Brainstorming!

Classic brainstorming steps involve a fast approach to provide ideas that may or may not be great, but may yield something very successful (De Bonte, 2014). Brainstorming as well as trial and error techniques are good ways to come up with ideas as well as to stumble upon something great. Three different discovery methodologies have proven to be successful: serendipity, error, and exaptation.

Serendipity

Serendipity involves discovery something beneficial or useful when there wasn’t a specific intention of finding it. An example from this researcher is when a solution for redundant encryption between 3 internal networked sites was being tested. The purpose of the research was to test new encryption methods for these 3 internal sites. Instead, the new encryption method offered enhanced capabilities that led to the integration of this encryption method not only at the 3 internal sites, but for all mobile connected users from outside the network. This new technology allowed the remote side users to connect into the network through multi-redundant entry points as well as utilizing increased encryption strengths. It was a serendipitous discovery that ended up earning this researcher’s team a top-level award.

Errors

Errors in research as it pertains to information technology (IT) solutions and cybersecurity solutions have been the most abundant source of discoveries in this researcher’s career. There is a saying that is told to this researcher’s team and that is to fail fast and fail forward. Lessons learned from mistakes can not only generate great data for future projects, but also can create their own discoveries. For example, this researcher’s team was responsible for the implementation of port security on Cisco switches across the enterprise. It was found out that certain switches did not support port security commands because of version differences. This became a very large impacting problem because deadlines were set and needed to be accomplished. During a standard configuration fix, this researcher realized that the wrong syntax was typed in while creating an Access Control List. This error caused the discovery that these older switches supported a little-known feature of mac access lists that was a comparable control then port security. That solution was implemented, and the project was finished on time.  

Exaptation

Exaptation can occur when the primary purpose of an innovation is repurposed to create a new or better purpose than first intended. This researcher has collected some old bags from Crown alcohol that comes with the product. These small bags were useful for holding small items that needed to be kept in the house. The exaptation came when it was discovered that the big was the exact same size as the shifter hole in several Nissan vehicles. With some small cuts and sewing, these bags became great shift boot accessories that this researcher has sold and used for years now.

  

References

De Bonte, A. F., Drew. (2014). Scenario-Focused Engineering. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Press.