A haven of creativity in the heart of the company

The aim of Studio Créatif, a small team which was created to expand the horizons of the Research & Development (R&D) department within France Télécom, was to invent many new ideas in an illustrative manner in order to create a reaction. There were three risks associated with the development of this project: a forceful multidisciplinary approach; a display of creative methods; and involvement of the user in the process. Seven years later, one is aware that these risks have given rise to promising ideas, but the whole process still faces structural problems due to its difficult position within the company and its operational concerns. Several questions arise: how far can we go ? How can we ensure that promising ideas are not suppressed by becoming lost in company processes ? How should one assess new ideas ?