Making time for social innovation: insights on both urgency and patience
Our research on social innovation timing – the surprising power of compressing and stretching deadlines
In a world grappling with climate change, poverty, migration, and pollution, it's clear that no single sector can solve these challenges alone. Collaboration between public, private, and civil actors has become essential — and with it, a rising demand for faster, smarter innovation. Enter the era of social innovation hackathons and open innovation challenges – all striving to bring diverse minds together to tackle complex problems under tight timelines.
One such initiative which we investigated – OpenIDEO – was launched in 2010 by design consultancy IDEO. By hosting global online challenges, it brought together communities to co-create solutions on pressing topics like revitalising cities, healthcare and food systems.
But, as Anne-Laure Fayard’s ethnographic study unveiled, innovation doesn’t always fit neatly into a schedule. To balance structure with creativity, OpenIDEO experimented with two distinct approaches to time:
Clock Time: Linear and measurable — think deadlines and fixed phases.
Event Time: Flexible and organic — progress unfolds when ideas feel ready.
Initially, OpenIDEO relied heavily on clock time. But participants struggled to fully develop ideas within the set phases. In response, the platform began squeezing time — compressing deadlines in a way that paradoxically re-energized participants. Later, they stretched time, introducing open-ended follow-up phases where contributors could share progress long after the official challenge ended.
This blending of clock and event time acknowledged a critical truth: meaningful innovation takes time. It's not just about generating ideas — it's about nurturing them and allowing real-world impact to unfold.
✨ Key insight: If we want innovation to drive lasting social change, we should design not only for creativity but also for time — both the urgency to act and the patience to evolve.
Research abstract: Making Time for Social Innovation on Organizational Science by our ERA Chair for Social Innovation: Anne-Laure Fayard