Terri Lonier

The Craft of Innovation

Articles

By Terri Lonier

Visual IP: What Shape Do Your Ideas Take?

Combined photo of slices of Visual IP, including Venn diagram, 2x2 matrix, pyramid, path, and bubble network diagram

Visual intellectual property (Visual IP) is a powerful tool to help you explain, influence, and persuade. Here are the 5 essential shapes to unlock the impact of your ideas. 

Do your great ideas end up trapped inside your mind? You’re not alone. In my encounters with big thinkers, I find they often struggle with words. They know their ideas have merit, yet they become frustrated in their attempts to explain, influence, and persuade.

That’s when I’ll jump in and ask them to scribble a rough drawing of the idea they want to share. After a moment of puzzlement — and sometimes a gentle protest of lack of artistic ability — they start to sketch. Within a few moments they are shaking their head in amazement at the increased clarity of their thinking.

Visual IP = Powerful persuasion

These drawings, frameworks, or diagrams can become valuable visual intellectual property (visual IP). They transform the intangible creations of the human intellect (the general definition of IP) into tangible assets you can use in writing, presentations, or other communications.

What I’ve discovered over the years is that visual IP often centers on 5 essential shapes. These foundational shapes appear again and again, no matter the topic or context. Based on my work with leaders at some of the most creative companies in the world, and my background in design, technology, and business, I’ve created a taxonomy of these shapes to help big thinkers get their ideas out of their heads and into the world. 

Let’s explore what shape your ideas may take, and how you can supercharge their communication impact.

Circle

Image of Venn diagram made from two intersecting circles
Venn diagrams are deceptively simple, and can communicate sophisticated ideas and relationships.

The circle is perhaps the most common shape that humans have drawn through history. In your drawing, circles may show up as a single shape, defining what’s contained and what’s left out. Concentric circles can also become targets, with elements of your idea segmented around a core and becoming more focused as you approach a solid center. Or you might draw a Venn diagram, with 2, 3, or 4 intersecting circles. The overlaps and relationships help you investigate how parts of your ideas relate to each other. 

Square / Matrix

Steven Covey's 2x2 Important vs Urgent matrix
Steven Covey’s adaptation of the Eisenhower Matrix influenced an entire generation of time management.

Squares are the basis for the ubiquitous 2×2 matrix, scrawled on every whiteboard at business meetings. You’ve likely seen this shape in a SWOT analysis for strategic planning, or Steven Covey’s “Important vs Urgent” matrix that he popularized in “7 Habits for Highly Successful People.” The process of choosing two criteria for axes and placing your ideas into four quadrants strengthens your reasoning and lets you see in which areas your ideas may be lacking. Squares can also become grids and scorecards, setting out individual elements for analysis and ranking.

Triangle

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs triangle (pyramid) diagram.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is one of the most recognized triangle diagrams.

Triangles offer two distinct forms for your ideas. First, a pyramid allows you to stack layers of your idea and show how they may build one upon another to reach a pinnacle. Pyramids may also show segmentation of a whole, and illustrate how each segment may be addressed individually or in the entirety. A common example is the Knowledge Pyramid or the DIKW (data, information, knowledge, wisdom) Pyramid. In another format, inverted triangles become funnels. They’re often used as a process diagram to show movement from broad initial steps to the desired final result, such as in marketing or sales funnels. Pyramids in both forms might also show up as spirals, again indicating action and process.

Path

Path diagram showing four modes of transportation: train, plane, motorcycle, car
Path imagery implies a process or journey, often time-based.

If you express your ideas as a path or process, your drawing might include squiggly lines that meander over the page. These can take on the imagery of a map, with markings for milestones, roadblocks, detours, and other byways. Journey imagery lets you immerse yourself in the process, enabling you (and others) to think through each step to reach a final outcome or destination. In contrast to the other more defined shapes, this freeform expression invites your imagination on a trip through time and space.

Nodes

Bubble network diagram showing elements of student learning characteristics
Nodes and connectors can show relationships, both structured and free-form.

