Tools for Innovation: The Science Behind the Practical Methods That Drive New Ideas

It is widely known that innovation is crucial to sustain success in business, government, and engineering. But capturing the effective means of fostering innovation remains elusive. How can organizations actively promote innovation, which arises from a complex combination of cognition and domain expertise? Researchers across an array of fields are studying innovation, with exciting new findings suggesting that science is beginning to understand how it can be cultivated. It is now more important than ever for seemingly distant fields to share conclusions and, in concert, translate them into viable applications.

In this unique and exciting collaboration, engineers, cognitive scientists, psychologists, computer scientists, and marketers explore the practical methods that support innovation and creative design, from different ways of thinking and conceptualizing to computer-based tools. The authors present research on processes as well as on the evaluation of existing methods. Their lessons drawn are at the forefront of the interdisciplinary movement to use science to help organizations thrive.

Arthur B. Markman is the Annabel Irion Worsham Centennial Professor of Psychology and Marketing at the University of Texas at Austin.

Kristin L. Wood is the Cullen Trust Endowed Professor in Engineering and University Distinguished Teaching Professor, Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.