Digital Cover Story - Without Creativity, There is No Innovation

Without Creativity, There is No Innovation

This interview with Jennifer Palilonis came about as part of Pattern's participation in a wonderful day of panels and workshops coordinated by Life in Indy. (We’re so grateful for their support of our programming, including the digital cover stories!) The Pattern team was honored to be part of this event at Ball State, where we had the joy of connecting with students—some featured here on the cover. It was an inspiring and energizing day, and we’re so excited to see these talented students, with their passion and creativity, step into their roles as future leaders in Indiana's creative economy.

Palilonis, a full professor at Ball State University, serves as the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Multimedia Journalism and the founding director of the Center for Emerging Media Design and Development (EMDD). Her work focuses on integrating storytelling, technology, and design to foster innovation and creativity. 

Per usual, we’ve edited the transcript for clarity and brevity.

Polina Osherov: All right, so you already know our jam, but I’d love to hear from you, why do you think it’s important for universities to invest in creativity as a core skill, both for personal development and as a tool for innovation?

Jenn Palilonis: Easy. Without creativity, there is no innovation. Creativity fuels a growth mindset, which ensures that people learn and grow from challenges, are less threatened by failure, and find value in experimentation. All qualities are critical to a person’s ability to adapt and evolve with the changing world.

And for higher education to thrive in the future, we need to transition from a culture of disciplinary silos and sage-on-the-stage teaching strategies. I sense we’re on the same page when I say that the best classrooms are those where faculty and students are partners in the learning process and where the faculty strives to foster meaningful learning experiences that allow students to explore and experiment with new ideas.

PO: Those sound like big dreams for the university world. How do you see the creative economy intersecting with other fields like technology, healthcare, and education?

JP: In 2024 and beyond, every industry in the world needs people who can think creatively and drive innovation. Even more important, our world is becoming more and more collaborative and interdisciplinary. I often tell my students that the problems they can solve by themselves with their individual skills are so much smaller than the problems they can solve with an interdisciplinary team that brings a diverse group of people, perspectives, skills, and experiences to the table.

And when you bring technology into the equation, that concept is exponentially more significant. Human-Computer Interaction, for example, is an inter-discipline. It lies at the center of healthcare and technology, entertainment and technology, storytelling and technology, etc. Understanding how to bring those fields together to solve big problems is truly the way of the future.

PO: Are there specific steps Ball State is taking to prepare students to be future creative leaders and innovators?

JP: Traditionally, universities tend to be very siloed, but for the past two decades, Ball State has been building a collaborative culture that recognizes that learning is a journey, not an outcome. And if you have that perspective, then you are also not afraid of taking risks. Rather, you understand that sometimes the most significant learning experiences are those that give students the space to explore new ideas, experiment with project-based learning, and even fail a little along the way.

PO: How do you see Ball State's role in engaging with the local and state community, particularly within creative industries?

JP: Ball State has, for many years, championed the concept of experiential, immersive learning. Across campus, our leadership, faculty, and staff are deeply committed to developing real-world projects for our students to work on. One of the hallmarks of an immersive learning project at Ball State is working with state and local companies and organizations. 

We believe that placing students at the center of the intersection of critical thinking, problem solving, and community engagement fosters to deepest forms of learning. Likewise, we greatly value relationships with community partners because we recognize the importance of sharing our resources and collective expertise to enhance work and life in East Central Indiana.

PO: I really appreciate that perspective. What are some of the ways your department currently collaborates with the local creative community, and how do you think these partnerships could be strengthened?

JP: In the Center for Emerging Media Design and Development (EMDD), students regularly partner with companies, non-profits, and local organizations on real-world creative projects. One example of this, from 2017 to 2021, we partnered with Jim Davis and the Professor Garfield Foundation on the development of a comprehensive digital literacy curriculum for kids and teachers in grades K-3, as well as advanced training and certification for teachers in how to foster digital literacy in the classroom. Another example from last year is when EMDD faculty and students worked with Downtown Muncie to create an augmented reality experience that allowed users to travel back in time and immerse in local history. 

We’ve also worked with Muncie Community Schools, ARF, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, and more. Projects like these allow students to practice what they are learning in the classroom in the context of real-world projects with real-world audiences. 

And we are about to strengthen these initiatives in a very significant way. In 2026, Ball State will open a new Center for Innovation, which will serve as a hub for creative problem-solving and community engagement. The Center will be housed in a new 33,000-square-foot building outfitted with a prototyping lab, a plethora of cutting-edge technologies, and an interdisciplinary group of initial collaborators from across campus and from the Muncie community. We believe this initiative will be a game-changer for innovation in our region.

PO: Wow, that’s an incredible undertaking! Can you tell us more about how the current curriculum encourages interdisciplinary learning and collaboration among different creative fields?

JP: Most immersive learning projects on campus are interdisciplinary by design. It’s quite common to have students from different departments and even from different colleges working together. For example, a few years ago, I ran a project that included students from English, Journalism, Architecture, Art, Sociology, and Business. Each student brought a different skill set to the table, which allowed them to learn from each other and tackle the problem space from a variety of perspectives. 

Those types of collaborations can be challenging because it can take time to get on the same page, so to speak. But in the end, interdisciplinary collaboration results in higher-quality projects and in stronger learning outcomes.

PO: How do your programs incorporate both traditional skills and emerging trends to ensure students are ready for the workforce?

JP: The master’s degree in EMDD at Ball State is intentionally focused on honing transferable skills like design thinking, creative problem solving, user-centered research and design, and cross-platform storytelling. In other words, regardless of your undergraduate background, EMDD offers a set of skills that you can layer onto what you already know to explore real-world problems that lie at the intersection of storytelling, technology, and art. Our goal is to produce highly trained professionals who understand how to apply strategic thinking and communication skills to a variety of disciplines, including healthcare, entertainment, sports, education, marketing, advertising, and more. 

PO: I get the impression it’s important for your students to be ready for life after college. So let’s close with one final question: what opportunities exist for students to work on real-world projects with local businesses or creative organizations?

JP: Every year, there are literally dozens of projects happening across campus and within every college like the ones mentioned above. I believe that every single student at Ball State has access to these types of projects, and many participate in more than one before they graduate. I have the privilege of leading these types of projects every year, and they are, hands down, the most joyful experiences of my teaching career. I believe that through these experiences, we prepare students just for a single job after graduation. Rather, we prepare them for a long, and evolving career path. They are resilient, thoughtful, willing to take risks, and quick to adapt when necessary.

PO: Thanks so much for taking the time to share with us, Jenn. 

JP: Of course, thank you! 

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This story was made possible thanks to the generous support of our friends at Life in Indy.