In his book Where Good Ideas Come From, Steven Johnson introduced me and now probably you to the idea of the “adjacent possible.”  The adjacent possible is the area next to what already exists.  It is the area that is ripe for the new.  Space travel in the 19th century was science fiction.  In the 20th Century it was the adjacent possible and it happened.

Wheelie suitcases were not built successfully until the last two decades of the 20th century because the high tensile strength plastics that make them possible had not yet been invented.  So as technologies advance so do the areas that are adjacent and possible.  My idea for a motion activated windshield wiper is adjacent possible to the motion detectors in paper towel dispensers and sinks.

These beautiful and functional utensils could not be built until high temperature plastics made them the adjacent possible.

The lesson:  If you want to build or create something new explore in areas that are adjacent possible to what already exists.

A review of Where Good Ideas Come From will follow.