Experiential Innovation Activities

Should you try Google’s famous “20% time” experiment to encourage innovation? We tried this at Duolingo years ago. It didn’t work. It wasn’t enough time for people to start meaningful projects, and very few people took advantage of it because the framework was pretty vague. I knew there had to be other ways to drive innovation at the company. So, here are 3 other initiatives we’ve tried, what we’ve learned from each, and what we're going to try next. 💡 Innovation Awards: Annual recognition for those who move the needle with boundary-pushing projects. The upside: These awards make our commitment to innovation clear, and offer a well-deserved incentive to those who have done remarkable work. The downside: It’s given to individuals, but we want to incentivize team work. What’s more, it’s not necessarily a framework for coming up with the next big thing. 💻 Hackathon: This is a good framework, and lots of companies do it. Everyone (not just engineers) can take two days to collaborate on and present anything that excites them, as long as it advances our mission or addresses a key business need. The upside: Some of our biggest features grew out of hackathon projects, from the Duolingo English Test (born at our first hackathon in 2013) to our avatar builder. The downside: Other than the time/resource constraint, projects rarely align with our current priorities. The ones that take off hit the elusive combo of right time + a problem that no other team could tackle. 💥 Special Projects: Knowing that ideal equation, we started a new program for fostering innovation, playfully dubbed DARPA (Duolingo Advanced Research Project Agency). The idea: anyone can pitch an idea at any time. If they get consensus on it and if it’s not in the purview of another team, a cross-functional group is formed to bring the project to fruition. The most creative work tends to happen when a problem is not in the clear purview of a particular team; this program creates a path for bringing these kinds of interdisciplinary ideas to life. Our Duo and Lily mascot suits (featured often on our social accounts) came from this, as did our Duo plushie and the merch store. (And if this photo doesn't show why we needed to innovate for new suits, I don't know what will!) The biggest challenge: figuring out how to transition ownership of a successful project after the strike team’s work is done. 👀 What’s next? We’re working on a program that proactively identifies big picture, unassigned problems that we haven’t figured out yet and then incentivizes people to create proposals for solving them. How that will work is still to be determined, but we know there is a lot of fertile ground for it to take root. How does your company create an environment of creativity that encourages true innovation? I'm interested to hear what's worked for you, so please feel free to share in the comments! #duolingo #innovation #hackathon #creativity #bigideas

We can’t predict the future. But we can approach it more systematically. That’s where futures thinking (or strategic foresight) comes in. And it’s a critical part of good strategic design. You’ll often hear futurists say: “Foresight precedes strategy.” That’s only true if we treat strategy as a fixed plan, built in a linear way. When we instead see strategy as a testable hypothesis, futures thinking becomes more powerful. The two start to shape each other. One of the hardest parts of futures work is that it asks us to question our own values and beliefs. At its best, it creates a scaffold that helps people think the unthinkable. Here’s how futures thinking shows up in my strategic design practice. FRAMING AND SCOPING Getting alignment early matters. Futures tools can be used for different challenges, so framing the right question is essential. Clear scope and shared intent give the work its best chance of success. SCANNING Often called horizon scanning. This is where we lift our gaze and look for weak signals of change. These early signs can point to larger shifts ahead. They form the raw material for scenarios, alongside drivers of change and, to a lesser extent, trends. UNDERSTANDING IMPACT Not all signals matter equally. We explore which ones could have the biggest impact, or where uncertainty is highest. Tools like impact wheels and probability–impact matrices help build shared perspectives and increase situational awareness. SCENARIOS Scenarios turn signals into stories about alternate futures. They help us test assumptions, surface risks, and spot opportunities. Importantly, they let us rehearse decisions before we have to make them. STRATEGY FORMULATION In a linear process, strategy is the end point. In a complex world, that rarely works. Rather than a single plan, I’m interested in strategy as a system. New information about the future feeds into decisions in regular cycles, not as a one-off exercise. This is only a personal snapshot. Each stage has more depth and nuance, and many practitioners would break this into more steps. Because I also work with a complexity lens, I’m less interested in futures as a way to design an ideal future and “close the gap”. For me, the real value of futures thinking is its ability to: - Broaden what we notice - Challenge hidden assumptions - Build resilience in strategic decision-making Futures thinking isn’t a silver bullet. But its value grows when it’s used alongside other complementary practices. It expands what we can imagine, while understanding complex adaptive systems helps us respond to what’s emerging in the present. #StrategicDesign #FuturesThinking #Strategy #DesignThinking #StrategicForesight

