The Innovation Spiral

Even though circles are the basis of many innovation frameworks, spirals are a better way to express what really happens in the innovation process.

Circles hold immense power over our imagination. The earth, the moon. The Circle of Life. Circling ‘round the campfire for stories. We cannot escape the pull of this imagery. 

Circles also populate the common frameworks of innovation. We see it in the Lean Startup methodology of Build-Measure-Learn. Design Thinking is often presented as the triple circles of the Venn diagram of Desirability-Feasibility-Viability.

Choose spirals over circles

While the cyclical nature of innovation has been adopted as a given, I believe it’s the spiral that’s a better pictorial choice. Instead of coming back to your origin point, your aim is to begin the pattern again at a higher and more expansive level. Always moving upward and outward, creating a cycle of continuous improvement — even if it is incremental. 

The negative connotations of “running around in circles” also support the preference of spirals over circles. I’m all for the power of repetition, but who wants to repeat work or experience only to arrive back at the same spot?

Move from 2-D to 3-D

Shifting from circle to spiral imagery also means you can recast your path from 2-D to 3-D. Your journey no longer needs to be flat and listless on a sheet of paper. Instead, it transforms into a three-dimensional mental space that’s dynamic and poised for action. Can you feel the movement? 

My challenge for you: Find one area of your life where you have traditionally been thinking in circles. How might your journey — whether today’s to-do list, annual goals, project objectives, or even life mission — be changed by thinking in spirals instead of circles?

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