Mathew P. Mercier
OI/361 - Innovation, Design, and Creativity for a Competitive Advantage
March 21, 2013
Gene Raltz
Innovation, Design, & Creativity
The three concepts of innovation, design, and creativity are an intertwined three-step process that produces new thoughts, systems, or products. Regardless of their occupation, both men and women utilize creativity, innovation, and design on a daily basis, even if they are unemployed. How someone commutes to work, cleans their house, decides on what to eat for lunch, or which college to attend, is all a part of creativity, innovation, and design. This paper will define, compare and contrast, and describe the importance of creativity, innovation, and design in meeting organizational objectives.
Defining Creativity, Innovation, and Design
These terms tend to be difficult to define because most people are unclear about the differences between the three. Creativity can be defined as the ability of developing something original or unusual whether a process, idea, or item (Sloane, 2010). Innovation is the process of taking that creative idea or thought and putting it into action with the use of design. Design is the informal process of bringing an innovative idea to fruition (Von Stamm, 2008). All three terms are concepts that stand apart from one another, but also work together towards a common goal.
Importance of Creativity, Innovation, and Design in Organizational Objectives
Companies like Proctor & Gamble, IBM, Ford, and Apple all reinvented themselves through management, new leadership, and getting out from underneath the groupthink mentality (Scoffield, 2011). In any organizational objectives, it is increasingly important to stay ahead of the competition, and that cannot be accomplished without the ability to innovate. Without creativity, innovation, and design the world would listen to music by way of a vinyl record, record dictation only on paper with pens and