5 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼-𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 🧠 How Neuroscience Unlocks Futures The ability to envision multiple futures is critical for decision-making, innovation, and visionary leadership. Cutting-edge neuroscience research has revealed surprising insights into how our brains construct futures. Here are five key findings from the field of neuro-foresight for you: 1️⃣ 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼-𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆-𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 Memories are the foundation of future thinking. Imagining futures engages the same brain networks as recalling the past. (Kucyi et al., 2023; Andrews-Hanna & Grilli, 2021) 💡 𝘜𝘴𝘦 V𝘙, 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴. 2️⃣ 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼-𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘁-𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘂𝗺 Future thinking extends memory. We construct futures by creatively combining past experiences. (Andrews-Hanna & Grilli, 2021) 💡 𝘛𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 be aware of 𝘯𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴. 3️⃣ 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼-𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 ��𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 Future thinking involves event simulation, intention planning, and valuing future rewards—each relying on different brain regions. (Cona et al., 2023) 💡 𝘈𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥, 𝘷𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 4️⃣ 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼-𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Emotional valence shapes how we imagine future scenarios. (Cocquyt & Palombo, 2023) 💡 𝘙𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴—𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴. 5️⃣ 𝗡𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼-𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 Off-task thinking fuels future simulation, creativity, and problem-solving. (Kucyi et al., 2023) 💡 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴. Understanding these neurocognitive mechanisms can enhance your strategic foresight, improve imagination, boost creativity, and refine long-term decision-making. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 is not a distant horizon; it is being constructed in your minds every day, shaped by memory, emotion, and imagination. 📚 References in the comments. *************** 👉 Follow Ewa Lombard, PhD, and Sebastian Baumann for more insights on neuro-foresight, visionary leadership, and future-fit decision-making. Press 🔔 to stay updated on upcoming posts, articles, and our peer-reviewed papers on these topics. 👉 Find more info on our 2025 special 𝗙𝗨𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗨𝗡𝗙𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 - exclusive visionary leadership retreats and trainings - at Gravity & Grandeur.

How to Think Like a Futurist: A Leader’s Guide to Strategic Foresight and Better Decision Making! Futuring is not about finding the right answer or predicting what comes next. It’s about widening the frame, asking better questions, and making space for new ideas to emerge. The more we can make futuring available and tangible and possible for people, the more likely they are to start thinking long-term. And if everybody starts thinking long-term and systemically, we can start solving these big issues that exist—and we can design the future that we want. Key Takeaways 1. Futuring is about preparation, not prediction It helps leaders make better decisions today by exploring what might happen tomorrow.
 2. Start just beyond your planning horizon Near-futuring is a practical way to stretch your thinking without getting lost in abstraction.
 3. Ask better questions A go-to prompt: “What would have to be true for this to work?” It shifts focus from barriers to possibilities.
 4. Make futures tangible Use artifacts, stories, and everyday scenarios to bring long-term ideas to life and make them actionable.
 5. Futuring is a leadership skill It fosters agency, clarity, and purpose and empowers teams to imagine and work toward a preferred future.
 6. Embed futuring in your culture Integrate futures thinking into your planning, meetings, and team rituals—not just strategy decks.
 7. You don’t need to be a futurist to think like one Start small. Start near. And help your organization become more future-ready, one decision at a time. Make sure to check out this podcast Jennifer Lo, Senior Director of Design Futures at IDEO here: https://lnkd.in/drB7uWZs —— For regular updates on Transformative Innovation, make sure to follow us here: The Futuring Alliance The Futuring Alliance unites visionaries across business, policy, science, and society who believe the best way to predict the future is to shape it – together #innovation #transformativeinnovation #foresight #futures #systems #systemschange #strategy #venturing #impact

