1. Cross-Pollinating: Increasing
Innovation by Blending Arts and
Sciences Disciplines with Engineering
and Entrepreneurship
Charlie Wood, University of Tulsa

2. Goal #1
Every student an innovator

3. Goal #2
Develop innovation
in, across, and between
all fields of study

4. Contributors to Innovation
Engineering
Entrepr STEM Entrepr
Arts & Arts &
Sciences Sciences
Innovations

5. Consumer products
Design is an important element to commercial success
Textiles: Fashion
Computers, MP3s: iPad, iPod
Cars, Airplanes
Shoes, Eyeglasses
etc
NCIIA projects too

6. Arts & Sciences
Social sciences
Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology, Economics, …
Humanities and the arts
English, History, Design, Performing arts, …
Natural sciences
Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, Genetics, …
Combining fields can improve the innovation process
Vacuum cleaners, Bug spray, 3M, IDEO, …

7. Innovation as Combination
Combining ideas is a key source for innovation
Netflix = Book of the month club + DVD rentals
Kiva.org = Venture Capital + 3rd World Relief
Google AdWords = Ad placement + Auctions
Hunger Games = Reality show + Iraq war
Biomimicry = Nature + Technology

8. Consider…
Sociology + Finance
Geology + Art
Engineering + Music
Chemistry + Museum science
Genetics + MIS
Others?
Innovations include services and processes as well

10. HAPIfork
http://www.tuaw.com/2013/01/07/ces-unveiled-the-hapifork-aims-to-help-you-track-your-eating-ha/
Water wheel
(20 gallons)

11. Exercises
“Not Bad!”
Two Buckets
iWish
R&D
Innovation Challenges
Empathy

20. Two Buckets
Each team: randomly choose a card from each of 2
buckets
One has major brand names. One has product categories.
Combine them to make a new product.
Task:
Describe your new product’s features and benefits
Who would buy it?
Can you name your new product?
Any ad ideas?

21. (also, pick 2 numbers)
1. NIKE 1. CRAYONS
2. LEGO 2. CAR SEATS
3. HARLEY DAVIDSON 3. CONCRETE
4. COVER GIRL 4. PHONES
5. PORSCHE 5. FURNITURE
6. COLGATE 6. JEWELRY
7. APPLE 7. BICYCLES
8. CENTURY 21 8. TOOTHBRUSHES
9. BUDWEISER 9. BACKPASKS
10.COCA-COLA 10.FAST FOOD
11.CATERPILLAR 11.TOYS
12.U.S. GOVERNMENT 12.THEME PARK

22. iWish
First, think of a problem or hassle people face often
Awkward social situations, parking tickets, bad breath, late,…
Can direct – e.g., visually impaired
Form teams, share ideas, and choose a problem that can
be addressed by a new app.
“I wish a cell phone could _______.”
Grab an Expo marker, draw its screen on the iPhone
whiteboard, and be ready to present

25. Generativity Theory
“Multiple, competing repertoires are the seeds of new
ideas.”
from Epstein’s book: Creativity Games for Trainers
“Combinatory play” – Einstein
“Forced association”

26. R&D / Prototyping
Try working the standard innovation process backwards:
Instead of starting with problems and developing many
possible innovations, start with innovations and consider
their application to many problems
R&Dmag.com: Spider silk, …
Inventables.com: Rapid prototyping, MakerBots

27. www.rdmag.com
Spider silk: 5x stronger than steel
Ask: “What could we do with this?”

28. Antenna Clothing
Researchers are incorporating radio antennas directly into clothing,
using metallic thread.
Ask: “What could we do with this?”
Potential for soldiers, police officers, fire
fighters, astronauts—anybody who needs to
keep their hands free for important work.
Also, elderly or disabled could wear clothing
that would let them communicate in case of
emergency,…

29. Chemical Nanobatteries
What could we do with invisible,
mobile power sources?
Permanently germ-free textiles
What could we do with this?
Consider hospital lab coats, scrub suits, gloves, and linens. Also,
food packaging, toys, medical and dental instruments, bandages,…

30. Wearable electronic devices
Transistors made from natural cotton fibers
can sense body temperature, automatically
heat up or cool down, track heart rate /
blood pressure. Uses?
Self-cleaning glass
Smelly socks
Traps scented with the odor of human feet
attracted four times as many mosquitoes as
a human volunteer

31. Get your hands on prototyping
FabLabs in major cities
Materials at (e.g.) Inventables.com

36. 3D Printing

39. Innovation Challenges [project]
A simple challenge: “ADD VALUE”
Create something new and useful – art, new product, … using:
Post-its (Stanford’s ImagineIt! program)
Pizza boxes
Old computer diskettes, CDs, parts
Social innovation challenges too
Reach out
Invite the campus, other schools, get community judges

42. Teenage Scientists Working on Turning Mosquitos Into
'Flying Syringes' to Deliver Vaccines

43. Empathy
Empathize first
Then discuss solutions to this group’s problems

44. The “Very Senior Games”
Empathy for elderly

45. Client Projects [advanced]
Find worthy causes in your community
They all need help!
Another way to develop empathy in students
Try the “Human-Centered Design” process used by IDEO:
Hear
Go into the environment, observe, interview => Inspiration
Create
Process the data, brainstorm solutions => Ideation
Develop
Select, prototype, rinse and repeat => Implementation

46. Students visited a local prison and produced TV PSAs calling for
action on the issue of Oklahoma’s high rate of female incarceration
Girl Scout meeting with inmates / daughters
at Eddie Warrior Correctional Facility

47. Bergan pet
products
Student
project

48. Student Ideas

49. Places and programs
Another shout out to administrators!
A “place”
Considered IDEO, Google, … => We proposed “Studio Blue”
A program
Nova Fellowship
Students from all majors collaborating to innovate and implement
for their favorite community causes

52. The Nova Fellowship
"Most of the really great breakthroughs in science are
unifications.”
- Owen J. Gingerich, science historian at Harvard
http://www.novafellowship.org/ (1-minute video)
Launched Fall 2012

53. Geology + Business

54. Q&A
Questions?
Handout of resources and credits is available
Contact info: charles-wood@utulsa.edu