An American guy has designed a pair of glasses …. that you pierce onto your nose. Not everyone’s thing. But top marks for creative thinking!

True innovation lies in thinking as a non-conformist and beyond any moralistic barrier. Like this dude did. You’ve got to wear your glasses every day, so why not pierce them onto your nose? That’s what James Sooy’s did and why not?
You might not like it, but all true innovators in history were seen as either weirdo’s or freaks at the start. Bell, Einstein, Gates and many more.

Today the world is increasingly narrowing down and trying to put everyone into a stream which is laid out and doesn’t give room for the ‘weirdo’s and freaks’. This is my call for being silly and coming up with cool new stuff which is not broken down by mainstream thoughts!

Read interview with James Sooy

If companies really want to innovate, it’s time they invited designers to join their boards of directors.

Denmark should almost design its BNP, according to the government. Growth and welfare should largely be borne by design and ideas in our ‘creative nation’, where innovation is on all businesses’ strategic agenda.

But how many businesses have innovation experts on their board of directors today?

I mean really idea-centric people who live from seeing possibilities everywhere? Design types with a Richard Branson gene who dare use their intuition to drive growth?

Few, in reality. Most boards of directors at Danish companies are ‘cast’ on a self-affirming and not necessarily idea-generating principle: too many people who think in the same way, even though they seemingly often disagree. Too little contrast and too much ‘group think’.

The idea person is missing

Funnily enough, one profile always seems to be missing – the idea person. Him or her whose natural instinct is to think off-the-wall from a business perspective. A professional who gives decision-makers the courage and ideas to grasp new opportunities, even when this requires a change in strategy. Someone whose job is to innovate – to generate ‘the next big thing’ by creating tension between opposing fields of expertise.

Look at the new generation of big Danish design companies who are growing rapidly in terms of business and competencies right now. Here are some of the most strategic-creative talents Denmark has to offer.

On board already

Many of them already work strategically at management level in businesses in Denmark and abroad. This is a huge potential that’s merely waiting to be harnessed as a catalyst on boards of directors. If this happens, the design mindset will be well and truly anchored in the mindset of boards of directors – and contribute strategically at a far higher level than is the case today.

Look also at the Danish Design Association, recently founded at the Danish Chamber of Commerce’s offices at Børsen in Copenhagen. This trade association will put the new, more international and more business-orientated design concept on the nation’s business map. At the same time it will move much of the design sector out of the ‘drawing office’ and in a more professional, strategic and market-orientated direction – namely, by joining boards of directors.

In other words: let the designers in – it’s time for business as unusual.

How the Danish Tourist Board sees Denmark

Say you’re a guy (José) from Barcelona, 29 years old, who has decided to spoil your girl for a weekend. You take her to Copenhagen because you both like architecture and design. Nice sharp Scandinavian design. Simple and very industrial. Not really emotional (like Gaudi, which they also love) or anything.

You get out of the plane and walk into Copenhagen International Airport. You are greeted by the slogan: Welcome to the Land of Passion and Luxury.

Ok, recap. WHAT?! Danish people are nice, friendly and when you get to know them a little they’ll invite you to go for a beer some time. But passionate? About football, maybe, but even there I must say, mwah.

You and your girl (Naïda) walk through the Copenhagen streets and see a lot of people wearing black coats, looking kind of greyish (because of the weather). You start wondering about the slogan.

You go to a jazz bar where there’s a world-jazz fusion band. It’s early, just 10pm, so you get yourselves a nice bottle of red wine and sit down in one of the nice couches.

After the band has played for half an hour, Naïda wants to dance. As the music is turning somewhat ‘tango-ish’ and you both love the tango (the dance of passion), you start dancing. People look at you, but no one follows. Only after encouragement from the band (and after 10 minutes), two ‘wild’ girls join you.

My point is that branding yourself is a great thing. But seriously, be honest to yourself and others. You’ll look like a leaking bucket when you start stating things that don’t make ANY sense at all.

You cannot force yourself into a desired identity. Identity is a natural thing, like water is fluid and air is gas.

In the end, you’ll end up being unbelievable and laughed at. Nobody wins in that situation. Disappointment is very hard to recover as a company or marketed brand.

My advice to the Danish Tourist Board: take those signs down and burn them.

Replace them with: Welcome to the Land of Fantasy, Design and Luxury.

G’day.

P.S. The fantasy part is not ONLY because of the passion thing, also because Denmark has known great fairytale writers.