3 Rules of Genius
Marty Neumeier, known for his bestselling book The Brand Gap, is a brilliant author. He’s so good at offering insights that are practical, impactful, and to-the-point.
I’m working my way through one of his delightfully concise books, called The 46 Rules of Genius. It’s 140 pages of awesome ways to be more…well, genius. Currently, I’m in part 1: How Can I Innovate?
We all have limited willpower, so I hyperfocus on a few things at a time to make sure it sinks it. I’ve highlighted three rules from Part 1 that I’m working on to become a better innovator in the design industry.
Follow along and feel free to add your thoughts.
Rule #1—See what’s not there
What separates leaders from followers is “the ability to see what might be but so far isn’t.”
Lately, it seems like everything’s been done before—someone already thought of it, someone already has a patent pending...
“The trick is to notice what artists and designers call negative space. It’s the plain background of a painting, the white space on a printed page…in the world of art, these are purposeful elements in a composition.”
Neumeier offers three techniques for discovering negative space in a marketplace, a problem, or a situation:
Sift through threats for hidden possibilities
Every threat has potential for innovation. In fact, I’d add that it even increases demand for a better solution. For example, the problem of obesity opens the possibility to further explore nutrition. Pollution allows us to look at new kinds of energy sources. Unemployment helps us take a different look at education models.
Learn to see what’s not there.
Examine sectors for uneven rates of change
Look for areas that have changed and then see if you can apply that type of change to an area that hasn’t improved yet. See where there might be resistance to a new innovative idea and be the catalyst.
This seems it’d be most successful in larger corporation-type settings where there are lots of pockets to consider, but I’m curious to try this approach in various situations and see what happens.
Imagine how a growing trend might affect an established norm
This part that had me nodding my head. I’m really excited to apply this technique to my next adventure.
Make a list of emerging and popular trends and see how they might be applied to industries, businesses, or activities that haven’t changed in a while.
“To find out what’s not there, look for the job not done, the road not taken, the product not made. These are the glasses that let you see the invisible and conceive the inconceivable.”
Rule #2—Ask a bigger question
Do you know what type of problem you’re solving? Is it a simple problem, complex, structural, communication or technology-based? Is it political, leadership-based, a design or budget kind of problem?
“Unless you know what type of problem you’re solving, your solution will be wrong, no matter how well you seem to solve it.”
Every day I make an effort to be coherent of the distinct contrast between being a design brain vs a design wrist.
Most times, the difference is determined when you’re handed the problem. It comes from someone else—a boss, a teacher, a client, a committee, an organization. The design wrist will say, “Ay ay sir!” and immediately get to work. The design brain, however, resists.
Be curious. Probe further.
Neumeier suggests some helpful questions:
Have we seen this problem before?
What do we know about it?
Are the boundaries the right boundaries?
Are we even solving the right problem?
Should we solve a bigger problem instead?
If we succeed, what will be improved?
What will be diminished?
What will be replaced?
What opportunities will it spawn?
Who stands to gain and who stands to lose?
Do we need to solve the problem at all? Why?
Who says? So what? Why not?
These types of questions will often open the canvas to reveal that the boundaries of the problem were maybe drawn too small, that there’s a more important problem underneath. Maybe it was minimized to fit a budget or a time frame, and that’s okay too. But it’s way better to know the whole story (which reminds me, if you haven’t seen this video by Simon Sinek, go watch it).
Rule #3—Frame problems tightly
Have you ever found yourself stuck on a project that seems like it should be so easy? It’s probably because you don’t have enough boundaries.
“…give a creative person too much freedom, and you’ll get a final product that’s over-designed, over-worked, over-budget, and under-focused. The greatest gift you can give a genius is limitation, not license.”
Any time I’ve gotten into trouble, it wasn’t because I couldn’t see the solution, it’s because I couldn’t see the problem. Neumeier suggests a formula for framing a challenge with clarity (directly from the book):
Write a problem statement
Summarize the challenge in a brief paragraph, then describe the most likely outcome if it’s not addressed.
List the constraints
Constraints are creative limitations imposed by the problem. Is there a funding limit? A time limit? A technological barrier? A political barrier? A business constraint? A brand constraint? A knowledge gap? Competitive hurdles? Limitations are important because they tighten the frame and point to the solutions.
List the affordances
Affordances are possibilities that exist within the problem. While constraints close the door, affordances open a window. Constraints and affordances shape the space where new ideas can dance. What’s missing from the market? What are the capabilities I can call on? Who do I have on my team? How can the technology be advanced? What does the problem tell me? Inside every problem is a hidden solution.
Describe success
Your problem statement suggests the most likely outcome of doing nothing. Now describe the most likely outcome if your solution succeeds.
“A problem well-framed is a problem half-solved.”
It was way more difficult that I thought to narrow to only three of 11 rules in Part One—How Can I Innovate? There are so many spectacular thoughts on every page, and I can’t help but nod my head while reading.
If you haven’t yet, go read 46 Rules of Genius by Marty Neumeier. It’s awesome.
