Invention Mobs
Course Description: What is invention, and what role does it play in our professional lives? In A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink argues that the business world is moving from “The Information Age” to “The Conceptual Age,” and in order to succeed, modern workers will need to engage their creative faculties more than ever before. In this course, students will study and practice the art of invention in writing, business, and technology, and each student will develop an individual and collaborative creative process.
Invention Mobs
Your first project will be structured as “invention mobs.” Think of “invention” in broad terms. Perform an impromptu skit, create a device, compose a song, construct a board game, or something else. The project must be collaborative in nature, incorporating not only the ideas and contributions of the group members, but of strangers in the community as well. We will experiment with the invention process, working in different spaces and with different preparations. Your group will present a narrative of your process in a public symposium. In addition, each member will document and analyze the dynamics that culminated in that result, including individual contributions, group synergy, creative space, and purpose.
Student Examples:
Creativity @Tech Rap
By Shannon Evanchec, Walker Whited, Lydia Wilmer, Merrik Metcalf
Lost the Sun (Where Are You?)
By Amit Garg, Brian Price, Matthew Hyer, James Matthew Staebell
Time Flies
By Garrison Fox, Eric Slep, Qiming Zhang, Andrew Mehlberg
What’s Your Food
By Hiyong (Haley) Byun, Da Hyoue (Hannah) Kwon, Paul Kim, Sam Skinner
Professional Interventions
During the second half of the semester, we will channel our creative energy toward our professional lives. What are your career goals and how can you apply “whole mind” thinking to your profession? What would you change about your profession? You will interview a faculty member, graduate student, or postdoctoral fellow in your major field at Georgia Tech to help you identify some of the problems professionals in your field face. Be sure to consider social and cultural factors in addition to science and technology barriers. Your task will be to create a product, service, or organization that can make a meaningful impact on your profession. This project will consist of individual and group components.