Jehane Ltd’s Philosophy: Inspired by Maggie Boden’s Insights on Creativity
Introducing Our Philosophy: Creativity, Legacy, and Human-Led Design
Jehane Boden Spiers
Founder, Jehane Ltd
We’re especially proud to share our new Philosophy page as we reflect on the recent passing of Maggie Boden (1936–2025), cognitive scientist and mother of our founder, Jehane Boden Spiers. Her groundbreaking work in cognitive science and artificial intelligence, along with her personal guidance, has left an enduring mark on our approach to creativity at Jehane Ltd. Maggie’s insights into the nature of thought, purpose, and creativity continue to inspire how we think, design, and collaborate every day.
Creativity at the Heart of Jehane Ltd
At Jehane Ltd, creativity is at the heart of everything we do—a thoughtful and ever-evolving journey shaped by exploration, individuality, and intentional design. Over many years, we’ve developed ways of exploring, combining, and transforming ideas that resonate, endure, and reflect human-led innovation.
Our Philosophy page is our way of sharing the principles, inspirations, and practices that guide our work, giving a window into both our studio’s ethos and the creative legacy that informs it.
Jehane Ltd Creative Summit 2023
Maggie Boden’s Three Roads to Surprise
Professor Maggie Boden (1936–2025), cognitive scientist and inspiration behind Jehane Ltd’s creative philosophy with Professor Aaron Sloman in 2006.
Maggie Boden’s pioneering research highlighted three key pathways to creativity, which she called the “Three Roads to Surprise”:
Exploration – curiosity-led processes that open fresh possibilities, allowing ideas to develop through investigation, self-reflection, and identification of personal criteria.
Combination – experimentation and discovery that sparks unexpected connections and playful combinations, generating refined and successful solutions.
Transformation – distinctive voices expressed with clarity and purpose, reshaping concepts into original work that resonates meaningfully with audiences, drives impact, and delivers value.
“Creativity is the ability to come up with ideas that are new, surprising, and valuable.” — Maggie Boden
These ideas naturally echo in the way we work at Jehane Ltd. Each project is shaped by thoughtful exploration, collaborative experimentation, and transformative design decisions. Our collaborations with artists worldwide allow these principles to come alive in work that is intentional and authentic.
Human-Led Creativity, Not Machines
At Jehane Ltd, we prioritize human-led creativity and do not work with generative AI programs. Our focus is on creating artwork that reflects the unique voice of each artist and the thoughtful choices that machines cannot replicate.
As Maggie Boden famously remarked in an Aeon essay on AI:
“Robot says: Whatever.”
Unlike machines, we care deeply about purpose, clarity, and personal expression in every piece we produce. We put care at the heart of creativity.
We hope our new Philosophy page offers a window into the ideas, values, and legacy that shape our studio today. It is both a reflection of Maggie Boden’s remarkable influence and a celebration of the ongoing creative journey at Jehane Ltd.