For me, creation has two dimensions: spiritual and rational. Human and technical. They look like opposites, I would rather call them complementary. Both are essential for creating great products. Most creation models are based on linear principles with a limited set of stakeholders involved, often overlooking the spiritual and human impact.

In the SPIRID Creation Matrix, the rational and spiritual dimensions blend gracefully. This model gives creators a helpful roadmap for navigating various dilemmas and making the right choices. A holistic, dynamic and fluid approach to product development that takes the interests of many stakeholders into account.

WHY ANOTHER MODEL?

“A shift from the Industrial Revolution to the Industrial Evolution”

SPIRID
CREATION
MATRIX

This process is like a city plan. You don’t have to start in the upper left corner. You can simply navigate through the process no matter at what point you start. However, it does present an efficient route. It also helps to answer the question ‘what is better’.

The matrix has an evolutionary goal on each scale. Connecting 7 scales with 7 stages totalling 28 intersections, the creation process looks like a woven fabric.

  • SCALES

    Creating a new product starts in our mind, with unlimited possibilities. The creation process – from mind to matter - are the two ends of the scale.
    The 7 scales are not standalone or isolated, but interconnected. The 7 scales describe the levels of abstraction, the content, the design freedom, the important stakeholders and the disciplines that are active in each phase.

    The 7 scales are also translated into the 7 Holistic Design Principles.

  • STAGES

    The stages describe the type of work that is done combined with a time line; the phases of the process and the abstraction level of the design. From describing needs to having a material solution. This can be seen as describing a new design in 7 stages.

  • INTERSECTIONS

    The scales and stages meet at 28 cross points. At each cross point, different things are taken into consideration and created. These crosspoints are my holistic checklist. Try to check all cross points, otherwise you might miss a crucial piece of the puzzle.

MIND TO MATTER

Every new design starts with an idea in the mind, with unlimited possibilities. It ends in a specific material object.