Have you been in a creative stupor more than once? Coffee won't wake you up! Let's get acquainted with methods to help you generate ideas easily!
1. The first classic and sensational method that is used everywhere - brainstorming!
Everyone in the boat and let's go! I find this method to be effective. Just imagine, you get together with a team, and everyone offers an idea, even the most stupid one. But you will be surprised when you write down all the ideas from the participants, you move on to an active discussion, and even the most stupid idea can turn out to be "sweet". Don't be afraid to voice stupid ideas, this is how the brainstorming method works! Storm Olympus easily!
2. Another classic method is the method of associations
Of course, everyone has heard about him, especially the designers. The principle is simple: there is a topic of discussion - there is an association and one more association and another.
The ice is broken, gentlemen of the jury! The ice has broken!
Many designers work according to this principle and not only. This principle suits absolutely everyone who needs to "urgently" generate an idea. You can build a whole chain of associations and find that you are far from the intended topic. But it doesn't matter, these are “deep associations”, somehow connected with your topic, try to use them as well.
3. Mental maps
I was lazy to use them at first. But as usual, you need to turn it into a habit and see the result. The intrigue is over! About the method of mental maps itself: we draw plans for today with you, we draw. You are in the center, there are lines from you, and you do not write the problem, but draw, so that later you can figure out what it is. For example, one of the tasks for today is to go to the movies. So, using the same method of associations, we are drawing people at the big screen.
4. Bus, bed, bath
The method invites us to generate ideas in unusual places, if you are in the office - let's work in the fresh air, waiting for the long-awaited apple to fall on us. Let the ideas out, you need to help them, and, like Archimedes in the bathroom, shout "Eureka"!
5. Transcript, sir!
We take an incomprehensible inscription or drawing, for example, a hieroglyph, examine a friend's tattoo. And “in the old fashioned way” we give birth to associations, what is it! This is a great exercise for every day, after which you will give birth to associations on the go!
6. We catch ideas with a net!
It's simple: we write down ideas in a notebook or read on a dictaphone. Everyone knows that ideas come suddenly when you are not prepared for it! Be vigilant and, like a detective or a doctor, write down all ideas. Most importantly, then find the record!
7. I love hats! All six hats!
The technique of trying on six hats will help you from creative chaos in your head. We mentally put on a white hat and analyze figures and facts with a serious face. We put on a black hat and look for the negative, criticize and look appraisingly. Finally, we try on the yellow hat - smile and look at everything positively. Then we'll try on a green hat that will help us generate new ideas. Red hat makes us emotional, more emotion. In the end, after trying on a blue hat or a sky blue hat, we summarize with you. More color!
How to generate ideas easily is a pressing question, the solutions to which are a huge ocean. These 7 Proven Ways To Help You Breathe Without Much Preparation new life into your creativity!
I wish everyone inspiration every day and in an unusual setting!
The creative process requires the constant generation of new ideas, but where can you get them if you have already turned your head thinking about your plan.
The online magazine Business In Web shared this with us and suggested 10 ways to create new original ideas.
1. Brainstorming
2. Method of Edward de Bono "Six hats"
In the course of the creative process, a person puts on six hats of different colors in turn. In white he impartially checks numbers and facts, in black he tries to find negative traits, in yellow he analyzes positive aspects, in green he generates new ideas, in red he can allow an active emotional reaction. And, finally, in a blue hat - the results of the work are summed up.
3. Method "Mind maps"
Designed by Tony Buzan. His theory emphasizes that the creative process is closely related to human memory, so it is memory that needs to be developed.
He suggested writing in the center of the sheet key concept, and all the associations that need to be remembered, write on the branches coming from the main word. Ideas can also be drawn.
The creation of such a "map" helps to come up with new associations, and the image of the "map" itself is much better remembered.
4. Synectic
In the first column, they write direct analogies, in the second - indirect ones, for example, signs of the first column. Then the goal, object and indirect analogies are compared. Example: the object is a pencil, the task is to expand the range. A direct analogy is a volume pencil, its negation is a flat pencil. The result is a bookmark pencil.
