Chris Murphy · 23 April, 2021

There’s a lot to read on this page, so here’s a tl;dr so you know what’s coming:

Idea Factories is a three week, cohort-based course, focusing on improving your thinking, your creativity and your ability to drive innovation. The course harnesses the power of reading and writing that is organised through a personal knowledge management system.

You don't have to be a writer to benefit from this course. Rather I'll focus on the role that reading, writing – and systematic note-taking – can play in improving your thinking.

It’s Never Too Late to Learn

Writing is an incredibly beneficial skill and it’s never too late to learn it. Aaron Swartz thinks of writing as an extension of creativity.

Be curious. Read widely. Try new things. A lot of what people call intelligence boils down to curiosity. —Aaron Swartz

Overview

In this short course (three evenings, plus supplementary work), I’ll explore the process of ‘designing a mind’ through the creation of a latticework of mental models, fuelled by reading and writing. I’ll cover:

Although there are many forms of input and output, I’ve focused on the importance of reading and writing as the backbone for the course, based on: feedback by existing members of The School of Design; and my own practice.