creative thinking tools - CRE8NG · creative thinking and creative thinking or innovation tools. First Step choose something totally unrelated to the problem or challenge ... creative

Robert Alan Black, Ph.D., CSP Cre8ng People, Places & Possibilities [email protected] http://www.cre8ng.com 706-353-3387

Thinking ToolsDivergent & Convergent


Forced RelationshipsThis is an idea generating technique that appears in many books aboutcreative thinking and creative thinking or innovation tools.

First Stepchoose something totally unrelated to the problem or challengeYou or your group are working on.

Second StepList everything you or your group know about it.(Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?… physical, visual, tactile,…all senses, good and bad)

Third StepList everything you or your group know about your problem or challenge.(WWWWWH…and using all the senses)

Fourth StepTake items/details/aspects from the first list and FORCE FIT them tofeatures Or details from the second list. Your goal is to see if the featuresfrom The randomly chosen, unrelated thing/animal sparks ideas forimproving, Changing, correcting features of the problem.

A traditional example or warm-up for doing this consists of…

1st. Ask the person or group to write everything they know abouta canary (or a bird in their country.

2nd. Ask the person or group to write everything they know aboutthe chair they are sitting in.

3rd. Then I ask them to combine (FORCE FIT or make aFORCED Relationship) one item from the canary list withThe chair’s list with the goal to improve, change, correct the chairdesign or to generate ideas for designing the ultimate chair.

Sample

+ =

Feathers-Soft + chair is hard = make seat softYellow + chair is ship gray = add color

Divergent Thinking Tool


Sample

+ =

Idea 1.2.3.4.5.

Ideas1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Idea2

Idea4

Vertical 2 = make the chair out of woodHorizontal 4 = make the color changeable

Ideas might be….cover, removable film or skin

Idea GridsFirst StepWith this Cre8ng Tool we first generate 12 to 24 ideasthrough Brainstorming or any other technique.

Second StepThen draw a grid made up of as many vertical andhorizontalCells as you have ideas.

Third StepCombine the ideas on the vertical side of the grid Withthe ideas on the horizontal side one by one and writethem into the separate boxes where the two ideas meet..6 ideas canThen produce 36 ideas, 12 can produce 24, 100 - 10,000

Fourth StepRead over the ideas you have produced and select thebestTo work on to turn them into HOT SOLUTIONS to use.



S.C.A.M.P.E.R. CHECKLISTINGS.C.A.M.P.E.R. is a form of CHECKLIST. A CHECKLLIST isa prepared list of words, verbs, questions that you can use that canspark new ideas, change your thinking or your point of view oreven you mood and the direction your thinking at the moment andtake you into many directions.

S.C.A.M.P.E.R. was created by Bob Eberle, teacher/educationalconsultant in the 1970 s to teach the concept of CHECKLISTINGto school children by using a memory device (acronym) that theycould easily remember when they needed to generate new ideas orremember existing or past ideas. It is used as the foundation forMichael Michalko’s excellent Creative Thinking Toolsbook…THINKERTOYS.

First StepWrite out the word S.C.A.M.P.E.R. vertically on a piece of paper or on a flipchart/chalkboard or other surface that the group can see.

Second StepWrite out what the 7 letters stand for.

Third StepThen use each of the 7 by asking questions using these verbs toimprove/change/revise your challenge or problem to generate potential ideasand solutions.

Fourth StepRead over the ideas you have produced and select the bestTo work on to turn them into HOT SOLUTIONS to use.

Sample

=Combine - what might we combinewith our problem to improve it?Chair - new materials, sound, tastes,textures, arm rest, cushion

Eliminate - what might we eliminateto improve the current chair produce abrand new one?Hinges, one of the legs, the back

S. = substituteC. = combineA. = adapt, adoptM. = minify, magnifyP. = put to other usesE. = eliminateR. = reverse



Idea or Morphological GridsThis is a logical/left-brain convergent tool that can be used togenerate large numbers of ideas. 6 columns of 10 examples ofeach variable can produce 1,000,000 possible combinations.

First StepGenerate list of variables of problem or story

Second StepGenerate lists for each of the variables: i.e.: heroes: cowboy,Rancher, sheriff, shopkeeper, teacher, minister.

Third StepNumber each list for each variable 1 to 2 to 3 to …...

Fourth StepRandomly pick one number for each variable column from 1 to ?

Fifth StepThen write a story using one from each of the columns Sample

1.2.3.4.5.


hero

es

hero

ines

villia

ns

crimes

locati

ons

Variables of story


Value GridsThis is a logical/left-brain convergent tool that can be used toselect ideas to turn into solutions

First StepGenerate ideas

Second StepSelect a workable number of ideas you or the group like

Third StepGenerate a list of values that final solution can be evaluatedwith.

Fourth StepExamine each idea one by one for each value.OrExamine each value one by one comparing the chairs.

Fifth StepIf one idea ends up better from the analysis than one that youor the group have a strong feeling for then go back andre-evaluate the weak areas and strengthen or change them.

Sample

+ =

Idea A.B.C.D.E.

Values1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

IdeaB

Value4

Idea B = make the chair out of woodValue 4 = better aesthetics

Wood would make it easier to tool, the grain willGive a natural beauty to the chair

Convergent Thinking Tool


PCP-Pluses/Concerns/Potentials

Pluses/Concerns/Potentials a convergent thinking tool used foranalyzing a list or group of ideas that have been generated by anindividual or a group.

First StepNarrow down the number of ideas to a comfortablenumber (3 to 6)

Second StepThen one by one write out 3 lists of thoughts about each idea.

a. Pluses of the ideasb. Concernsc. Potentials

Third StepThen compare the results.

Fourth StepIf one idea falls behind the others yet the group seems moreexcited about it or committed to it, then go over each of theconcerns and think of ways to eliminate or strength them with thatidea.

Sample

=

Idea 1Make the chair out of XXX plasticand apply electrical lighting to it.

Pluses -Plastic will be cheaperLighting will make it more useableThe plastic will provide more coloroptions

Concerns -We have no experience with plasticElectrical wiring will add costIt may be too easily tipped over

Potentials -Could lead to a product that could besold anywhere in the world.Could expand our technical capacitiesCould open up new markets for ourother products.



Hits & MissesHits & Misses is a convergent thinking tool used for quicklychoosing ideas from several that have been generated.

First StepGenerate many ideas….24, 48, 144…..on Post-It notes or slips ofpaper or index cards or simply write them on a surface whereeveryone can see them easily.

Second StepTell the group to go up and scan the total group of ideas and markwhich ones their “gut” tells them is a hit. No discussion. Justsimply read and react.OrTell the group to go up and move the ideas they think are HITS toan area labeled HITS and the MISSES to another area labeledthus. Leave the “NOT SURE” ones where they are.

Third StepThen discuss, organize by popularity, group, cluster the ideas bycategories.

Fourth StepSelect the one or more that can be used at the same time or theones that can be combined into a single idea

Sample

Hits Unsure? Misses


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creative thinking tools - CRE8NG · creative thinking and creative thinking or innovation tools. First Step choose something totally unrelated to the problem or challenge ... creative