5. Method of focal objects
Charles Whiting's method combines features of different objects in one subject. Example: a candle and the concept " New Year". New Year means a holiday, sparks of Bengal lights, this also applies to a candle. If you rub a Bengal candle into powder and add it to wax, you will get a "New Year" candle with a sparkling crumb inside.
6. Morphological analysis
Proposed by Fritz Zwicky, is that the object under study is scattered into components, from which the most essential characteristics are selected. Then they change and try to put them back together. The result is a new object.
7. Indirect strategies
This method was invented by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt. This method requires a deck of cards with commands, for example, “let your anger go free”, “steal the solution,” etc. The person pulls out the cards and follows the instructions.
8. "Bus, bed, bath"
It is based on the belief that new ideas not only lurk in the depths of our subconscious, but are also torn out, we just need to release them, that is, do not interfere with their appearance. A new idea can come to mind in the most unusual place.
9. Decoding
To do this, you need to take an incomprehensible inscription on foreign language, for example hieroglyphs. At this moment, a person who solves the inscription may have a variety of associations in his head.
10. Idea Trap
In this method, it is necessary to record absolutely all ideas; you can record them on a dictaphone or in a notebook. And then, on occasion, return to them.
There is a good American saying "Who invented gets 1 dollar, who produced 10, whoever sold 100"
But someone also needs to generate an idea. After all, we often associate our future with success based on some new idea. We are planning new products and new services. And we want them to take root in the future.
For this to happen, the idea must be super-effective. Because in the future everything is cheaper and better than now.
How do we usually look for new ideas? We take what we have. Either we reduce costs or add capabilities. But this is not enough. The future requires doing both at the same time.
Back in the distant 16th century, the outstanding English philosopher Francis Bacon lamented that scientific discoveries were happening slowly and largely by accident. He tried to find approaches and algorithms that would make it possible to turn “creating new things” into a systematic, permanent process. A lot of time has passed since then, and today society has at its disposal many theories of creativity and creativity, which help to look outside the box at existing problems and propose non-trivial solutions.
I made a selection about methods of generating ideas several years ago. And recently updated.
Friends and colleagues, maybe there is something else new and useful on the market?
Let's help each other in the breadth of horizons))
There are scientific methods for generating ideas that operate with patterns, clear rules, and tools that work well. Currently the only scientific theory generation of ideas can be considered the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ). This is not for everyone, so let's leave it aside))
Let's look at the methods that usually have certain rules of work, directing the work of thoughts in the right direction.
So, the methods for generating new ideas.
1. Brainstorming (Alex Osborne)
A group of people actively proposes various ideas, the group members try to develop them, immediately analyze them, identifying disadvantages and advantages. Has many different approaches, but the essence is the same.
The main method used by most managers and which has a lot of varieties and technologies of use. You can't list everything.
3. "Mind maps" or "Mind maps" developed by Tony Buzan in the 70s of the last century and described in his book "Think with your head." After that, they became a familiar tool for the work of many intellectual workers in the countries. Western Europe and the USA. We also have this method at the peak of its popularity.
Information is memorized the better, the larger the volume of the cerebral cortex is connected to its perception.
The linear presentation of information in the form of text does not fully use the capabilities of our brain, since it involves only the left hemisphere of the brain.
When working with maps, the cortex of the right hemisphere is additionally involved, which is responsible for the perception of visual and color images and creative activity. Thanks to this, the visualized information is perceived much faster and is remembered for longer.
Tony Buzan suggested writing the key concept in the center of the sheet, and writing all the associations that need to be remembered on the branches coming from the main word. Ideas can also be drawn. The creation of such a map helps to come up with new associations, the image of the map is much better remembered.
In Russia one of the leading consultants on mind maps is Sergey Bekhterev- the first certified trainer in mentality management in Russia. Author of the book “Mind Management. Solving Business Problems Using Mind Maps ”.
Everyone uses mind maps differently. I saw many of these working cards at Igor Mann, which he uses in his work.
He has a mind map for every question, every problem, every idea. For example, when reading a book, it fills in new information several cards at once.