The final common shape is one very familiar to those who understand the structure of the internet: nodes and connectors. This shape lends itself to explaining distributed networks and the relationships between key components. Some examples are the classic Mind Map, where brainstorms or streams of consciousness can be charted and later analyzed. Your drawing of nodes and connectors may have one central point or many. It’s in exploring both the nodes and the relationships that tie them together that provides a worthwhile exercise.

Your Toolbox of Visual Persuasion

These 5 shapes give you a toolbox of visual persuasion, one that can help you differentiate yourself or your company, establish your credibility as an expert, and set you apart as a thought leader. Over time, you can create your own library of visual IP — an original collection of drawings, frameworks, or diagrams — that uniquely presents your value and the power of your ideas.

In a past article, I shared how we as humans are hard-wired to respond to images thousands of times faster than words. In future articles, I’ll be exploring each of these 5 shapes individually, with examples of how they’ve been used by big thinkers in the past, and how you can craft them for your own ideas. You can sign up to receive them by completing the form elsewhere on this page.

By Terri Lonier

Visual IP: Your Secret Weapon for Persuasion

Green scribbles on white background to represent Visual IP

Quick, think back to a recent time when you were trying to convince someone about your ideas or opinion. Did you use logic? Emotion? Stories? Whatever your approach, chances are your tool of choice was mostly words, either spoken or written.

Whether you were successful or not, you could have improved your chances (and decreased the time spent persuading) by making a drawing or using a simple visual. The use of Visual IP – proprietary drawings, diagrams, or frameworks to support your ideas – can be a persuasion power booster for three key reasons: speed, memorability, and differentiation.

Vroom!

Images travel like a Ferrari to your brain. In fact, your brain can identify a visual image 30 times faster than a blink of your eye!  That’s due, in part, to the way the body is wired for visual processing. Compared to text, visuals are processed 60,000 times faster, since nearly half of our nerve fibers are linked to our retinas. Humans can grasp a picture much faster than words – as brief as 13 milliseconds, according to MIT scientists. When you’re trying to make your point quickly, turn to a visual.

Remember This

Because the brain thinks differently in pictures, your ideas will become more memorable if translated into a visual representation. An image of a three-step process, for example, will make a much stronger impression than three words or phrases. This holds true even if it’s a crude drawing of three boxes. In fact, research shows that the brain processes reading by seeing each word as an individual picture. When reading – particularly fiction – we create mental movies. Yes, we are hard-wired to create and remember pictures.

Differentiate to Accelerate

No matter what discipline you work in – and whether you’re self-employed, in a small business, or a large organization – you are competing to have your ideas recognized and accepted. We see this every day in the products and services we choose. Brands carry a visual shortcut, whether it’s a Nike swoosh, the Starbucks’ mermaid-like siren, or Apple’s bite-taken-out-of-it apple. We see that brand and immediately our brains translate that image into an emotion. 

So the next time you’re facing a puzzled face, or someone who doesn’t see your point of view, or even a blinking cursor as you craft a document to promote your idea, product, or service, think in pictures. How might your thinking be expressed as a drawing, diagram, or framework? How can you help someone quickly understand and remember your ideas – all the while standing out from your competition? 

VIsual IP doesn’t need to be Michaelangelo-level artwork. Simple lines and shapes can deliver your message with impact. What’s important is that it conveys your ideas, and creates value for the receiver as well as intellectual property you can leverage in multiple ways.

In a related article, I explore the five essential shapes these visuals can take. These are shapes you’ve been drawing since your childhood, and they can bring your ideas to life.

By Terri Lonier

Creativity on Demand

Coffee mug with word Begin on it

One of the differences between creative professionals and amateurs is the ability to generate creativity on demand. It means not waiting for the muse to arrive. 

In my years working as an advisor to entrepreneurs and innovation executives, I’ve learned this is one aspect of creativity that is often misunderstood. Let me explain.

Creative professionals understand that great ideas usually don’t spring fully formed. They develop slowly, over time. Some say that your subconscious is often working on these ideas in ways we don’t notice.

