Stock Exchanges and Cathedrals
How innovative thinking makes peace in the tug-of-war between financial limitations and ideological ambitions
It has been said that the publishing house is an amalgamation of the stock exchange and the cathedral. The same expression could probably adequately describe a whole lot of other businesses, but this article focuses specifically on the publishing industry, as that is the field in which we in 2K/DENMARK, a graphic design company, are most deeply involved and engaged. If you are working in other related fields, the following sentiments could probably be applicable in your context as well.
Financial limitations versus ideological ambitions
The reality of most publishing houses, as harsh as it may be in these days of digital disruption, is that they are operating in an area of tension between financial limitations and ideological ambitions. There is a finite amount of financial resources available for an infinite number of seemingly essential activities and potentially gratifying projects. Often times the stock exchange wing of the publishing house dictates the decision making, which means that important publications and projects are sacrificed to serve the greater good of financial sustainability. But once in a while the cathedral wing is allowed to let money be thrown out of its soaring windows, serving higher purposes than mere mammon.
Working inside this field of tension, one is easily tempted to celebrate and dwell on these ideologically satisfying albeit potentially financially risky or even fatal projects, since this is closer to the true purpose of a publisher, right? This is what we do—serve the higher purpose of reaching for the sky, of pushing our society closer towards whatever we believe to be the better place for human existence—right? The low-quality products, the not-so-thoroughly-edited-and-proofread publications, and those boring but financially safe bets of best sellers and general interest publications are just the bread and butter upon which we reluctantly have to build in order to afford the meaty projects that we so eagerly hunger for.
Turning a battlefield into a space of creativity
But what if this space between the financial limits and the ideological or immaterial ambitions could be transformed into exactly that: a creative space as opposed to a stressful field of tension? What if publication planning and production could be seen as something more than a battle between what we ideally want to do and what we financially are able to do, with the most likely outcome of the latter getting the final word with the occasionally opposite case being the celebrated exception proving the rule?
We are not here to claim possession of a cheap fix to challenges and dynamics of such depth and essentiality, but to propose some thoughts on how intentionally thinking of innovation as an obligation could be a key factor in transforming the everyday battlefield of tension between financial limitations and ideological ambitions into an open space of fruitful creativity. In this creative space limitations are embraced and accepted as a frame in which ideal important projects are developed. Innovative design and product development aims to make peace in the tug-of-war between the stock market wing and the cathedral wing of the publishing house by turning bread-and-butter projects into delicious meals or vice versa making the most tasty snacks nutritious and healthy.
Obligations & Innovations
Before the analogies get the best of me and the point I am trying to make, I should probably explain what is meant by saying that innovation is an obligation. Let us begin with the obligation part, by which it is said that innovative thinking has to be implemented in the workflows of a publishing house as a mandatory element, as a necessary default component in the development and production of new products, services, and other undertakings. Doing so reframes the tug-of-war between limitations and ambitions. If creative problem solving and innovation is a shared starting point for all participants, the chances for agreement and a united positive approach to decisions and strategies are much improved.
“Implementing innovative thinking as a mandatory ingredient across all business activities serves to make peace in the tug-of-war between financial limitations and ideological ambitions by establishing a shared space of creative problem solving”
But common ground cannot do it alone. The quality of that shared base—the innovative environment—is what makes the difference. While the concept of innovation is notoriously difficult to define in strict terms, it is nevertheless quite intuitively understood as a creative application of an idea, that—based either on the idea itself or the way it is implemented—conjures up a sense of novelty and unexpectedness.
Innovation unmistakably reveals itself as such, when it is done right. But doing it right is a discipline closer related to art than to science, making the “how to implement this in my organisation” manual a topic for another article. Nevertheless, what needs to be said here is that through successful innovation, beneficial qualities are added to workflows, production processes, and products. Innovative thinking rationalises production and reduces costs. The novelty associated with innovative products increases their value due to increased interest from customers. By the means of innovation, problems and products are redefined, which in a highly competitive and tricky market can be essential. And by the means of innovation products are more likely both to honour financial limitations and at the same time serve ideological ambitions.
Innovation is our obligation as well
As partners and service providers to publishers of all kinds and sizes 2K dutifully accept this obligation of being innovative. We see it as our finest and most honourable task to embrace in both describing and solving the challenges facing our clients. Obviously, these same challenges are already indirectly ours, so why shouldn’t we care about meeting them by the means of innovative and creative thinking? And isn’t this exactly what design companies are supposed to do?
As exemplified in this article, we do not limit ourselves and our services to designing the presentation of the content, but in addition we would love to help design and innovate the form of that content itself. 2K want to be participating in the design of the content published by our partners, rather than simply serving as hired contract workers polishing the presentation of our partner’s publications. We feel that it is our obligation.