Evidence-based creativity. Say what?

Let’s start with a basic fact. Creative thinking is a type of problem solving. BUt it’s more like fitting the peppers into the fridge drawer than finishing a sudoku.

To start off, you have a challenge. People aren’t buying your product. Users aren’t returning to your software. People aren’t responding to your job roles. (The carrots are wedging up against the broccoli). Then you have a desired outcome. Everyone buying your stuff, loving your app and wanting to join your company. Creativity is the strategy that gets you there.

We’re talking branding, communications, user-led design, copywriting, product development – there’s all manner of approaches. But they all loosely follow a process.

Do we reach for the nearest brightly coloured pen? Probably. Do we just knock out the first thing that comes into our head? No. You can’t build a discipline on luck.

Learning from Psychology

Let’s think about psychology for a minute. Is it an art or is it a science? Well, there’s an argument that says a bit of both. But officially, it started being recognised as a science in the late 1800s. That’s when the first laboratory opened, and the method became more empirical.

Behaviour doesn’t necessarily have the same black and white rules as you may find in other fields. When can you say that the way someone will behave is a fact? Really you can’t. But if you can say people react this way 99 times out of 100, and these results can be replicated again and again, then you’re building a good case. You’re starting to move from fluffy ideas to strongly supported arguments.

Turning fluffy into sturdy

Creative roles often get seen as fluffy. Why? Because everyone can write. Everyone can draw. Everyone can create an email, or a headline, or have an opinion on colour. But that that doesn’t mean they’re good at it.

So, why does one opinion prevail over another? Maybe personal status. Maybe sheer stubbornness. Or maybe because of the evidence that backs it up.

Problem versus solution

The best solutions come when you take the time to really explore the problem. And that is no different when it comes to creativity. Get to know the challenge. Speak to your audience. Gather data. Interview key people. Research the topic. Test your approach. And the solution will reveal itself. What’s more, it will start to feel like a robust and logical process.

“This is what the research showed us, and why this will get us the best response.”

“We did Y because 90% of people said X.”

“80% of people responded to A, whereas only 20% responded to B.”

Creativity doesn’t have to be seen as fluffy. It can learn from psychology. By taking the time to research we can build an evidence-based approach that is founded in strong arguments and hard to ignore. Create - test - review.

This not only builds our credibility. It makes for better conversations and better outcomes. And that’s what we all want.

So grab that coloured pen. Then turn investigator. There’s a creative problem that needs solving, but not until we’ve researched the hell out of it 🤓