There are many ways, however, to encourage creative ideas to blossom so that they are there when you need to call them forth. Here are three practices that professionals value in developing the ability to be creative on demand. Read on and see how you might put them to work for you.

1. Make Space

To generate new ideas, you need to clear your mind of clutter. This is an approach that David Allen, founder of Getting Things Done (GTD), has championed for years. “Your mind is a great place to have ideas, but a terrible place to manage them,” he observes. Allen advises moving all that mental clutter to an external device — whether a paper list or digital file doesn’t matter. Make space, in your mind and on your schedule. If you’re distracted about mundane tasks or upcoming deadlines, it’s hard to be creative.

2. Capture Your Ideas

We’ve likely all experienced coming up with that “big” idea — the one that was the next breakthrough, or pulled together many pieces of a puzzle we were tackling. It was so good we were sure we’d remember it, and we didn’t write it down. Then when it came time to recall it, we were frustrated that it was just beyond the bounds of our memory. Or if we did recollect, we wondered if we fully remembered the nuances of our original thought. 

Professionals know that inspiration can strike anytime, anywhere. That’s why they always have a sketchbook, notebook, Post-Its, recorder, notetaking app, or another tool with them all the time — including a notepad and pen next to their bed for middle-of-the-night insights. Ideas are fragile and fleeting. Don’t let yours slip away.

3. Be Consistent in Your Craft

Professionals practice their craft regularly. Whether they feel like it or not, they get to work. This means sitting down at a keyboard (computer or musical), walking into a studio, or pulling out tools and equipment. Professionals understand that showing up daily to do creative work trains the eye, the hands, the body, and the mind. And often it’s the mental discipline that’s most challenging. Even when uninspired, professionals know that if you begin, something eventually emerges. The work may be great or mediocre that day, but consistency pays off and leads to better work down the road.

Your Challenge This Week: What practices will you put into place to ensure creativity on demand?

By Terri Lonier

When Innovation Partners Become Competitors

Screen shot of Disney+

Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+, has shifted the power dynamic in online media, and former innovation partners Disney and Netflix are now competitors. The contours of their new relationship will be intriguing to watch, as these two giants battle for customer screen time, wallets, and loyalty.

For years Disney made hundreds of millions of dollars from content on Netflix and it hinted for nearly two years that this move was coming. Its new competitive service is priced at $7/month — about half of what Netflix charges.

Powerful assets and synergies

Disney’s catalog is a formidable challenger. In addition to the countless Disney classic movies are the award-winning Pixar films, the Marvel and Star Wars franchises, and National Geographic shows. There are also synergies with ESPN and ABC, which Disney owns, along with the 20th Century Fox holdings it absorbed earlier this year. An estimated 500 movies and 7500 television shows will be available by the end of the first year, including the first 30 seasons of the fan favorite, the Simpsons.

What innovations is Disney bringing to the customer experience? In addition to competitive monthly pricing, Disney offers a discounted year-long subscription for $70, locking in subscribers and boosting cash flow. Plus, we can expect some creative tie-ins from its theme parks and other parts of the Disney-verse. Disney doesn’t want customers to completely abandon cable (or at least ABC) but it is also hedging its bets on a future when customers buy multiple viewing packages.

Either or And?

Don’t count Netflix out, of course. They have demonstrated their innovative agility in the past by pioneering the move to streaming and strong leadership in original programming.

What both companies are counting on is that customers will find their offering compelling — but perhaps not at the expense of the other. Netflix has more than 140 million subscribers around the world, and millions more who are piggybacking on a shared password. Similarly, Disney is a global brand stretching across multiple media outlets.

Both companies will need to remain nimble to respond to cultural trends, as well as additional competition from Amazon, Apple, and AT&T. The battle will be a showcase for which company can fuse creative output with engineering talent and disciplined execution. It will play out in our living rooms and on our laptops, tablets, phones, and whatever new devices emerge in the next few years.

Your challenge this week: If a key partner became a competitor, what capabilities would you call upon to rise to the challenge?

