Once upon a time in 2009, I was fortunate enough to take a two-year course in systems thinking (with an emphasis on solving engineering problems) in my university. It was an evening practical course, where you had to pass an exam in logic.
The course was taught by a practicing head of an invention bureau, who mainly solves engineering problems such as "how to build a tunnel in the earth's rock that cannot be dug". This man was familiar with Altshuller's colleagues and preached his theory of inventive problem solving in a form adapted for real use. Then I learned a lot of new things and the information received seriously influenced my life and work.
A systematic approach to solving creative problems allows you to create regardless of inspiration. This is an incredibly cool thing to simplify life in general. Any everyday problem or the need to come up with something for business becomes an interesting challenge. This always happens when you understand what needs to be done to solve a problem, and do not wait for mythical inspiration that may not come.
I have long wanted to collect top methods for generating creative ideas, which are seriously useful to me in my life and work.
1. The Ishikawa diagram
I dearly love this approach to organizing ideas and generating non-obvious possibilities ❤️
Ishikawa's diagram, also known as "fishbone" and "cause-effect diagram", helps to categorize and visualize potential causes of a problem and get to the root of the problem.
The diagram was invented by Japanese professor Kaoru Ishikawa back in 1950-1951, for a long time it was used to identify the causes of defects and deviations in the industry and eventually became a popular quality management tool. And project and product teams began to use the diagram, including for working with risks.
How to use
- Assemble a team
- Determine what you want to get out of this brainstorming session
- Formulate the groups of risk sources
- Go to detailing each group. Supplement each large group with specific sources of fish bones.
- Work on.
Picture taken from Wikipedia to show how the Ishikawa diagram works.
The most important
An Ishikawa diagram is a case where the process is as important as the result. It doesn't matter how many sources you get, length and curvature and "bones", whether you draw on a whiteboard or in Google Slides. It is important that you reflect on what might go wrong and that you can, if not avoid problems, then prepare for them.
2. Kipling's method
Using this method saved me and my colleagues a lot of hours in meetings and strategy sessions. I really like constructive discussions ❤️
The method is based on the famous poem by Rudyard Kipling. The point is to analyze the problem and develop ideas using the questions "what?", "Where?", "When?", "How?", "Why?" and who?". The method is suitable for working with specific tasks in a team and independently.
How to use
- Formulate the problem.
- Ask your subject 6 basic questions:
"what?", "Where?", "When?", "How?", "Why?" and who?". - After answering, go to additional ones. This will help to take a comprehensive look at the problem.
- How many?
- Why not?
- How long does it take?
- In which place?
- Who can handle this?
- Where else?
- What is the problem?
- Where is this happening?
- When does this happen?
- Why is this happening?
- How can these difficulties be overcome?
- Whom do you need to attract?
- How do I know the problem has been resolved?
4.As the creative session progresses, write down the answers and new questions that arise.
The most important
The method requires critical thinking and specific answers. Don't go into details to save time and effort.
3. Opportunity matrix
This technique is also known as Fritz Zwicky's morphological analysis method. Its essence is to come up with as many solutions as possible for individual parts of the problem and combine them in a random way.
How to use
- Formulate the problem.
- Draw a 5 by 10 table.
- The first row of cells is "Characteristic". Write down the main parameters of the task here.
- Come up with a property for each parameter and write it down in the remaining rows. Choose absurd ideas over standard ones.
- Arrange individual cells in columns and evaluate how the result corresponds to the task at hand.
- Write down the ideas you like.
Below is a matrix of possibilities for milk carton design.
| Feature / property | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Elongated bottle | Iron can, 0.33 l | Udder-shaped packaging | Triangular package | Glove |
| Material | Craft paper | Bubble wrap | Strained glass | Leather / suede | Clay |
| Main image | Milkmaid becomes president | Cows and goats sunbathe on the beach | A man drinks from the same bowl with a cat | The sun drinks milk | Children go from city to village |
The most important
The most important thing is to choose the most essential parameters and turn off the internal critic at the stage of filling the table. This way you can come up with as many incredible variations as possible.
4. Associative search method
The method is suitable for creating ideas from scratch. For example, for video or animation development. The bottom line is to find as many associations as possible to the object in question and draw a connection between the concepts.
