Creativity techniques
Creativity techniques are methods for promoting creativity and purposeful generation of new ideas to develop or solve problems visions. Innovation workshops and innovation projects are catered for in business, politics, education, etc. carried out deliberately. In the application of creativity techniques one must not ignore the fact that creativity takes place in a complex interaction of talent, knowledge, skills, motivation, personality characteristics and environmental conditions.
Generate ideas
The methods described below are to clarify problems, the ideas and the flow of ideas by individuals or groups to accelerate from to extend the search direction and to dissolve mental blockages. In ill-structured, open problems, the number and nature of the possible solutions is not predetermined; each result of the solution process is only a relatively optimal solution at a given time. With the use of creative techniques creativity is excited to find brand new, not yet implemented solutions.
Although Colloquially, the term " brainstorming " is used, but the emphasis is on generating new ideas as in the Find / Find of ( already existing ) ideas ( idea generation ). In contrast to the rather random " Inspiration " is meant by ideas the targeted generation of ideas at a defined time.
For ideas, numerous methods have been developed. These methods are no algorithms that correctly applied also guarantees lead to a " correct" result, such as written adding. Rather, they are heuristics, that is, Procedures, which have proved in practice to be purposeful, but give different results of different quality in every application. The best known method is the brainstorming that was developed in the 1950s in the United States by Alex Osborn and has since been seen as the embodiment of ideas.
Brainstorming methods are primarily suitable for problems in which the approach is still unknown (so-called " poorly structured " problems ), less for problems for which there is a well-known approach (so-called " well-structured " problems). In some cases, however, idea generation is also used to challenge existing solutions, because changes in circumstances or requirements can make new solutions desirable or necessary, regardless of an existing, accepted solution.
Quality and quantity of ideas depend on the task, the method used, the participants, and especially of its inner setting. The results are not previously known. The quality is enhanced when the participants apply creative thinking strategies.
Methods
Benefit of the block
Most methods are known as a group - methods, but can be applied generally also individuals. For ideas in this sense, usually groups of 7-14 participants are formed which apply such a method. Depending on the method takes such an idea -finding session between 30 and 60 minutes. The group has the advantage that not only a large number, but also a higher diversity can be reached from solution ideas. The group composition should be as heterogeneous as possible. In order for the group to work effectively, a moderator is for idea generation usually required who knows the method and the participant instructs accordingly.
General Structure
The methods generally provide first basic ideas, which must then be further developed into idea concepts and concrete and are then selected for implementation ( evaluation process and selection strategies).
The creativity methods can be divided into intuitive and discursive methods.
Intuitive methods
Intuitive methods deliver in a short time a lot of ideas ( in 30 minutes 100-400 individual ideas). They promote thought associations in the search for new ideas. They are designed to activation of the unconscious; Knowledge to which one does not think otherwise. These techniques and formats work should help to leave old thinking tracks. Enable the potential of whole groups and create a wide base idea, before going any further with discursive methods.
The best known is probably the most in the group, according to conducted brainstorming, which is practiced in a variety of versions. The rather quiet, written form Brainwriting turn has tightened many offshoots. Other well-known formats are the analogy and alienation methods where solutions are designed to provide a range of appropriate ideas for another area, such as bionics. A third strand of intuitive formats works with moving elements of style, such as the gallery method.
- Creative Writing
- Brainwriting
- Collective Notebook
- 6-3-5 method
- Brainwriting Pool
- ABC list
- Mind Mapping
- KJ method
- NM method
- Cluster ( Creative Writing )
- Edison principle
- Ideas Marathon
Loud techniques
- Brainstorming
- Negative Conference
- Headstand technique
- Provocation technique
- Bisociation
- Analogy technique
- Coincidence techniques
- Superposition
- Semantic intuition
- Bionics
- Synectics
- Tilmag method
- CATWOE
- Force -Fit game
Moving techniques
- Gallery method
- Card inquiry
- Wall Moderation ( meta-plan technique )
- SIL
Discursive methods
Discursive methods deliver in 30 minutes 10-50 ideas. You run the process of finding solutions systematically and consciously individual, logically running steps by ( discursively = from concept to concept logically progressively ). Such methods describe a problem entirely by it is analytically split into small units, as in the morphological box, whose criteria and forms a problem clearly, completely and without overlap ( engl. Wish word MECE: mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive ) to describe. Similarly, the relevance tree analysis, which is more precise from branch to branch.
- Morphological box
- Osborn Checklist
- SCAMPER or SCAMMPERR
- Cause-and- effect diagram
- Relevance tree analysis
- Progressive abstraction
- Force Field Analysis
Combined methods
In addition, creativity approaches have developed, which combines intuitive and discursive elements:
- CPS ( Creative Problem Solving ) to Osborn / Parnes
- Lateral Thinking by De Bono
- Thinking Hats De Bono Six Hats or
- Value analysis ( Value Analysis, ISO standard functional analysis )
- Walt Disney method with three rollers
- TRIZ: a Russian system, loosely translated as "Theory of Inventive Problem Solving "
- ARIZ: a step procedures for solving problems of invention
- Future Workshop: a creative approach in 4 phases according to the futurologist Robert Jungk
- Open Space: a creative large group methodology to Harrison Owen
Important people and organizations
- Alex Osborn, the developer of brainstorming and the CPS methodology
- Tony Buzan, inventor of Mind Map
- Edward de Bono, the inventor of the thinking hats and lateral thinking approach
- Kaoru Ishikawa, inventor of the cause-and- effect diagram
- Fritz Zwicky, developer of creative morphology
- Battelle Institute, Frankfurt am Main
- CEF (Creative Education Foundation ), founded by Alex Osborn creative organization dedicated to the maintenance, development and dissemination of creativity dedicated to