4. Synectics (William Gordon). In 1961, his book "Synectics: Development of the Creative Imagination" was published. Since then, the synectic method began to develop actively and gained popularity all over the world. By the way, the clients of the organization "Synectics Inc." are such world companies as "Zinger", "General Electrics", "IBM" and many others.
The term "synectics" means the combination of dissimilar, sometimes even incompatible elements in the process of finding a solution to the problem. Criticism is welcomed in synectics, and various comparisons and analogies are actively used. In the process of solving the problem, a group of people (synectics) takes part.
Action plan:
1. Direct analogies. They are often found in different systems that solve similar tasks. For example, it is believed that during his observation of how a woodworm worm drills a tubular channel in wood, the French engineer Brunel came to the discovery of the caisson method in the construction of underwater structures.
2. Subjective (personal) analogies. As an example, we can use an inventor who imagines how his own body would function if he could, using it, achieve the desired result. How would he feel if his arms, for example, were the wings or blades of a helicopter? Or how would his body behave if he were a crane?
3. Symbolic analogies. Comparisons, allegories, metaphors can be used here, where the properties of one thing are identified with the properties of another. For example, a space of options, an acute problem, a steel solution, etc.
4. Fantastic analogies. At this stage, you need to imagine things as they cannot be by definition. For example, any moment of your life is accompanied only by you audible music, which you yourself can choose. Or whenever you drive a car, all obstacles and the like disappear automatically on your way.
Example: the object is a pencil, the task is to expand the range. A direct analogy is a volume pencil, its negation is a flat pencil. The result is a bookmark pencil.
5. Method of focal objects (Charles Whiting). Sometimes referred to as "Random Stimulus".
The focal object method (MFO) is a method of searching for new ideas and characteristics of an object based on attaching the properties of other randomly selected objects to the original object. Hence the other name - the method of random objects.
Those. This method combines the features of different objects in one object.
Action plan:
1. Select the focal object - what we want to improve.
2. Select random objects (3-5 concepts, from an encyclopedia, a book, necessarily nouns, of a different subject, different from the original object).
3. We write down the properties of random objects.
4. Attach the found properties to the original object.
5. We develop the obtained variants by means of associations.
6. We evaluate the obtained solutions from the point of view of efficiency, interest and viability.
Example: a candle and the concept of "New Year". New Year means a holiday, sparks of Bengal lights, this also applies to a candle. If you rub a Bengal candle into powder and add it to wax, you will get a "New Year" candle with a sparkling crumb inside.
After all, we remember that the world of thinking is an anti-maze, where from any point you can come to any other)).
6. Morphological analysis (Fritz Zwicky).
This method of systematized search for new ideas offers a large, serious super-task to break down into a number of local tasks concerning some individual elements. Each of the elements, in turn, has a number of solutions. Each of the options must be discussed.
The essence of the method consists in constructing a table that lists all the constituent elements of the research object and indicates all possible options for the implementation of these elements.
Action plan:
1. The problem is formulated precisely.
2. Determined essential elements object.
3. Variants of possible execution of elements are determined.
4. Entering them into the table.
5. Evaluation of all options available in the table.
6. Choosing the best option.
The calculation is based on the fact that options that previously fell out of sight may come into view. The principle of morphological analysis is easily implemented using computer tools, by building algorithms.
7. "Indirect Strategies" (Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt).
A method of getting out of creative dead ends with the help of pre-prepared cards.
The first edition of the cards (115 pieces) dates back to 1975, and nowadays you can find an electronic version of "workarounds" on the Internet. Brian admitted that the idea was in part inspired by the Chinese method of divination from the I Ching Book of Changes.
Take a deck of cards on which you have previously recorded a set of certain commands. Now pull out the cards and follow their directions.
8. Method "Bus, bed, bath".
The famous physicist once joked that all the great scientific discoveries were made in one of the three "B" - bus, bed, bath. (Bus, bed, bath)
It is based on the opinion that new ideas often visit us at the most unexpected moments and in the most unexpected situations, or even during sleep))
Indeed, many scientists have admitted that the brightest ideas came to their minds when they did not think at all about their scientific problems. This is the result of the incubation principle.