By Terri Lonier

The Price of Preparation

Test grid with pencil

It’s 8:30 on a just-turned-Spring morning and a former colleague is about to take part in one of the most stressful experiences of his life. He’s sitting in a spacious vanilla-colored classroom in downtown Chicago, armed with four pencils, a bottle of water, a small pencil sharpener, and no other electronic devices. He’s nervous but excited. The moment has arrived.

My colleague is taking the Law School Admissions Test or LSAT. This half-day intensive exam assesses reading comprehension and logical reasoning, and it is an integral part of law school admission in the United States. These LSAT scores will determine the caliber of law school he will attend — and by extension, will also influence future professional and life opportunities. The stakes are high, but he’s ready. He’s been preparing for more than half a year.

Learning How to Learn

An entire industry has grown up around test preparation. There are scores of books, consultants, and online test prep courses. My colleague has used these as a foundation, but his aim is high and he knew it would take more. So over the past six months, during the grey and dreary Chicago winter, he’s been getting stronger — in mind, body, and spirit. Yes, he took practice tests, in fact, more than 40 of the full three-hour exams and another 20 of timed section drills. He explains that it’s not only about getting familiar with the subject, but also knowing how to perform on the test, particularly regarding the time constraints. “You have to learn how to do things very quickly, but also accurately,” he says. “There’s no memorization,” he adds. It’s about reasoning skills.”

Beyond Mental Preparation

The mental preparation was only part of his rigorous training, however. He also started getting more fit by working out at the gym more regularly, paying closer attention to his diet, and getting more sleep. Each day, staying focused on the goal.

While the physical preparation was key, another element was the mindset. “I wanted to be prepared to handle the nerves, and really deliver what the exam asks — to make reasoned, logical decisions under extremely tight time constraints,” he says. Now, with the testing complete, the waiting begins. In a few weeks he’ll know his scores and then face new decisions about how to proceed.

Chances are you’re not taking an LSAT anytime soon. But you likely are facing some major project deadline or important decision in the next six months. Let my colleague’s discipline inspire you. How are you preparing for that moment in mind, body, and spirit?

Your challenge this week: Review the major decisions or events that you will undertake in the next six months. How can you best prepare to face them?

By Terri Lonier

Innovation and Constraints

boundary line

Innovation thrives on constraints. Ideas that are bounded can flourish. Creativity blossoms when parameters are defined.

When I share this thinking with innovation clients, they often shake their heads and say, No, Terri, you don’t understand. We’d be fine if only we had… more budget, more time, more people, more support. 

But unlimited resources can be the death of new ideas. When anything is possible, where to begin? We could do this. Or that. Or maybe even that. A wide-open playing field can be terrifying — and stifling.

Constraints Provide Clarity

A painter is bounded by the size of a canvas. A playwright has a three-act structure. A musician has 12 notes. While these parameters can be adapted for artistic license, creative professionals understand that these restrictions provide an important launchpad for expression.

When designers take on a project for a client, the first order of business is to prepare a creative brief. This document captures the goals and boundaries of the project. For example, a client says they need a website. OK, the designer replies, let’s talk about the parameters. What will be its intended result? Who are the targeted visitors? Will you be the only one contributing content? Who will be managing it? Does it need to fit in with existing brand identity? Will you be doing e-commerce from this site? What budget has been allocated to this project? Have you established a timeline? All these questions, and many more, take an amorphous idea — we need a website — and transform it into a project that can be planned and executed.

Boundaries Fuel Innovation

Similarly, innovation projects that begin with wide-open brainstorming — let’s get everyone in the room and see what emerges — can bring frustration and disappointing results. In contrast, approaches such as Outcome-Driven Innovation focus on customer value creation and clearly defined measurable results. Asking “What do you want this to do for you?” has become one of my most important early questions when working with clients. It signals: Let’s get clear on what you want to achieve, and what the boundaries are. Then we can creatively move forward.

The next time you find yourself lamenting the fact that you don’t have a resource — whether time, money, staff, support, or something else — reframe the situation by thinking like a creative professional. How can this balance of innovation and constraints spur you to be more creative?

My challenge for you this week: Review the limitations you perceive in your work in a new light. Wear the hat of an artist or designer and gain inspiration from constraints.