My project for course: Creative Thinking 101: Generate Groundbreaking Ideas

My project for course: Creative Thinking 101: Generate Groundbreaking Ideas

INTRO – The goal of this project is to develop and present a creative pitch for the launch of a fictional product: the world's first dance-enabling footwear. As per the brief a brand name, launch concept and a suggested look and feel were the expected output.

TARGET GROUP – Inspired by my knee surgery, I decided to focus my attention on people with disabilities. Out of that, my one-liner emerged:

Eliminate limits through dance

The dancing shoes not only enable people with physical disabilities to experience and enjoy dancing regardless of any impairments (visual, cognitive, physical), but also allows them to feel seen, break down preconceptions and be at the centre of social engagements, rather than marginalized.

THE PROCESS
1. Gathering 3 wildly different pieces of inspiration
2. Creating my one liner based on different possible target groups
3. Jotting down first thoughts
4. Making Connections – I used Spotify as a brand comparison
5. Making more Connections – I used my 3 sources of inspiration
6. I then grouped these ideas into clusters
7. Then I filtered out the relevant post-its for each cluster
8. Then I made drastic cuts to get to the core of the idea
9. Followed by the simplify, magnify and beautify exercise
10. After which I was ready to start crafting my pitch

THINGS TO NOTE
1. During the entire process, new ideas kept coming, so I always weighed those against the existing ideas and either eliminated or integrated them.
2. There were a few more ideas I had for the concept, that I would definitely implement if my fictional agency were to win the pitch – but I felt they weren't critical to the story telling (was a bit of an internal struggle not to include them). I was able to make the cut by telling myself that it would make for a good surprise for the client and that it's always good to have a few more aces hidden up your sleeve just in case;-)

SOURCES OF INSPIRATION

1. Hannah Höchs Collages
After watching the series Transatlantic on Netflix I was reminded of the Dadaists and Höch's collages I saw in an exhibition years ago. In particular the works entitled 1) Flucht 1931 and 2) Collage with Ethnic Mask (undated) speak to me. There is something powerful about the whimsical, distorted, comedic nature of her pieces as a way to rebel against the status quo (especially in light of the political backdrop of a past and impending world war). Being silly in the phase of atrocity, injustice and inhumanity as a way to be resilient and survive is still a compelling tool in the chaotic world we live in today.

2. Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot in PyeongChang Winter olympics 2018
I've watched this figure skating routine on YouTube so many times. I was never interested in figure skating before and am not particularly interested in it now. But their routine is a masterpiece and deeply moved me. The dedication that went into this, two people putting years of superhuman work into training to break a world record but at the same time producing a breathtaking dance. And the setting is interesting, between the bored staff and the excited crowds. And it's fascinating that neither is competing for their home country but an adopted country in another country halfway around the globe. Truly international but also nationality not being a matter of concern.

3. The ARTROMOT®-K1
This is a motorized motion trainer that bends and stretches my freshly operated knee for me. On the one hand, the rounded design with the light blue accent looks outdated, as if from the 60's. On the other hand, this machine represents a new way of thinking about recovery and simultaneously is a testament to the German medical system that covers so many aspects of treatment. Visually it makes me think of exoskeletons and how they can push human power beyond its natural limits but also helps people with disability regain lost capabilities.

THE PITCH

From the one-liner "Eliminating limits through dance"....
inspired by the Dadaism movement of the 20's...
and the Dance Dance Revolution arcade game...
brought to you by the fictional agency ASTEROID PRODUCTIONS...

*Drum roll please*

The DADA.