Innovation to go: The top 4 takeaways from Cross Innovation Day

A day of innovation and expertise to take home. That was the Cross Innovation Day. Under the motto "Changing perspectives - shaping the future together", the Cross Innovation Hub did what it does particularly well: Bringing many and, above all, different people together on a burning topic. The concept struck a chord. Almost 200 movers and shakers from Hamburg's business groups and creative companies found their way to the Design Zentrum in HafenCity on 11 November. Inspired by presentations and interactive workshops, new approaches to innovation management were learnt about, discussed and spun further. An event with the mentality of open source software. Innovation = silent geniuses tinkering behind closed doors? That was once the case. These are the top 4 takeaways from Cross Innovation Day:

1. Serendipity or how boredom clears the mind for creativity

Serendipity refers to the phenomenon of coming up with an idea or finding something that you weren't explicitly looking for. In an age in which we use several communication channels simultaneously on every end device and split our attention, it is increasingly difficult to simply do nothing. Yet boredom promotes creative processes in the brain. If you want results, you need to rest your mind.

2. Attitude or why design should not be created for design's sake

Whenever people adapt to change, they deal with design. However, they do so intuitively and usually unconsciously. Most people perceive design as a PR tool. Yet design can and is so much more. A new generation of designers is not using design for design's sake, but to initiate profound and positive change. Be it in the fight against inequality and intolerance or in protest against Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine. Using design as an attitude is a form of application that is worth delving deeper into.

3. Failure Friday or why applause for mistakes helps us move forward

Hans auf Herz: Do you like to fail? The very idea of failing inhibits many decision-makers from pushing ahead with innovations. Where does this caution come from? Because most companies do not have a positive error culture. That can be changed. By removing the taboo on failure and consciously putting it on the agenda instead. With a Failure Friday, where past mistakes are recognised, celebrated and systematically transformed into knowledge.

4. Human-centred design or what we miss when we only look at people

Human-centred design aims to optimise systems by focusing on the users and their needs. But is this still up to date? With the current and future crises in mind, it is worth rethinking the basic principle of human-centred design: what are we missing out on if we only privilege people through design? What are the effects of alternative approaches such as Symbiosis Centreed Design, Eco Centreed Design or Design for non-human agency?