via @LenKendall & @DR4WARD

I’ve noticed a lot of talk lately about the value of IDEAS. At Hero the value of ideas and the value of design is an on-going topic we believe is central to the services we provide our clients. I’ll use this post to catalog things I’ve been hearing lately and older references I’ve used to inform my thinking.

Add your comments and send me links to articles you’ve found helpful in framing this topic for you.

Ideas Are a Dime a Dozen.

From theSmartUp.
What really separates the millions of ideas from the next greatest mousetrap is someone with a clear vision, passion and wherewithal to push through all the hurdles and bring that product/idea to market. Read more>>

The Value of Ideas

From Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert.
I’ve long been fascinated by the common human illusion that ideas can be sorted into good and bad, when all experience shows this not to be the case. We could play the game all day long where I describe a simply terrible idea and then tell you about the people who got rich implementing it just right. Read more >>

Why Design Matters

From Businessweek. By Diego Rodriguez, Partner IDEO.
Good design does not always equal good business. But good business outcomes—especially when the goal is to create new sources of value in the world—are most often achieved through a well-structured design process that is more holistic and inclusive than the notion of good design. Read more>>

How Design Adds Value

From Luminant Design.
A quick explanation on how Design is an investment. You may wonder why hire a designer? Is it worth the investment of time and money? What is important to understand about design is that it is practice that fills a need. Design solutions are engineered through the problem solving of an objective. Read more>>

More great stuff from the RSA.

First of all, the format of these RSA presentations is excellent. I love the animation.

Second, what role does design and we as designers play in bringing about a more empathic world? We now have the communication tools to reach around the globe instantly. How do we align our communications to the elevation of all people and not just the increase of commerce?

It’s easy to talk about—much harder to act upon.

Previous awards for the GRiP campaign include one for Direct Mail and on for Promotional Product from the Colorado Business Marketing Association.

From TheKwiatkowskiPress.com

The Kwiatkowski Press is an underground press involving a series of events.  It is a work in progress.  We rely on trickery, gimmicks and all the other magic that’s involved in art.  Yes, we are con artists.  The press is a reflection of the chaos and disaster of creation.  Its matter was taken from society, mutilated, transformed and returned in retribution.  Our mission is the transformation of all souls into non-matter.  It is matter that we are up against.

Cannes Young Lions 48 Hour Ad Contest
ChatRoulette for a better world.

A powerful way to connect a social cause to people who can contribute to the solution.

(via @faris, via hansliesen)

I came across this video today. It’s from a series of animated presentations produced by the RSA. This one, Drive, is based on a presentation by Dan Plink. I found it mentioned in a tweet from Modernista.

via @hellnoharms Most impressive thing I’ve seen in 2010: http://bit.ly/bHJnDz

This falls into the “I wish I’d done that category” for me. Here’s why I like it:

1. Big Insights – I’ve always been curious about what motives people to do great work. As a creative director I deal with this issue everyday. My approach has been to give people my thoughts, direction and guidance, then stay out of their way until they need me again. Based on Dan Plink’s findings, I’m getting somethings right.
2. Cool Whiteboard Design – I love information design and whiteboards. I love the immediacy of communication that comes from talking and drawing and writing while working out a problem with my team. This also reminds me of work Hero did for the Denver50 ad show. We created illustrations on whiteboards and used them through the campaign and show.
3. Great Production – What can I say? This is cool to watch, and so simple. Reminds my of the Post-It Note video created by Bang-yao Liu. This falls into the “I’m going to try that” category.

Check out the other five videos in the series here.

And check out the studio that created these videos, CognitiveMedia. Lots of great work.

This week’s Sharp Thinker is someone everyone in PR, marketing and social media should get to know, Brian Solis.

Brian Solis is globally recognized as one of most prominent thought leaders and published authors in new media. A digital analyst, sociologist, and futurist, Solis has influenced the effects of emerging media on the convergence of marketing, communications, and publishing.

Brian’s recent work with Jess Thomas on The Conversation Prism has been pretty visible on SoMe channels and in the design community, so you may have already seen their infographic (shown above). But there is also an excellent blog on the site which both Brian and Jess are contributing to.

One recent post from Brian, Using the Conversation Prism to Establish a Conversation Index, is an excellent primer on how organizations can learn to participate in social networks. And how they can learn to integrate “marketing, service, sociology, psychology, creativity, sales, and a dedicated practice of transparent Social Customer Relationship Management”. Great stuff.

Read the article: Using the Conversation Prism to Establish a Conversation Index

Read Brian’s blog: http://www.briansolis.com

Last week we profiled Edward Boches, CCO of Mullen. This week we’ll do it again because once again he’s laid it down with a great blog post, The New Creative Team and Getting It To Work. Not much to say other than “read it”. Also, follow the breadcrumbs to other great reads such as Tim Brown’s Change by Design and the Derek Robson presenation, Agency Evolution.

Image borrowed from @edwardboches.

Around Hero we’re still feeling inspired by the Boulder Digital workshop 2 weeks ago. We’re clicking through the presentation decks almost daily, encorporating what we learned into our thinking. One of the workshop decks,  A Generation Has to Die by Edward Boches, has become a bit of a touchstone for us.

It’s a sharp overview of the changes taking place in the minds and behaviors of consumers in this post-digital age. Its also a wake-up call for marketers and agencies who are still clinging to things as they were.

In his blog post New Jersey, Facebook, social media and the pace of change Edward says:

“It’s time for brands to understand all the different ways in which consumers engage with content, media, technology and each other and then learn to create experiences, utility and social value, along with an invitation to participate.”

That pretty much sums it up for me.

Read more of Edward’s insights on his blog Creativity UnBound
Follow him on Twitter @edwardboches
Check out the great work at Mullen