We often hear that there is nothing else to do, or we think we are not creative enough. I am one of those people as well. I dont consider myself creative and am always looking for ways to be more creative. After having quit my job recently to focus full time on our app business, I am struggling even more with creativity, focus and idea generation. Couple weeks ago in my Marketing strategy class, we spent some time talking about idea generation tools and techniques that is helpful to teams and individuals. This made me think a little more about techniques I had been using for idea generation and not realizing that is what I was doing. I wanted to spend a little time going over some of the idea generation tools and few tips that I believe are useful in getting the creative juices flow.
Idea generation tools and techniques
Brain Purge idea generation technique-
Setup a timer for 2-5 minutes
Group:
- 1.Give each participant a stack of 3 x 5 cards or large sized Post-It notes
- 2.Write one idea on a card – pass it to person on your right
- 3.Read the idea from the person on your left, improve the idea (on a new card), or develop a new idea and keep passing cards to your right. .
- 4.Continue the process until time is up.
- 5.Categorize ideas into groups – on a flip chart, table, or wall
Note: works well as a first activity in an idea generation session. Gets ruminating ideas out on the table.
Individual:
You can also do this on your own. Set up the timer as before and grab a stack of post it notes or index cards to write. Write any ideas related to to the topic on one note card each and keep writing until you are out of ideas. Next, start reading all the ideas out loud. Continue improving the ideas you like and move the ones you no longer thing important to a separate pile. Continue this process until you have significantly narrowed down the ideas. It is helpful to do this without internet connection as it will let your creativity flow without any barriers you might impose by looking up the idea.
What IF idea generation technique
This one is pretty self explanatory. For a problem you are trying to solve, start with what if .......
This can be what if I wanted to create XYZ or what if X was done instead of Y.
--> Next, grab a piece of paper and write down everything that comes to mind for that situation in what if format. For example, if you started with what if I wanted to write a new york times best seller.
--> Next continue with what if solutions:
What if I was amazing at writing. What if I was great at marketing a book. What if I had time to write a book. What if I was willing to wait couple year to finish a book. What if I started writing a page everyday.
The idea is to have no boundaries on this thought process, you start with something big or crazy and as you continue with the what if, you start channeling your ideas to ways that can actually help you achieve your goal. You might realize that you are not great at writing but you can learn. You cannot have a new York times bestseller book next month but if you started writing one page a day you would be able to write a book in a year. Do not let impossibility stop your ideas, writing down the ideas no matter how far fetched it is, will help you continue asking the question and eventually get you to tasks that are achievable.
Grab bag forced association idea generation tools
Get a brown bag and put random items into the bag. Do not over think what goes into the bag, coins, pens, soap, food item, headphones are all fair game. You can just go around the room and put whatever you find in the bag. With your topic in mind, for example, how do I launch a killer app, or how do we double our user base, etc:
- 1.Reach into the bag without looking – pull one item from the bag
- 2.If doing in a group, each group member should take a turn describing the characteristics and traits of the item you just grabbed.
- 3.Next, using index cards of post it notes, write down all ideas about your topic and toss it to middle of table. The idea doe not need to have any association with the item you grabbed in step 1. This is just to get the thinking process started. If working alone, just grab the item, describe characteristics and traits and write ideas on the paper as they come to mind.
- 4.Pull another item from the bag and repeat the process.
- 5. Continue the process until your timer is done.
The process explained here is unrelated forced association technique but one can also do this as a related forced association by using items that are related to topic of discussion.
SCAMPER idea generation technique
SCAMPER is an idea generation tool developed by Bob Eberie. This idea generation technique utilizes action verbs as stimuli to generate new ideas. This technique can help come up with ideas either for modifications of a current product or service or a new product based on current product that can be utilized in a different market or put to a different use. SCAMPER is an acronym which stands for:
- S – Substitute. What can you substitute current product with. For example, stevia is a substitute for sugar. Biofuels started as looking for alternative fuels to traditional petroleum fuels
- C – Combine. Can you combine two products or features to create a new product?
- A – Adapt. Can you adapt the current product to create something new?
- M – Modify. Similarly, can you make any modifications to current product or service to create something new?
- P – Put to another use. Can you put this product to a different use? This a helpful exercise in creativity. if you start making a list of various ways an item can be used, it will help your brain to always be thinking of new ideas.
- E – Eliminate. What can you eliminate in a current product or process?
- R – Reverse. Lastly, in reverse thinking you ask the reverse of what you are trying to achieve. If your goal is to double your sales, the question you'd ask is What can reduce my sales in half. You can then focus on improving on these items in order to get to your original goal.
Idea generation tips:
- Do not limit yourself by boundaries. We often tend to discard something by saying " that will be too expensive"or " someone else is already doing that". Those are valid questions to ask before selecting and implementing an idea but at the generation phase it is helpful to set no boundaries.
- Think like a child. This builds on the first point. As a kid everyone is creative, because we are not scared of failing or being judged. If we can keep that in mind adopt a way of thinking that takes the fear factor out, the potential is limitless
- Daydream. Day dreaming is one of the fundamental ways of getting creative juices flowing and generate ideas. Stop worrying about being judged, and dream!
- Avoid patterned thinking. View things from new perspectives. Try new things including new idea generation tools.
Idea generation Resources:
Mycoted- Creativity resources Helpful Wiki style site with creativity and idea generation tools, Books and puzzles.
7) Go through the menus and customize your ad, and click add now at the end of the setup process.
