Which type of brainstorming is more effective; fair idea exchange in a structured environment or a random, unplanned debate? If you guessed the former, you’d be wrong, according to research by author Jonah Lehrer. Scientific studies continue to debunk the myth that traditional brainstorming works. You see, the human brain needs chaos for creativity to arise. But finding a way to control chaos allows business leaders to tap into it more often and more effectively. Take a look at the evidence...

Creativity at the intersections

Why would lack of structure create better ideas? Because combining existing disciplines is one of the most successful ways that people innovate. For example, how often have you heard a new movie described as, “It’s X meets Y!” Yet when we see the film, we don’t find it to be some boring rehash. It’s something that feels entirely new and exciting. The same thing works in other fields besides entertainment. Combining existing paradigms can lead to new and creative thinking. Scholars and business owners utilize this power when they place big thinkers from various departments near each other at workplaces, increasing the chance for accidental encounters and conversations. In fact, Steve Jobs purposely designed the architecture of Pixar’s headquarters for different kinds of people to have chance encounters. Before you go out and find an oddly shaped building for your next project though, know that design thinking like this isn’t just useful in architecture. You can incorporate it into other aspects of business...