Some years ago, I had the privilege of coaching a senior executive at a global tech company. She was exceptional at thinking big. Not just in the abstract, but in how she shaped ambition. She drafted bold visions, reframed constraints as creative tension, and refused to let others define the limits of possibility. She didn’t just think outside the box. She questioned why the box existed in the first place. She challenged norms. She reimagined products and markets. She refused to be defined by what others thought was “realistic.” While others got lost in roadmaps, she redrew the map entirely. That ability didn’t just inspire her teams. It gave them permission to think bigger too. Too often, talented people trap themselves in the doable instead of the meaningful. But like she showed, thinking big shifts the altitude of everything: strategy, culture, even self-belief. So how do you learn to think that way? Here are five real-world strategies to stretch your mental field of vision: ➡️ Zoom out before zooming in Big thinking starts with expanding the frame before filling in the details. Run a “10x scenario” and ask: What would this look like if we had to multiply its impact tenfold? ➡️ Be slightly ahead of your time Visionaries act before the trend curve catches up. Hold regular “future signals” sessions to explore weak trends, early technologies, and ideas from the edge. ➡️ Rethink the assumptions, not just the plan Breakthroughs often come from questioning what others take for granted. Imagine your idea has failed completely, then list the reasons why. That is where hidden assumptions live. ➡️ Cross-pollinate with other fields New ideas often come from unfamiliar angles. Invite thinkers from other domains like science, design or the arts to expand your perspective. ➡️ Leave space for the unknown Big thinking needs room to breathe, explore and evolve. Keep ten percent of time or budget unallocated so you can adapt when something unexpected emerges. Now, let’s be honest: big thinking alone won’t get you there. Bold visions without operational muscle are like kites without wind. They float briefly, then fall. But that’s a story for next time… *********************** Hi, I'm Andreas. An executive coach, consultant, and sparring partner to leaders and entrepreneurs worldwide. Former senior leader at Amazon, L’Oréal, Chewy, and executive board member at Tchibo. #thinkbig #vision #inspiration #leader #leadership #avdh #strategy #ambition

Spider's silk is 5x stronger than steel. Students just built a Camping House with it. Traditional programs graduate 89% of engineers who've never touched real materials. These students built 10 structures in 6 months using nature's blueprints. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵: ↳ Theoretical calculations on whiteboards ↳ Computer simulations without context   ↳ Zero hands-on building experience ↳ Graduates who design what can't be built 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 Students design, budget, and physically construct functional camping structures. Every beam they place teaches load distribution. Every joint they weld reveals material behavior. Every budget overrun teaches project economics. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗣𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆: ↳ Structural analysis through physical feedback ↳ Project management with real deadlines ↳ Cross-functional team collaboration ↳ Resource optimization under constraints ↳ Rapid prototyping and iteration cycles The wisdom flows both ways. When students build in harmony with the landscape, they absorb lessons no simulation can teach. Companies report these graduates solve problems 60% faster - they've learned to think like nature's master builders. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵: Each camping house becomes a living laboratory. Students learn to read the land's story - how wind shapes design, how water flows direct foundation work, how sunlight transforms spaces. They're not just building structures - they're crafting relationships between humans and habitat. 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀: 1 hands-on project = 3 semesters of theory come alive 10 structures built = a new generation of earth-conscious innovators 100 programs blooming = an engineering revolution rooted in nature's wisdom The result? Graduates who don't just design buildings - they craft spaces that honor both human needs and natural systems. Follow me for stories where innovation grows from the ground up, not just from theory. Share if you believe the best engineering solutions are written in the language of nature.

Prototyping is proven to have the potential to transform the speed, quality & impact of instructional design: can AI finally make prototyping a standard part of our process? For years, studies have shown that rapid prototyping in instructional design: 📊 Significantly shortens development cycles (Gerber & Carroll, 2012) 📊 Improves instructional quality (Daugherty et al., 2007) 📊 Enhances the quality of stakeholder collaboration (Nixon & Lee, 2001) Despite 20+ years of evidence & tools like Balsamiq and Figma, instructional design has remained stuck in waterfall workflows with little if any testing & iteration. The question I've been exploring this week is, will AI prototyping tools change this? In this week's blog post I share what I learned prototyping a recent training design using AI. TLDR: → AI tools like Claude, Vercel & Loveable are finally making rapid prototyping in instructional design practical, fast, and accessible—transforming abstract learning concepts into testable, shareable experiences in minutes → While AI isn’t a silver bullet (it struggles with complex visuals and multi-page journeys), it does a good job of generating realistic, evidence-based scenarios, assessments, and case studies—*provided* the designer brings strong instructional expertise and prompt precision → The future of L&D lies in combining deep pedagogical expertise with AI fluency. Check out my full guide to AI prototyping for L&D, complete with prompts you can try for yourself, using the link in comments. Happy innovating! Phil 👋

