Illuminating Innovation: 6 Creative Strategies to Kickstart 2025

by Jamie Schleicher and Matt Donahue

How do you bring an abstract idea to life?

Sometimes, it requires stepping out of your comfort zone, taking creative risks and innovating your way into undiscovered territory. And that’s exactly what we experienced when we embraced the opportunity to participate in Cincinnati’s iconic BLINK event—a dazzling festival of light and motion, where the city itself becomes a luminous canvas for innovation and creativity.

But for us, this was more than just a creative exercise. It was an opportunity to express our passion for human insight in an impactful way. By weaving together creativity, collaboration, and innovation, we created something bold and memorable that not only resonated with the festival’s spirit, but also represented our core values as a company.

With that in mind, here’s a look behind the scenes at how we approached this unique challenge: the hurdles we faced, the solutions we discovered and—of course—some inspiration we hope you can apply to your own everyday work.

 

Big Ideas Start Small
We started by exploring the connection between BLINK and Burke and discovered an interesting parallel: “human-power.” BLINK’s opening-night parade is entirely human-powered, and—as experts in decoding human insight—we saw this as the perfect opportunity to celebrate the confluence of humanity and technology.

But what would that look like?

To start, we brainstormed hundreds of ideas—ranging from marching bands, to live interactive puzzles and more. Of all these disparate nuggets of inspiration, one idea stood out to everyone: a giant brain float.

What better way to symbolize the power of human insight and intuition?

Key Takeaway:
While the results of our efforts loomed large on the BLINK scene, looking back, we’re reminded that the boldest innovations often start with the smallest sparks of inspiration.

 

Creative Constraints Spark Innovation
Bringing our “Parade of Minds” concept to life, we first used Generative AI to visualize the idea and rally around it. And while it makes sense to think broadly in the beginning, narrowing in on a cohesive execution can be challenging. What we found, however, is that the event’s guidelines helped bring structure to our creativity.

For example:

• Entries had to feature light as a main component.
• Floats had to be human-powered (no vehicles).
• Teams needed at least 10 physically present participants.
• The design couldn’t exceed 16 feet in height and had to be easy to carry.

What we found is that these challenges became opportunities to innovate. The constraints we faced pushed us to create something that exceeded both practical and creative expectations.

Key Takeaway:
At the end of the day, working within prescribed limitations challenged our team to think beyond the obvious and find inventive ways to express human insight. This reminds us that limitations can inspire the most ingenious solutions.

 

Diverse Perspectives Have Power
Our small-but-mighty team was diverse not just in terms of our roles, but in the unique ways we approached problems. We had individuals who were analytical, organized, and precise, as well as those who thrived in the arts.

As we collaborated, we discovered that these contrasting strengths complemented each other, helping us achieve better results by blending creativity and practicality. Some of us even discovered a shared love for crafting, while others showed their penchant for, ahem, “solving problems” with power tools.

Key Takeaway:
In the end, it was the convergence of these methodical and artistic perspectives that created a truly powerful and balanced team. By drawing on both analytical approaches and creative flair, we brought our vision to life, proving that great ideas emerge when both sides of the brain collaborate.

 

Creativity Thrives in a Safe Space
At the start, certain individuals naturally gravitated toward becoming the “creative mind” behind the execution. But we quickly realized that creativity doesn’t belong to just a few—it’s something that everyone has, even if they need a little encouragement to tap into it.

Initially, some team members hesitated to express their ideas and opinions. But by emphasizing that no idea was off-limits, we created a trusting environment where everyone felt empowered to share, no matter how raw or unfinished their thoughts were.

By the end of our work sessions, we found that everyone was actively contributing, throwing out ideas with enthusiasm, confidence, and conviction.

Key Takeaway:
The creative energy was contagious, and together, we were able to build upon each idea, which lead to solutions we wouldn’t have reached alone. By fostering a culture where “no idea is a bad idea,” we created a space where every voice contributed.

 

Iteration Is Essential
At the outset, the team honestly wasn’t sure how we were going to bring such an abstract concept to life. The vision felt big and ambitious, and the path wasn’t clear. Some ideas we tried simply didn’t work. There were also moments when we tried something that worked, but it wasn’t bold enough or didn’t align with the vision we had in mind.

But with each misstep, we learned. And we adapted.

Certainly, it took extra time and attention to get all the elements just right. But through it all, each iteration moved us closer to the vibrant and impactful creation we had envisioned. Trial, error, and refinement proved to be essential steps in our creative journey.

Key Takeaway:
We have to remember that innovation is never a straight path. Through prototyping, testing, and refining, we navigated challenges and learned from missteps. Each iteration brought us closer to our vision, proving that trial and error is an integral part of achieving something great.

 

Creativity Brings Us Together
As we neared the completion of our float, excitement grew. However, the true realization of our success came when the lights flickered on during the event. We had transformed a simple idea into a vivid, physical reality.

But our achievement wasn’t just the float itself: it was the opportunity to share a creative moment with the people around us, while also showcasing our brand in a way that made us proud.

The fun we had in bringing the concept to life allowed us to step outside our typical day-to-day roles and titles. It was a reminder that we’re all more than our job descriptions. Allowing ourselves the space to play during the workday sparked a sense of camaraderie and collective achievement.

Key Takeaway:
This sense of joy at the finish line was not only a celebration of our creativity, but also a reflection of Burke’s core value of community. We felt proud knowing that we had created something that connected us to others in a meaningful way. The process itself had become a joyful celebration of collaboration, innovation, and shared purpose.

 

Thank you so much for reading! We hope you enjoyed our creative journey, and that the list of steps below helps you to embrace your own creative ambitions with optimism, excitement and enthusiasm.

• The boldest innovations often start with the smallest sparks of inspiration
• Limitations can inspire the most ingenious solutions
• The convergence of methodical and artistic perspectives creates a powerful and balanced team
• Fostering a culture where “no idea is a bad idea” creates a space where every voice can contribute
• Innovation is never a straight path; trial and error is an integral part of achieving something great
• Lastly, be sure to celebrate the shared joy and community that the innovation process fosters!

Jamie Schleicher is SVP, Creative at Seed Strategy where she masterfully blends business strategy with creative passion to craft elegant, boundary-pushing design for advertising, data illumination, innovation, brand-building and much more.

Matt Donahue is a Creative Director at Seed Strategy with a passion—and a penchant—for product innovation, marketing theory, brand strategy, clutch alliteration and well-timed em-dashes. Not to mention the occasional fragment. Matt is a graduate of Seton Hill University’s “Writing Popular Fiction” master’s program and writes whenever he can.

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