Webinar – Libraries as Innovation Hubs | TechSoup | YouTube #libraries #innovation #collaboration #community #engagement #ideas


Public libraries are hubs for innovation and community engagement. Library workers must listen closely to community needs to design programs and services responsive to continuous changes in technology and fluctuations in funding. This free webinar showcases two examples of collaborative design events used in public libraries to generate ideas, build community, and solve problems.

The Benefits Of #Digital #Drawing | TechCrunch #design #tech #brainstorming #art #creativity


According to a 2015 study of more than 4,000 designers conducted by Subtraction.com and Adobe’s Khoi Vinh, 64 percent of designers still prefer pencil and paper to begin the creative brainstorm process.

Despite this, most companies continue to invest in digital drawing. Apple, Wacom, FiftyThree and others continue to design innovative hardware and apps, such as the iPad Pro and Bamboo Paper, to enhance performance and increase speed while on the go. Are the efforts to bring digital deeper into the creative workflow all in vain?

The answer, as you might suspect, is no. Digital will never be a paper killer, but hardware and apps leveraging the latest technology advances are closing the gap with undeniable benefits in accessibility, efficiency and artistry. READ MORE: The Benefits Of Digital Drawing | TechCrunch

6 Best #Tools For Creative Work, According To Science | Fast Company #creativity #ideas #productivity


I’d love to have a toolkit that promised me great, creative ideas every time I sat down to work. Obviously that’s not going to happen—creativity doesn’t come from tools. But luckily there are some tools that can improve our chances of working creatively. According to research, these six tools can help inspire your next big idea. READ MORE: The 6 Best Tools For Creative Work, According To Science | Fast Company | Business + Innovation.

Why I Write in #PowerPoint | HBR + Book Written Entirely In PowerPoint Aims To Reinvent How Businesses Communicate | FastCompany #business #communication


 

When writing business documents (aside from emails), most people turn to word-processing software. That’s not the only option. You can do everything — outlines, drafts, revisions, and even layouts, if you’d like — in PowerPoint or similar presentation programs. That’s what I’ve used to write my books, internal documents, sales collateral, and web copy, for several reasons. READ MORE: Why I Write in PowerPoint | Harvard Business Review

Raise your hand if you like sitting through slide-show presentations. How about reading dense, jargony business documents? These are the staples of modern business communication, and yet they’re enjoyed by precisely no one. Enter Nancy Duarte, CEO of Duarte Design. Duarte thinks she can redesign business communication with Slidedocs, a new concept she defines as “a visual document, developed in presentation software, that is intended to be read and referenced instead of projected.” Think of it as a kind of a hybrid between slide-show presentations and prose documents—but one that eliminates the most annoying qualities of each. Duarte’s new book on Slidedocs, which she wrote entirely in PowerPoint, has just been released as a free download on her website. READ MORE: Book Written Entirely In PowerPoint Aims To Reinvent How Businesses Communicate | FastCompany

6 Articles on Creativity and Creative Thinking #creativity #brainstorm #creativethinking


Science Continues To Show Us How To Be More Creative | Will Burns | Forbes
Last year I compiled a list of scientific findings around the topic of creativity…Now, fast forward one year and I’ve discovered even more fascinating scientific studies on creativity. What we are seeing are even more tangible ways to trick ourselves into being more creative by getting ourselves – or, our reality – out of the way.

The Science Of Great Ideas–How to Train Your Creative Brain | Belle Beth Cooper | Fast Company | Business + Innovation
Creativity is a mystery right? Maybe not. Here’s a look at the science of the creative process and how to harness your brain’s power to come up with more great ideas.

How Creativity Works–And How To Harness Its Power | Leo Babauta | Fast Company | Business + Innovation
Creative ideas don’t just come out of the blue. Creativity is often a process of taking existing ideas and remixing them…Creativity is a powerful tool to help anyone, from the parent trying to find new things to inspire his kids, to the small businessperson looking for a new direction, to the writer or artist stuck or feeling uninspired. So in this post, I’ll briefly explain how creativity works (as I’ve observed it), and then share some tips on how to do it.