The continuity of the process of incubation of ideas is carried out due to the fact that our subconscious is constantly processing the accumulated information. The more we are interested in finding a solution, the more likely it is that our subconscious mind will prompt us new ideas.
Action plan:
1. Statement of the problem. Formulate your problem. Try to outline in general terms the areas of knowledge and the sequence of steps that are important for solving it - this will help awaken the creative forces of your subconscious.
2. Preparatory work... Gather all available information on this issue and prepare the necessary literature. Be actively involved in the research process - read, reflect, discuss, ask questions to specialists. Act as best you can until you feel satisfied with your preparatory work.
3. Installation for search. Turning to your subconscious mind, give it a mindset to find a solution to the problem. Use, for example, such expressions: “So, start looking for a solution. I'll be waiting for an answer in two days! " or: “Take action. Let me know when the work is finished. "
4. Incubation. Leave your problem in the creative incubator. Forget about it for a while. Do other things; the incubation process will go on without your participation.
5. Eureka! Nobody knows how long it will take, five minutes or five months, but the inspiration will surely come!
This principle was classically demonstrated by the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes, who discovered his law in the bathroom)).
9. Trap for ideas.
In this method, it is necessary to record absolutely all ideas; you can record them on a dictaphone or in a notebook. And then, on occasion, return to them. A simple and effective way, but, unfortunately, not everyone uses it. Everyone tries to remember, but the memory resists. But memory can be trained.
Military psychologists have accumulated vast experience in training personnel who can quickly and reliably memorize information. It would be foolish not to take advantage of their developments. We invite you to a meeting at the E-xecutive Discussion Club on September 17, where you can learn about the methods of the special services, the effectiveness of which has been tested by time and generations of intelligence officers and counterintelligence officers. At the meeting we will talk about how to develop attention, thinking and memory. Let's try the most effective exercises that won't take more than 20 minutes a day.
Program and registration
WELCOME everyone!
10. Delphi method (Delphi method).
The method consists in identifying the expert opinion of specialists in conditions of anonymity with the subsequent processing of the results obtained by statistical methods.
It is known that the use of collective knowledge leads to the possibility of finding strong solutions, but in the process of exchanging opinions between participants, the influence of the authority of colleagues can affect and everything will come down to the emergence of popular answers.
In Russia, the Delphi Method is often used as one of the tools for choosing and evaluating a solution.
11.SCAMPER (Bob Eberle).
A technique of creativity that offers a list of changes that can be made in working on a specific object. The technique is to consistently answer questions about the modification of the task.
Action plan:
Substitute- Replace something like components, materials, people
Combine- Combine, for example, with other functions, devices
Adapt- Add something like new items, functions
Modify- Modify, such as resize, shape, color or other attribute
Put- Apply for something else, in a different industry
Eliminate - Remove parts, simplify to main
Reverse- Swap, turn over, find use in what is the opposite
This method is often used in production.
Well, and a purely educational video for creative managers))
In the E-xecutive Discussion Club there were several different meetings with themes about creativity. I suggest watching a video of the meeting
In the presentation - an overview of places and methods for finding new ideas, the principles of super-efficiency based on the examples of Silicon Valley companies and the opportunity to find an idea for your future.
The first part of the video contains examples of Silicon Valley companies. Zarina Gafitulina-mathematician. Recently successful strategy consultant for Deloitte. Lives in San Jose (California, USA). He is studying Silicon Valley companies.
The second part is a classic brainstorming session. Timur Gafitulin- psychologist, consultant and trainer for creativity and innovation.
USEFUL VIEWING!
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Agree, to form an interesting, original and useful idea, you need to work hard. Brain work is built in such a way that ideas and thoughts are constantly floating in the head, prompting a person to take action. There are thoughts that do not have to "think" much - mostly fleeting impulses: about clothes or work, a project or relationship in the family. When it comes to how ideas are generated for a business or a scientific experiment, there are many techniques that can be followed to formulate profitable, original and useful ideas. So, how to generate ideas for business and startup, read in this article.
- Brainstorming by Alex Osborne.
The most common method that is known to a large number of people, it is even used in schools to teach children creative thinking. This is a collective method of generating an idea and there are two explanations for this.
