Dave Stewart, the musician/producer/artist probably best known in the U.S. as a founding member of Eurythmics, has collaborated with branding expert Mark Simmons on an iPad app designed to help entrepreneurs come up with innovative ideas. Named Creativity, it includes a foreword by Virgin founder Richard Branson, interviews with Mick Jagger and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, an interactive package of techniques and tools, and their 2010 book The Business Playground: Where Creativity and Commerce Collide in both text and audio.
The $9.99 app also features an information and social connectivity tool called F* which allows users to highlight any word or phrase to access related media, news and products. It was developed by famos* in partnership with Stewart and Mick Jagger. This is the first time it has ever been used in an app, according to Creativity developer Dave Levi and his company Double Apps.
Branson noted: “Dave and Mark’s enthusiasm for creativity and how it can be applied in business leaps off every page. The Business Playground will bring out the creative child inside all of us and I can’t imagine many readers being left uninspired to try it out for themselves. Their mix of insights about creativity, revealing examples, anecdotes, interviews with creative thinkers, and games make for an entertaining and informative read.”
The lessons are further explored with 13 original games that addres framing problems in the right way to get the best ideas; using visuals to simulate the creative process; choosing between different ideas; and putting yourself in the best frame of mind to be creative.
“The whole process from writing the book to creating this interactive app has been thrilling and an eye opener into the world of possibilities where new technologies marry the printed page,” Stewart said. “I’m excited to use F* because it means this is the first business book ever written that literally is a business within itself. My co-writer Mark is an inspiration to work with and as you’ll see by the book we have a wealth of other business ideas up our sleeves.”
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Photo of Dave Stewart by Kristin Burns for Razor & Tie, used with permission
