Eunike Nugroho is a full-time mother & part time illustrator from Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Eunike went to Universitas Sebelas Maret Solo to study Visual Communication Design and has worked in several advertising agencies in Jakarta before she finally settled down in Yogyakarta doing things that she loves the most - drawings and paintings.
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posted by Margaret
crssEunike Nugroho is a full-time mother & part time illustrator from Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Eunike went to Universitas Sebelas Maret Solo to study Visual Communication Design and has worked in several advertising agencies in Jakarta before she finally settled down in Yogyakarta doing things that she loves the most - drawings and paintings.
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posted by Margaret
You’ve probably used a handy invention called “coffee sleeves” if you’ve ever visited a coffee shop. These insulators make it bearable to hold that super-hot cup of coffee. Jay Sorensen is the inventor of the coffee sleeve. He came up with this idea when he was driving his daughter to school when he spilled a cup of coffee in his lap, because the coffee was too hot to hold.
It’s common wisdom that innovative ideas must be original, new, and a flash of creativity out of the blue. But this belief is a real obstacle to creativity.
Jay Sorensen didn’t create the coffee sleeve because he was setting out to innovative. He needed to solve a problem.
Innovation is not about creating something from nothing.
There are problems everywhere, as long as you pay attention to them. Lots of great inventions come from the daily problems people encounter.
When it’s raining and you don’t want to wear clunky, unfashionable rain boots – but you don’t want to get your feet wet? There go the Dry Steppers. You want to bring a water bottle to work, but the shape of normal water bottles don’t work with your briefcase? Someone came up with the idea of Letter paper shaped bottles.
True breakthroughs happen when you notice problems and create solutions. Problems stimulate you to really think about what can be improved. Observing problems is a good start.
There are different types of problems. Some are easier to stimulate innovative ideas, some are more difficult. Finding out the type of problem you have identified helps you to know your effort needed to create new ideas.
Difficulty Level: ★★★
Some problems already have good solutions available. For example, in hot and humid climates, people have adjusted to the use of fans and air conditioning. It would take a huge breakthrough in order to think of a solution superior to what’s already available.
So, a brand-new invention to address hot climates would be a very difficult innovation to accomplish. There is no clear need for a new solution.
Difficulty Level: ★★
A more intermediate scenario is when a problem has existed for a long time, and no solutions have yet emerged.
These intermediate problems are often very hard to fix because of their scale or complexity. For example, poverty is a huge problem, and everyone knows that. But nobody has “fixed” it probably because it’s hard to fix, and there are limitations on the resources to fix it.
When anything is possible, it’s difficult to know when and how to kick it off. But this situation can also be positive. With intermediate problems, you have no restrictions, and so you’re free to try out creative ideas. Take this as a source of inspiration. You might not have the resources to apply your solution right now, but that shouldn’t hold you back. Think of a solution and try it out when the timing is right.
Difficulty Level: ★
Finally, there are easy innovations. These include problems that do have available solutions, but those solutions are flawed. You can take what’s already there and improve on it. For example, the smartphone is in many ways an improvement of the original cell phone; it has added a lot of new functionality to an old technology.
While you might feel inspired to tackle a 3-star problem, you might try to kickstart your innovation with an 2-star or 1-star problem first.
There are tons of problems out there, in every conceivable area of life. Look for one that is within your own field of expertise – where you can excel by using your knowledge and skills. By narrowing the scope of the problem, you also won’t get distracted by problems that you can’t control.
In your own field of work, you see recurring problems all the time. Find one that bothers you and dig deep into the root causes. Ask yourself, why does this happen all the time? Are there layers of causes? Understanding the problem deeply helps you think of more and better approaches to it.
Once you have identified the causes, turn to solutions.
First, are there any existing workarounds? If there are some, why aren’t they effective? Perhaps they don’t really address the root causes, or only address some of them. Consider how you might improve the available solution. If it’s possible to improve an existing solution, it could be easier to implement than something brand-new.
If there are no available solutions, then start brainstorming new solutions. In this scenario, it could be pretty tough to fix the problem outright. So instead of aiming to fix the root cause immediately, try to target individual layers of causes one at a time. This piecemeal kind of approach can help you work your way up to a complete solution.
Don’t look for a great idea. Look for a good problem. Observe the troubles that you come across in your everyday life.
It’s by addressing these problems that you can make the most positive impact on the world.
The post To Make Space for Creativity, Stop Looking for Great Ideas appeared first on Lifehack.
Leadership will never just ‘happen’. It is a state of mind and a way of acting in the world. Simply working hard and growing older will not guarantee that the opportunities and skills will just come to you. In other words, you need to actively grow into a leader instead of passively hoping that life will be kind to you.
Some of us will be in the right place at the right time – your chance may come as you shuffle up the hierarchy and into a leadership role. But getting promoted doesn’t make you an instant leader. This is just the beginning of your journey – a chance to realize your potential.
This even applies if you are the CEO of a company – you may be a ‘boss’ but you may not be a ‘leader’.
Being a leader is about inspiring others to join you in pursuit of the same goals. Remember that leadership skills can be practised anywhere at any time, regardless of your official status. Be a leader at home, at school, at work – it’s a way of life.
As the CEO of Lifehack, I’ve been taking the leadership journey – and I’ve gathered together into one handy guide some of the most useful tips for all aspiring leaders.
Only a fraction of people are blessed with natural confidence – luckily, for the rest of us, it can also be built. Don’t draw confidence from the external world because it’s unreliable and ever-changing. Instead.
Becoming a leader is not easy. That’s the beauty of it – everyone could learn to be a leader, but not everyone believes it or actually takes action. If you put in the time and effort, you can reach the top first – and then help others rise up too.
Go out there and be the leader you’ve always meant to be!
The post The CEO’s Guide to True Leadership appeared first on Lifehack.
Perched atop a hill on the outskirts of Mykonos Town, this 5-star luxury hotel fuses typical whitewashed architecture with modern sophistication, cocooning guests in sublime Cycladic luxury.
Drenched in bright Aegean light, rooms face glorious panoramas of the ink blue sea, while the soothingly stylish suites are decked out with charming outdoor pools and Jacuzzi.
In terms of food, days at Myconian Kyma start with a lavish Champagne breakfast by the pool and end with Mediterranean haute cuisine at the hotel’s fine dining Kalypso Restaurant. In between, make sure to visit the onsite Satori Thalasso spa, where 5 indoor therapy pools and a variety of luxurious massages are bound to relax and rejuvenate your mind and body.
Ananya Khaitan is a graphic designer from India. He has created characters with the shape of alphabet letters hidden in each illustration. Can you see the letters in the illustrations above? M and N (same gif), S, V, I, D and Z. You can see the whole set HERE. Thanks Quipsologies.
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Posted by Lisa