First, in the team, the possibilities of thinking expand, provided there are no psychological barriers.
Second, problems about modifying ideas are solved more quickly if a group of people work on them.
Execution technology. People are encouraged to voice their idea. Other participants develop it without the right to criticize. So, each in turn has the opportunity to speak out and participate in the analysis of creative ideas, improving and perfecting the core.
Feature of the technique - the very process of idea generation, development and subsequent criticism is divorced in time. The brainstorming analysis occurs at the end.
The second version of the method of generating ideas "Brainstorming" - brainwriting or "mute". Ideas are not voiced or discussed, but written on a piece of paper. This sheet is passed from hand to hand, and each participant can make their own thoughts and additions to the idea.
- Six hats - by Edward de Bono.
This method may seem simple at first glance and not useful. In fact, everything is much deeper than it might seem.
Execution technique. More than 7 people are expected to participate. Everyone is invited to put on hats of different colors on their heads and complete the corresponding tasks. An important condition is to properly organize communication in the group, to exclude emotional confrontation among the participants.
Each hat comes with a specific quest. One specific idea is voiced and with the help of hats the participants express their opinion.
How the roles are distributed by color:
- Former hat - you need to analyze facts and figures. It is based on rationalism and impartial explanation and confirmation.
- Black hat - identifying negative properties, predicting possible failure.
- Red hat - the need to connect emotional assessment based on subconscious associations.
- The yellow hat is the formation of the positive sides of the idea.
- Green hat - searching for non-standard solutions to a problem, based on creativity and originality to identify alternatives.
- Blue hat - summing up and summarizing all the participants said.
- Mind Maps - by Tony Buzan.
The author of the method is sure that memory is at the heart of the development of creative thinking and brain activity in general, and it is from this development that work on generating ideas should be started.
How to build the memorization process correctly? Place a key concept or word on a sheet of paper in the center, enclosing it in a circle, and draw associative rows from it, writing them on the branches - creating a tree. Also, for better memorization, support associations and thoughts with graphic elements. Thus, build a map of associations, which fully forms the image in the center. Such a tree or map is better remembered and remains in memory longer.
- Synectica - by William Gordon.
To find a creative grain in an idea, you need to acquire patience and resort to working on analogies. This will help broaden your view of the problem and consider those sides that are hidden from view. The synectic method is one of the best methods for generating ideas for a startup and business.
Execution technique. The idea is divided into keywords or categories and analogies are selected for them, which are recorded in a table for the convenience of further work. The table is divided into columns: the first is direct analogies with the subject, the second is indirect, it can be an opposite opinion or description.
For example: object and keyword: pencil. For what purpose this object is being considered: to expand the range. A direct analogy to the word pencil is volumetric (its appearance), and an indirect analogy is flat (negation). The result is a bookmark pencil.
- Focal Object Method - by Charles Whiting.
This is a non-standard technology for generating ideas for business. On the key object (focal), the signs of other, randomly selected objects are adjusted and the resulting compounds are further considered.
For example, what happens if you combine a candle as a focal object and the concept of "New Year"? Associations are included: New Year is the time of sparklers. It is this feature that can be transferred to the candle. What happens: grind the Bengal candle, add to the wax and what happens - the candle will burn and sparkle at the same time!
- Morphological analysis - by Fritz Zwicky.
The key object or word must be broken down into small components (signs). Of these, choose the most important ones that form this particular object, change the quality of these signs and try to connect them together.
For example, the goal is to create a business card for a perfume company. The usual shape of a business card is a rectangle. Changing the rectangle into a triangle and adding the scent of perfume - it will turn out new form business card of the company.
Perhaps difficult to find in modern world a more important skill than creativity. Over the past decade, artificial intelligence has made incredible advances in data processing, but in one thing it has hardly budged - its ability to generate new ideas.
So far, this remains the prerogative of humanity - and we must definitely use it. In this article, we've compiled a selection of the best techniques to help you find original and useful ideas.
Brainstorm
The first method in the world and has already become a classic. It allows you to generate a large number of ideas in a short time, which are further evaluated. Brainstorm involves group work, but nothing prevents you from doing it alone.
How it's done?
