Cracking Creativity: The Secrets of Creative Genius by Michalko Michael

Author:Michalko, Michael [Michalko, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, pdf
Published: 2011-09-28T00:01:57.433000+00:00

Visuals

Applying your senses to your subject gets you thinking about the problem in different dimensions. Consider the sense of sight. Pictures, photographs and il ustrations are excel ent sources of unrelated stimuli. Years back, a designer, working to invent a new light fixture, leafed through an issue of National Geographic and got his inspiration for a new idea from a picture of a monkey. He imagined a monkey running around a home with a light wherever it was needed. This image led to the invention of track lighting. Use images to help with your problems: 1. Browse through newspapers and magazines. Select two or three interesting pictures at random.

2. Describe one of the pictures in detail. List descriptors. Include physical references and action-oriented statements. List everything that comes to mind (imagery, feelings, words, phrases, etc.). If you think of absurd material, list that too.

3. Force connections between each descriptor and your chal enge.

4. List your ideas.

The CEO of a Japanese perfume company asked his executives for ideas that would enable the company to survive poor economic times.

Disappointed with their suggestions, he gave each of them a picture of a king crab and instructed them to study it and to look for ideas from the crab they could apply to their business. Some of their connections and ideas were

“A crab can rejuvenate lost claws. We must develop back-up product lines in case our primary line falters.”

“A crab can see 360 degrees. We must improve our market intel igence.”

“A crab moves slowly. We cannot afford this. We must downsize so we can react more speedily to the market.”

“A crab has distinct features. We need to develop a distinctive package that differentiates our perfume more clearly.”

“A crab is a scavenger. We need to al ocate resources to see what other uses and markets we can find for our products.”

Picture Portfolios

Use picture portfolios to stimulate discussion and ideas in group brainstorming sessions. Fol owing are guidelines: 1. Read a problem statement aloud and ask the group to verbal y brainstorm solutions.

2. Give each group member a folder containing eight to ten pictures that are not related to the problem area.

3. Instruct the group members to examine each picture and silently write down any new ideas or modifications of previous ideas suggested by the pictures.

4. After a designated period, ask the group members to read their ideas aloud.

5. As each idea is read, ask the group members to discuss it and try to develop new ideas or modifications. Record al new ideas as they are suggested.

6. Col ect and evaluate.

An interesting twist is to provide participants with instant-film cameras and ask them to take a strol and photograph interesting objects and scenes. Use the photos as prompts. A group of managers from various departments met to seek better ways to mesh functions. One of their photographs showed birds looking at a pond of goldfish. To some it seemed that the birds were trying to communicate with the fish who could not hear them. As they discussed the photo, they realized they saw themselves as the unheard birds.

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