bad ideas: for creativity and design

DESIRE – International Summer School "Theories of Creative Design” Sept. 2009 1

bad ideas:for creativity and design

Alan Dix

Lancaster University

www.hcibook.com/alan/www.alandix.com

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background

• 1995 – teach research methods in computingHELP!

• change title “research techniques”• I could do it, but had to think about it

• professionals things• academics know about them

… becoming an academic about academia

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understanding and intervention

• many things like magic:creativity, innovation, debugging

• understand how they work=> can make aids/tools

• examine aids/tools=> understand how they work

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today

• some techniques for your own innovation

• (some) reasons why they work

• meta-design and understanding meta-design(meta meta design ??!)

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kinds of creativity

H-creativity vs. P-creativity (M. Boden)

• P-creativity – new for you

• H-creativity – new for the world

know your field: P-creativity => H-creativity

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creative steps – the ant

• lots of small steps• incremental• evolutionary• convergent• slow and safe

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creative steps – the flea

• great leaps• unguided• revolutionary• divergent• fast and often wrong

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creativity is hard

avoiding crocophants

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formula for creativity!

structure + diversity

innovation

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puzzles and problems

puzzles (newspaper puzzle or university exam)

– single ‘right’ solution– all and only the relevant information– problem/puzzle statement fixed

problems (real world)

– many or no solutions– incomplete and irrelevant information– problem requirements negotiable, re-definable

differentheuristicsandtechniques

fun!

work

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chicken and egg

• understanding (or re-defining) the problem is the first step to finding a solution

– often ‘solution’ trivial

how to understand the problem?• understanding the problem with ‘solutions’

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making a place for creativity

intellectual and physical

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design exercise (an example)

Collaborative or Social Networking Thing* for babies and/or parents of babies …

… but … design a bad one / silly one

* at least some physical token or device, not purely web/digital

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prompts …

THE BAD1 what is bad about this idea?2 why is this a bad thing?3 are there any other things that

share this feature but are not bad?

4 if so what is the difference?

try different contextsused car salesman – how would you

sell it to someone?

THE GOOD 1 what is good about this idea?2 why is this a good thing?3 anything that shares this feature

but is not good?4 if so what is the difference?

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make it a good idea

• What is good - keep it• What is bad - change it• Change context• Learn from aspects

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why bad ideas?

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Good Ideas

why bad ideas?

training: – low commitment => easier to critique

design:– large jumps through the design space

??

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Bad Ideas

why bad ideas?

training: – low commitment => easier to critique

design:– large jumps through the design space

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why bad ideas?

training: – low commitment => easier to critique

design:– large jumps through the design space– understanding of the design space

Bad Ideas Meta-level

dimensionscriteria properties

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plus ...

• other divergent techniques:– random metaphors, putting ideas together

• arbitrary constraints:– time, materials, etc.

• externalisation

• personality prostheses

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critical transitionsand generating examples

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critical transitions and bad ideas

• good uses of bad feature: “what’s the difference”

• similar yet critical difference (good/bad)

• helps articulate (externalisation):dimensions, facets, concepts, criteria

• general technique ...

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critical transitions

• construct a boundary case …– example A in category B not in category– make ‘path of small changes from A to B– where does it ‘cross’ the boundary– good for ‘felt’ categories

in category not in category

A B

criticaltransition

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boundaries

• where the action is (wild west, sea shore)

• reductionist – define and delineate• intuitive – life is fuzzy, categories meaningless

a different way• define and delineate

– for what you learn not the result• wholeheartedly seek but hold lightly the outcome

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but how to find examples?

• generating examples – hard• examples from experience easy ??? or is it ???

past now

oldconcept

experience

need

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but how to find examples?

• generating examples – hard• examples from experience easy ??? or is it ???

past now

newconcept

experience

need

generateexamplesimilar surface

characteristics

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but how to find examples?

• generating examples – hard• examples from experience ... actually harder!

but .. generating examples ...• take arbitrary concrete example• morph to new concept• constant concrete – abstract movement

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externalisation

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different kinds

• drawings and sketches• models• diagrams• mathematical formulae• spoken words (learn to listen to yourself)• written words (on paper, or screen)• computer programs• acting

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why externalise?

• informational• passing on to others already formed ideas

• formational• ideas become clearer by the process of externalisation

• transformational• thinking using materials

• transcendental• our thoughts and ideas become the object of thought

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informational

passing on to others already formed ideas

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formational

ideas become clearer by the process of externalisation

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transformational

thinking using materials

e.g. measure length on diagram

c.f. external/distributed cognition

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transcendental

our thoughts and ideas become the object of thought

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multiple classifications

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why multiple classifications?

• taxonomy:– things

• circles– red circles– yellow circles

• squares– red squares– yellow squares

similarity clear

similarity obscured

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multiple classification

– shapes• circles• squares

– colours• red• yellow

shape

colourred yellow

circle

square

tell you in what ways things are similar and in what whay they differ

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using multi-classifications

• to spread literature search

X

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using multi-classifications

• to spread literature search• to identify gaps

somator other

thing-amibob

somatelse

?

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using multi-classifications

• to spread literature search• to identify gaps• to discover trends

thing-amibob

somatelse

??

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using multi-classifications

• to spread literature search• to identify gaps• to discover trends• to uncover abstractions

somator other

thing-amibob

somatelse

differentagain

? ?

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using multi-classifications

• to spread literature search• to identify gaps• to discover trends• to uncover abstractions• to synthesise solutions

somator other

thing-amibob

somatelse

?

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personality prostheses

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a researcher is …

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a researcher is …

• interested• active• confused• geek• optimist

• organised• diligent• insightful• fluent• creative

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imagine …

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selling cars …

• make pink cars• make people like pink

thnx 2 flickr: zwierz, foxp2, texassadie, lightpainter

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eShopping

• requirement: plan a week’s food in advance• make people organised

thnx: http://www.carolyn.topmum.net/tutbury/church/church.htm

DAY TIME FOOD QTYMon 7:45 grapefruit 1/2 tinMon 7:45 tea cupMon 10:30 choc. bsct 3Mon 10:30 coffee 2 cups

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why do it to yourself!

research ...• the goal/outcome is fixed (sort of)• the process involves you

GOAL

papers

data

thesisargument

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who you are

• physical capabilities– maybe go to the gym

• cognitive capabilities– maybe take evening classes

• personality and cognitive style– time management, tidiness, divergent, convergent thinking– slow/hard to change if possible ... and do you want to?– often treated as moral failure– only ever apologise for what you do, never who you are

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/jakerome/2241606732/

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tools to help you given who you are(NOT to change who you are)

• physical prosthesis– forklift

• cognitive prosthesis– calculator

• personality prosthesisN.B. Csíkszentmihályi – creative thinkers extreme at both ends of personality traits

– convergent thinker – bad idea helps divergence– divergent thinker – prompts help convergence

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don’t say:if only I were like XI could reach my (research) goals

do ask:given the way I amhow do I do things

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bad ideas prompts

externalisation

explicitdesign space

criticaltransitions

divergence convergence

examples(multiple)

classificationsboundaries

personalityprosthesis

breakingbounds

commitment