18 Things Highly Creative People Do Differently | Carolyn Gregoire | Huffington Post
Creativity works in mysterious and often paradoxical ways. Creative thinking is a stable, defining characteristic in some personalities, but it may also change based on situation and context. Inspiration and ideas often arise seemingly out of nowhere and then fail to show up when we most need them, and creative thinking requires complex cognition yet is completely distinct from the thinking process…While there’s no “typical” creative type, there are some tell-tale characteristics and behaviors of highly creative people. Here are 18 things they do differently.

How To Cultivate A Creative Thinking Habit | Jane Porter | Fast Company | Business + Innovation
Creativity isn’t a mythical creature to be caught and tamed. It’s a habit, studies suggest; a way of life that’s built over time.

The Weird, Wonderful Social Network That Puts Your Creativity First | Chris Gayomali | Fast Company | Business + Innovation
For artists, writers, and other creative types, few things mean as much as a blank white page. Its emptiness serves as a frightening reminder that you have yet to create anything of value. Its indifference is something that even gifted geniuses like Roger Ebert had to learn to cope with. But Zach Verdin, the CEO and cofounder of NewHive, views the blank page more optimistically. He sees it as an open-ended symbol of creative possibilities…

Also See on Infophile:

6 Ways To Prevent Your Next Brainstorming Session From Being A Horrible Waste Of Time | Fast Company


Read: 6 Ways To Prevent Your Next Brainstorming Session From Being A Horrible Waste Of Time | Fast Company | Business + Innovation.

Ideas suggested:

  1. Designate a topic.
  2. Require research.
  3. Put teeth into that requirement.
  4. Don’t lose ideas to meeting dynamics.
  5. Debate with purpose.
  6. Put a few ideas to work fast.

See also: 24 Essential Mind Mapping and Brainstorming Tools | Mashable

24 Essential Mind Mapping and Brainstorming Tools | Mashable


Mind mapping is the process of using visual diagrams to show the relationships between ideas or information. Its popular uses include project planning, collecting and organizing thoughts, brainstorming and presentations — all in order to help solve problems, map out resources and uncover new ideas.

It can be more useful than trying to keep track of our ideas by scribbling them on paper, and can aid in manipulating and generating concepts.

We’ve compiled a list of 24 mind mapping tools to help you organize, summarize and visualize information, with both free and paid versions available to suit any budget or requirement. The tools mentioned are either browser- or desktop-based, with a selection of mind mapping mobile apps at the end of the article for use on iOS and Android devices.

See the list: 24 Essential Mind Mapping and Brainstorming Tools | Mashable.

Five Best Mind Mapping Tools | Lifehacker


Mind mapping is a great way to brainstorm, make a plan, or turn ideas into the steps needed to make it real. Thankfully, there are great tools out there to help you build mind maps, organize them, and save them for later via Five Best Mind Mapping Tools | Lifehacker.

GTA Technology Topics, Tips & Tricks: Tools to Help Support Learning & Organization


Here are some great tools to think about using to help you learn and organize! There is of course the Google Apps suite but the recommendations posted below are out of the box type of tools!
Quizlets Flashcards help you study for final exams, languages, vocabulary, etc. and they can be shared. Web-based. (Free)
Index Card for Apple iPad lets you write index cards. Useful for those non-linear thinkers! ($4.99)
inClass for Apple iPad and iPhone is basically a digital planner, allowing you to store multimedia notes and organize your schedule (free)
Evernote for PC and Mac OS X. Amazing tool where you can tag notes and save web clips, text documents, pdfs, etc. Can be used in every aspect of your life and I think its a great tool for saving and organizing recipes. Their tagline is “Remember Everything” and there is a browser plug-in. Syncs across devices. (free)
iProcrastinate for Mac OS X and iPhone. Sync calendars, tasks and to do lists. You can break down tasks into components. (free)
bubbl.us is a brainstorming tool. Web-based. (free)
Diigo lets you bookmark, highlight and sticky note (annotate web) pages. Web-based and all platforms. (try for free = limited features)