From Newton’s apple to the invention of the Post-it note or the microwave, one can never overstate the role of chance in the world of innovation. Yet this idea doesn’t sit comfortably with the corporate world, where chance is more often associated with risk. So, what do innovative companies rely on to generate new ideas? Does innovation require constraints, or should it instead be given the freedom to allow for the unexpected and the accidental? As is often the case, the truth likely lies somewhere in between.
“Concepts don’t exist ready-made; they don’t float in the sky; they’re not stars to be gazed at. They must be created, they must be fabricated,” said philosopher Gilles Deleuze about the creative act. In many respects, innovation follows this very path. Innovation must be crafted. More often than not, it arises as a collective act of creation rather than a stroke of genius from a lone inventor in a garage. In the complex structure of a company, innovation typically needs a method in order to emerge. This structure relies on creative problem-solving processes, which often involve organizing effort, coordinating ideas, and planning innovation phases so they align with business development. “Creativity is more than mere imagination. It’s imagination inseparably linked to intent and effort,” wrote advertising executive Alex Osborn in the 1950s, a pioneer of “active thinking” and the well-known concept of brainstorming.
Innovation: from idea to method
With Osborn, innovation took a new turn. It became about solving a specific problem using a defined process, at a time when companies sought structured and systematic ways of operating. “Today, when we talk about innovation, we tend to standardize it—make it something active, turn it into a method. We run design thinking workshops, stick up Post-its, organize brainstorming sessions, and so on. We try to provoke innovation actively through methods,” noted philosopher Emma Carenini at the Explore Summit held in April 2025. Innovation thus carries the reputation of being the result of deliberate intent, nurtured by a “favorable setup.” We innovate because we make it possible to do so—an idea that seemingly rules out any role for chance. Adopting a method provides reassurance for organizations, especially in a time when digital technologies and repeated “disruptions” continue to shake up the comfortable order of incremental innovation. But for Emma Carenini, “Innovation has an element of the unexpected. Of the unpredictable. Trying to provoke the unexpected, to provoke serendipity, is a bit contradictory.” For her, innovation is above all about open space—allowing for the kind of “fortuitous encounter” cherished by the Surrealists.
Bissociation: when the chicken meets the knife
Such a perspective aligns well with the principle of bisociation, popularized in the 1950s by essayist Arthur Koestler, who viewed innovation as the free association of seemingly unrelated domains—whose unlikely meeting gives rise to a new idea. This view of innovation stands in contrast to incremental approaches, yet it has led to the creation of products like the Walkman, kite surfing, mountain bikes, and more recently, services such as Airbnb. “What Arthur Koestler said is that this bisociation—this fusion that creates something new—cannot be planned or provoked; it emerges in states of relaxation,” adds Emma Carenini. “And this is, in fact, often how great inventions and innovations have happened throughout history.”
“Innovation is an attitude”
By combining seemingly distant ideas, the principle of bisociation becomes a powerful tool to stimulate creativity at every level of an organization. Yet, even though it encourages a kind of letting go, bisociation can still be structured within organizations. However, as Jean-Louis Fréchin, designer and founder of the innovation agency NoDesign, reminds us, “All major innovations were born from abnormal functioning within companies.” In other words, “You have to step out of the box,” says Fréchin, who is critical of treating innovation like a set of instructions. “Innovation is an attitude. It can happen anywhere, at any time, and potentially by anyone.” This statement again supports the idea that the unexpected plays a key role in the emergence of new ideas.
How can we make innovation happen?
Still, Jean-Louis Fréchin offers nuance: freedom doesn’t rule out a structure that fosters creativity within companies. He proposes three conditions as a framework. First, the context. While there’s no single prevailing method, certain environments can be conducive to innovation. Open creative spaces like fab labs, encouragement of spontaneous experimentation, cross-departmental dialogue, promotion of “side projects,” and a culture of curiosity—all of these help create a professional environment favorable to innovation. Next, the human factor. Innovation often depends on individuals who can rally support behind their ideas—profiles Fréchin likens to superheroes or wise elders, depending on whether they challenge the status quo or leverage experience. These archetypes help demonstrate that there is no single path to innovation. Finally, listening. Innovation is always a collective endeavor, and ideas are not the sole domain of any one department. They can emerge from anywhere within the organization—if you know how to listen.
Innovation on the lookout
A certain consensus emerges: innovation never happens in isolation. This is especially true in a world shaped by platforms and empowered consumers. Today, innovation involves all stakeholders in the creation of a product, service, or technology. “An innovation system is necessarily anchored in the economic regime that underpins it,” reminds Thierry Rayna, researcher and professor in innovation management. Rather than locking itself into supposedly universal formulas, innovation must open up to its environment, function as an ecosystem, and become by nature collective and distributed. For Rayna, “The rise of new forms of innovation (open, user-driven, participative, crowd-based, etc.) over recent decades is entirely logical, as they simply reflect the new economic regime taking shape.”
The convergence of forces
Innovation capacity now hinges on a principle of convergence—channeling all available forces: the company’s ability to bring people together, to unite diverse profiles, methods, and interests around a common goal; to synthesize ideas; to manage conflicts; and to build common ground. Here we see once again the importance of context, dialogue, and individual and collective energy, as mentioned by Jean-Louis Fréchin. Perhaps this is another kind of method—one that still relies on the creative potential of unexpected encounters to spark new ideas.
