Thinking of ideas as being "in space" is certainly a visual metaphor, but we've been pushing the concept to see if it has solid operational value as part of an innovation methodology.  Now we're going to make an even more irritating claim: 

 In working with our clients, we developed the concept of "search patterns" within a landscape of ideas.  

 In Ideas in Space (1) we came to the conclusion that, using a dimensional approach to innovation, we might think of ideas as already existing in a metaphorical space, rather than being created or generated.  

For several years we've been working on what might be called a "dimensional" approach to innovation, in our work with clients.  Although it has many precedents, it is possible we've pursued it more literally and monomaniacally than most.