Innovators meet, Hyderabad, 19th January: where `Creative genius' meets `Domain expert'

In my paper `Raising Creative Class in India' I argued that Creativity is complimentary to conventional high quality engineering, which must be present at an adequate level to permit a high quality solution. Explained it using the Cusp at left.

The model is graphical in form and can be regarded as a curved surface with a pleat forming a cusp where the two fold lines meet. Top surface denotes success and lower surface failure. The vertical axis is the potential, the best possible solution to the design problem, represented by quality of design from low to high. The two horizontal axes are the control factors. Control factor 1 is invention representing creativity and control factor 2 is convention representing conventional reasoning or logical rigour. All the points on the top surface are stable and all points on the underside of the sheet are unstable or inaccessible. Points on the two fold are semi-stable.
Path a-b represents the approach to the problem in a conventional pattern without attempting to introduce new and untested ideas. The first approach is an conventional engineering solution based on established practice and it can provide satisfactory answer to the problem . If it fails, the graph indicates a return down the slope to the failure surface. The other extreme is path a-g, which indicates a totally new solution unrestrained and unhindered by considerations of feasibility. These are esoteric thoughts but as solutions failures. Path a-c is a conventional engineering approach with a small creative content, path a-d has higher creative content approaching an optimal solution. Path a-f represents case of failure when the approach has high level of creativity but low level of logical rigour. It shows graphically that a slight deficiency of knowledge in a subject can have a disproportionate effect on the outcome. If this deficiency is overcome then this path will become path a-d.
This model shows quality of design depends on high creative inputs but creativity must be backed by high level of logical rigour. Discontinuity arises in path a-g. This is the line of `lateral thinking’. An example given by Bano is the problem of a factory effluent that pollutes the river on the bank of which it stands. The Proposal is to make the system self-regulatory by arranging factory to use for its process the water polluted by it. Path a-g says shift the factory upstream of itself so that its effluent is drawn into its intake. This is a logical impossibility. Line s-h says the same result can be obtained if the effluent discharge pipe is taken to the river upstream of the factory intake. The lIne h-d is the conventional engineering action needed to realise this solution. Line h-f indicates catastrophic failure. The logical path a-d may also fail to generate a solution and become distorted into the path a-e-f , returning to the failure level of the catastrophe surface.

Indian Innovators Association is organizing the Innovators meet on 19th to bring together Creative Genius and Domain Expert. Creative community will be represented by innovators and organisations such as  pallesrujana, IKP KP, Hyderabad Angels. Domain experts get represented by local institutes with their faculty, researchers and students.

Venue: Seminar Hall, B Block, Patrons Bhavan,  VNR VJIET, 

• Bachupally, Nizampet(SO),

• Hyderabad-500090, 

Timing : 01.30PM to 04.30PM

• Contact person: SVSS Srinivasaraju, coordinator ED Cell, (M) 9885206066

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