Planting the seeds: Innovation spaces of the 21st Century – Jeanne L Narum Project kaleidoscope and Susan Whitmer Herman Miller

These two consultants have been looking at blending physical spaces and virtual spaces.  This was an interactive session where they were in fact collecting attendees’ views rather than as advertised sharing their research undertaken in this area. However there was some information shared.

There was some consideration of characteristics of people who could be seen as 21^st Century innovators these included:

·         Passion

·         Engagement

·         Imagination

·         Being respectful

·         Thinking “globally”

·         Thinking outside the box

·         Drawing diverse ideas together

·         Sense of playfulness

·         The “T” person of this the I = deep knowledge of a specific discipline and ˉ= breadth of knowledge

There was then a discussion about characteristics of spaces that cultivate innovation and we all agreed that these included: spaces that support communication, colour, supporting togetherness but also room to be alone at times, space that supported momentum, energy, adaptable space, stimulating and porous so open, accessible and visible.

Barriers to creating space that encouraged innovation included money, physical infrastructure, pressures from others not to change spaces that already exist and lack of proof for the need for the changes.

One statement from speakers that we would all support is “Every space is a potential learning space.”