Technology

This year the editors and judges will be on the lookout for companies that have shown exceptional innovation in 2020. “COVID, along with the resulting upheaval in business, has made innovation more important than ever. Companies are moving to a ‘next normal’ in how to innovate, capitalizing on human ingenuity and technology to tackle the world’s greatest challenges,” said Paul Daugherty, group chief executive of Accenture Technology. “With today’s increasingly virtual and dispersed workforce, organizations must find new ways to support a vibrant culture and workplace for innovation in order to effectively compete.” … [Read more...] about Fast Company now accepting applications for Best Workplaces for Innovators 2021

Virtual organizations work well for integrators, but not for segmenters. Organizations should therefore consider whether it’s worth retaining a small, communal office space for employees who want the option of getting out of their house. This can be particularly helpful for employees with less-than-ideal conditions at home due to interruptions from family, or a subpar workspace. … [Read more...] about 3 organizational rules key to building a healthy remote company

“We would turn to Will and ask, ‘How feasible is this and, if it isn’t, how do we justify it from a technical or scientific basis?'” DeMarle later told Fast Company. “What was most amazing to me was that Will’s response was usually akin to: ‘Oh, researchers at such-and-such a university or company are already working on projects similar to that.’ He would then provide us with enough scientific and technical information so we could turn around and describe, in a very technical way, how each mechanical augmentation works. So you might say that every augmentation in the game has some basis in reality–even the most far-fetched ones!” … [Read more...] about How Real Science Shaped Game “Deus Ex”‘s Tech Magic

Educating and connecting with young people, and not just about the apocalypse, is a large part of what drives NASA to continue innovating with social media. One of their current big projects is working with Foursquare to create a badge that users can get for checking into planetariums and science centers. Townsend is especially proud of these missions, which he hopes will get kids engaged in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines. “If we can get parents taking their kids out to places like that, to spark that curiosity in students that eventually inspires them going into (STEM) careers,” Townsend says, that’s when he’ll really feel accomplished. … [Read more...] about Giving Us Space: What You Can Learn From NASA About Content and Social Media

Beyond the physical part of Dreamworks’ headquarters, Satterthwaite believes that the key to the company’s creative success is that it’s an environment where people aren’t afraid to fail. “We are as open with our successes as we are our failures, and we’re constantly doing postmortems,” Satterthwaite says, whether it’s about a movie that did not meet box office expectations or a new benefit program. “Nobody loses their job over it. It allows everybody to learn in a way more productive way.” … [Read more...] about The Animated Workplace: Dreamworks’ “Six Pack” Approach To Building A Culture Of Creativity