Redesign This:

So I realize this is the second red sauce in a jar that I've called out. Shows you what kinds of foods I eat hunh? This isn't just about Tostitos either. It's about the jar that salsas in general come packaged in...

Here's what got me thinking. I recently took up a love of fresh pico (with the just diced tomatoes even though I thought I hated tomatoes). It's now hard for me to eat canned or jarred salsa. There was a time in my life, however, that I consumed a large amount of this stuff. My roommate and I in our undergrad years kept a jar around and snacked off of more chips with a hint of lime and salsa than I can to admit. Because we were in a dorm we didn't keep around bowls. Salsa looks beautiful in a bowl but let's face it, there's a ton of people doubling dipping straight from the jar as they share. Or maybe there's not. I've never done research but if we were doing it, we surely weren't the only ones.

The problem was, when you get to the end of the jar, you end up with what I like to call salsa hand. That liquidy ring of salsa from the edge of the opening as you strive for the last bits of salsa on your chip. It was gross.

But what if you were to create salsa that comes in a jar that's like a bowl so you just take off the lid and can eat it straight from the container without the negative side effect of salsa hand. It's really a simple idea, but I think consumers would dig it.

Salsa, used as dip for chips lends itself to that kind of sharing anyways.

Ideas In The Raw: Single Servings.

Here's a problem I have. I am a single person household and I waste so much food and money having to buy such large portions for myself. Take for example, spaghetti sauce. I've never used a full jar. They make them so huge. The smallest size you can usually get is around 9.5 oz. It goes bad before I can get to it. Now I realize this isn't a HUGE problem in life but I hate being wasteful.

My solution in the past has been to a) freeze it (so much for fresh), b) cook it all at once (and I still end up wasting it) or c) throw out the rest. Sacrificing dietary variety is the only surefire way to assure I eat it all within its expiration date often times.

But here's an idea that centers around packaging. Make single servings for us singles. Please! You can sell a two pack of 4oz jars. They make single servings for people who have health concerns but the packaging industry could meet the needs of other people following that same concept with a different spin. 

If any of you packaging people out there have the urge to take my recommendation, please apply the concept to bread too. How many times has that huge loaf molded before I can eat 4 sandwiches?

Quote of the Friday.

"Ideas are about what could be done, innovation is about getting it done."

-Andrew Hargadon of the blog Harga-Blog in his post Prototypes R us.

Independent Street Innovation Inspiration

The Wall Street Journal's blog Independent Street is one of my favorite resources even if I don't check it as often as I should. Sometimes, I write down words of wisdom, bits of inspiration or that which makes me think from the articles in the blog. Here I'll share a few of my favorite I find myself revisiting often:

Want to Create an Innovation Culture? Here's How. Nov. 20, 2008

"Successful innovation can't just be small incremental innovations- it must be 'disruptive' or radical innovations that shake up the status quo." and "The largest gains in business come from more daring innovations that challenge the paradigm and the organization."

What Innovation Means for Small Businesses. Nov. 24, 2008

"From our perspective, innovation is three things: empathy, creativity and execution - and you have to have all three. Empathy is about getting employees out in the real world. If you work for company that makes kitchen tools, you should go hang out with the chefs that use those kitchen tools."

I think these are quotes are helpful reminders that it's not THINGS it's the WAY WE DO THINGS that make the biggest impact and cause societal shifts and trends when it comes to innovation. "Things" themselves often help us change the "way we do things" for sure. But when you're ideating, innovating or whatever you want to call it, it seems necessary to first think of the process that needs changing and then solve it, perhaps with a thing if need be.

hello.

I think inspiration can come from anywhere, even the most mundane and unexpected. 

For example, when I was a little girl my family ate at Cracker Barrel... a lot. The only inspiration I should have received from these arty clogging, weekend morning experiences was to not wear a fanny pack as a roadside tourist. I successfully learned that lesson, but I had more substantial, life changing epiphany at age 8 as well. 

I remember reading a quote in their shop: "Small minded people talk about people. Average minded people talk about things. Great minded people talk about ideas." 

Now, I can't say I've never talked about people but I can say I've made a conscious effort to talk about ideas more. In fact, I'm trying my best to make it my livelihood.

After all, who doesn't want to be great minded? 

So let's get this convo rolling. I've got a lot of bad ideas and a lot less good ones. They come from any and everywhere. Feel free to share, comment or accuse. 

In any case, bring it and enjoy.