The Ideas Studio
Welcome to The Ideas Studio.
Come on in.
The Ideas Studio proves that creative thinking applied at the frontline, can unlock untapped potential and generate transformative ideas. Whether it’s saving money, improving morale, or designing innovative tools, The Ideas Studio brings a unique perspective that delivers results.
The Ideas Studio begins with one-to-one, focused, confidential conversations with staff members who have large or small ideas. We provide guidance using the same methodologies trusted by entrepreneurs and creative businesses to develop these into safe, testable, case studios.
Next, we collaborate with key stakeholders to address the more complex details—such as existing procedures, systems, or mentalities—that may be hindering progress. Together, we develop a safe and typically cost-free research and development proposal to test the changes.
Once the trial is complete, we distil the findings into the simplest possible document - a ‘solution statement.’ This ensures that the necessary actions are clear, easy to understand, and a simple starting point for an organisation to implement or explore further.
How to treat new ideas
Many organisations believe that ‘change’ must be possible from the inside out - that managers should have the cultural ability to harness new ideas. The reality is that this is very difficult due to many pre-existing modus operandi, beliefs, and existing targets. But also very few managers have experience of the simplicity and importance of a creative approach - to allow ideas to grow from inception. There is no such thing as a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ idea until it has been allowed to grow and be explored. Often the worth is shown further down the line than an initial assessment or judgement, that we all are likely to speak when someone says ‘I have an idea.’
John is 18. He sits with his parents at the dinner table and says ‘I’ve got a great money-making idea. Solar Pannelled Cars’.
His parents do what we all do, around dinner tables, pub tables, and meeting room tables. They give an opinion.
“John, it’s been done, Tesla, you don’t have the money, you can’t drive yet, it is impossible, nice try son.'“
In the ideas studio, we would say… “Great, how can we try it?”
Note, John said ‘solar panelled cars’. John gets the tin foil from the kitchen drawer and covers the car that he’s learning to drive in, with tin foil.
Over the coming weeks, the outcome is that John has become the talk of the town. He has struck up a conversation with the girl on his street he has always liked. He has pride. He has been inspired to pass his test. The local newspaper ran a story on the ‘tin foil car.’ The local car garage sees an opportunity and offers John an exchange - his car, which will now sit in pride of place at the front of their forecourt - for one of their ex-demo cars. The newspaper runs the story.
By not fixating on the result we THINK we should be judging, but encouraging innovative activity, John’s life has improved along with those around him, and he has a new car.
This is a very simple story, taken from a workshop with students - where a student suggested ‘Solar Pannelled (not powered) cars’. The point is not whether a solar-panelled car is a good idea, but that the activity and ownership of an individual developing an idea often leads to a discovery that the initial judgement of others could never have predicted.
Meet Hywel.
Hywel has dedicated his life to immersing himself in creativity and is passionate about sharing these skills with others.
Hywel specialises in enabling creativity across a wide range of contexts, from "hyper-creative" environments such as media, arts, and entertainment industries to traditional organizations and start-up enterprises.
Drawing on a lifetime of experience in hyper-creative settings, Hywel helps businesses of all sizes innovate, adapt, and improve through simple, tailored strategies. His approach empowers organizations to unlock their creative potential and embrace meaningful change.
Hywel takes pride in fostering creativity in all its forms. He is also the author of Managers Managing Magic: Enabling Creativity, a book that explores how the creative process can be effectively transposed into traditional work environments.
Hywel is a highly qualified professional in the field of entertainment, with over two decades of experience as a theatre director, radio presenter, and writer. After earning a BA in Directing from Rose Bruford, Hywel embarked on a diverse career that includes founding and leading award-winning projects.
Hywel created KCC LIVE, a multi-award-winning radio station in Merseyside, and played a key role in high-profile events such as switching on the Blackpool Illuminations alongside Peter Kay as part of the "Hywel and Jamie" duo. Over the years, Hywel has presented thousands of hours of radio programming on renowned stations including Kerrang! Radio, Rock FM, Key 103, XFM, and BBC 6 Music.
As a founding director of the creative agency On The Eighth, now part of Audio Always at MediaCityUK, Hywel has been instrumental in driving innovative projects. Hywel also established Low Fat Productions (the website you are currently on!), a production company specializing in scriptwriting, production, editing, and podcast education.
In addition to professional achievements, Hywel serves as a visiting lecturer at the University of Chester, sharing expertise with the next generation of creatives.
Ultimately, Hywel’s creative passions reflect a steadfast dedication to fostering innovation and creativity in every endeavor.
‘Innovation is Hywel’s in-built ability to help others', regardless of size or unique challenge.’ Eric McBean, Entrepreneur of the Year 1999, Founder of ‘Squosh It’
“Dear CEO,
I appreciate the efforts your HR and People teams put into developing policies around well-being, accessibility, and remote work. These initiatives often represent significant investments of time and resources, resulting in polished, effective, comprehensive frameworks that appear polished, effective, and beneficial.
However, I’ve noticed that frontline staff sometimes perceive a gap between these policies and their ability to perform their roles effectively. For example, they might say, “Our policy encourages X, but it’s difficult to achieve because of Y and Z obstacles.”
My focus is on addressing these obstacles—those practical barriers that complicate day-to-day tasks. I develop straightforward and safe proposals for small changes that can have a significant impact on staff workflows and overall satisfaction.
To achieve this, I need your support to enable experimentation outside of traditional approaches. With your buy-in, we can test solutions without unnecessary complications or delays, allowing us to demonstrate their value and effectiveness in real-world scenarios..”
— Hywel Evans
Book:
A chat about how it could work for you (every organisation is different)
A set of one-to-one sessions for staff.
An Ideas Generator Workshop with Hywel - a fun and always productive activity that generates new ideas.
A motivational speech about ‘how not to kill ideas.’