Can ‘Applied Creativity’ be the next ‘Design Thinking?’

A new report from Accenture Song uncovers the secret sauce that makes Lego, Ikea, and Rivian creative powerhouses.

In a January 2025 podcast episode, Open AI CEO Sam Altman was asked what the most important skill would be in the age of AI. His answer was—in simplest terms—the ability to ask creative questions. Last summer, Mustafa Suleyman, CEO of Microsoft AI, wrote that, for all the fear about AI, he genuinely believes that “creativity will remain the real currency.” And in an August Business Insider feature, Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost said that people will need to become “creative orchestrators” if they want to succeed in an AI-driven workplace.