Techniques for Creative Thinking - Robert Harris

TechniquesforCreativeThinkingFirstofall,youshouldreadtheintroductionwhichdiscussesthequestion:WhatcanIdotoincreasemycreativity?RandomInputProblemReversalAskQuestionsAppliedImagination-QuestionSummaryLateralThinkingSixThinkingHatsTheDiscontinuityPrincipleChecklistsBrainstormingForcedRelationships/AnalogyAttributeListingMorphologicalAnalysisImitationMindmappingStoryboardingSynecticsMetaphoricalthinkingLotusBlossumTechniqueIntherealmofthesensesUseofdrawing(fromRobertMcKim'sExperiencesinVisualThinkingIdeaToons(byMichaelMichalko)New!NLP(Neuro-LinguisticProgramming)TechniquesAssumptionSmashingDOIT!methodofRogerOlsenLARCMethodUnconsciousProblemSolvingSimplex-acompleteprocesswiththreestages(findingproblems,solvingproblems,implementingsolutions)andeightdiscretestepsrepresentedasawheeltoreflectthecircular,perennialnatureofproblemsolving.ThefullnameistheBasadurSimplexprocess.Itseightstepsinclude:problemfinding,factfinding,problemdefining,ideafinding,evaluatingandselecting,actionplanning,gainingacceptance,andtakingaction.ThetFuzzyThinkingSomefurtherexamplesofcreativitytechniquesandguidelineslinkedwithhistoricalexamples.BreakthroughThinking-Thesevenstepsofuniqueness,purpose,solutionafternext,systems,neededinformationcollection,peopledesign,andbettermenttimeline.CataloguesorEncyclopaediasofTechniques?Youmaybewonderingiftherearebooksoranencyclopaediaofthesetechniquestouseasareference.I'mawareofacreativityencyclopaediabeingcurrentlydeveloped,buttwobookscontainingmanytechniquesare:-MichaelMichalko'sThinkertoysJamesHiggin's101CreativeProblemSolvingTechniquesIintendtoproduceameta-indexofthetechniquesfoundinthecreativitybooksinmypersonallibrary.Writetomeformoreinformation.Lastupdated:7thNovember1997..\index.htmlCreativityWebHomePageRandomInputCreativityTechniqueFromÒTeachyourchildtothinkÓ-EdwarddeBono:TheÔrandom-wordÕmethodisapowerfullateral-thinkingtechniquethatisveryeasytouse.Itisbyfarthesimplestofallcreativetechniquesandiswidelyusedbypeoplewhoneedtocreatenewideas(forexample,fornewproducts).Chanceeventsallowustoentertheexistingpatternsofourthinkingatadifferentpoint.TheassociationsofawordappliedtothenewÒoutofcontextÓsituationgeneratesnewconnectionsinourmind,oftenproducinganinstantÔEurekaÕeffect,insightorintuition.ItissaidthatNewtongottheideaofgravitywhenhewashitontheheadwithanapplewhilesittingunderanappletree.Itisnotnecessarytositundertreesandwaitforanappletofall-wecangetupandshakethetree.Wecanproduceourownchanceevents.Randominputscanbewordsorimages.Sometechniquesforgettingrandomwords(andthewordsshouldbenouns)are:Haveabagfullofthousandsofwordswrittenonsmallpiecesofpaper,cardboard,pokerchips,etc.Closeyoureyes,putinyourhandandpulloutaword.Openthedictionary(ornewspaper)atarandompageandchooseaword.Useacomputerprogramtogiveyouarandomword.IhaveaHypercardprogramsuitableforAppleMacintoshwhichusesthislistofwords(236ofthem!)Makeupyourownlistof60words.Lookatyourwatchandtakenoteoftheseconds.Usethisnumbertogettheword.Itisimportanttousethefirstwordyoufind.Onceyouhavechosentheword,listitsattributionsorassociationswiththeword.Thenapplyeachoftheitemsonyourlistandseehowitappliestotheproblemathand.Howdoesitwork?Becausethebrainisaself-organisingsystem,andverygoodatmakingconections.Almostanyrandomwordwillstimulateideasonthesubject.Followtheassociationsandfunctionsofthestimulusword,aswellasusingaspectsofthewordasametaphor.Youmaywanttomind-maptherandomword.Exercise.1.Youaretiredofgettingunsolicitedemailandyouaresearchingforasolution.YourrandomwordisBANANA.2.Youneedtotellastorytoyourchildrenatbedtime.YourrandomwordisEGG.2RogervonOechwritesinÒAKickintheSeatofthePantsÓ:AgoodwaytoturnyourmentalatticofexperiencesintoatreasureroomistouseÒtriggerconceptsÓ-wordsthatwllsparkafreshassociationofideasinyourmind.Likepebblesdroppinginapond,theystimulateotherassociations,someofwhichmayhelpyoufindsomethingnew.HewritesinÒAWhackontheSideoftheHeadÓaboutvariouscultureshavingoracles.TheancientGreeksusedtheambigiouspredictionsoftheDelphicOracle,theChineseusedtheIChing,theEgyptiansconsultedtheTarot,theScandinavianpeopleusedRunesandtheNorthAmericanIndiansusedMedicineWheels.Thepurposeoftheseoracleswasnotsomuchtoforetellthefuturebuttohelptheuserdelvedeeperintotheirownminds.Youcancreateyourownoraclebydoingthreethings:Askaquestion.Thisfocusesyourthinking.Perhapsyoushouldwriteyourquestiontofocusattention.Generatearandompieceofinformation.Randomselectionisimportant,astheunpredictabilityofthisnewinputwillforceyoutolookattheprobleminanewway.Interprettheresultingrandompieceofinformationastheanswertoyourquestion.Theimportantthingistohaveanopen,receptivemind.LETARANDOMPIECEOFINFORMATIONSTIMULATEYOURTHINKING!HereisamethodI(CharlesCave)havebeendevelopingrecently:Imakemyownrandompicturecardsbycuttingoutpicturesfromthevariouspiecesofadvertisingmaterialandmagazinesthatappearinmyletterbox.Acardcanbepickedatrandomandusedastherandomword.Choosepictureswithouttexttoallowamoreright-brainapproach.Mycardsincludepicturesoffeltpens,furniture,kitchenitems,artworks,people,buildings,scenesandabstract