Joanna Chin

My Latest Website Crush (From Arts Watch)

Posted by Joanna Chin, Apr 13, 2011 0 comments


Joanna Chin

Joanna Chin

Joanna Chin

In the past few weeks, I’ve become addicted to this new online thing.

And by addicted, I simply mean that participating in it has sort of taken over my free time.

No, it’s not Twitter or Facebook or Linkedin or FourSquare…in fact, it’s not any of the usual suspects.

My latest web crush is called OpenIDEO.

It’s an online platform developed by the design firm, IDEO, as a way to include a broader range of people in tackling significant global problems through the design process.

Basically, it works like this:  

1.    A challenge is issued (e.g., How might we increase the number of registered bone marrow donors to help save more lives?).

2.    Participants contribute inspirations and concepts, collaborate with others, and evaluate ideas.

3.    Through this process, winning concepts rise to the top.

Why should you (the artist/arts professional) care?

1.    OpenIDEO provides evidence when making the case for the relevance of the arts across multiple sectors. I’m (out-of-my-mind) excited that my concept, Is Music Genius in your DNA?, was recently chosen as a finalist in the bone marrow challenge. And yes, you guessed it: the arts play a key role in the solution.

2.    Participation in OpenIDEO is an opportunity to take one small step towards breaking down the often lamented arts-field silos. As the name suggests, OpenIDEO is open to anyone and draws a diverse crowd: from MBA grads to public health workers and from industrial designers to grassroots activists. Imagine collaborating with people from all over the world, across all those different sectors, and learning from one another. I know that I’ve discovered new ways of thinking through my interactions, and I hope that I’ve inspired a few people in turn.

3.    The social challenges posed would benefit from more arts-oriented perspectives. There were tons of innovative ideas flying around and yet, I couldn’t help but think that all of the challenges would gain from having more arts-centered voices at the table. I wish that there’d been more minds pondering how performances, like Sojourn Theatre’s On the Table, could help strengthen the connection between food production and consumption, or how music could bolster mobile technology to improve maternal health in the developing world.

We know that the arts and creativity are important in a myriad of ways; yet, we feel constantly constrained by silos and not having a voice at the table.

OpenIDEO provides the opportunity for an individual arts professional to not only contribute creative solutions to important social change issues, but also fulfill a desire for collaboration and mutual learning with people both in- and outside of the sector.

So, go engage! Collaborate! Contribute at OpenIDEO.com.

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