May 30, 2018
What is the Colour of Innovation?
Periwinkle. Indigo. Green. Blue. Black. White. A rainbow of colours.
When I started thinking about what could be a quirky question for the signoff for our upcoming podcast series on innovation for development, the first thing that came to mind was: What is the colour of innovation? That felt like an off-kilter enough question to solicit some interesting answers.
So I started testing the waters, to see the kinds of responses I would get. Suffice it to say my world has been colored fantastic! Some answers have been profound, some have been funny, but all say something about the potential innovation holds for making the world a better place. Innovation is blue, as in blue sky thinking. Innovation is green, as in all things new. Innovation is white, as in working with a blank slate.
We are officially launching the #ColourOfInnovation initiative at UNLEASH, the global SDG Innovation Lab with 1,000 youth that starts today in Singapore. With this initiative, we hope to demystify innovation; to demonstrate its flexibility, by showing how it can be interpreted in so many different ways; and to display its power to engage, connect, and think differently. We hope to create space for a global conversation on innovation and provide the encouragement and inspiration for newcomers to come on board.
This may sound kind of cheesy, but watch the videos, and I guarantee they’’ll put a smile on your face as you think about the possibilities of innovation for development! Better yet, join the conversation and tell us what is your colour of innovation and explain what that means to you. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3 …
1. Videotape yourself. Say your name and affiliation, if you want. Answer these two questions: What is the colour of innovation? Why do you say that? (most videos are about 20 seconds)
2. Post the video on your social media (or just your reflections if you’re shy!)
3. Use these hashtags: #ColourOfInnovation #inno4dev (and tag @UNDP_Innovation if you’re so inclined)
Follow #ColourOfInnovation on social media and visit here to see inspiring videos from around the world. Join us in painting the world the Colour of Innovation!