Do organisations need to start thinking about having a 'futurist-in-residence'? IDEO think so (...and so do I, but I *might* be biased). One of the frameworks they mention in this article is creating "artefacts from the future". We had so much fun doing this a couple of weeks ago in symbio-futures workshop for the AdaptNSW Forum X Purpose Conference (cc: Arielle Breit, Andy Marks & Symbiocene Institute. During the workshop, we were able to create a bunch of products and visions of the future for the food system and the built environment, and bring them to life with generative AI. What's so great about this particular method is that it creates a platform for discussion around these artefacts, and what it might mean for the future (and even whether we want to build them!). Off the back of the AdaptNSW Forum, Catherine Kerr had a lovely way of thinking about adaptation, saying "adaptation is future crafting". As the climate changes and technology rapidly evolves, we need to start having more conversations about the future we want to build and also how to better prepare for it. This is where futures thinking is key (or futures crafting!). From the article: "Having a futurist-in-residence is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a strategic imperative. This role is critical for two reasons: preparation and opportunity. With so many variables at play—from technological advances to societal shifts—it’s critical to have someone who can filter through the signal noise, identify potential game-changing opportunities, and help those who guide the organisation to adopt a more forward-thinking approach. The role can also foster a culture that challenges assumptions, encourages innovative and creative thinking, and equips teams to identify and interpret the forces that are shaping tomorrow." #futuresthinking #futurescrafting #futures #adaptation #futurist #ideo https://lnkd.in/g9CseRAG

𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟎+ 𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐰𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐝… 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐝𝐞. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫!! Not flashy. Not code. Just 3 shared docs that made our team 𝟏𝟎𝐱 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 + 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝. Here’s exactly what they are (and how to make them work for you): 👇 📄 𝟏. “𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐃𝐮𝐦𝐩 + 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐱” 𝐃𝐨𝐜 Before building anything, we brain-dump 7–10 ideas + rate them on: -Relevance to theme -Personal connection to the problem -Uniqueness -Feasibility in 24–36 hours ✅ Helps avoid “cool idea but impossible to finish” traps. ✅ Keeps the whole team aligned from Hour 0. 📄 𝟐. “𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 (𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐭 😅)” No fancy Trello — just a doc with: - Backend tasks - Frontend tasks - Logic/ML tasks - Demo + pitch prep Each person picks their area early, so we don’t overlap or wait on each other. We color-code: Doing, Done, Blocked. Simple. Clean. Stress-free (well, almost 😅). 📄 𝟑. “𝐏𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩” 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭 (𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨!) While building, one teammate starts documenting: -The “Why” behind the project -1 line summary anyone can understand -Bullet points for the final pitch By the time we demo, we’re not rushing to write slides. We already know what story we’re telling. These 3 docs saved us from: 🚫 Confusion 🚫 Last-minute scrambling 🚫 Messy project direction And took us to: ✅ Better teamwork ✅ Clearer builds ✅ 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬 🏆 💡 Next time you join a hackathon — create these 3 docs before the first line of code. You’ll be shocked how much smoother everything runs. If this helped, tag your team or drop your own hackathon rituals below 👇 Let’s all stop reinventing the chaos 😄 #HackathonTips #TeamProductivity #HackathonDocs #BuildBetter #PitchReady #CodeWithClarity #InnovationInTeams #TeamCodeBlue

Turn Your Ideas Into Action Sooner ... Execution speed is the new advantage. And speed comes from iteration, not certainty. Here are 5 practical ways to move from ideas to action faster: 1. Go From Big Projects to Small Experiments Don’t start with “the full solution.” Start with a hypothesis and a test. Small experiments reduce risk — and accelerate learning. 2. Shorten Your Feedback Loops Share early. Prototype sooner. Test weekly. Real feedback beats internal debate every time. Progress loves pace. 3. Celebrate Learning, Not Only Success Success is the result. Learning is the engine. Hold short debriefs. Capture insights. Reuse what you learn. 4. Simplify Decision-Making Innovation slows when every step needs approval. Empower teams with decision rights and clear guardrails. Trust is a speed multiplier. 5. Validate Before You Scale Don’t expand because the idea is interesting or liked. Scale it only when the market shows it is valued. Fit first → then scale with confidence. The mindset: Innovation is a cycle — test → learn → adapt → repeat. Your real competitive advantage is how fast you learn. What is one small experiment you could launch this month? Share it below — I’d love to hear. #Innovation #Agility #DesignThinking #Leadership #Strategy #LearningCulture #Execution #ChangeMakers