There are three stages of brainstorming:
Preparatory - participants formulate a problem, collect information, choose a leader.
Idea generation - each of the participants comes up with as many ideas as possible, guided by the following rules:
everything is accepted, even crazy and fantastic ideas, without any criticism;
ideas can be combined, improved, supplemented.
Evaluation of ideas - at this stage they are sorted and criticized, the most tenacious ones are worked out further, the rest are discarded.
Six thinking hats
An advanced version of the classic brainstorming session. She has game form, allows you to look at the task from different angles and improves intra-team interaction.
How it's done?
Each participant alternately "puts on" one of the hats, i.e. ponders the problem from one of 6 angles:
Blue hat - only one participant tries on it - the moderator. He formulates a goal, makes sure that all hats are used correctly, and sums it up.
White hat - is responsible for the analytical understanding of the problem. Participants discuss existing facts, look for missing information.
Red hat - makes it possible to express an emotional attitude to the problem and possible options for its solution, and also allows you to turn on intuition.
Black hat - suggests a pessimistic view of the problem under discussion. Participants discuss its negative sides and consequences, criticize the existing options for a way out.
Yellow hat - is responsible for the optimistic side of the problem. It is necessary to find benefits (even if it is not obvious), to reveal hidden useful resources and opportunities.
Green hat - this mode assumes the actual generation of ideas and the search for new, non-standard methods for solving the problem.
Mind Maps
Mental maps are a method aimed at visualizing connections and activating associative thinking. It allows you to better cover the whole picture of the studied issue and activates creative thinking thanks to the use of graphics.
How it's done?
Draw (or write) an image of the problem in the center. On the branches that will depart from it - write down your ideas. Include associative thinking, gradually expand each branch into smaller ones - this will allow you to work out each new thought in detail. Use pictures, make the map colorful - for greater clarity and the use of imaginative thinking.
Synectic method
Synectics is based on generating ideas using active use analogies. This is a fairly complex method with some limitations. It involves work on a specific task, and the group of synectics should be constant and undergo appropriate training. Unlike brainstorming, criticism is allowed here.
How it's done?
In the process of discussing the problem, participants look for analogies that can be attributed to 4 classes:
Direct analogies are the most obvious similarities with the object under study. Usually searched for in other technical or natural objects. For example, the wing of a bird and an airplane.
Subjective analogies - in this case, the creative person transforms into the object under study, he must “feel” what it is like to be him, evaluate all those aspects that are inaccessible to the usual logical approach.
Symbolic analogies - involves the use of metaphors and unusual definitions of ordinary things, the search for paradoxes and conflicts in established stereotypes. So, a car can be defined as "easy moving weight".
Fantastic analogies are a subject of discussion and the possibilities of synectics are mentally deprived of any obstacles from physical laws. Anything is allowed, even the use of a magic wand. This allows you to remove mental blocks and fully unleash your creativity.
SCAMPER technique
If the previous techniques made it possible to maximally liberate thinking, then SCAMPER sets it in a certain direction. This allows you to give the result precisely in those cases when free thinking does not work. In expanded form, it contains 60 questions and 200 associative words.
How it's done?
SCAMPER is an acronym that stands for 7 keywords that stimulate creative thinking:
Substitue - Break the problem down into components and separate processes and think about how you can replace each of them.
Combine - combine parts of a problem between yourself and external objects (or ideas) to create something new.
Adapt - Consider how you can use existing resources and capabilities differently to solve the problem.
Modify / Magnify - Look for how you can modify and improve existing ideas or processes, how you can change their intensity or significance.
Put to other uses - Think about what other purposes your idea can be applied to.
Eliminate - Simplify the problem, take it apart, and discard what can be sacrificed.
Rearrange - what happens if you break the sequence in your task? Turn it upside down or shuffle key blocks?
Reverse brainstorming
To break is not to build. It was this banal thought that formed the basis of this method. Its essence lies in the fact that you are looking for ideas not how to solve a given problem, but how to cause it, and what can be done to achieve an unnecessary effect. This allows you to liberate your brain, make the process of brainstorming easier and more enjoyable.
How it's done?
