3 Cognitive Enchantments to Innovate and Boost Creative Thinking | Mitch Carter Jafery

Mitch Carter Jafery, Chief Creative Officer at IDEO, delivers an inspiring lecture at Harvard's ENGSCI 139 class titled "Beyond Here Be Dragons: Reigning the Imagination to Create the Truly New."
Carter Jafery explores the necessity of transcending traditional boundaries in thinking to unlock true innovation. She begins by invoking the medieval concept where maps marked uncharted territories with "Here Be Dragons," symbolizing the unknown and the opportunities it holds. She relates this to the modern challenge of innovation, urging a departure from conventional wisdom to venture into the realms of the unexplored and the radically different. She emphasizes the importance of a rewilded imagination, which involves breaking away from accepted norms and venturing beyond the safe confines of current reality.
Throughout her talk, Carter Jafery introduces three cognitive enchantment methods-Oroborus, Fay, and Shapeshifter-that serve as tools to hack reality and expand the boundaries of creativity. The Oroborus encourages breaking out of circular thinking patterns to reimagine the systems we are part of. The Fay focuses on the power of naming and language to conjure new realities. The Shapeshifter emphasizes flexibility and the capacity to envision multiple futures.
Through engaging stories and vivid examples, Carter Jafery illustrates how these methods can be applied to foster innovation in design and beyond, challenging her audience to push the limits of their creativity to foresee and shape the future.