There are many similar methods out there, based on associations that have nothing to do with the creative object. Such a retreat opens up your imagination and removes the narrow-mindedness of thinking. In this way, a lot of brilliant things were invented!
How to use
- Prepare a dozen random words. You can use stories, tweets or images.
- Assemble a team and formulate a problem.
- A minute is given for each prepared word. During this time, the team must give a number of associations.
- Try to think big, make ridiculous associations.
- Write each association on the chalkboard.
- Continue until you have come up with associations for all words or have typed enough to solve the problem.
- Use the information received as directed.
The most important
Say the first thing that comes to mind. If you're stumped, just change the word. It is better to use words that are not directly related to the problem itself.
5. Bisociation
You will not have to look for associations, but, on the contrary, combine ideas that are not related to each other. You will need to map the task to an already known process from a completely different area. The technique was described by the writer and journalist Arthur Koestler.
How to use
- Formulate the problem.
- Draw a table with two columns. Record several processes on the left that are not related to the task. In the right column, write down the processes related to the task.
- Find parallels between the processes in the columns. Consider how you can use these mappings to solve a problem.
- Record any ideas that arise.
- After the break, pick the best ones and tweak them if necessary.
This is how your table should look like if you want to present a painting to a friend, but don't know what to draw.
| Not relevant to the task | Relate to the task |
|---|---|
| Bear hunt | Choose materials |
| Dry cleaning of a duvet | Choose colors |
| Paint the fence | To draw a picture |
| Make oatmeal | Come up with a plot |
| Wash yourself with spring water | Gift painting to a friend |
| Refuel the car with gasoline | Write congratulations |
| Write a complaint | Pack the gift |
The most important
Success depends on the ability to consider processes in an abstract manner. By breaking the patterns of thinking, you will find connections between unrelated concepts.
6. Edward de Bono's Six Hats Technique
This role-playing technique was invented by creative thinking expert Edward de Bono. Your task is to look at the problem from six points of view. This method works incredibly well for management tasks that are not directly related to art (although, who knows how you can use it).
How to use
- Assemble a team of six.
- Formulate the problem.
- Give each team member an item (hat) of the same color: red, yellow, black, green, white and blue. Each color represents a role.
- Participants consider the problem according to their assigned role.
- Ideas are freely expressed, like during a brainstorming session, and are recorded on the board.
The table shows which roles are assigned to each hat.
| Hat color | Role |
|---|---|
| Red hat | Responsible for emotions, premonitions, intuition |
| Yellow hat | Describes the benefits |
| Black hat | Takes into account the problems and possible risks |
| Green hat | Generates ideas |
| White hat | Voices facts and figures |
| Blue hat | Host, supervises the change of hats |
The most important
Success depends on how well each participant can use different types of thinking to solve a problem. The facilitator should remind the participants of their roles and not allow other people's roles to be tried on before the due time. The session ends when each participant has tried on all 6 hats.
7. Constraint method
The method was formulated by Professor Stephen M. Kosslin. You need to understand what can prevent you from solving the problem, rethink its wording in order to come to the right solution.
How to use
- Formulate the problem.
- Come up with constraints that prevent you from completing the task. Write them down.
- Find 3 ways you can use each constraint.
- Find 3 ways to work around each limitation.
- Find 3 ways to change each constraint.
- Consider how the task is transformed if each constraint is removed and changed.
- Find more restrictions.
- Repeat constraint search and task transformation several times.
- Compare the source and destination.
The most important
If your task has no limits, come up with them. Limit the task to the future and the past, top and bottom.
Conclusion
In fact, there are a lot of cool methods for organizing thinking when generating creative ideas. Different methods work for different people. The common thing that practically all the methods I know have in common is that they all help to abstract from the task and let the fantasy go into free flight. At the same time, they provide a clear plan of action so that creativity does not depend on inspiration, but ideas are born, as if on a conveyor belt.
Be creative ❤️
Cheers Gally
Well written! I agree, it's very important to make a plan, and follow it through. It's so easy to get distracted along the way. Thank you for listing good techniques and tips!
Yes it's true.
Thanks for your feedback @svein! 😌
Gally, thank you for once again sharing an amazing article here on Hive! This one was really great.
@fredrikaa not often people write such in-depth here, I think it's awesome!