Formulate the problem and then turn it over. Let's say you need to increase the sales of a particular product. Therefore, you must think about how to keep them to a minimum. After you brainstorm, you will need to reverse these ideas in order to benefit from them.
Focal Object Method
Randomness and associative thinking are two things that surprisingly often accompany great discoveries and great ideas. The focal (or random) object method is based on these two phenomena. It consists in mentally transferring the characteristics of arbitrarily selected objects for consideration.
How it's done?
Select a specific object (it will be called focal) that needs to be improved (for example, an external battery - Powerbank).
Randomly select several items (apple, ship, Yandex, box).
Describe the properties of each item (for example, an apple - natural, juicy; ship - military, underwater; Yandex - omniscient; box - cardboard, wooden);
Transfer properties to the focal object, turn on associative thinking and choose the strongest options (natural - you can make a stylish wooden case, military, underwater - you can make it waterproof and shockproof, omniscient - you can add a convenient charge indicator).
Morphological box method
Another name is the method of morphological analysis. It is built on dividing an object into its constituent elements, for which various design options are indicated. All this is entered into a table, and then a search for new combinations is carried out, which sometimes give rise to completely unexpected ideas.
How it's done?
Select the subject (process) that you will work with.
Break it down into key elements.
Come up with as many different options as possible for each element.
Write it all down in a matrix table.
Look in the table for new combinations of elements and their variations to create something new.
Here's how it looks like on the example of the already reviewed Powerbank:
Parameters Parameter options
Housing plastic durraluminum wood metal-plastic
Battery lithium-ion battery solar battery Peltier cell dynamo
Additional functions clock memory card additional connectors waterproof cover
We can create a powerbank with a Peltier element (generates electricity from heat) with an impact-resistant case and an integrated memory card for filming in extreme conditions.
The Walt Disney Method
If anyone understands creative thinking, it is Walt Disney, who created one of the largest film companies in the world. In some ways, his method is reminiscent of the six thinking hats: you, too, will need to try on different roles to get out of the box.
How it's done?
Look at the problem from three different perspectives. Reincarnate in each of the roles in sequence:
Dreamer - come up with the craziest ideas and do not limit yourself to anything. Think about what the ideal solution would be with ideal methods.
Realist - in this role you view the visions of the Dreamer in terms of current possibilities. How can you embody an idea in a non-ideal world. Look for specific paths that you are confident in the feasibility of.
Critic - it's time to look for all the flaws in your plan. Analyze your ideas, identify weaknesses and mistakes.
Bus, bed, bath
This is a rather non-standard method of generating ideas, compared to the ones described above. Perhaps you yourself have noticed that many good ideas come at the most unexpected moments - in the shower or during the trip to work. This is due to the fact that having loaded a certain problem into your brain, over time you are involuntarily distracted from thinking. But your subconscious mind continues to work - and at some point it gives out what is called enlightenment.
How it's done?
Identify the problem and work on it using any of the above methods. Try to dive into it as deeply as possible, study questions indirectly related to it.
Leave the problem for a while. Just change your occupation - take a walk, listen to music, etc. Finally, get some sleep.
Wait for insight.
If the previous point was unsuccessful, try again with the classical methods. You will look at the problem with a fresh perspective.
A variation of this method is shock therapy. At the 2nd stage, you should radically change your usual routine - for example, go on a short trip or run a half marathon.
The idea quota technique
The method is based on the assertion that a person always underestimates his capabilities. For example, if you think you can do 30 push-ups, then in fact you are capable of at least 35. By setting a framework, we stimulate the brain to look for a way out, thereby improving its performance. This technique is best used in combination with other techniques.
How it's done?
Set for yourself the minimum number of ideas that you would like to come up with daily (for example, 5 per day).
Follow your plan every day.
If you feel that you are capable of more - do not stop, keep generating ideas.
Raise the bar over time.
Summary
This is not a complete list of creative techniques. We have collected only the most tested and popular ones. Largely thanks to them, the largest modern companies have achieved such incredible success - from Apple to Netflix. Apply these techniques at home and at work, combine them or find your favorite - the main thing is to come up with many ideas to train your creativity.
The author's presentation style is preserved. Opinion