Prospecting for Those Valuable Ideas
- Frazer Macdonald Hay
- Aug 13, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 11
Written by #FrazerMacdonaldHay
In these testing times, where idea generation and problem-solving are more vital than ever, it goes without saying that we must remain curious, versatile, and connected. But what does that really mean? How do we identify, extract, and amplify the potential within people, projects, or fleeting moments?
The phrase “to create is to recombine” has never been more relevant, but it’s easier said than done. During my time prospecting for ideas, particularly as the founding chair of the Creative Industries Group at the British Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (2015), I learned that true creativity requires more than clever juxtapositions. It demands orchestration.
Engaging with dynamic professionals from Google, Barclays, Goldman Sachs, BP, and the British Council revealed something consistent: successful organisations thrive not just on innovation, but on the agility and articulation of ideas. Given the right environment, those ideas can be mined, decoded, and re-coded, like strands of DNA uncovered through storytelling, deep listening, empathy, interaction, intuition, and analysis.
Once the DNA of an idea or a practice is identified, something remarkable happens. A kind of conceptual “genetic modification” becomes possible—fragile, yes, but potentially transformative. Hybrid or adapted ideas often form the kernel of a new approach, a brave first step toward solving complex challenges through new lenses. Yet, conception is only half the battle. The real work lies in refinement, application, and perseverance.
I was recently encouraged to read The Ideas That Rule Us by Nathan J. Murphy, a powerful reminder that ideas are not just passive inheritances, but active choices. Murphy argues that we should all take ownership of the ideas that shape our lives, interrogate those we’ve inherited, and nurture the ones we want to see flourish.
This is where my own interest lies: in the life cycle of ideas, where they germinate, how they form, and how to recognise them even before they exist in full, when they are still just a whisper.
Today’s world demands not only interdisciplinary thinking, but orchestrated thinking. The real challenge isn’t just bringing together diverse disciplines, it’s in provoking, coordinating, and catalysing their interactions. That means stripping back unhelpful stereotypes, biases, and inherited assumptions. It calls for polymathic minds with a sense of adventure — and no fear of failure.
At Uniform November, this ethos is our foundation. We tackle complex problems through purposeful co-creation and collaboration, drawing insight from diverse and often unexpected sources. We are tireless in our curiosity, intentional in our orchestration, and fearless in our pursuit of better questions.
Because the future doesn’t run on certainty—it runs on ideas.
