We live in an exciting world of innovation and entrepreneurialism, and it’s essential that we are tapping into this to help tackle the big environmental and social challenges that we face now and in the future. But what is the best way to go about this?
Traditionally, focus groups and surveys have been used to gather insight but these are not only limited in scope, they can be difficult to organise and produce limited impact. They also tend to be used as one-offs, instead of part of a continuous development journey to enact change.
The growth of the internet, however, has really helped organisations engage with the public in a way which is truly collaborative. Whether it’s through social media websites such as Facebook, crowd sourcing websites or open innovation platforms, organisations in the private, public and third sectors are looking to take advantage of online communities, which can penetrate all ages, regions and demographics. These groups have a variety of experience, skills and perspectives, which can be combined and applied to help develop useful ideas that people can believe in and work for businesses too.
Virtual communities draw on the strengths of many different minds and can help each other to draw on their strengths. For example one member can provide background that helps inform others of how to tackle the problem, while other members that have creative minds can create or build out ideas. The benefit of collaboration for organisations is clear, but why do ordinary people get involved and what motivates them?
To some extent it’s because of our instinctive human wiring. Academic studies have proven that intrinsic motivations, whereby an individual participates in an activity for enjoyment, curiosity, or the pure act itself, rather than for an external motivator, such as money, can lead to more creative results. It’s this innate drive that helps draw people to communities.
As such, environmentalists are particularly engaged when it comes to participation in collaborative communities because they are set on finding solutions that benefit the greater good, as exemplified by successful initiatives such as The Restart Project. This social enterprise was developed through the OpenIDEO.com
community after it was originally tasked with finding solutions to reducing e-waste.
At the start of the challenge it would have been hard to envisage that the result would take the form of Repair Rickshaws that travel around farmers markets and other hotspots fixing electronics and teaching maintenance skills to others. But it’s an inventive solution that works!
Coca-Cola Enterprises has similarly identified that people are not recycling as much as they believe they are, and so it is looking for ways to encourage at home recycling rates in a collaborative way. This is why it has invited the OpenIDEO.com community to share its suggestions on how to improve at home recycling rates and change behaviours.
R-blocks
The 11-week challenge is currently in the refinement stage and is asking the community to feedback on the 25 best ideas. A number of problem solving products such as these R Blocks recycling bins were suggested alongside a number of different app ideas that help people to think about their waste and what they do with it. In the first week alone, 59 ideas were put forward and a further 1,251 comments made which build out these ideas.
Although collaboration can take a number of forms; whether it’s through joining forces with academics to undergo research, idea exchanges or even competitors pooling resources it’s clear that the power of virtual communities are helping businesses, policy makers, society and consumers alike. More minds are better than one, so if you want to contribute to the Recycle Challenge visit www.openideo.com.
