Idea Formation: A Brief Overview of a Surprisingly Intricate Phenomenon

At Collaborate, we have a light fixture comprised of several round lightbulbs projecting outward from a sphere at its center. We have come to adore this light fixture, not only for its visual appeal, but also because it represents who we are and what we believe as a company.

You might be asking, How can a light fixture possibly represent your company? I’ll explain.

Erasing the “Eureka” Moment

The universal symbol for an idea is a single lightbulb, usually accompanied by the expression “Eureka!” Pondering this, I began to ask myself: Is a single lightbulb really the best way to represent an idea?

I decided to do a little research, and I stumbled across Where Good Ideas Come From, an enlightening TED Talk (and book) from Steven Johnson, popular author on science and innovation.  Johnson has thoroughly investigated the formation of good ideas and has studied the environments in which they are developed. I was pleased - yet not totally surprised - to discover that the qualities of environments that breed great ideas flawlessly match the atmosphere of shared office environments. In short, they are environments that place value on diversity, collaboration, and progressiveness.  

Johnson adamantly drives home his belief that we should do away with the notion of the “Eureka!” moment. It just isn’t realistic. Instead, we should think of an idea as a network - literally, neurons firing in sync with each other in our brains, but also as a network of separate experiences or thoughts gradually building on each other over time, or a network of people combining individual ideas to generate an even grander idea.

Incubation and Collaboration: The Keys to a “Good” Idea

This all boils down to the light fixture I had initially mentioned, and why it represents our entrepreneurial community so well: it symbolizes not just one idea, but multiple “a-ha!” moments communicating with one another. Those “a-ha!” moments might come from the mind of a single person, stewing on accumulated thoughts for years before they evolve into an idea (incubation), or they might come from the collective minds of multiple individuals putting their heads together (collaboration).

We believe that good ideas, and the future of the work space, lies in what Johnson calls the “unpredictable power of open innovative systems.” Our light fixture is an ode to this unpredictable power, and is a daily reminder to keep on contemplating, creating, and collaborating.

Alternative Workspaces: An Outlook for 2018

As technology changes, and as both individual and company values change, the working world finds itself in a state of perpetual evolution. At Collaborate, we are elated to be a part of the thriving alternative workspace movement that develops in sync with the ever-changing professional world.

According to GCUC, the largest coworking conference series in the world, over 50% of the population will be working independently by 2020. GCUC also believes that the biggest trend in 2018 will be an increased focus on both physical and mental health/wellness. What this means is that an increasing number of working professionals - and even companies and corporations themselves - will be moving away from traditional office environments. They will be looking for space to work and, more than likely, that space is going to be outside of the home.

Why the shift? For starters, home workspaces are not only lacking in the business resources  found in office spaces, but also in the feeling of community that an office environment provides. Working from home can lead to increased stress levels, struggles with work-life balance, and feelings of isolation. Collaborate is glad to offer its members a comfort level akin to working from home, but with the added benefit of back-office support, business amenities, and networking opportunities. We've curated an atmosphere that fosters collaboration and at the same time gives tenants the privacy they need to get their work done.

It’s a brand-new year, so why not take the leap and join the alternative workspace movement? After all, working from home was so 2017. Contact us to try out a day at Collaborate - we guarantee you won’t be disappointed.