an example of a mom who clearly identified a gap and moved forward from there.

During the 1950s, plastics seemed like the future (as noted in a classic reference in the film The Graduate, directed by Mike Nichols). Now, however, objects such as plastic shopping bags, which are banned in many places, and single-use plastic sandwich bags contribute to detrimental landfill. While packing lunches for her three children, Kat Nouri noticed this waste.

Nouri wondered, Why not make a more durable food storage bag that could be used thousands of times instead of just once? She started not by setting a goal, but by noticing a gap in the food storage industry. Nouri then set her goal and successfully launched Stasher, a reusable food storage bag, and later sold Stasher to S. C. Johnson.¹¹ The gain is less landfill.

You may spot a gap and a gain simultaneously. Most North American Thanksgiving dinners don’t include a main course suitable for vegetarians. Seth Tibbot spent years trying to fill that gap in Thanksgiving dinners so that vegetarians also could enjoy an entrée. Enter Tofurky, a plant-based protein that could serve as a meat-free holiday roast.

Seth Tibbot went from making from-scratch tempeh for friends and family to opening a business selling tempeh, and his mission all along was to bring “efficient, low on the food chain food, to America.”¹² With fellow entrepreneurs Hans and Rhonda Wrobel, who owned a vegetarian food company in Portland, Oregon, he formed a partnership. It was Tibbott’s idea to borrow and obtain permission to use a name he’d once seen on a tofu sandwich: Tofurky.¹³

Let’s look at Tibbott’s and the Wrobels’ thinking through the lens of the Three Gs. Tibbott had identified a gap and a gain and formed a goal. Together, Tibbott and the Wrobels developed a means to achieve their goal—to produce an entrée that would fill a gap and benefit vegetarians not just at Thanksgiving, but at any lunch or dinner.

Here’s how the framework can operate in three iterations.

You start with a goal:

Goal + Gap + Gain → Worthwhile Idea

Or you start with a gap:

Gap + Gain + Goal → Worthwhile Idea

Or you start with a gain:

Gain + Gap + Goal → Worthwhile Idea

Now a word about the audience. Those of us in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation labs, advertising, marketing, communication, journalism, fashion design, communication design, industrial design, interior design, architecture, and interior architecture always think about the people we are serving and at whom we are aiming our ideas. The audience must be paramount in your mind when determining the Three Gs. (I’ll cover thinking about your audience in greater depth in chapter 2.)

Who will your idea serve? Who stands to benefit from your idea? Who are you aiming at? Do you have an insight into their behavior or thinking? What do you hope they will think, feel, take away, and do?

For example, if your idea is to design an extremely tall jungle gym because you think children would find it exciting—and they likely would—do you think parents would allow their young children to climb it? I wouldn’t. If, however, you design a jungle gym that kids find exciting but that considers all the falls that happen when children climb, you’d be onto something parents would appreciate. Follow the Three Gs—all your good ideas may just surprise you.

After reading this chapter, think about how the Three Gs can help you unlock, crystallize, or amplify an idea. Answering these questions is a good place to start:

•Are you responding to a preset goal or taking advantage of an opportunity, a goal you’ve been dreaming of, or a gap you’ve noticed?

•Is the goal or the gap worthwhile? How do you know?

•Can you imagine a gain for individuals, society, creatures, or our planet?

Employ the Three Gs to get some answers:

•In your field, what issues have people not yet addressed? For example, Lin-Manuel Miranda filled a gap in Broadway musicals by introducing hip-hop.

•Are the methods or procedures in use outdated or no longer considered valid? Is there an alternative method people are reluctant to explore or haven’t explored? Is there a way for you to fill the gap using a cutting-edge approach?

•Is there something in the zeitgeist to which no one is responding?

•Is there an enduring question that intrigues you? For example, What is freedom? What is happiness? Do people hold universal values?

Creative people train themselves to observe mindfully—to notice what others might miss. To train yourself to be more perceptive, try these exercises:

•Revisit a familiar task, such as brushing your teeth or walking with your dog. Is there anything about the action that you hadn’t noticed before?

•Notice people’s facial expressions or body language. Really focus on the person you’re speaking with or listening to. Do their gestures express something their words are not communicating? (This also will train you to “read” a room if you have to give a presentation. As you observe people’s facial expressions, you’ll be able to discern whether the audience is attentive to what you’re saying.)

•When you take a walk, notice how the shadows fall and the shapes of marks on the sidewalk or road. Observe how people wear scarves, how dancers extend their arms into space. Listen to sounds you might have otherwise ignored, such as leaves rustling or the crumpling of paper. Examine everything anew.

•Observe how someone eats a taco or a sandwich cookie.

In short, notice what others are likely missing.